i n g M a r k e t P r o b l e m a s i T h e r e r o m i o n c o n c e p t e v e r y d a y p e o p l e s e n e r g y b a r f o r i v e l y t h a t a r e e x c l u s i n d i v i d u a l i c a t h l e t m i s f s Marketing Objective Fixing the misconception and promoting the Clif Bar as a snack that will accommodate the different lifestyles of everyday people Advertising Plan Fall 2012 Stephanie Kubota Fiona Blank and Sophie Luo Clif Bar How we define ourselves Independent and family oriented company Athletic and sporty extreme and outdoor sports Sustainable and environmental friendly Ingredients are taken from local farmers and are certified by the FDA all products are at least 78 organic Philanthropy Clif Bar Co are nice people who love the world Frequent donators 1 25 million worth of products to food banks and 2 9 in cash to support building homes Frequent volunteers more than 40 000 hours annually for more than 200 NPO s www clifbar com Product Category Market Share and its History Overview Keywords Healthy booming going green Frost Sullivan Where Clif Bar stands within the Market Share in Energy Bar Category from Mintel 2011 Definition What is an energy bar The energy and nutrition bars are rich sources of energy and balanced nutrition Though the composition vary slightly between different brands energy bars are generally a combination of protein carbohydrates fat fiber vitamins minerals and other nutrients The ingredients of each of the bars depend on the energy needs of the target consumer Each manufacturers has different brands for specific activities General Food Bar Snack Cereal Granola Energy Market Share Leaders Secondary Competitors History Though the energy bar appears to be the hottest selling product in sports nutrition now the category was anything but hot when it was entering the market The energy bars made their appearance on the American store shelves in the mid 1980s These bars were targeted at the serious athletes and the products were designed with their energy nutrition needs in mind With the focus on only the functional benefits important features like the texture and taste were given the short shrift As a result the taste of these bars was variously compared by the consumers to that of chemicals sawdust and even bricks During this period the market was catering to niche consumers and it was dominated by small regional players Frost Sullivan Trends Blurring of meals and snacks fast paced and on the go lifestyles Fortified foods and foods with added benefits The demand for gourmet dessert flavors All Natural and Organic sells to a wide audience Ease of use and instant gratification Sustainability and environmental friendliness Implications Meals have become increasingly informal spur of the moment and customized eating This favors food bar market Mintel s Nutrition and Energy Bar report US February 2011 category rose considerably between 2008 to 2010 even though sales in many food and drink categories declined or remained stagnant Krol Emily 2012 People are looking for a healthy snack option that is convenient there is a better understanding of the important role that snacking can play in maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle Browne David 2012 Consumers are looking for healthy and quick solutions to maintain a healthy lifestyle Snack products with added nutritional and functional ingredients can help meet these goals Browne David 2012 People still want their snack bars to be nutritious but above all they crave a delicious treat The bars that are succeeding are the ones with a more indulgent platform It is very unlikely that people will give up taste for the sake of nutrition especially as they look to cut on buying snack bars Krol Emily 2012 Consumer demands to know what ingredients are used in the products they eat and the quality of how it was made People have avoided trans fat preservatives and MSG and lean towards natural sounding ingredients Krol Emily 2012 People want products that are prepackaged individual ready to eat meals There is no preparation no mess and hassle free Energy bars come across as a healthy alternative to the snack vending machine Browne David 2012 People have increasingly made efforts to be green they will most likely buy products that support and complement reducing reusing and recycling Browne David 2012 s n o i t a c i l p m I d n a s d n e r T Examples of how Clif Bar has reacted to trends and their implications in the past Trends and Implications Reaction Clif focuses on niche targeting producing their bar for a specific type of consumer Their experience tells them that they will continue to attract customers as long as they keep making healthy foods that people enjoy or have specific needs for Clif jumped on board the gluten free trend with two additional offerings in 2010 LUNA BAR The variety of new chocolate flavors provide women more options to get the nutrients they need like vitamin D calcium folic acid and iron while satisfying chocolate cravings in less than 200 calories says Michelle Ferguson the executive VP of marketing for Clif Bar Co Rabobank 2012 The CLIF CRUNCH bars are 70 organic with 4g of protein and one serving of organic whole grains CLIF C bars a new doubled layered fruit and nut bar are also all natural and include one serving of fruit Rabobank 2012 Brand Assessment PPPP Analysis Product 104 different selections specifically 19 flavors of energy bars Price Lowest Price compare to all primary competitors Place Gyms Big supermarkets Big Online Shopping Sites i e Amazon com CVS and 711 most approachable convenience stores Promotion Positioning statement To consumers who lead a sporty outdoorsy and adventurous lifestyles Clif Bar is a family owned energy bar brand that provides the endurance and nutrients for your strenuous journey Current advertising strategy focuses on the independent family business down to earth and environmental friendly positioning n Events n n Hosting outdoor events and races Sponsoring sports games races and outdoor events n n Mass Media Promotion mostly relies on social media Facebook page promotions and Twitter page Past Advertising Strategies Norton Justin M 200 n 8 million print radio and spot television campaign 2001 n Magazine ads in athletic and mountain biking magazines during the peak outdoor sports season 2000 Television spots in the summer and fall for Luna Bar products 2000 n n Clothing and accessory line 2000 Packaging Brand Analysis SWOT Analysis Strength www