As a leading Belgium marketing agency, we love to watch brand behaviour on social media. Recently we looked at skincare brands leading the way and yes, we still want all those Korean beauty products! Today, we’re looking at breakfast drinks and the brands who engage their audience through content and social media marketing.

An Overview of The Breakfast Drink Market

Before we get in the marketing zone, let’s look at the breakfast drink market. There has been a dynamic shift in breakfast habits over the past 20 years. With less time to prepare breakfast and an increased awareness about the need for vitamins and minerals, breakfast drinks have plugged a market gap.

Breakfast drinks are defined as a food products formulated through processing cereals or fruit with milk or other liquid ingredients. They are positioned as a healthy, fast and convenient option for breakfast.

The rising awareness about the benefits of nutritious breakfast drinks coupled with convenience are the main hooks for consumers. Add to this, clever packaging and savvy social media marketing and you can see why this is a trend that isn’t going away. Here are some key stats:

· The global breakfast drinks market is predicted to reach 83.83 billion USD by 2026.

· Popular categories now include gluten free, weight loss, lactose free, high fibre, high protein, vegan and organic.

· Two in every five U.S. consumers are replacing their breakfast with nutritious and formulated drinks.

· Australian manufacturers focus on the children or pre-teen segment, who are known to skip breakfast. Independent surveys reveal that 1 in 10 children skip breakfast daily.

· Key players in the global breakfast drink market include Anchor, General Mills, Nosh Drinks, MOMA, Quaker Oats, Sanitarium, SmithKline Beecham, Kellogg and Arla Foods.

#1 Oatly

Oatly is a Swedish brand producing oat-based drinks, yoghurts and ice creams. The brand is quirky, original and positions itself nicely for vegans, health conscious and those with dairy allergies through content like this:

“The original idea behind Oatly was to find a way to make a nutritious liquid product for people who just didn’t like cow’s milk or were unwilling to use it for personal reasons. Today, the concept of producing a drink directly from oats instead of first feeding oats to a cow and letting the cow process them into milk is an option but back when we started in the 1990s most people thought we were totally crazy.”

With fun, catchy messaging, Oatly reminds us that content is at the centre of all good marketing. And it starts on your website before you even get into social media marketing. Even the cookie warning from Oatly is awesome:

Marketing Takeaways

· Oatly remind us of Ben & Jerry’s who stand out by promoting corporate social responsibility and ethically sourced products. One look at Oatly’s Instagram tells us this is a brand that doesn’t mess about. 73% of millennials are willing to spend more money on sustainable products. Further, the rise of vegan based diets, mean this is a good line to draw.

· Address controversy head on like Oatly did when it partnered with less ethical brand Blackstone. Fans took to social media to complain, prompting Oatly to post a comprehensive answer which you can read in their bio. This serves as an important reminder to listen to fans and directly address their concerns.

· We love Oatly’s quirky messaging and videos like this one. And so do their fans. Proof that breakfast drinks don’t have to constantly talk about ingredients and selling points in their social posts.

· Oatly’s YouTube channel contains more genius content with videos aimed at fitness fans, coffee lovers and gym bunnies!

· There is also some serious messaging packaged in a fun way, like Release Party reiterating the brand’s stance against the dairy industry. Importantly, videos are all subtitled into English which expands their reach and the ability to use them in international marketing campaigns.

· This theme is echoed on Twitter where the brand uses the same concept to uncelebrate #worldmilkday. This is a good example of utilising hashtags, even when they aren’t made for you!

· On Facebook, Oatly reminds us about their “breakfast to go” products in an educational but funny way. We’ll take the drink but might pass on the fanny pack thanks!

#2 Quaker

First things first, a look at the Quaker breakfast drinks webpage reveals an abundance of gorgeous smoothie recipes featuring Quaker oats. With content covering health tips, recipes and healthy living information. The layout is clear, easily navigated and informative.

It’s so natural, you could be forgiven for thinking there is no packaged breakfast drink at all… but there is!

Clearly aimed at the health conscious, this page features information about the ingredients, fats, proteins and calories. Positioned as one of a range of breakfast options, the breakfast drinks slot nicely into Quaker’s range.

Marketing Takeaways

· Hello there Instagrammable posts! Quaker is nailing Instagram with healthy, aesthetically pleasing images. The focus here is not on the packaged breakfast drinks but on the core oat products and how fans can use them. But herein lies the beauty of their marketing strategy.

With handy recipes and beautiful shots, this is an Instagram that could be followed by Mums, the health conscious or anyone looking to create fast and easy breakfast smoothies. The subtle tie in here is the implication that their packaged breakfast drinks will be equally tasty and healthy.

· Quaker offers incentives and competitions for its users which create great opportunities for user curated content and added engagement.

· On Facebook too, Quaker shares yummy breakfast pics taken by fans. There is little mention of the packaged drinks. However, the association of these incredible images when you’re shopping will certainly lead you to the Quaker breakfast drink aisle.

- Quaker has also utilised Facebook’s shopping feature to sell products directly.

· Quaker have slotted in “shopping tools” to ensure consumers can find their products in store. Clicking on Asda for example, takes you to the Asda webpage to purchase Quaker breakfast products. This is a simple but effective way of ensuring you maximise sales, especially in the age of online shopping.

#3 Evolution Fresh

Evolution Fresh is a breakfast food brand focusing on fresh smoothies and juices. The USP (unique selling point) is that the juices are cold pressed. As the brand explains, this helps to protect the flavour and nutrients of the raw fruits and vegetables. Additionally, no added colours or flavours and minimal processing are key differentiators.

Evolution Fresh has a large presence on social media and we love the focus on vibrant, fresh and colourful posts that reiterate the product values. One look at the brand’s Pinterest for example and you see healthy, green and lifestyle oriented boards.

Marketing Takeaways

· Simple user curated tips make for highly sharable and engaging posts. These don’t need to be all about your product either. They can tie in by simply being health conscious and useful.

· Showing where your product comes from is key when it comes to attracting ethically aware, vegan or organic consumers. Evolution Fresh regularly shares stories about farming, sourcing and planting to show authenticity and transparency.

Plus interesting facts like this one on Facebook, make for engaging content:

· The brand reiterates how its products are handy for health-conscious Mums on the go through images like this one. Additionally, it ties in products like cooling watermelon with a summer heat wave. An important reminder about timing your messages right.

· The positioning of the products for kids continues over on Twitter where we are reminded that it’s a great “back to school” lunchbox essential.

· The brand also includes colourful “feel-good” memes and gifs which tie into their happy healthy image.

· Did someone say champagne pops? This clever use of cross marketing on Facebook hooks in users who might not have tried the products. By making their products essential for happy hour, Evolution Fresh expands its audience base.

evolution fresh cross marketing on facebook

More Marketing Tips For Breakfast Brands

· Launching a new breakfast product? Blitz your social media fans with a campaign in the weeks before launching and during the first week of your launch. Consider offering a digital coupon for a free product or a discount to tempt them in. This is the perfect digital crossover, especially as more people are shopping online.

· Show your products on shelves. Beautiful insta posts and recipes are great. But will fans be able to find your products on the supermarket shelves? If they can’t then they won’t buy them. Check out this great post from Cottage Farm.

· Help the community. Check out this great Innocent promo which promises to help local businesses hit by covid-19 shopping declines. By integrating the brand into the community, Innocent wins loyalty and of course, more sales.

· Tie in products like breakfast drinking cups, thermos or shakers. If it looks great and its branded, it will serve as a daily reminder for consumers to purchase your breakfast drink. Plus, it’s a nice advert for other people!

- Emphasise Speed – Breakfast drink fans are likely to be on their way to work or school and have little time to wait around. Your products may be healthy, ethically sourced and organic but are they quick and easy? It’s important to emphasise this.

· Photography is everything. If you’re promoting breakfast foods on Instagram, you need to nail your presentation and photography. Invest in a professional camera and create a space for photography. Be prepared to invest in props, fresh fruit, beautiful cups and kitchenware to make your photos pop. Check out naturally.jo for inspiration.

· Use the right hashtags. Insta is super competitive when it comes to food and drinks so utilising trending hashtags is important. Here are just a few:

#breakfast #food #foodporn #foodie #instafood #lunch #healthyfood #yummy #foodphotography #delicious #brunch #foodblogger #healthy #foodstagram #instagood #goodmorning #breakfastideas #love #foodlover #healthylifestyle #tasty #vegan #morning #foodgasm

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