Marketing Just for Kids by DONNA BERRY The global kids’ food and beverage market was valued at US4.2 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US7.1 billion by 2027, according to research from Reporterlink. This is reflective of a compound annual growth rate of 5%. While “fun” and “enriched” foods and beverages designed for children are not a new concept, functional nutrition with health and wellness claims specific to children is something that was starting to gain traction prior to the pandemic and since has accelerated, as parents attempt to protect their kids as best as possible from the virus and other looming illnesses. “Children should be eating superfoods daily as well as various whole and minimally processed sources of nutrients to gain their super strength,” said Sarah Koszyk, registered dietitian, Clover Sonoma, Petaluma, California. Clover Sonoma is rolling out a new dairy brand--Clover the Rainbow--designed to empower kids with creative flavors and quality nutrition by teaching them about eating the rainbow of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. Clover the Rainbow is debuting in three organic yogurt smoothies: blueberry beet, strawberry banana butternut and strawberry carrot. Each smoothie is a good source of protein and calcium, has billions of probiotics to help support gut health, is made with real fruit and veggies, and has no artificial flavors or sweeteners. Kaylee McLaughlin, founder of Kaylee’s Culture, San Diego, California, concurs that children need better beverage options. Her namesake shelf-stable beverage line is designed to invite parents to upgrade their kids’ juice box with a probiotic drink that helps strengthen the immune system and support healthy living. “Children’s beverages, even those marketed as healthy, tend to be loaded with sugar, dye and artificial additives,” said McLaughlin. “I wouldn’t drink any of those beverages, and I wouldn’t want my children to either.” She could not understand why adult beverage options have continued to expand while the quantity and quality of children’s beverages have remained stagnant. That’s why she created Kaylee’s Culture. The beverages are made with reverse-osmosis water and contain fruit essence for flavor. Sweetness comes from monk fruit and allows for a zero-sugar, zero-calorie drink. Each 8.45-ounce can contains more than five billion Bacillus subtilis, which McLaughlin selected because of the culture’s ability to support natural digestion, nutrient absorption and immune system development. The drink currently comes in three flavors: elderberry, strawberry lemon and watermelon. Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., Lakeville, Massachusetts, a longtime player in juice and juice drinks, recognized the opportunity in the kids’ sector and is rolling out a new brand: Ocean Spray Growing Goodness. Two flavors (cranberry apple peach and cranberry blueberry raspberry) are designed to support digestive health through the addition of soluble corn fiber. The other two (cranberry strawberry kiwi and cranberry cherry orange) are loaded with vitamin C to boost immunity. Each 6.75- ounce box contains 40 to 45 calories, no added sugar and no artificial ingredients. Multi-serve bottles are also available. The Ocean Spray Growing Goodness brand will also include 100% juice products that claim to provide a half-cup serving of fruit per 4.23-ounce box. PepsiCo Inc., Harrison, New York, has been a player in the kids’ juice space since 2018 with its line of Tropicana Kids organic premium fruit juice drinks. Available in three flavors—fruit punch, mixed berry and watermelon—Tropicana Kids is made with 45% real fruit juice and mixed with filtered water, with no added sweeteners or artificial flavors and is an excellent source of vitamin C. The packaging features a clear panel so you can see the goodness inside. This past March, Danone North America, Broomfield, Colorado, grew its Horizon Organic Growing Year line with lowfat yogurt pouches, cultured dairy smoothies, reduced-fat milk half gallons and single-serve whole milk boxes. The products were developed in partnership with pediatricians to ensure they provide key nutrients for growing children. The transition from infant formula or breast milk to dairy milk can be a challenge for parents, as many worry their children won’t get the nutrition they need. To help 10
Marketing bridge the gap, Horizon Organic originally introduced Growing Years Whole Milk, the first line of organic dairy products developed with pediatricians, in 2019, to help usher parents through this new phase and help them provide their children with the nutrients they need, including omega- 3 fatty acids. “As a mom of a toddler, and also as a doctor of public health and dietitian who has been working with moms and dads for more than two decades, I know first-hand how tough it can be at times to get your kids to eat enough of the nutritious foods you want them to,” said nutrition expert Dr. Wendy Bazilian who is based in San Diego, California. “The expansion of the Horizon Organic Growing Years line helps kids enjoy tastes they love from quality ingredients while getting critical nutrients they need and conveniently, too.” Dried mixes are also proliferating in the kids’ beverage sector. Tel-Aviv-based Nutritional Growth Solutions Ltd. (NGS), is taking it a step further with a genderspecific beverage mix. New Grow Daily Boys 10+ protein drink powder is designed to support growth and development in boys 10 and older. The mix contains a patented mixture of macronutrients designed to boost an adolescent’s growing body and increase muscle mass. One serving contains 18 grams of high-quality whey protein, healthful lipids and complex carbohydrates, plus micronutrients scientifically proven to be related to growth. These include zinc, calcium, iron, and vitamins A, D, and C. The new line comes in chocolate, vanilla and plain. “While nutritional needs are similar for young boys and girls ages three to nine, during puberty they have different nutritional needs,” said Dr. Michal Yackobovitch-Gavan, director of clinical studies at NGS. “For this reason, we dedicated this line for boys for the 10 years and up age group and will design another product line for girls at the same age.” Liron Fendell, CEO and managing director of NGS, said, “It is hard enough to manage kids’ diets at home, but with school beginning, many parents worry that their children will not get a proper meal at school or will skip lunch. With Grow Daily Boys 10+, they can just add 6-ounces of water or low-fat milk to two scoops of the formula to a portable shaker bottle, and put it in their son’s backpack or have it waiting for them when they come home.” The company entered the kids’ nutritional beverage space about a year ago with Healthy Height protein shake mix, which has been clinically shown to improve children’s height. Healthy Height was developed and tested by pediatricians to give a holistic solution to nourish growing children predominantly in the three- to nine-years age group, including those children who lack nutrition due to health issues that may impair eating. It also helps support nutrition in picky eaters, a universal problem that causes a lot of stress to families. One serving contains 12 grams of whey protein and a boost of the vital amino drinkworld Technology + Marketing · September 2021 11
