Brands cash in on daypart targeting

Brands are increasingly launching products for consumption at particular times of the day, according to research by consumer insight firm Canadean, which found that over a quarter of global consumers (27%) consider food and drink to be appealing if products are advertised for consumption at a specific time of day.

“Habitual consumers respond well to daypart-specific launches from their preferred brands. Results from Canadean’s global consumer survey, conducted across 31 countries in the fourth quarter of 2015, show that nearly a third of regular soft drink consumers find time-specific products appealing. Similarly, 34% of regular snackers find themselves tempted by products advertised for consumption at a specific time of the day,” explained Tanvi Savara, consumer insight analyst at Canadean.

This trend aligns with consumers’ readiness to experiment with food or drink products that position themselves as specifically for consumption outside traditional eating hours.

Savara said brands such as Cadbury, with its UK-launched Dairy Milk Medley, are incorporating ingredients that are reminiscent of meals or desserts in order to extend consumption into new times of the day. Others take inspiration from familiar flavour profiles and add an experimental twist to generate appeal. Alpina Café Selections yoghurt, which hails from the US, claims to have caffeine content equivalent to about half a cup of coffee and is positioned as the ‘perfect addition to anyone’s morning or afternoon routine’.

“Brands seeking to leverage time-of-day positioning successfully should not just identify the daypart for which a product is formulated, but also address the purchase motivations that are most relevant for that daypart, through formulation and marketing. For example, consumers are more likely to snack on health-oriented choices such as fruit and yoghurt earlier in the day, whereas indulgence is more likely to be an influence towards the end of the day, with chocolate or savoury snacks preferred late at night,” Savara concluded.