Snickers From Research Learned, Identify (3) Marketing

SNICKERS

From research learned, identify (3) marketing environment forces impact Snickers. Mars Chocolate. Describe force analyze & impact product/service. Explore strategies overcome threats capitalize opportunities

Snickers: Market forces

Concerns about obesity

The escalating global obesity epidemic has caused great concern about too much consumption of 'junk' food. Snickers traditionally advertised itself along the lines of many energy bars, as a treat that 'really satisfied' the consumer by offering a portable, quick source of energy. However, now there are many popular energy bars that offer nutritional bars with higher levels of protein and lower levels of carbohydrates than a candy bar. The trend towards eating healthier has also caused an explosion of portable snacks such as cut-up packaged fruits, individually-sized hummus, and other snack foods with higher levels of nutrition than Snickers bars.

Candy is being banned in many schools -- from school vending machines and even from Halloween and Valentine's Day celebrations (Vilsack & Wilson 2010). There are also calls to ban candy advertising and sponsorship in schools, potentially undercutting demand for Snickers amongst the next generation. Regardless, it is unlikely that Mars will ever be able to market their standard Snickers candy bar again as a healthy, quasi-energy bar that can satisfy hunger. In response to the growing concern about health and a desire for more nutritious products, Mars has introduced the Snickers 'Marathon' energy bar which claims to have real nutritional value. However, given the many competitors in the energy bar market, it is questionable if Snickers can hope to overtake Power Bars because it is still associated with 'candy' and 'sugar' than with health. To address health concerns in the future, Mars has eliminated its super-sized candy bars: "The company that produces M&Ms, 3 Musketeers, Snickers and Twix bars has vowed to stop shipping any Mars chocolate products that exceed 250 calories per portion by the end of 2013" (Mars puts Snickers bars on a diet, 2012, CNN).

Interest in gourmet chocolate amongst the general public

Consumers have developed more discerning palates regarding chocolate. Chocolate bars now list whether they are milk or dark, and their percentage of cacao on the label, which would have been unthinkable when Snickers was first introduced as a candy bar. Snickers is faced with the competition posed by premium chocolate bars, and even from lower-priced but still premium-marketed candy bars of competitors.

To cater to the customer's new interest in quality and variety, Mars introduced Snickers Dark, Snickers Peanut Butter, Snickers Fudge, and Snickers Almond (Candy review, 2010, Crank Revolution). Even though the standard Snickers bar is the most popular of all of the types of Snickers, generating new forms of the candy creates interest and 'buzz' about the brand, and enables the classic candy bar to stand out against an increasingly wide range of competitor products.

Snickers cannot compete as a 'gourmet' product. However, it can command attention using 'limited edition' and special releases of flavors, as well as diversifying its flavor profile. Mars has attempted similar strategies, with some success, in its lines of M&Ms and other popular commercial chocolate products. Snickers has great nostalgia appeal, given that many consumers grew up with Snickers, and its combination of nuts, caramel, and chocolate are a very popular flavor profile.