Dive Brief:
- Nestle’s Nesquik is debuting a product targeted toward the "kidult" demographic rather than the brand's typically younger audience.
- Nesquik's Protein Plus is a line of high-protein flavored milk with a campaign particularly aimed at millennials.
- A more specific target demographic is "casual athletes," or "average, not-necessarily-buff guys who get a kick out of acting like teens in their leisure time" and play sports like pool basketball, frisbee and wiffle ball, according to a news release.
Dive Insight:
When manufacturers want to open up a product or brand typically positioned for children, they can align the product with a health trend that resonates with adult consumers today. In this case, protein beverages are posting huge growth in sales and demand, both among athletic consumers but also generally active and health-conscious consumers.
Manufacturers realize that the millennial generation doesn't always feel like "adulting," hence the many efforts to establish a nostalgic feeling toward soda, candy and cereal products they consumed in their youth. Brands have capitalized on this feeling of nostalgia toward typically kid-facing products and categories, and Nesquik's new product and campaign embrace another angle of this strategy.
This product also represents another way for the milk industry to stage a comeback. Demand has fallen in recent years, and a surplus has caused milk prices to plunge. That has been a bust for top-line growth among dairy companies like Dean Foods. But value-added and flavored milks are two strategies milk producers can harness to attract consumers of all ages back to this beverage category.