Danone launches drinkable Activia
Danone Canada’s Activia line launched its first drinkable yogurt in an attempt to reach on-the-go women looking to incorporate healthy products into their daily routine.
While other drinkable yogurt brands such as Yoplait’s Yop target children and families, Activia’s drinkable product is aimed at health-conscious women between 25 and 55 who are keen to incorporate quick healthy foods into their daily routine.
“The drinkable format is something that we see growing considerably because of the convenience aspect,” says Genevieve Bolduc, senior brand manager at Danone Canada in Montreal.
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Bolduc says the product is catering to two primary targets: Women between the ages of 40 and 44 with children and a busy life, and a secondary target of health-oriented women in their early 30s with no children.
The Activia drinkable product is available in four flavours (prune, strawberry, blueberry and pineapple), all containing real fruit puree. It's being sold in four-packs of 93ml, with a suggested retail price of $3.29.
The launch comes amid continued consumer interest in probiotic foods, which are associated with gut health. A recent survey conducted by research firm Léger Marketing on behalf of Activia found that 77% of Canadian women believe that foods containing probiotics have a positive health impact if consumed regularly, although only 43% do so on a regular basis.
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“We see probiotics being on-trend right now and for a couple of years to come,” says Bolduc. “People are seeing how important it is to have a healthy gut for many reasons.”
Bolduc predicts that the drinkable segment will be one of the main drivers for Canada’s $2.2 billion yogurt segment in coming years. Research firm Euromonitor International valued the drinkable segment at $185.9 million in 2015, up from $173.7 million in 2010.
“People are on the move and in-transit and
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About 10 years ago Danone launched Activia in a drinkable format in Brazil and Mexico, with Bolduc saying the format is “well-developed” in those markets.
She says the new drinkable product gives Activia first-mover advantage in the marketplace but said the company also faces the challenge of communicating to its target audience that drinkables are not just for kids.
The company is supporting the product launch with a mass media campaign that includes TV, radio, online and out-of-home advertising in major markets. The marketing focuses primarily on the probiotics rather than the new format and ladders up to Activia’s “Feeling good starts from within” positioning.