RXBAR Scratches Eggs & Signature Packaging for New Plant Line
With its use of egg whites as a protein source and front of pack “ingredient” list, RXBAR disrupted the bar category and inspired a slew of imitators. But now the Kellogg’s owned brand is saying so long to both signature elements for the launch of a new, plant-based line extension.
What’s the Product Line?
Last week RXBAR announced the debut of RXBAR Plant, available in peanut butter and chocolate chip offerings. The plant-based bars replace egg whites as the protein source in favor of a blend of pea and almond proteins. The bars also have a softer texture.
The plant-based bars are line-priced to the core RXBAR line and debuted on the company’s website with Target and Kroger placements coming online soon.
Also of note is a change to the brand’s signature branding. While other RXBAR products sport a front-of-pack “ingredient list,” with callouts, for example, for the number of dates, egg whites or blueberries in each bar, the new plant-based bars keep the same list formatting, but have more general marketing terms such as “soft and chewy” or “5 core ingredients.”
Why the Changes?
According to Jason Moraff, VP of marketing for The Kellogg Company’s “natural and insurgent” brands, the bars fulfill consumer requests for a plant-based offering. According to SPINS data provided by the brand, plant-based eating grew at 29% year-over-year — so a plant-based option could attract more shoppers at a time when the bar category has seen shrinking growth.
Moraff noted that “It’s no secret that people’s routines have been changing,” and the company has seen a shift towards products that can be bought in bulk (such as the brand’s oatmeal packets) and in online sales.
The goal, Moraff said, was to craft a bar that had relatively the same amount of fiber, sugar, protein and carbohydrates as the brand’s traditional bar. RxBAR’s team ultimately settled on a mix of pea and almond. Packaging, he added, was updated to reflect the fact this was a “major innovation” for the brand and to help eliminate any consumer confusion between the core line and plant-based line
Other plant-based iterations of RXBARs nut butters and oatmeals may be forthcoming, with Moraff stating that the company will continue to innovate based on consumer feedback.
