Clean Protein Bars Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan: Clean Protein Bars

From boxed cake mixes to fast food, America has long been fascinated with foods that promise to provide a quicker way to eat. But there is also growing concern about the obesity epidemic, as well as a rise in fascination with alternative forms of eating (such as vegan, low-carb, and paleo dining) as well as unconventional forms of exercise. Viewed in conjunction, developing a protein bar that promises health benefits and the virtues of clean eating could be very useful. Many of these types of bars exist, of course, but this new line of protein bars would be unique because it would offer different options for people following different diets. All the bars would be made with unprocessed ingredients, but some would be vegan, others nut-free, others lactose free, and others paleo.

Primary Market for Protein Bars

Protein bars have become so common, they have penetrated into seemingly every segment of American society. Even very traditional brands such as Kellogg’s and Slim Fast market protein bars to consumers. Protein has become a trendy nutrient. However, for serious gym-goers and people who are highly health conscious, the idea of a candy bar-style bar with some additional nutrients in it is not attractive. Significant protein for athletes, hikers, and others who carefully track their macros is needed to gain the loyalty of the specialty market.

The protein bar market is currently segmented into two primary categories; that of animal and plant-based proteins (“Global Protein Bar Market,” 2018). Animal-based proteins include bars made up of jerky but also dairy-based products. Plant-based products include bars based upon various types of flours (such as nut and coconut flours), oats, and beans. Of course, many bars consist in a mixture of both and it can be a great advantage to use a plant-based base and simply add dairy components for non-vegan bars, as a source of additional protein. Also, the primary target market of serious athletes often vacillates between different types of diets, and having bars that showcase different nutritional needs ensures that there will always be a bar for the athlete within the product line. Plant-based proteins have the advantage of being lactose-free and as well as gluten-free and nut-free, more and more consumers either have intolerances or allergies or are eating as if they do. Plant-based proteins are also viewed as having additional health benefits such as improving cholesterol.

Generic Marketing Strategy: Niche Strategy

The generic strategy adopted for this product will be a niche marketing strategy in which a niche market of serious athletes with a desire to eat in a clean, healthy way will be the focus of the marketing campaign (Kerin, & Hartley, 2016). The company will market on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to encourage users to post photos of themselves eating the bar through sponsorship of already popular accounts and athletes. Examples of other possible sponsorships include CrossFit gyms, yoga studios, athletes, and competitions, which enables the brand to reach users and position the product as being sold by a trustworthy organization that reaches out to consumers personally. Finding sponsors that consumers trust is also critical in viewing the company as one which is not simply selling a glorified form of candy as a health food.

Giving consumers the option of trying a free bar generates interest in the product and again enables it to stand out in a crowded marketplace. If consumers like the taste and feel that it meets their personal requirements for a protein bar in terms of nutritional composition, they are more apt to purchase the product. Focusing on social media enables a company to keep costs low yet reach a wide yet targeted audience, more so than television or print. Selling bars at gyms ensures a captive audience, as people may be more apt to buy food after working out. Having a functional website that generates interest in the product by advertising the company’s personal story and reason for creating the bars would also be useful. The availability of different kinds of bars would enable the bar to be marketed to a wide variety of sports with different eating habits and requirements.

Social and Ethical Issues

Many foods marketed as health foods are accused of having a so-called false health halo. Foods cannot make unsubstantiated claims about their benefits without someone calling foul, and justifiably so. Even bars with high levels of sugar are often erroneously perceived as healthy by consumers if they are marketed as protein bars, rather than a sweet treat. According to a study by Fernan, Schuldt, & Niederdeppe (2017), consumers perceived a product to be healthier when it was labeled as a good source of protein and this effect was intensified by the addition of other nutrients like fiber and iron. Athletes and serious gym-goers are often more careful than the average consumer about reading labels and are more likely to see through a falsehood such as claiming a food builds muscle if it has relatively low protein content.

Still, this does not mean that they are immune to such claims and companies must be honest to avoid both legal liability as well as consumer mistrust in not claiming more than the product actually offers. The brand must also be honest about how many calories the bar has, as well as if the bars are genuinely nut-free, lactose-free, or vegan given that consumer trust if violated regarding nutritional content can be very difficult to build back, especially among serious athletes.

References

Fernan, C. Schuldt, J. & Niederdeppe, J. (2017). Health halo effects from product titles and
nutrient content claims in the context of "protein" bars. Health Communication, 30:1-9. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2017.1358240.

Global protein bar market (2018). Marketwatch. Retrieved from: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/global-protein-bars-market-is-driven-by-increasing- awareness-about-benefits-of-protein-bars-among-individuals-2018-04-20

Kerin, R. A., & Hartley, S. W. (2016). Marketing: The core (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.