Dive Brief:
- Consumers’ preferences for savory and sweet snacks is influenced by the time of day, while better-for-you snack consumption is more associated with place, according to a recent study from The NPD Group.
- Consumers' days tend to start off with better-for-you snacks, with savory snack cravings at midday, and sweet snacks being preferred in the evening.
- As for place, "Over 40 percent of snacks carried from home and eaten at school, work, in the car, or at other locations are better-for-you," according to a news release.
Dive Insight:
Even the seasons can somewhat dictate consumers' snack preferences. Sweet snacking sees an upturn during November as consumers enjoy Halloween treats, while better-for-you snacking slows in November and December, likely because of the holidays. Savory snacks reach their highest consumption point during December and January.
Food marketers, especially for traditional snack foods or other foods they hope to sell as snacking options, will find this information helpful when constructing the settings for marketing campaigns that appeal to consumers in terms of when and where they prefer to consume certain types of snacks. Spots featuring better-for-you snacks may feature someone eating them in the morning at home, while savory snacks might be featured in ads showing someone eating them in the afternoon on-the-go.