Borrowing one of Silicon Valley’s favorite buzzwords, Chobani says that it’s new product is going to “disrupt” the yogurt industry. The company announced a new line called Gimmies on Thursday that focuses on a market segment it hadn’t focussed on before: children.
Chobani’s chief marketing and commercial officer Peter McGuinness told CNN that kids are currently a “billion-and-a-half dollar market in yogurt,” according to data from Nielsen and SPINSScan Natural, he thinks that segment can grow to $2.5 billion with the right product.
Though many of Gimmies’ offerings are reminiscent of yogurt snacks that are either currently on sale or included in top 90’s snack nostalgia listicles—its packaging is reminiscent of Go-GURT packets, Crunch harks back to Sprinkl-ins, and Milkshakes or Pouches are similar to some Danimals products—Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya told CNN in a statement that the company “wanted to break that cycle” of kids having to choose sugary, artificially flavored yogurt snacks over milder adult flavors.
Gimmies does’t use artificial flavors or modified ingredients in any of its 13 flavors, which include: Poppin’ Cotton Candy, Ooey Gooey S’More, and Choco Chunk Cookie Dunk. Although some are questioning whether yogurt is a healthy snack for children, anyway.
So disappointed in @Chobani for this new line of incredibly sugary yogurts for children. Many parents view yogurt as a healthy food & don't realize how sugary it is – this just plays right into it, cute characters and all. https://t.co/PKf7diCXDZ #Nutrition #publichealth
— Roopa Kalyanaraman Marcello, DrPH, MPH (@DrRoopaKM) November 30, 2018
Chobani responded to the critique in a tweet noting Gimmies was still a healthier option than other snacks, especially considering its lack of artificial flavoring and low sugar.
Thanks for sharing! We’re on a mission to make sure kids eat more nutrient dense foods, like yogurt. Foods like ours, with less sugar (+ nothing artificial ) can go a long way in getting good-for-you foods into kids’ bellies. The total package is what Gimmies is all about
— Chobani (@Chobani) November 30, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
“Parents told us, ‘I need [kids] on board. I need them to ask for it and want it, because otherwise it’s a negotiation and they’ll end up picking something else,'” McGuinness told Food Dive. “There really hasn’t been [a creative, comprehensive approach] so we’re very excited to disrupt a kids’ yogurt category, if you will, and bring some excitement.”
And the line could pay off. Although Yoplait topped the yogurt market when it created its megahit Go-GURT, it fell after Chobani—famous for its Greek yogurt—came onto the scene.
And many adults have tweeted about wanting a Go-GURT-like Chobani for years.
https://twitter.com/alanna/status/1022550132682903554
Can someone invent Chobani Gogurt already?
— Equinox Elevator (@EquinoxElevator) November 29, 2012
Although adults can eat Gimmies, Food Dive says the line is intended for children ages 6 to 9.
