To put this into perspective, just over 6% on yogurt launches in Western Europe were marketed on a protein platform over the same period, with “only the UK really showing the beginning of a similar trend to that in the US”, said Innova's director of innovation Lu Ann Williams.
“The rise of Greek and Greek-style strained yogurts, which are inherently higher in protein than standard lines, has paved the way for the positioning of yogurts on a high-protein platform.
“Although most of these are also ‘probiotic,’ once also a key marketing positioning, problems over health claims in this area have caused companies to divert attention away from digestive health in many instances; often toward nutrient content.
"This has tended to lead to a focus on the higher protein content of Greek-style products, alongside the traditional focus on their creamy and indulgent image.”
The rise of the brogurt…
In the US in particular, there have also been a number of launches appealing specifically to men, particularly those interested in fitness, such as Powerful Yogurt, featuring a ‘man-sized’ 8oz cup and 25g protein per pot, she said.
“Other developments include the launch of frozen yogurt options with a high-protein positioning, such as ProYo in the US, and other strained (but not Greek or Greek-style) high-protein yogurt options.
“These include Smari Icelandic yogurt brand, which was launched in the US in mid-2013 and a new Protein variant of General Mills’ Yoplait Go Gurt children’s hand-held yogurt brand; offering twice the protein of the standard range.”