Dive Brief:
- Welch’s Fruit Snacks today (Aug. 15) unveiled its first-ever storybook, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. The lighthearted effort is meant to solidify the brand’s position as a snack that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
- Centered on sharing, “Sometimes It’s Not Stealing” calls attention to parents who “steal” Welch’s Fruit Snacks from their children, ultimately noting it’s permissible for parents to indulge. The brand enlisted actor Kristin Chenoweth to narrate the story.
- Consumers can purchase a physical copy of the book online or download a free e-book, which can be accessed online and via a QR code on specially marked packaging. The effort is the latest by the brand designed around reaching a broader audience.
Dive Insight:
Welch’s Fruit Snacks is vying to shore up a stronger connection to parents with the release of its debut storybook, a playful marketing ploy that addresses the brand’s favorability among children while also attempting to relate to those with spending power. The brand hasn’t shied away from marketing to older cohorts, having this year launched QR code-enabled TV ads around this Super Bowl tied to a giveaway of game-day viewing must-haves.
Through the use of colorful illustrations and a lighthearted narrative, “Sometimes It’s Not Stealing” promotes the lesson of sharing to children by making clear a slew of instances where stealing is wrong before going on to note that an exception to the rule is stealing Welch’s Fruit Snacks — an act that “isn’t bad when the fruit snacks thief is mom or dad.” Narrating the bedtime tale is actor Chenoweth, a choice that could help Welch’s Fruit Snacks bolster the offering.
Consumers can obtain a physical copy of the book online, where it will be sold as a bundle alongside a 40-count box of Welch’s Fruit Snacks for $29.99 while supplies last. Additionally, consumers can download an e-book version on the same site, or by scanning a QR code on Welch’s Fruit Snacks packaging, a move that could help the brand collect valuable consumer data. Welch’s Fruit Snacks is marketed by snack and confectionary company PIM Brands.
A playful novelty product could fare well for the fruit snacks maker, especially in the height of back-to-school season as parents are likely to be searching for items to fill their children’s lunch boxes. Other consumer packaged goods marketers have similarly begun strategizing ways to win over parents during the period, a feat that will likely be more tasking as spending forecasts paint a dour picture. This month, Babybel, Chobani, Lunchables, Skippy and Yoplait notably came together as part of Instacart’s largest-ever back-to-school push.
