Smaller Portions, Bigger Profits
Cookies or crackers, chips or crisps; the selection of snack foods in this country is endless. In almost any grocery store across this great nation you can get your hands on any snack crave, how unhealthy is that? As a culture we are consumed by a few things; electronics, cars, and appearance. Let's take a closer look at appearance for a moment. We focus a large amount of energy on how we are perceived. Is this trait inherited? With our gyms, health clubs and diet pills, the burning desire to be thin appears to be an endless quest.
Weight loss is a simple equation, not rocket science, diet plus exercise equals reduction of overall body mass (or BMI). For many people exercise is a challenge in itself. The time, dedication and effort required to work out does not seem to "work out" for a lot of people. However, even if you are on par with your daily workout routine, you will also have to cut back on your food intake.
Major food manufacturers know this; they also know how career driven Americans are. According to dietician Julie Walsh, "We are a nation on the go, looking for convenience.." In 2004, Nabisco® debuted a hybrid product called "100 Calorie Snack Packs" Nabisco's top selling cookies (OREO® and Chips Ahoy®!) were modified into "thin crisps" and packaged in individual pouches. Was this invention a stroke of genius? I believe it was, but why?
Laziness » as an American who has traveled abroad, I can attest to the fact that we are a country of convenience. Barely any other country in the world has 24 hour stores and Drive-Thru restaurant chains. If a manufacturer can fulfill a need and/or a desire in a tasteful and engaging way, the product will sell.
Disillusionment » Americans have a fixation with buying into consumer marketing. As a culture, we believe that if a product has the words "natural" "lower in calories" or "mini" tattooed on the wrapping that automatically equates to the concept that "it can't be that bad for me."
Lack of Self Control » Americans love to eat; there is no doubt about that! However, we lack self control. The food portions in this country are not double, but triple the size of the portions in other countries (Data obtained from comparing portion sizes at two identical chain restaurants in the United Kingdom). Aurora Gonzalez spokeswomen for Frito-Lay® adds: "It (100-calorie packs) is the exact same product people love, but want a little help with portion control."
Our dear friends at Frito-Lay®, Nabisco®, Keebler®, Pepperidge Farm®, Hostess®, and multiple other companies know this and are increasing profits by leaps and bounds. Tom Vierhile, the director of Productscan Online was quoted as saying: "There are 92 different 100 calorie products on the market as of July [2007]. That is up from 51 in 2006, 33 in 2005 and only 13 in 2004. It is currently 2009, can you guess how many there are now?
Neither can I, but, I can tell you that serious money is being made on our desire to snack and lose weight. Snack and lose weight, is that an oxymoron? [Well, perhaps it is] However in America, we get what we want and "no" isn't an option. As long as there is a profit attached it is possible. That is in part what makes this country so great. We live our lives by the credo "Dream it, Make it, Sell it" it's the American way. I don't think the 100 calorie pack would be as lucrative an idea in any other market in the world.
In part that is what makes this nation great; a basic idea like the re-packaging of snack foods, marketed correctly, in small intervals can mature into a trend utilized by snack food makers across the nation. Is this an example of smart marketing, or our fixation with weight? Whatever the reason, when these two ingredients are blended together the result is a recipe not even a top chef could dispute.
Conclusion
It is marketing mixed with the desire to eat healthy that propels the sales of the 100 calorie pack. Although timing may have played a large role in its success, a stellar marketing plan with a clear target market keeps it running strong. I believe Americans are a very susceptible market; we are willing to try almost any product once and with effective tactics and a shiny wrapper, we will keep coming back for more.
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