Spotlight: Making fruit a treat

The idea of feeling good about your snacking requires that you also like what you are consuming. The aroma, unfamiliar textures and flavors make this an acquired taste. It will take some effort for Peeled Snacks to create enough buzz to get inexperienced consumers to try it.

For consumers who currently eat dried fruits and nuts, the question is why pick this product over the boxes and packages you currently pick? The package is compelling but the lack of reclosure makes it less portable, less useful than it could be.

How to make the idea bigger

The packaging requires you to consume two servings, not what all consumers are looking for. Perhaps a smaller portion (a one-fruit package) would bring this in at the right calorie level (about 150 calories). Otherwise, a reclosure method is necessary for portion control. We are not packaging engineers, but we believe a different film might manage the smell.

The separate package for nuts and other mix-ins is good. Most would prefer to not have the stickiness, but that seemed manageable to most. The names, the piece sizes and the overall idea is all good – but some things need to be brought together to make this a whole experience. Some of this might be bigger than a small company can manage.

Rating: OK. It does deliver a healthful snacking experience. Getting consumer trial with the package is easy – it is very approachable. However, repeat is the challenge. Dried fruit in this form is just so unfamiliar.

Market potential: Maybe. This approach may be something that one of the big guys will adapt before Peeled Snacks can make money.

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About the Authors

Hollis Ashman is chief strategist and Jacqueline Beckley is president of the Understanding & Insight Group. This strategy, business and product development firm connects with consumers using a variety of both qualitative in-context approaches and quantitative approaches to understand the expected experience the brand promises and the actual experience the product delivers, enabling rapid creation of innovative products and services with enhanced market acceptance. They leverage both the proprietary approach to understanding consumers (“Getting It” ®) and the award-winning approach of Foundational Studies based on the web technology of IdeaMap.Net. Foundational Studies utilize multiple integrated but independent conjoint (trade-off) studies to understand a given experience across multiple categories.

The business partners of The U&I Group have extensive experience in a wide range of businesses such as consumer products, aluminum, durable goods, food, health care, communications and office products. More about them can be found at www.theuandigroup.com. Crave It!, Healthy You!, Drink It! and other foundational studies are available through It! Ventures and on the web at www.consumerunderstanding.net.