Dive Brief:
- Campbell Soup is expanding its Goldfish crackers franchise in an effort to reach a new demographic: older children, according to Baking Business. It also wants to strengthen its brand connection with millennials.
- "Through our consumer insight, we know that as kids get older, they begin to want intensely flavored chips. We also know that moms don’t feel as good about giving their kids these type of snacks because of the ingredients, particularly artificial flavors and colors, and how those snacks are made, generally fried," Luca Mignini, Campbell’s president of Global Biscuits and Snacks, said during a recent analyst conference. "The new Goldfish line we are planning…are baked, made with whole grain corn, and contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.”
- The new Goldfish products are scheduled to be launched next spring.
Dive Insight:
The iconic childhood snack is wisely looking for a new audience. Campbell Soup plans new Goldfish crackers product introductions and brand extensions to try and keep kids as consumers when they grow up. It's a daunting challenge as consumers are awash in product choices, and more shoppers are looking to eat healthier, simpler products with fewer ingredients. The question becomes: Will older kids bite?
There are a couple of tactics manufacturers can use when they want to open up a product or brand typically positioned for children to an older audience. One is to align the product with a health trend that resonates with adult consumers today. Another is the nostalgia factor — leveraging feelings toward products such as soda, candy and cereals people consumed in their youth.
One only needs to look across the store to find other brands that have successfully reformulated or reinvented products to reach a new audience, or as in Goldfish’s case, an older demographic. Just look at all the cross-over products bringing cereals to new places. Kellogg’s Special K brand recently came out with a Crustless Quiche. General Mills’ Yoplait brand now makes Greek yogurt packaged with honey and oat crisps meant for dipping. Another example is what Nestle has done launching Protein Plus, a line of high-protein flavored milk that targets the "kidult" demographic rather than the brand's typically younger audience.
Goldfish has several factors playing in its favor as it looks to move up the age spectrum: the trend toward snacking; consumer demand for new and unique flavor profiles; a growing interest in better-for-you products; and the nostalgia factor.
Hartman Group research finds 91% of consumers snack multiple times a day and more than 50% of all U.S. eating occasions are snacks. While shoppers say they want healthier snacks, the reality is they often reach for salty, sugary or other unhealthy wares instead. These Goldfish crackers could succeed because they combine the ideas of better-for-you made with “real ingredients” along with the salty factor consumers seek.
Older kids will likely appreciate new, zestier flavors. Perhaps more importantly, baked and better-for-you attributes, such as the use of real cheese and whole grain, hold appeal for moms. And don’t underestimate the power of nostalgia, which Goldfish uses to draw in both moms and big kids. How can anyone, no matter their age, resist the “snack that smiles back”? With so many possibilities, Goldfish might have a real catch on its hands.