Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Overview
- The market
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- Figure 1: Total U.S. sales and fan chart forecast of snack and nutritional bars, at current prices, 2008-18
- Market driven by demand for healthy foods, growing snacking trend
- Demographics also play a role
- Key players
- The consumer
- Respondents most apt to buy cereal/breakfast bars
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- Figure 2: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—any household purchase, January 2014
- Supermarkets are the top choice for buyers
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- Figure 3: Retail outlets used for purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—any bars, January 2014
- Respondents most likely to look for high protein, fiber
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- Figure 4: Health/nutrition product attributes looked for, January 2014
- Price is the major obstacle to buying for many respondents
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- Figure 5: Reasons for not buying cereal, snack, energy, or nutrition bars, January 2014
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Is the line blurring between segments hurting brand potential to stand out?
- Insight: Occasion-specific marketing is still a powerful message
- How can cereal bars reverse the downward sales trend?
- Insight: Flavor focus can be the hallmark of cereal/snack bars
- How can marketers reach Hispanic moms?
- Insight: Catering to Hispanic moms’ concerns about their kids’ nutrition
Trend Application
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- Trend: Transumers
- Trend: Many Mes
- Mintel futures: Access Anything Anywhere
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Future growth will be driven by health considerations, more snacking
- Demographics set to factor in sales in the near term
- Households with kids more apt to buy than households without
- Household income plays an important role in purchases
- Hispanics, Asians report most likelihood to purchase
- Sales and forecast of snack and nutritional bars
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- Figure 6: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack and nutritional bars, at current prices, 2008-18
- Figure 7: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack and nutritional bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2008-18
- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 8: Total U.S. sales and fan chart forecast of snack and nutritional bars, at current prices, 2008-18
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Health considerations drive sales of snack and nutritional bars
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- Figure 9: Cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bar product attributes looked for, January 2014
- Looking for ways to stand out as product attributes bleed over between segments
- Snacking trends favor bars
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- Figure 10: Product attributes looked for, January 2014
- Households with kids most apt to buy; most likely for 12-17s
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- Figure 11: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—any purchase, by presence of children under in household, January 2014
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- Figure 12: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars for children, January 2014
- Number of households with kids declines
- Those with higher household income predisposed to use energy/diet bars
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- Figure 13: Consumption of energy/diet snacks and bars, by household income, July 2012-September 2013
- Hispanics, Asians report most likelihood to buy bars of all types
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- Figure 14: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars, by race/Hispanic region, January 2014
Competitive Context
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- Other snack foods compete for consumer attention
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- Figure 15: Reasons for not buying cereal, snack, energy, or nutrition bars, by gender, January 2014
- Meal replacements represent competition for nutritional bars
- Some users may opt for energy drinks over energy bars
- Brands look for ways to distinguish themselves
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Snack and cereal bars lead, but nutritional bars gain share and sales
- Sales of snack and nutritional bars, by segment
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- Figure 16: Sales of snack and nutritional bars, segmented by type, 2011 and 2013
Segment Performance – Snack and Cereal Bars
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- Key points
- Deteriorating sales performance as nutritional/health bars rise
- Sales and forecast of snack and cereal bars
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- Figure 17: Total U.S. sales and forecast of snack and cereal bars, at current prices, 2008-18
Segment Performance – Nutritional/health Bars
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- Key points
- Nutritional bars grow sales through expanded positioning, new flavors
- Sales and forecast of nutritional/health bars
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- Figure 18: Total U.S. sales and forecast of nutritional/health bars, at current prices, 2008-18
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Respondents most likely to report buying at supermarkets
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- Figure 19: Retail outlets used for purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars, January 2014
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- Figure 20: Where consumers look for bars in-store, January 2014
- Supermarkets are the top individual channel in the market
- Sales of snack and nutritional bars, by channel
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- Figure 21: Sales of snack and nutritional bars, by channel, 2011 and 2013
- Supermarket sales grow steadily between 2008 and 2013
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- Figure 22: U.S. supermarket sales of snack and nutritional bars, 2008-13
- Other channels also grow strongly; mass chains likely to benefit most
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- Figure 23: U.S. natural channel sales of snack and nutritional bars, 2012-14
- Natural channel and nutritional bars are a natural fit
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- Figure 24: U.S. natural channel sales of snack and nutritional bars, 2012-14
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- General Mills Inc. and Kellogg Co. vie for most sales
- CLIF Bar & Company gains most over review period
- Other companies account for less than 10% share
- Manufacturer sales of snack and nutritional bars
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- Figure 25: Manufacturer sales of snack and nutritional bars, 2012 and 2013
- Brand loyalty key to sales success
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- Figure 26: Key purchase measures for the top snack and nutritional bar brands, by household penetration, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 (current) and Dec. 2, 2012 (year ago)
Brand Share – Nutritional/health Bars
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- Key points
- Fiber One tops segment, grows 23.2%
- CLIF gains 22.4% as all CLIF products grow
- Atkins increases sales with Atkins Advantage
- Carlyle drops as top brand Pure Protein declines
- Kellogg grows 7.2%; Fiber Plus bars triple sales
- Abbott’s top brand Zone Perfect falls 4.6%
- KIND more than doubles sales
- Post declines as its PowerBar products drop significantly
- Manufacturer sales of nutritional/health bars
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- Figure 27: Manufacturer sales of nutritional health bars, 2012 and 2013
Brand Share – Snack and Cereal Bars
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- Key points
- Kellogg declines despite surge from Special K Pastry Crisps and Kashi
- Nature Valley, LÄRABAR increase but General Mills growth is moderate
- Quaker Chewy brands are flat or decline; PepsiCo falls 4.3%
- Other brands individually comprise less than 5% of the segment
- Manufacturer sales of snack and cereal bars
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- Figure 28: Manufacturer sales of snack and cereal bars, 2012 and 2013
Innovations and Innovators
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- Gluten-free, all-natural, whole grain top product claims
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- Figure 29: Top 10 product claims, snack/cereal/energy bars, by percent of total claims, 2010-13
- All-natural products
- Gluten-free trend on the rise
- Wholegrain positioning attracts health-conscious users
- Indulgent bars offer a treat for less health-conscious consumers
Marketing Strategies
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- Overview of the brand landscape
- Theme: Healthy positioning, energy for exercise
- Brand example: Fiber One
- Fiber One TV spot
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- Figure 30: Fiber One television ad, 2014
- Brand example: Nature Valley
- Nature Valley TV spot
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- Figure 31: Nature Valley television ad, 2013
- Brand example: CLIF Bar
- Theme: Start the morning right
- Brand example: Nutri-Grain
- Nutri-Grain TV spot
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- Figure 32: Nutri-Grain television ad, 2013
Social Media – Snack and Nutritional Bars
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- Key points
- Social media metrics
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- Figure 33: Key social media metrics, Feb. 2014
- Market overview
- Brand usage and awareness
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- Figure 34: Brand usage and awareness among selected snack and nutrition bars, Jan. 2014
- Interaction with snack and nutrition bars
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- Figure 35: Interactions with selected snack and nutrition bar brands, Jan. 2014
- Online conversations
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- Figure 36: Online conversations around selected snack and nutrition bar brands, by month, Feb. 1, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014
- Where are people talking about snack and nutrition bar brands?
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- Figure 37: Online conversations around selected snack and nutrition bar brands, by page type, Feb. 1, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014
- What are people talking about?
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- Figure 38: Online conversations around selected topics, Feb. 1, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014
- Analysis by brand
- CLIF Bar
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- Figure 39: Social media metrics—CLIF Bar, Feb. 2014
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- Nature Valley
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- Figure 40: Social media metrics—Nature Valley, Feb. 2014
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- Special K
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- Figure 41: Social media metrics—Special K, Feb. 2014
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- LÄRABAR
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- Figure 42: Social media metrics—Feb. 2014
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- PowerBar
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- Figure 43: Social media metrics—PowerBar, Feb. 2014
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- Quaker Chewy
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- Figure 44: Social media metrics—Feb. 2014
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
Household Purchases of Snack/cereal and Nutrition/energy Bars
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- Key points
- Three quarters of respondents have purchased in the last three months
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- Figure 45: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars, January 2014
- Purchases decline with age
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- Figure 46: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—any purchase, by age, January 2014
- Respondents likely to wish all types of bars were resealable
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- Figure 47: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—any purchase, by attitudes toward cereal and/or snack bars, January 2014
- Respondents who feel bars are too big most likely to buy all types of bars
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- Figure 48: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—any purchase, by attitudes toward cereal and/or snack bars, January 2014
- Many buy bars per occasion (snack, meal replacement, before a workout)
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- Figure 49: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—any purchase, by attitudes toward cereal and/or snack bars, January 2014
Retail Outlets and Store Sections Used for Snack/cereal and Nutrition/energy Bar Purchases
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- Key points
- Respondents most apt to look for cereal/breakfast bars in the breakfast aisle
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- Figure 50: Where consumers look for bars in-store—cereal/breakfast bars, by retail outlets used for purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—cereal/breakfast bars, January 2014
- Most look for granola bars in the breakfast aisle at supermarkets
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- Figure 51: Where consumers look for bars in-store—chewy/crunchy granola snack bars, by retail outlets used for purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—chewy/crunchy granola snack bars, January 2014
- Respondents most apt to look for energy/nutrition bars in nutritional food aisle
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- Figure 52: Where consumers look for bars in-store—energy/nutrition bars, by retail outlets used for purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars—energy/nutrition bars, January 2014
Brands Used
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- Key points
- Top brands used share theme of fueling athleticism through nutrition
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- Figure 53: Brands of diet/energy snacks and bars eaten in last 30 days, by gender, July 2012-September 2013
- CLIF Bars appeal to younger, middle-aged users
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- Figure 54: Brands of diet/energy snacks and bars eaten in last 30 days, by age, July 2012-September 2013
Snack/cereal and Nutrition/energy Bar Product Attributes Looked For
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- Key points
- Flavor, price, high protein looked for more than other bar attributes
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- Figure 55: Snack/cereal and nutrition/energy bar product attributes looked for, January 2014
- 18-34 report most likelihood to look for specific attributes
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- Figure 56: Product attributes looked for—any type of bar, by age, January 2014
- Households with children most likely to look for health attributes
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- Figure 57: Product attributes looked for—any type of bar, by presence of children in household, January 2014
- Blacks and Hispanics apt to look for nutritious attributes
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- Figure 58: Snack/cereal and nutritional/health bar product attributes looked for—any type of bar, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2014
Attitudes toward Snack/cereal bars and Nutrition/health Bars
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- Key points
- Roughly six in 10 agree that bars make good treats
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- Figure 59: Attitudes toward cereal and/or snack bars, by gender, January 2014
Attitudes toward Consumption of Snack/cereal bars and Nutritional/health Bars by Children and Teens
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- Key points
- More than half consider bars BFY snacks for kids
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- Figure 60: Attitudes toward child consumption of cereal bar and/or snack bars, January 2014
- Young parents report most concern about nutrition in bars for their kids
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- Figure 61: Attitudes toward child consumption of cereal bar and/or snack bars, by age, January 2014
Reasons for Not Buying Snack/cereal and Nutrition/health Bars
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- Key points
- More than four in 10 do not buy bars because they find them overpriced
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- Figure 62: Reasons for not buying cereal, snack, energy, or nutrition bars, by gender, January 2014
- Seniors most apt to find bars overpriced
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- Figure 63: Reasons for not buying cereal, snack, energy, or nutrition bars, by age, January 2014
Appendix – Market Drivers
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- Health and lifestyle
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- Figure 64: American adults by weight category as determined by body mass index (BMI), 2008-Oct. 28, 2013
- Childhood and teen obesity—highest in decades
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- Figure 65: Prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 2-19, 1971-2010
- Consumer confidence
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- Figure 66: University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment (ICS), 2007-14
- Unemployment
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- Figure 67: US Unemployment Rate, by month, 2002-14
- Figure 68: US unemployment and underemployment rates, 2007-14
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- Figure 69: Number of employed civilians in US 2007-14
- Retail channels
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- Figure 70: Distribution of expenditures on food for off-premise consumption, by channel, 1993-2012
- Racial, ethnic population growth
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- Figure 71: US population by race and Hispanic origin, 2009, 2014, and 2019
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- Figure 72: Households with children, by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2013
- Shifting US demographics
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- Figure 73: US population, by age, 2009, 2014, and 2019
- Figure 74: US households, by presence of own children, 2003-13
Appendix – Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Household purchases of snack/cereal and energy/nutrition bars
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- Figure 75: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars – Any purchase, by gender, January 2014
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- Figure 76: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars – Any purchase, by household income, January 2014
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- Figure 77: Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars – For self, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2014
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- Figure 78: Index – Household purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars – For self, Hispanics versus all, January 2013
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- Figure 79: Brands of diet/energy snacks and bars eaten in the last 30 days, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012-September 2013
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- Figure 80: Index – Brands of diet/energy snacks and bars eaten in the last 30 days, Hispanics versus all, July 2012-September 2013
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- Figure 81: Retail outlets used for purchases of cereal, snack, energy, and nutrition bars – Cereal / breakfast bars and energy nutrition bars, Hispanics versus all, January 2013
- Where consumers look for snack/cereal and nutrition/health bars in-store
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- Figure 82: Where consumers look for bars in-store—Any type of bar, by gender, January 2014
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- Figure 83: Where consumers look for bars in-store—any type of bar, by age, January 2014
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- Figure 84: Where consumers look for bars in-store—any type of bar, by household income, January 2014
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- Figure 85: Where consumers look for bars in-store – Any, by presence of children in household, January 2014
- Snack/cereal and nutrition/energy bar product attributes looked for
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- Figure 86: Product attributes looked for—any type of bar, by gender, January 2014
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- Figure 87: Product attributes looked for—any type of bar, by household income, January 2014
- Attitudes toward snack/cereal bars and nutrition/health bars
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- Figure 88: Attitudes toward cereal and/or snack bars, by age, January 2014
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- Figure 89: Attitudes toward cereal and/or snack bars, by household income, January 2014
- Attitudes toward child consumption of snack/cereal bars and nutrition/health bars
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- Figure 90: Attitudes toward child consumption of cereal bar and/or snack bars, by household income, January 2014
Appendix – Social Media – Snack and Nutritional Bars
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- Brand usage or awareness
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- Figure 91: Brand usage or awareness, January 2014
- Figure 92: CLIF usage or awareness, by demographics, January 2014
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- Figure 93: Power Bar usage or awareness, by demographics, January 2014
- Figure 94: Larabar usage or awareness, by demographics, January 2014
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- Figure 95: Quaker Chewy usage or awareness, by demographics, January 2014
- Figure 96: Nature Valley usage or awareness, by demographics, January 2014
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- Figure 97: Kellogg’s Special K usage or awareness, by demographics, January 2014
- Online conversations
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- Figure 98: Online conversations around selected snack and nutrition bar brands, by month, Feb. 1, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014
- Figure 99: Online conversations around selected snack and nutrition bar brands, by page type, Feb. 1, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014
- Figure 100: Online conversations around selected topics, Feb. 1, 2013-Jan. 31, 2014
Appendix – Information Resources Inc. Builders Panel Data Definitions
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- Information Resources Inc. Consumer Network Metrics
Appendix – Trade Associations
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