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Copyrights reserved – HDI, Youth Marketeers, B. H. van den Berg, 2007 Chapter 6

6.1 HOME LIFE

The home is the heart of the youth’s world and aspirations are developed in their socialisation at home. It is where they learn what is right or wrong, how to sustain themselves and what brands provide them with the best benefits – either directly or indirectly. Home life infuses all other lifestyle priorities and generally provides stability within which to evolve and develop as an individual with a meaningful self-image.

The specific brand categories selected for this survey are those that the youth define as dominant as part of their home life. They include:

Coolest Snack Brands Coolest Beverage Brands Coolest Grocery Store Brands Coolest Breakfast Cereal Brands Coolest Yoghurt Brands Coolest Sweet Brands Coolest Chocolate Brands Coolest Fun Destination Brands

The socialisation of youth into brands depends on and is influenced by many factors. However,

home life certainly plays a significant role since parental control mediates the level of independence

practised, which relates to the frequency of opportunities for decision-making regarding brand

selection. In addition, specific cultural and family specific ‘Brand Rules’ i.e. certain brands are not

allowed, either because the parent feels it is too expensive, unhealthy or adds no value to the child.

The level to which parents and youth are prepared to compromise on the brand selected when there

is a difference of opinion, is equally important. This dynamic in the family is critical in the process of

developing an understanding of brands and is part of social learning and identify formation.

Social learning in a home and amongst peers develops attitudes and opinions about brands that,

once learned, could be with the young consumer for life. It is for this reason that learning must be

considered by marketers as one of the key methods of engaging with the youth, to create

meaningful changes in attitudes, opinions and values related to brands. Some astute marketers

have already developed sophisticated ways of entering the learning process through formal learning

(schools) or through informal learning (computer games) or by creating brand specific opportunities

for learning through events. The very high retention of brand attributes and brand values with brands

associated with events that engage the young consumer physically and mentally is evidence that

“learning” is the new marketing opportunity.

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But for this to be even more successful, this engagement method must be endorsed and supported

through activities in the home by different family members.

The lifestyle of the youth of South Africa is determined by brands that they connect with. It is

important for marketers to interpret the criteria that qualify a brand as a lifestyle brand, as this will

determine whether the youth will be brand loyal to their products or not. From cold drinks to yoghurt,

the youth have identified who they trust and will continue to support. Tracking over the last three

years, definitely brings this into perspective and we can clearly see who the market leaders are and

who the “up-and-coming” emergers are into the youth segment.

Urban Mom’s Influence in Grocery Store Shopping

Over the 3 years of this survey, the mother’s influence as a shopping mentor has been a significant feature of our findings. Between 70% and 80% of shopping is in the presence of the mother. In addition mothers tend to be the companion for between 45%-50% of Teens and Tweens whilst watching TV. Therefore moms see most of the advertising that is being used to attract the youth. Moms, therefore, are a major link between the brand message aimed at the youth through television and the purchase opportunity.

It would therefore be safe to say, that much of the relevant brands for mothers would find their endorsement and would become part of her shopping basket since she tends to purchase family preferences. Mothers are therefore also an important influence for socialising a brand, confirming the quality of a brand, and educating young consumers on improved lifestyle habits and products.

During qualitative discussions, it was evident that 80% of those youths interviewed shop at least four times a week for family necessities which could include, daily necessities like bread or convenience products like toilet paper. Yet 39% of young shoppers state that grocery stores do not take them seriously as shoppers and 45% of males state that they are not taken seriously by grocery store owners. This is specifically true for young Black consumers. These statistics are very similar to those of last year.

The Eco-trends influence in Grocery Store Shopping

Ecology has always been an issue of relevance to young consumers. It is a theme that pervades almost every aspect of the school curriculum. Whilst this sensitivity for eco-friendly products has been more prevalent in typically affluent schools, it is with interest that we note that over the last three years, this trend has become a significant factor in the “urban emergers”. Young consumers living in less affluent fringe areas that are schooled in the suburbs have developed this same sensitivity.

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Virtually every young urban consumer cares about their environment and whilst they look at it more globally rather than to focus on their specific environment, it has become a reason for selecting one brand over another. Recycling is an important influence criteria and for that reason there tends to be a preference for cans, glass and paper as packaging elements, compared to plastics. The following comments outline their reasoning.

“By choosing products that have recycleable packaging, or stuff that can rot, it is better for the environment, so my little bit helps.” - Female Tween (11)

“My friends sometimes point fingers at me if something is not cool (for ecology). Like you can’t make a fire or a braai and burn plastic or Styrofoam. And in the townships when they burn tyres, it is not cool, because it gives you asthma and stuff.” - Male (18)

Packaging and waste disposal therefore becomes a more important consideration even amongst Tweens, Teens and Young Adults today, and they expect cool brands to consider this. These products are referred to as “eco-cool”.

6.1.1 Youth and the Snacking “lifestyle”

For the urban family, snacking is becoming the far more attractive alternative to meals these days, due to the fact that snacks are convenient to buy, easy in-betweeners and affordable. They take the drag out of cooking or preparing healthy meals.

It has become increasingly difficult to define the word snack since snacking (as we believe the original word intended, referred to few foods eaten in between meals) has undergone a major shift. Snacking is the new small meal and is defined by when, where and how we eat it. According to Michelle Peterman, Vice President at a leading crisp organization – ‘consumers have higher expectations than before for snacks’... The definition of snacking is an ongoing debate judging from the youths that participated in this survey - meals are the scarcity whilst snacking is the norm – ‘it’s the way we eat’. Whilst they define snacking as food away from a table, they admit that they rarely eat at a table. If they do eat at the table, they share the table and time with their parents - but not necessarily the meal!

An improved understanding of nutrition and healthy eating in the three years of study

Parents are becoming more serious about snacks being healthy. Simultaneously, local snack manufacturers are as serious about meeting consumer, watchdog and governmental demands to make snacks more nutritious, particularly snacks aimed at our youth. These factors are driving a fundamental industry shift, namely to make snacking healthier.

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There is increased availability and consumption of sweetened beverages, especially soft drinks, and snack foods that are high in fat and sugar, ever-expanding portion sizes, busy schedules which may lead to skipped meals, eating on the run, over-dependence on restaurants or "take out" food, and snacking or "quickie" meals. However, the fast food industry are rethinking their menus and providing nutritionally engineered portions and combinations to ensure that the treat side of the menu is balanced with an equal serious side to the menu, without losing the ‘fun’. In reality, choice just becomes more difficult for the youth and trade-off is no longer about treat or taste value but about what is healthier.

Amongst Young Adults, there is a greater understanding of the role of an active metabolism and the fact that regular small meals are in fact a better eating lifestyle than irregular large meals. This concept further entrenches the concept of snacking and one can predict that younger children in the future will be eating regular nutritional snack portions more often than actual sit down meals.

Supporting the change of eating habits and patterns to achieve a more healthy lifestyle and educational process associated with this for example, regarding the frequency of snacking is an opportunity for marketers to:

support and educate parents in the home provide nutritional snack packages in a series (Daily snack pack series – 6 snacks in a pack) provide smaller portions with a wider variety

All of the above support and encourage this new understanding of eating patterns.

Snacking Trends

There is a trend to increased access to vending machines in places where there is an abundance of children, for example at schools and malls. At the moment, high calorie snacks and drinks are the rule in these dispensers, since there are few healthy alternatives. In addition, the high calorie intake is a problem specifically because there are fewer physical education programs in schools, a lack of safe places for children to play and be active, a lack of non-competitive, fun physical activities for older children and adolescents.

High calorie intake during snack breaks is a habit as opposed to a necessity and this becomes problematic as a result of a much more sedentary lifestyle. This means, that while we are safe from violence, crime and injury in an urban environment, our children are exposed to the dangers of obesity. The sedentary lifestyle exacerbates the situation since advertisers have increased opportunities to connect with the youth and the temptation for high fat, high sugar, high salt foods and pricing structures that can make healthy foods too expensive for many families, aid the snacking culture.

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Snacking is not all bad news

In the last three years, there has been a significant shift in attitude and understanding of the value of nutritional snacking and improved snacking habits. Amongst Young Adults across all ranges, including older Teens, preference in this survey is often for the high calorie snack. This is because of its treat value in the context of what they actually consume.

Ideally, youths would want to consume a sweet or a chocolate and the mere fact that they would justify eating these “treats” as an energy boost before and after sport is testimony to the fact that they are thinking about the value of what they are eating before they eat it. The reality is that there is a greater sense of responsibility regarding what is good to eat and what is not, than in the previous three years.

Evidence of this in the brand choices is the inclusion of water in one of the Top 10 Cold Drinks, the position of iced tea relevant to fizzy drinks and the increased popularity of fruit flavoured dairy drinks that are low in fat and calories.

During discussions it was evident that yoghurt, yoghurt drinks, fruit, fruit sticks and unrefined nuts are playing a more significant role as in-between snacks than they used to (relative to fizzy drinks and crisps), and that lower calorie wine gums or gum babies are often conscious decision alternatives to chocolates.

6.1.2 On-the-go snacking – Solid vs. Liquid snacking

We have noted for the first time that there is a distinct line between snacking as an energy boost and snacking as an activity.

Energy boosts are described as”“Having something that peps you up. Helps you last between meals.” - Female (18)

Snacking as an activity is described as:“Mindless munching”

Older Young Adults understand that in snacking, the wrong things can be detrimental to ones weight and therefore image. The new trend is to steer away totally from solids as a snacking option such as fewer chips, sandwiches and sweets. Anything which is solid is perceived to have calories. Fruit on the other hand, is perceived to have little sugar value but high vitamin and fibre value. Quick boosts today are perceived as the “energy drinks”.

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For this reason, Liqui-Fruit, Powerade. Energade, Red Bull and similar beverage brands, are popular daytime drinks that boost mental energy without necessarily affecting ones weight – “They just give you the energy you need for the moment (or sporting activity)”.

Another important consideration (besides weight) is hydration, and there tends to be a greater priority for hydrating throughout the day than for eating (sustenance). Drinking water seems to be replacing the activity of eating, especially amongst girls. A common comment from all age groups is”

“Being young is all about your image and how others see you.”

Water is justified as a good alternative to other drinks (and snacking) as it detox’s as well as hydrates. It is often the preference over a colddrink. Whilst this may be a theoretical victory for nutritionists, it is also true that Young Adults today are almost becoming obsessive about not eating despite an environment that emphasises globesity amongst youth.

In reality, we are observing a youth culture emerging that creates two opposites (eating is bad, drinking is good) as opposed to finding balance in their nutritional habits. There is a general tendency to make water the new snack amongst the youth.

Where do youths consume snacks most often?

Most snacking occurs at home, followed by school. Reasons suggest that time compression is a large factor. The on-the-go schedules of both parents and the youth often lead to less meals being eaten together as a family. The schedules of working parents is also a common problem. Since most families can not afford one bread winner, the result is more mothers being forced to fulfill the roles of mother and career woman.

Since family time is compromised by these scenarios, quick and convenient meals are often prepared, resulting in less nutrition being supplied to the youth. Snacking is also a cheaper option to many families today.

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6.2 COOLEST SNACKS

Table 6.2.1:

COOLEST SNACKS: Tweens Teens Young Adults ALL TOTAL1 Doritos 23.25 27.31 23.08 24.752 Simba Chips 21.69 24.77 18.71 22.193 Lays 21.48 21.70 22.66 21.934 Pringles 12.43 10.85 14.55 12.515 Cadbury's Snacker 11.68 9.95 11.02 10.706 NikNaks 12.31 9.76 8.73 10.167 Ghost Pops 9.02 7.05 11.43 9.018 Takis Biltong 10.13 9.22 5.82 8.409 Fritos 4.66 7.41 8.73 7.0110 Big Corn Bites 8.15 5.06 5.82 6.25

Doritos has risen from 3rd place to 1st place in the past three years across all age ranges and Simba Chips in 2nd place still pips Lays in 3rd place, driven mostly by its high preference amongst Tweens and Teens. Simba has maintained its 2nd position in the last threee years and it is Lays that has vacellated in the top four across this period. Pringles has been steady at 4th place in the last 3 years and Ghost Pops at 7th place.

Booster Bars were included in last years lineup as a separate category - and we offer a brief comment on their role as snacks. Cadbury Snacker is the big mover this year, having shifted from 5th

place in 2005 into 1st place this year, with Jungle Oats bar and Kellogg’s Special K bar pushing Kellogg’s Breakfast bar into 4th place from its 1st place in 2005. PVM Energy bar achieves 6th place having moved down from 2nd place in 2005.

More girls prefer Lays over Simba Chips. NikNaks is preferred by more younger Tweens which pushes it into 6th place overall, two positions higher than last year and Takis Biltong falls from 5th to 8th position this year. Popcorn moves into the Top 15 for the first time.

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6.3 COLD BEVERAGES

On-shelf impact, convenience, impact on health and brand loyalty remains factors that influence the choice for soft drinks brands. Globally there is a desire to drastically reduce the intake of fizzy and/or sweetened cold drinks by the youth. Despite this, young consumers are still loyal to their favourite brands and although they are very conscious of the fact that excess fizzy cold drinks are unhealthy, the consumption of these products is still high.

In many schools around South Africa, there is a commitment to reduce access to these high calories, fizzy beverages by replacing them with healthier alternatives. In urban areas, education programmes are being implemented in the classroom and tuckshops to help educate children on the benefits of healthier choices and what they are, for example, bottled water, dairy products and fruit flavoured yoghurt drinks.

Table 6.3.1:

COOLEST COLD DRINK Tweens TeensYoung Adults

ALL TOTAL

1 Coca-Cola 31.03 32.55 31.81 32.192 Appeltiser 12.79 17.00 22.25 17.283 Fanta 24.00 15.19 11.64 16.814 Red Bull 9.96 10.67 10.81 10.645 Lipton Iced Tea 8.07 10.85 9.56 9.396 Bonaqua 7.08 10.67 9.56 9.127 Sprite 11.77 8.14 7.28 9.008 Iron Brew 4.36 9.40 7.07 7.049 Cadbury's Milkshake 6.38 5.61 6.24 5.99

10 Energade 5.04 5.97 6.44 5.94

The most popular cold drink in the country is still Coca-Cola as it has been for the last two years. But, of significance this year is:

Coca-Cola’s score is nearly double of that of Appletiser in 2nd place. The biggest mover this year is Lipton Iced Tea, which jumped from 8th place to 5th position

and has replaced Cadbury Milkshake. Energade has dropped from 2nd place in 2005 to 10th position this year. Milo has slumped from10th to 19th position. Red bull has maintained its position in 4th place. Red bull is number one in the sub-category

of energy drinks for all age groups whilst Energade comes in 2nd for Teens and Young Adults as favourite energy drink).

Bottled water, Lipton Iced Tea and Liqui-Fruit show almost double the amount of preference from females than in the male sector, which suggests that the females are driving these brands.

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Tweens

Sprite has improved its position amongst Tweens since 2006, as it is in 4th place having moved from 5th place. Vanilla Coke has dropped from 2nd place in 2005 to 10th position this year.

Of specific interest, is the fact that Clover Yogisip and Cadbury Milkshake, Energade and Milo are ranked just below the Top 10. During qualitative discussions with respondents in this age group, it was found that although they would like and prefer fizzy drinks, they often purchase water and dairy drinks due to their increased availability at schools. They also purchase them because of their heightened awareness of the disadvantages of these fizzy drinks.

Whilst the preference is the treat, the actual product consumed is a different, more nutritional variant. Confirmation of this is the fact that dairy products are ranked higher than Powerade and Energade.

Teens

The popularity of non-fizzy drinks is evident amongst Teens and Young Adults specifically where Lipton Iced Tea, Bonaqua, Clover Tropica and Liqui-Fruit fill four of the Top 10 positions. Lipton Iced Tea is the biggest mover amongst Teens, having come from nowhere into 4th position this year, whilst Fanta has replaced Bonaqua in 3rd position. Liqui-Fruit emerges in the Top10 for the first time this year.

Young Adults

Red bull and Bonaqua shift from lower rankings into 4th and 5th positions respectively, whilst Lipton Iced Tea moves down marginally to 6th place. Liqui-Fruit improves by four positions into 7th spot from 10th. While Iron Brew and Sprite make their first appearance in the Top 10 for Young Adults.

Regional Differences

Appletiser is popular amongst between (proportionately) 2 and 3 times more respondents in the Free State than in any other region. Red bull is proportionately more popular with twice as many Black and Coloured respondents than White and Indian/Asian respondents. Bonaqua is significantly more popular amongst girls and specifically Black respondents. The Iced Teas are significantly more popular amongst White and Indian/Asian respondents.

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6.4 GROCERY STORE

Grocery store shopping is becoming a more common activity for Teens and Young Adults who tend to take on the parental responsibility of fill-in shopping during the week.

As in last years’ survey, youths claimed to buy mostly groceries when shopping with their families. This is part of family life and while it teaches youths about common brands in the home, it also provides young people with the opportunity of influencing common household brands. Just less than a quarter of the youths believe that they can influence almost any brand that their parent purchases regarding staples such as frozen foods, milk, bread, yoghurt and dairy. However, their motivation to do this is not very high. They are more likely to try and influence the choice of store or mall in which the family shopping outing is held.

Groceries are the most commonly purchased items in the family, followed by clothes. An outing to the mall, for whatever purpose, becomes an opportunity to coerce the parent into shopping for a personal item, such as cosmetics, clothes, a treat or even a CD.

Table 6.4.1:

COOLEST GROCERY STORES: Tweens TeensYoung Adults

ALL TOTAL

1 Pick 'n Pay 64.14 67.63 56.76 63.042 Woolworths 39.97 43.76 45.11 42.863 Spar 24.18 20.07 27.44 23.854 Checkers 21.07 22.42 21.41 21.575 Clicks 8.63 8.32 10.60 8.906 Makro 10.44 7.23 7.69 8.497 BP Express 2.87 3.44 4.16 3.538 Engen Quick Shop 2.68 1.63 2.49 2.309 Seven Eleven 2.85 1.99 1.25 2.05

10 Jumbo Cash & Carry 1.98 1.81 1.46 1.79

This suggests that the preferred stores of the youth would be stores with a wide diversity of products including stores that have a range of cosmetics, CD’s, sport and clothing items. It is this that drives the first choice grocery store for the past three years. Pick ‘n Pay takes top spot followed by Woolworths. Spar is the big mover, who has moved consistently from 5th place in 2005, to 4th place last year and this year resides in 3rd place.

Whilst Pick ‘n Pay was the preference for both males and females, significantly more females elected Woolworths as their preference. Whilst Spar is exceptionally strong in the Eastern Cape and Checkers more popular in the Eastern Cape and Free State with mainly, Black, Coloured and Indian/Asian respondents.

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The only brand of store that shows gender specific trends is Clicks, where more than twice as many female respondents elected Clicks as their favourite than males.

The petrol station convenience-based stores hold significant positions this year, specifically BP Express stores and Engen Quick Shops.

6.5 BREAKFASTS

It has been proven that breakfast contributes significantly and positively to the quality of our diets. Our previous surveys (2005/2006) have shown that on any given day 20% - 30% of our youth do not eat breakfast at all.

While the statistics for a traditional breakfast meal seem to be decreasing all the time, the incidence of snacking is increasing exponentially. 67% of responders listed hunger as the most important reason for eating snacks. This indicates that these youngsters are not getting sufficient food and nutrients from meals such as breakfast and are, therefore, getting hungry more often during the day and turning to snack foods to satisfy their needs.

With the increasing number of children in South Africa being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, it is essential that their nutrition is obediently policed, to ensure optimal concentration and other behavioural activities. This becomes a challenging task when the most important meal of the day is smothered with unhealthy ingredients. Whilst mom’s are encouraging the consumption of breakfast, quick, convenient and easy-on-the-pocket solutions are still dominating this meal.

Marketers tend to exacerbate the problem by supporting a lifestyle in which a breakfast bar can substitute a good breakfast. The most popular meal replacement/snack bars is the Cadbury Snacker, followed by the Jungle Oats Bar and the Kellogg’s range. Whilst we refer to these as booster bars, they’re often used as a substitute for breakfast and are not enough to sustain a young person through a busy day as an alternative to breakfast.

It is quite evident from the results that the sweetened breakfast cereals are very popular, especially amongst Tweens and without exception, young Tweens and Teens mention that they will eat breakfast cereals throughout the day to sustain them until supper time. Breakfast cereals are therefore no longer breakfast cereals but an approved-by-parent-credible alternative to a meal at anytime of the day for many Tweens and Teens.

While families today are skipping meals merrily, they are also encouraging their young to eat main meals away from home more often. Although the increase appears small, the incidence is high amongst students in residential universities. This represents a serious shift in eating habits developed in homes, where main meals such as dinner were traditionally eaten at home and together with members of the household.

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Choice for Breakfast

Cereals are generally the preferred choice for breakfast due to their convenience, with more than half of all respondents across the age groups making it their choice each morning.

It is interesting to note that the trend seems to be that the younger ages more readily choose cereal for breakfast and the older respondents sway towards yoghurt. This is possibly for perceived/real health reasons. Yoghurt for breakfast features strongly on a weekly basis with more than 25% of all respondents making it their choice. With the exception of Young Adults, yoghurt is also the preferred choice (when mom has it), showing that mom’s ‘breakfast’ behaviour is a key influence on the family.

Table 6.5.1:

COOLEST BREAKFAST CEREAL: Tweens TeensYoung Adults

ALL TOTAL

1 Kellogg's Corn Flakes 22.12 26.76 29.94 26.292 Kellogg's Coco Pops 34.67 22.78 14.76 23.993 Kellogg's All Bran 12.31 13.74 21.00 15.364 Jungle Oats 12.62 15.37 12.47 13.525 Kellogg's Rice Crispies 11.99 12.12 15.59 13.166 Bokomo Weetbix 10.01 13.02 15.38 12.977 ProNutro 9.22 10.85 8.73 9.638 Kellogg's Coco Pops Crunchies 14.11 7.41 5.20 8.769 Kellogg's Fruit Loops 8.90 7.59 4.99 7.17

10 Kellogg's Special K 4.60 5.42 8.32 5.97

The big mover in this category is Kellogg’s All Bran, which has progressively moved up from 6th position in 2005 to 3rd position this year. This strengthening of it’s position is not age specific as throughout the last three years, Kellogg’s All Bran has consistently grown in all age groups. Jungle Oats holds it’s own in 4th position.

One should be reminded that this is a preference survey and that the ranking of the brands in this category specifically, reflect preference as opposed to real usage because it is true that Maize Meal is still a staple for most lower to middle income homes. Amongst Young Adults, one finds that brands such as Kellogg’s Special K and Nature’ Source, Nutsy Crunch (muesli), Kellogg’s All Bran and Bokomo Weetbix tend to replace the sweet cereals found to be popular amongst Tweens and Teens.

The high fibre products, such as the Kellogg’s All Bran and Kellogg’s Special K brands, tend to be preferred by more girls and Black and Coloured respondents,. On the other hand, the sweet variants are liked least by the Black respondents. Bokomo Weetbix and ProNutro are significantly higher in the male choice. This may be due to the fact that in these homes it is seen as a treat or that sweetness is not associated with a breakfast. White and Indian/Asian respondents drive the

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preference for the sweet products. Bokomo Weetbix is significantly stronger in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the Free State. ProNutro is strong in the Western Cape and Free State regions.

Kellogg’s dominates this category followed by Bokomo.

Creative destruction and it’s impact on breakfast brands

As with sweets and chocolate, breakfast bars and breakfast cereals offer an exceptionally wide and creative choice today. Differentiation of products in this market is becoming extremely difficult and for young consumers, faced with choices, (even in the home) they may have up to 8 or 9 different variants to chose from, since mom provides variety and a range to suit all the members of her family. Add to this, the creative brand extensions and campaigns that drive these alternatives, for example, breakfast bars and diet plans and the young consumer today is faced with an overwhelming range of products in this category. Breakfast has truly become a ‘share of throat’ occasion in the home.

To cope with this hyper diversity, youths often look past the fancy brand campaigns and simplify the categories in order to make sense of the choices.

“Today I can either have a cereal, (sweet, plain or hot) or bar for breakfast. On a special occasion, as a family, we might have a Wimpy type of breakfast or a health breakfast. A Wimpy type of breakfast has bacon and eggs and toast and a healthy breakfast is muesli, yoghurt, fruit and juice.” – Male Teen (14)

From a comment such as this, we can conclude the categories of breakfast are:

A Wimpy type of breakfast, The Health breakfast Cereal Breakfast bar Yoghurt Or porridge (pap)

Brands become descriptors, and it seems that youngsters stick with the classics. Creativity in breakfasts therefore refers to the type of breakfast and not the brand you select.

We therefore conclude that despite all the creativity that goes into creating alternative brands (to the classics) and line extensions, it is the classics, such as Kellogg’s, Bokomo and Jungle Oats that define breakfast cereals. The franchises, such as Wimpy and Mugg & Bean, define the traditional English breakfast. The “pap and wors” breakfast has been marginalised as a cultural anomaly provided by hotels and lodges as an ‘African breakfast’. Western style, (low calorie) minimalist breakfasts dominate the home based breakfast occasion.

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Cereals and Advertising

There have been concerns that for years children have been soft targets for major corporations' aggressively marketed nutrient-poor foods. Public debate in South Africa was roused when Bokomo and Kellogg’s differed on the ‘healthiness’ of the sweet, coloured, flavoured cereals in this country. Bokomo complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that the claims Kellogg made on its packaging and television advertisement for its Kids Cereals range was illegal and misleading.

The advert claimed that the cereals, “including Coco Pops, Froot Loops and Strawberry Pops, were 'a healthy part of a balanced breakfast'. The Department of Health said, 'It is our opinion that these products should not be regarded as "healthy" or "part of a balanced breakfast", due to the high sugar content average and low fibre content average of the product...' The outcome was that Kellogg’s would no longer be permitted to use the word ‘healthy’ when it came to marketing their kiddies cereals.

6.6 BREAKFAST YOGHURTS

Our survey this year reflects a similar trend to that of last year, in that approximately 60% of youths would consider buying yoghurt as a snack, ‘provided the portion was adequate and the price reasonable’. However, the frequency of this purchase would be limited to a maximum of twice weekly for the majority of these respondents.

Table 6.6.1:

COOLEST YOGHURT: Tweens TeensYoung Adults

ALL TOTAL

1 Clover Danone 34.20 38.16 45.11 39.192 Woolworths 26.01 26.58 25.16 25.773 Clover Danone-Nutriday 24.16 26.94 18.50 23.164 Pick 'n Pay Choice 27.72 20.61 7.07 18.485 Parmalat Other 12.50 16.64 24.74 17.816 Clover Danone-Danino 17.84 15.01 9.36 14.247 Dairybelle Fruits of the Forest 10.69 11.21 11.02 10.978 Clover- Vitalinea 10.31 10.31 12.89 10.849 Parmalat-Yumchums 7.94 6.33 6.24 6.80

10 Dewfresh-Gero 2.81 2.53 2.70 2.69

Although many of the yoghurt brands do contain sugar or sweeteners, other ingredients do favour the healthier aspect and therefore have benefits that go beyond just a snack option. With our youth being flooded and saturated with convenience foods, it is comforting to know that yoghurts contain pro-biotics that stimulate the activity of the immune system - another plus to promote this healthier snack.

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Clover Danone has increased its postion to 1st place this year from its position of 4th place last year, whilst Woolworths maintains its position in 2nd. Clover Danone-Nutriday slips to 3rd position, mainly due to the fact that Young Adults have put their vote behind Clover Danone this year. Pick ‘n Pay Choice moves up a slot into 4th place as does Parmalat.

Brands tend to be very age-senstive in this category with very significant differences in brand preference for the following brands.

Young Adults put their preference votes behind Clover Danone, Woolworths and Parmalat, Clover Danone-Nutriday and Clover-Vitalinea, but do not see Pick ‘n Pay Choice or Clover Danone-Danino as a viable preference.

Tweens and Teens throw their support behind Woolworths, Pick ‘n Pay Choice and Clover Danone-Danino.

It is apparent from these results that irrespective of age, there tends to be confusion between Clover Danone and Clover Danone-Nutriday. On the other hand, Clover Danone-Danino is the only one of the three bearing the same name that seems to be clearly differentiated. It is apparent that the Danone portion of the name is perceived to be supurfluous in the Nutriday and in the Danino brands, and is creating the most confusion.

Fewer than 18% of males and females have yoghurt on a daily basis and it is seen by most respondents as a second priority to milk. Their preference however, are the fruit flavoured milks, (above flavoured yoghurt) such as Tropica / Danao range, which are perceived to be healthy because they are…

full of vitamins (from the fruit) full of calcium (from the milk) a dairy product low in calories because it is a skimmed milk easier to access and drink in their current packaging format than yoghurt.

It is therefore quite evident that yoghurt competes as an item in ‘share of throat’ for breakfast, but is a poor substitute for flavoured fruit milk during the day, since it is less convenient and accessible than Tropica and the Danao ranges.

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6.7 SWEETS AND CHOCOLATES

Colourful packaging and fancy shapes and sizes are all mediums that influence the choice in selecting a preferred sweet brand. Whilst these are important for the youth, it is still the taste and freshness of the product that determines the brand loyalty.

Whilst education relating to the nutritional value of sweets is reaching many of the Teens and Young Adults, much education is still needed (especially amongst the urban emergers) in the nutritional aspect of sweets.

Parents would love sweets to only be considered as “treats”, but the availability, convenience and affordability are still high, encouraging the Tweens to use these as alternatives to snacks. Sweets still provide them with instant gratification and fulfill their need for a sweet alternative, rather than selecting fruit alternatives or a healthier substitute.

Over the past three years, we have seen that sweets and chocolates dominate snacking. However, there seems to be a shift in paradigm emerging, which may be due to the rapid increase in prices of these categories, the increasingly wide range of brands and choices or a healthier outlook regarding snacks.

From our qualitative discussions, there is a perception that sweets as a snack “are bad for you”. This suggests, especially amongst the older respondents (in this survey), that sweets are treats and chocolates are special treats. There also seems to be a greater emphasis on chocolates as items to share as “gifts”, which elevates them to a special treat. Chocolates are often justified as a quick-fix when it comes to increasing energy levels, cracking the ice or nurturing relationships. At times these motives are used to mask products that are said to be a healthier option, like PVM energy bars and breakfast bars to name just a few.

Chocolates are a category in which we see some interesting movement. Exclusive chocolate brands that weren’t placed two years ago find themselves in the Top 10 now. This clearly indicates the emergence of massclusivity in this category. (Refer to earlier chapters on global trends)

In the sweet category, we note the predictable fickleness of the brand preference:

2004/2005 was dominated by “lollies” 2005/2006 was dominated by “gums” 2007 - this year we have a mixed bag, which includes gums, bubblegum and pops.

Generally the focus this year is on small, high-volume items, which confirms the “what a lot I got” syndrome in abundance (which is so prevalent in our findings this year).

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Table 6.7.1:

COOLEST SWEETS: Tweens TeensYoung Adults

ALL TOTAL

1 Jelly Tots 13.85 18.99 21.41 18.052 Chappies 21.13 12.84 12.27 15.213 Maynards Jelly Babies 10.43 18.08 16.42 15.004 Maynards Wine Gums 12.07 13.38 19.96 14.985 Yogueta Pop 14.36 16.46 12.47 14.496 Pin Pops 19.54 15.19 4.16 13.087 Fizz Pops 15.17 10.31 13.93 12.998 M & M's 7.40 7.96 13.10 9.439 Bratz Sweets 11.72 10.67 3.33 8.68

10 Jawbreakers 14.99 6.15 5.20 8.66

Nestlé (now Tiger Brands) Jelly Tots maintains 1st place and Chappies comes from nowhere into 2nd

place, replacing Maynard’s Jelly Babies, which holds 3rd place this year. Yogueta Pop fell from 3rd to 8th position in 2005 and 2006 respectively, but has recovered to 5th place this year, bringing Fizz Pops and Pin Pops with it. Sour Punks dropped from 3rd spot to nowhere this year, showing that within this category, fads still exist.

Whilst one may think that Jelly Tots are more popular amongst the Tweens and Teens, it holds a significant margin as the most popular sweet amongst Young Adults, followed by Maynard’s Wine Gums and Maynard’s Jelly Babies. Chappies and the lollipops hold top slots amongst Tweens, relegating the Tiger Brands Jelly Tots, Maynard’s Wine Gums and Maynard’s Jelly Babies to much lower positions. Teens and Young Adults tend to prefer gums followed by lollipops.

Once again Jawbreakers find preference amongst boys (more so than amongst girls), whilst Yogueta Pop is the 1st choice amongst Black respondents, followed in 2nd place by Pin Pops and Tiger Brands Jelly Tots. The most preferred brand amongst Indian/Asian respondents is Chappies, followed by Jawbreakers, Tiger Brands Jelly Tots and Maynards Jelly Babies in 3rd position. Amongst Coloured respondents, the Maynard’s Wine Gums are the preferred brand, followed by Chappies in 2nd place.

Liquorice Allsorts, which in previous years was a top contender, finds most favour in the Eastern Cape amongst Coloured respondents for this year’s survey. Tiger Brands Jelly Tots is the most popular brand in the Free State followed by Fizz Pops and Bratz Sweets, but the most popular brand in the Eastern Cape is Yogueta Pop, which is also the highest ranking sweet brand in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

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Table 6.7.2:

COOLEST CHOCOLATES: Tweens TeensYoung Adults

ALL TOTAL

1 Aero 20.89 15.91 15.80 17.412 Bar One 16.10 14.83 15.80 15.793 Ferrero Rocher 12.06 17.00 17.67 15.504 Cadbury Dairy Milk 12.06 11.75 12.89 12.365 PS 19.78 12.30 4.99 12.256 Top Deck 8.82 14.83 10.60 11.537 Lunch Bar 11.55 7.41 10.60 9.838 Kit Kat 11.69 6.51 9.36 9.039 Flake 10.63 8.50 7.28 8.81

10 Tempo 2.61 6.51 13.93 7.75

Aero and Bar One maintain their 1st and 2nd position from last year and Ferrero Rocher shifts to 3rd spot and together with Cadbury Dairy Milk continues to climb up the rankings. Cadbury PS takes a mighty hop from 10th place last year to 5th place this year. And it is these (latter) three brands that characterise the movement of this category for 2007. These three brands are generally perceived as “gifting” brands. It is interesting therefore; that they hold 3rd, 4th and 5th positions in this years ranking. This confirms that the chocolate category is defined by occasion and purpose, such as a personal indulgence (occasional treat) on the one hand and a gifting function (special occasion) on the other.

Cadbury Question was in 5th place last year. It drops to 13th position this year as its popularity amongst the Young Adults has dropped significantly this year. It is the Tweens and Teens that are staying loyal to this brand. Respondents in the discussion groups are of the opinion that the main reason for buying Cadbury Question, is for the flavour and the option of breaking the bar in half for sharing. In most cases, the question is inconsequential and for this reason they prefer to call it the Yes/No bar. It is also evident that more girls purchase Cadbury Question to share with girls and they state that the questions are actually too serious at times to share with boys.

Boys on the other hand, favour Cadbury PS as an interactive bar and statistics suggest that boys voted more for Cadbury PS than girls did. Of specific interest is that Cadbury PS is driven almost entirely by the Black respondents, whereas, Cadbury Question, shows no significant difference in preference by race group.

Regionally, Cadbury PS dominates in Kwa-Zulu Natal with Ferrero Rocher and Aero.

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6.8. COOLEST FUN DESTINATION

We take a look at the destinations where the youth prefer to “hang out” and have fun. It shoud be noted that the results of this category may have been influenced by sampling for each area.

Table 6.8.1:

COOLEST FUN DESTINATIONS: Tweens TeensYoung Adults

ALL TOTAL

1 Sun City 27.30 27.85 22.45 25.782 Cape Town 22.42 22.42 27.23 23.993 Gold Reef City 22.99 18.63 14.97 18.784 Durban 20.63 18.26 14.35 17.725 Ushaka Marine World 12.06 10.67 7.48 10.086 Balito Bay 5.41 5.61 8.94 6.587 Canal Walk 6.15 6.69 5.20 6.078 Gateway Theatre of Shopping 6.52 3.25 7.28 5.549 Drakensberg 4.10 6.15 5.41 5.2710 Krugerpark 4.78 4.16 5.41 4.74

This year we have grouped Coolest Holiday destination and Coolest Fun place together as they are closely related. Combining the categories gives us an overall idea of where the youth prefer to go and identify the areas that are popular amongst the youth of South Africa.

Fun destinations give marketers ideas on what the youth are doing and where they go and where they would like to go in their spare time. Entertainment options at these fun destinations is a major factor in influencing their choice This influences their parents choices in where they should be spending their holidays or where they enjoy being entertained. One should note too, that many of these fun destinations include a mall or shopping centre.

Sun City is the top Fun Destination for respondents in Gauteng and whilst this might be predictable for Gauteng, it is the 2nd most popular destination for respondents from the Western Cape and North West/Limpopo areas, and the 3rd most popular destination for Kwa-ZuluNatal and Free State respondents. It is the most popular destination for Black, White and Indian/Asian respondents in this study, whilst Gold Reef City is the preferred Fun Destination for Coloured respondents.

Predictably Ushaka Marine World is the most popular attraction in Durban for Kwa-Zulu Natal respondents, whilst Canal Walk and the V & A Waterfront are the most popular attractions in the Western Cape for respondents in this area. Gold Reef City is the most popular attraction for Free State respondents (followed by Cape Town and Sun City). Durban and Sun City have an equal number of responses from Free State that identify it as their favourite destination (20%).

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Cape Town, Sun City and Durban (as fun cities), retain the postions that they achieved in the past years, which indicates that youths are loyal to a specific holiday destination or resort. What does seem to change more often (in preference) is the attraction within these final destinations, e.g.

Gold Reef City has increased from 6th place in 2005 to 3rd place this year. Ushaka Marine World has dropped from 3rd to 5th place V & A Waterfront from 10th to 11th position.

Of significance too is that attractions like Gold Reef City, Ushaka Marine World and the Johannesburg Zoo, have much more appeal for Tweens but taper off quite dramatically as the respondent moves into Young Adulthood.Places like Cape Town, Balito Bay, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Jeffrey’s Bay (places) have a higher appeal for older respondents (Young Adults).

Since we have combined two categories this year, it is interesting to note that of the Top 10, two of the destinations are clearly lifestyle preferences namely, Drakensburg in 9th position and the Kruger National Park in 10th position.

Implications of these findings on local youth-tourism

The findings this year are significant, especially being viewed over a period of three years as it becomes apparent that attractions should focus on family participation and that centers / destinations such as Balito Bay and Plettenburg Bay need to develop lifestyle events and or packages that have relevance to a specific age range.

Young Adults holiday in peer groups. Tweens holiday as families. Teens get the BEST of both worlds, going on holiday with families and meeting their peers

at these holiday destinations.

It should be noted that Young Adults holiday together in lifestyle tribes, for example clubbing, surfing, hiking, backpacking, sport or camping . These lifestyle preferences are developed at secondary school.

It would be wise for travel agents and even airlines to take note of this and develop lifestyle packages specifically aimed at Young Adults that are local, affordable and action packed where like-minded individuals share the same holiday space and experience with well informed counsellors to guide and inform them through the holiday without being their chaperones or police. Whilst this might not be a new demand, the role of the “tour guide” has to evolve from a guide to a curator or expert resource.

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During discussions an example mentioned was a jazz weekend or excursion to a popular rock concert which would second as a short holiday opportunity. As the specific market that wish to attend the concert (urban emergers) do not have the necessary skills to arrange the logistics of the weekend or the contacts necessary to affliatiate with other jazz lovers, they seek someone who can facilitate this on their behalf. They refer to these people as someone who can;

“go with us and show us where to go, where to sit, where to do this and where to do that.” – Female Young Adult

“be our skills developer while we are away from our comfort zone. Because life out there is quite scary without someone to help you.” – Female Young Adult

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