{"id":22707,"date":"2025-10-02T19:08:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T19:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=22707"},"modified":"2025-10-02T19:08:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T19:08:50","slug":"inside-the-marketing-behind-consumers-favorite-food-fad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=22707","title":{"rendered":"Inside the marketing behind consumers\u2019 favorite food fad"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Protein was once something that only athletes and gym aficionados paid much attention to. But in 2025, tracking protein intake feels like something just about everyone is doing, and in many cases actively looking to increase\u2014to the extent that it\u2019s driving a cottage-cheese resurgence.<\/p>\n

As interest in protein consumption, especially among diet-conscious Gen Zers and millennials continues to grow, marketers behind protein-packed products are amping up their efforts to win over those consumers. As they do so, there\u2019s a perception that just about every brand is trying to woo consumers with protein however they can, whether that\u2019s adding frozen cod to their offerings or adjusting promotion efforts to appeal to the GLP-1 audience who may be focused on high protein in small serving sizes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does feel like everybody\u2019s in the protein game or trying to get into the protein game,\u201d Stuart Heflin, GM and SVP of Quest Nutrition at Simply Good Foods, told Marketing Brew. \u201cThe biggest thing is that the consumer has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heflin, who said that younger generations \u201cjust care more about their health,\u201d isn\u2019t alone in recognizing the growing audience for protein-heavy products. Companies like 1140 Foods and Post Consumer Brands are also tracking changing consumption patterns, as are marketers, who acknowledge that a heightened consumer interest in nutrition is having its moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe protein conversation is not just about gym bros, it\u2019s not just about fitness, it\u2019s not just about wellness. More broadly, [it\u2019s] about just nutrition in general,\u201d Camila Caldas, strategy director, at Mother LA, said. \u201cWith that, there\u2019s all of these really interesting white spots and new audiences that I think are really going to be hot audiences for protein companies to go after.\u201d<\/p>\n

All about taste<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To address the growing category, Quest Nutrition\u2019s latest ad campaign, which rolled out in early September and was created by Leo New York, pitches its protein products as a solution to a common food choice conundrum: do you want something healthy or tasty? The creative idea for the campaign was borne out of an effort on behalf of Quest Nutrition to \u201cdouble down\u201d on its messaging to consumers today, Heflin said; during the company\u2019s fiscal 2025, which wrapped up at the end of August, the company increased its marketing spend, he noted, and Quest tracked double-digit sales growth.<\/p>\n

The US protein product market, which the market intelligence firm Mintel valued at $114.4 billion as of 2024, is projected to grow steadily at an annual rate of 1.9% until 2028, and in a competitive field, some companies are leaning into flavor as a differentiator.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past couple of years, we\u2019ve really stepped up our game when it comes to new flavor innovation,\u201d Alex Fishman, senior brand director of Pure Protein at 1440 Foods, said.<\/p>\n

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That sometimes comes in the form of brand partnerships. In August, 1440 Foods announced a partnership with Post Consumer Brands for new Pure Protein products using Post brands, including Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles Protein Bars and Frank\u2019s RedHot Popped Crisps. The partnership is a way for 1440 Foods to make the category, which can sometimes be \u201coverly serious,\u201d Fishman said, \u201cfeel more approachable\u201d for consumers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see that protein is driving a lot of consumer behavior today,\u201d Leah Broeders, head of licensing for Post Consumer Brands, said. \u201cAs it\u2019s gone more mainstream, people are looking for more ways\u2026 to incorporate protein into their daily lives. And we actually have already entered into the protein space with Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles\u2026the flavor translates into that space.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Post, partnering with a company like 1440 Foods to make more protein-forward products allows its cereal brands to diversify; for Pebbles in particular, the move could help the brand broaden its reach from being \u201csolely kid-focused\u201d to appeal to people who \u201cgrew up with the brand,\u201d Broeders explained.<\/p>\n

Not all the same<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While marketers are aiming to sway consumers with more flavor offerings, they also recognize that consumers venturing into increased protein consumption may be armed with a variety of information about their nutrition needs and seeking the best possible offerings. That\u2019s why messaging about certain kinds of protein and overall nutritional value can also be necessary to help sway consumers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone can just say, \u2018We got protein,\u2019\u201d Heflin said. \u201cWhat we find is, as people move along this curve to become more, I would say, sophisticated and understanding of nutrition and nutritional space and macros, you start to see more appreciation for things like, [what] type of protein does your body actually use?\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, marketers are also navigating the risk of falling into a sea of sameness for consumers today, especially when myriad brands are pitching consumers on protein. To avoid getting lost in the shuffle, Caldas believes marketers should focus on particular audiences rather than aiming to be the preferred protein source for everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re looking at a shelf and everything has protein in it, it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, this protein is actually better for you.\u2019 Or, like, \u2018This protein is actually made with an audience like me in mind,\u2019 or \u2018This protein actually is just the right amount of protein for me,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cCatering to lifestyle will be huge.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Protein was once something that only athletes and gym aficionados paid much attention to. But in 2025, tracking protein intake feels like something just about everyone is doing, and in many cases actively looking to increase\u2014to the extent that it\u2019s driving a cottage-cheese resurgence. As interest in protein consumption, especially among diet-conscious Gen Zers and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-22707","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-marketing"},"yoast_head":"\nInside the marketing behind consumers\u2019 favorite food fad | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Protein was once something that only athletes and gym aficionados paid much attention to. 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