BY JIM FREDERICK ic constipation, diarrhea, urgency, Probiotics, she added, “are being in-
gas and bloating.” The product vestigated for their possible role in just
was first available online in June about everything from improved di-
2005, but P&G began offering it at gestion and reduced risk of intestinal
retail only recently, beginning in infection to improved immune function
Cincinnati, Dallas and St. Louis. and reduced risk of certain cancers.”
“Align was developed to help Because of the wide range of gas-
people with a wide range of episod- trointestinal issues they have been
ic digestive upsets,” said Mauricio known to address—including gas-
Troncoso, marketing director for the troenteritis, ulcerative colitis, irritable
product. “So we are thrilled that bowel syndrome and other chronic
BRAND Align will now be more widely conditions—probiotic supplements
available to consumers.” and enriched food items, like Dannon’s
Over the past decade, the concept Activia yogurt, are receiving increased
of “good” germs and the science attentionfromphysiciansandconsum-
behind probiotics—the enlistment of ers in this country. Align’s probiotic ingre-
bacteria for a healthier digestive sys- dient is bifidus regularis, but other emerging probi-
tem—have gained traction among consumers. So, otic products include Amerifit’s Culturelle (lacto-
too, has awareness of the health and preventive ben- bacillus) and Biocodex’ Florastor (sacchromyces
efits found by consuming certain kinds of yogurt, boulardii). Here in the United States, probiotics are
cheeses and other foods that contain large concentra- regarded as supplements or food ingredients, but in
tions of live bacteria cultures that aid in digestion. most other countries, they are marketed as drugs and
“These ‘probiotic’ bacteria pass through the stom- are able to make real disease claims.
ach to the gastrointestinal tract,” noted Pat Kendall, “As for the potential size of the market, it has been
Ph.D., a food-science and human nutrition specialist communicated in [the] medical community that 69
with Colorado State University. “They help maintain percent of the U.S. population had at least one func-
a healthy balance between the 200-plus kinds of bac- tional digestive upset in the previous three months,”
teria that live there.” said Velvet Gogol Bennett, P&G spokeswoman.
Americans, always obsessed with germs, are at least getting more sophisticated about the bugs that live in their guts. And that’s good news for Procter & Gamble.
P&G has developed a probiotic supplement under the brand name Align, marketed as an aid to help users “build a natural defense against episod-
PERCENT SALES*
CHANGE
$38.5 0.9%
23. 3 - 2. 3
5. 2 - 26. 1
5. 1 -0.4
1. 9 N/A
1. 6 4. 8
1. 1 - 23. 2
0.3 - 62. 5
0.1 167. 2
0.6 20. 1
0.02 - 28. 2
CATEGORY TOTAL
PEPTO-BISMOL
DIGESTIVE ADVANTAGE
PRIVATE LABEL
ALIGN
DUAL ACTION CLEANSE
PHILLIPS
EQUALACTIN
HANDY SOLUTIONS PEPTO-BISMOL PIN X
VALET PEPTO-BISMOL
*in millions
Source: Information Resources Inc. for the 52 weeks ended May 18, 2008, for food, drug and mass, excluding Wal-Mart
BY MICHAEL JOHNSEN
Kellogg Co. in the past year has effectively parlayed its success in promoting heart-healthy breakfast foods into a line of good-for-you meal replacement bars intended to reach the busy mom on a diet who’s looking for something fast and easy to grab from a brand name she not only trusts, but also already feeds to her kids—and enjoys herself.
Kellogg recently launched a new line of three protein-fortified products featuring its Special K brand, which is a supplement of sorts to Kellogg’s complete line of diet-aid products—Special K2O Protein Water, Special K Protein Snack Bars and Special K Protein Meal Bars. “Kellogg’s move into the HBC arena approximately two years ago has been a very eye-opening experience for the company,” noted Joe Mueller, director of sales for health and wellness at Kellogg, while on a Drug Store News panel late last year. “Mainstream grocery has all the traffic in the world, but understanding how to get everybody that walks in the door to buy products in HBC is something that we can help retailers understand even better, so that we can achieve a higher conversion rate.”
Special K Protein Meal Bars are available in chocolate peanut butter, double chocolate and strawberry flavors, with 10 grams of protein and 190 calories. A box of six bars has a suggested retail price of $5.99, or $1.29 for an individual bar. Special K Protein Snack Bars contain 110 calories per bar and 4 grams of protein. A box of six bars has a suggested retail price of $3.99, or $0.89 for an individual bar.
Already, Kellogg’s bar offerings have cracked the top 10 in meal replacement bar sales, joining not
only Unilever with its Slim-Fast brand, but also Kraft, which markets a South Beach Diet line of bars. In the first year on the market, Kellogg’s products fell only behind fellow diet-bar marketer Abbott Laboratories, which boasts the No. 1 brand in the category, ZonePerfect. Clif Bar enjoys more sales than Kellogg’s today, as well, but Kellogg sees Clif Bar selling to a completely different consumer: the natural athlete looking for something that will help boost energy before, during or after a workout.
BRAND
PERCENT SALES*
CHANGE
- 7.8%
- 7. 8 - 19. 9
3. 5
107. 4 - 1. 6 - 7. 9 - 1. 2 7. 5 1. 7 - 8. 2
CATEGORY TOTAL
ZONEPERFECT
CLIF
CLIF LUNA
KELLOGG’S SPECIAL K PROTEIN
POWERBAR
SLIM-FAST OPTIMA MEAL-ON-THE-GO
KRAFT SOUTH BEACH DIET
KASHI GO LEAN
BALANCE
PURE PROTEIN
*in millions
Source: Information Resources Inc. for the 52 weeks ended May 18, 2008, for food, drug and mass, excluding Wal-Mart
$540.6
52. 4
48. 9
39. 2
30. 2
23. 4
23. 3
22. 6
20.0
19. 1
18. 7
References:
Archives