Greek Yogurt Category Poised to Expand

The booming Greek yogurt category is poised to expand beyond the dairy case and become the next “super trend” in consumer packaged goods, according to global marketing technology company Affinnova, Inc.

“Health trends have the power to transform the way consumers view entire product categories and even brands,” said Waleed Al-Atraqchi, president/CEO of Affinnova. “We’ve seen that with antioxidants and now with gluten free. The difficulty lies in knowing when a trend is not a fad and how far it can extend across categories. Because the characteristics of trends are fluid, consumer packaged goods companies need to examine trends on a continual basis. Without up-to-date information, companies miss the opportunity to lead and shape their categories or risk unsuccessful forays.”

Few companies have incorporated Greek yogurt as an additive to skin care products despite its inherent protein and vitamin benefits. This presents a tremendous opportunity for brands in the $10 billion natural health & beauty category, according to Affinnova.

The company’s data suggests that anti-wrinkle cream could present the biggest breakthrough opportunity, offering a “safer” and more “natural alternative” to current products, while providing “smoother skin.” The idea scored especially high with health-conscious consumers and consumers older than 55. Similarly, baby diaper rash cream infused with a Greek yogurt additive also scored high.

While Greek yogurt has infiltrated some food categories beyond yogurt, it still remains underpenetrated compared to trends like antioxidants and gluten-free, which have become mainstream across multiple food categories.

Data suggests that companies could be missing opportunities to expand Greek yogurt’s presence throughout the grocery store. Driven by its high-protein benefits, consumers expect Greek yogurt to become commonplace in ice cream, dips, salad dressings and ready-to-drink smoothies. Additionally, the findings show that muffin and cake mix infused with Greek yogurt, as well as frozen breakfast options like waffles and pancakes, are prospective standout ideas.

Demographically, salad dressing scored extremely high with women, who seek added protein and reduced fat options for their dressings. Ice cream emerged as the top idea with men by a wide margin.

Affinnova’s Greek yogurt study was conducted online in September 2013 with 800 U.S. consumers. Results identified close to a dozen product ideas that could extend Greek yogurt across new categories in food, health and beauty, and baby care.