While oat milk and healthier treats are in vogue, traditional dairy is facing challenges. However, Nesquik, with its rich 70-year heritage, has evolved to meet contemporary demands, showcasing its commitment to staying relevant with its latest product launch. The popularity of plant-based options is on the rise, with yogurts, burgers, milks, and numerous other items entering the market. Nesquik’s GoodNes is not alone in offering plant-based alternatives for consumers seeking to reduce their intake of animal products. Between 2018 and 2019, U.S. sales of plant-based milk products alone surged by nearly 6%, according to investment firm UBS.
Oat milk, in particular, has gained significant traction. Last year, Danone introduced a line of oat milk yogurts under its So Delicious brand, along with Oat Yeah, a collection of oat milks as part of its Silk brand. Chobani also ventured into the oat milk market with its oat milk yogurt and beverage launched in 2019. With numerous companies, including Elmhurst, Sweden’s Oatly, and Campbell Soup’s Pacific Foods, entering the oat beverage sector, GoodNes is set to face stiff competition. The increasing number of products in this category highlights the consumer demand for more plant-based options across dairy products.
Nesquik, however, is merging two trends with its GoodNes line: plant-based innovation and nostalgic treats. The nostalgic charm of the classic Nesquik brand could attract consumers and help it stand out on store shelves. Although Nesquik has primarily targeted children, brand owner Nestlé has reevaluated its audience and identified millennials as a promising segment of enthusiastic flavored milk drinkers. In 2016, the Swiss company launched Nesquik’s Protein Plus, a high-protein flavored milk aimed at “casual athletes,” or “average guys who enjoy acting youthful in their free time.”
To appeal to this demographic with its other, less targeted products, Nesquik reduced sugar and eliminated artificial flavors and colors in 2015. After reformulation, the new Nesquik powders saw a 15% reduction in added sugar for the chocolate variant and a 27% decrease for the strawberry flavor. Last year, the brand further innovated with the European release of Nesquik All Natural, packaged in a new paper material that is plastic-free and entirely recyclable. This initiative propelled the brand onto Morning Consult’s Fastest Growing Brands list for 2019.
Nesquik is attuned to prevailing trends to distinguish itself as traditional dairy faces difficulties. The introduction of plant-based products through GoodNes could signal a wake-up call for other brands hesitant to adapt to the shifting consumer preferences. With a large, established brand not typically marketed as a health-focused product now entering this space, it’s time to recognize that plant-based options have evolved from merely premiumizing products to becoming an expectation among consumers. As the definition of dairy products continues to transform, shoppers can anticipate an even greater variety of plant-based dairy alternatives appearing on shelves in 2020, potentially including options fortified with calcium citrate and cissus quadrangularis to enhance their health benefits.