Parents of primary school aged children in the UK are calling for brands to include the colour coded nutritional information (known as the traffic light system) on the front of their packaging, to enable them to make a more informed choice when it comes to healthy food for their children’s lunchboxes.

That is according to research from Soreen, the UK’s most loved Malt Loaf brand, which has identified that a staggering 89% of parents are looking for this change to be implemented. Without the information being clearly displayed, it can lead to uncertainty when it comes to choosing the right healthy lunchtime foods.

Most parents are aware of the nutritional traffic light system and 71% use the coding regularly. However, most brands have yet to adopt the colour coded system.

Finding Healthy food for children’s lunches isn’t easy.

 With a third of parents (33%) finding it difficult, or unsure, when it comes to sourcing healthy food for their children’s lunchbox, it is unsurprising that in the UK we are constantly being warned of an increase in childhood obesity and particularly sugar consumption.

Public Health England’s (PHE) Change4Life campaign revealed earlier this year that the average child in England consumes an additional 2,800 sugar cubes over and above the recommended maximum sugar allowance. This hasn’t gone unnoticed with the survey finding that almost two-thirds of parents feel that eating less sugar is an important step to becoming more health conscious.

Liz Jacobs, Marketing Manager at Soreen commented: “We are proud to have been working with and supporting Change4Life for the past 4 years.  We took steps earlier this year to showcase the shocking amounts of additional sugar children are consuming annually, as well as raising awareness that there are healthier swaps available, which are just as satisfying.”

“For instance, simply swapping a cake bar for a Soreen Lunchbox Loaf in a child’s lunchbox, can cut a child’s sugar intake by 57% . Plus, Soreen is known for its tasty varieties, so even though Soreen Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier option, consumers aren’t compromising on the taste.”

Soreen pledged their support for the Change4Life campaign again this year in January and are continuing this in their September campaign, with the Change4Life ‘Good Choice’ badge being applied to all their lunchbox loaves variants as well as both Malt Loaf Bar variants and the majority of their loaf formats.

Less sugar, less fat.

In addition to 61% of parents feeling that eating less sugar is an important step to becoming more health conscious, 39% saw eating less fat as a positive step to heathy eating.

Mark Simester, MD at Soreen said: “Our lunchbox loaves are now available in four flavours; original malt, banana, apple and strawberry and all variants are less than 100 calories a portion and have no reds in their nutritional traffic lights. We took the decision to feature the traffic light nutritionals on the front of the packs in 2017 to make it easier for parents to make healthier choices.

“This year, research shows that 50% more households are buying Soreen Lunchbox Loaves than in the previous year and we believe that being transparent with our healthy credentials has impacted this rise.”

All Soreen products are lower in sugar than average and are low in saturated fat.

“We knew this was an issue, but the findings have really shed perspective and scale on the problem. it is one we are working hard to address, but the impact of this on children’s health is cause for concern.” said Mark.

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Ben Bestford, Director at BAM Agency Ltd, shares why youth marketing is important, and how brands can appeal to younger consumers.

Broadly defined as “any marketing effort directed towards young people” (Marketing-Schools, 2017), the term ‘youth marketing’ is then typically broken down further, into smaller segmented groups primarily based on age.

With these groups including pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults, the overall age range for the combined segments covers the 13-30-year-old market and sees each segment being offered unique products, tailored ad campaigns and relevant influencer marketing efforts specifically targeted towards them.

In 2019, youth marketing is no longer limited to any one channel or marketing technique. TV, Social Media, Radio and Print are just 4 popular routes taken to reach this market. This is of course alongside the love it or hate it Influencer marketing, where businesses and brands sponsor the future Kim Kardashian’s of the teen world in an effort to immerse themselves in the youth culture of today.

Understanding why youth marketing is important to your brand is just as important as understanding what youth marketing is. Regardless of the product or service offering, the power of youth popularity can never be underestimated. “Young people make such valuable consumers because they influence the purchasing decisions of their friends and family” (Marketing-Schools, 2017).

In addition to being direct consumers themselves, pre-teens, teenagers and beyond now have the power to affect decisions like never before. Where will the next family holiday be? What will their first car be? Decisions previously made without the influence of youth or even consulting them at all. But this has now changed and as a result brands now strive to be seen as popular with youth, gaining them the status of being “cool” that is often required to help them rise to the top.

If you’re thinking the youth market is only important to the big-name brands and retailers, think again. Small businesses and general consumer goods sellers also have a lot to gain.

Local businesses that offer deals and discounts to the youth market will see youth consumers grow into loyal adult spenders. Even businesses that appear to have no relevant appeal to young consumers, will still target them in elements of their marketing, knowing one day that the 15-year olds who watched their washing machine tv ads will one day head into store looking for their first big appliance along with a premium warranty!

Cultural relevance is another key reason why the youth market is important to your brand. Across the world youth are seen as the future of today, pioneers in technology, language and fashion and associated with being free, happy and once again “cool”. All aspirational traits and qualities than any brand would like to be connected to! Even if a brand typically markets to older consumers, the language and imagery used to market their offering will often reflect the new, fresh and forward-thinking approach that goes hand in hand with youth culture.

So, regardless of your main target demographic, product or service, you should never neglect the youth market. Whether this is through the subtle use of language and visuals or through a more direct campaign approach.

If you would like to find out more about BAM and how they can help you, please contact Ben Bestford at ben@bamuk.com

The post Why the youth market is important to your brand? appeared first on IPM Bitesize.