There is no need to feel guilty about snacking any more, Britannia has launched a new product, 50-50 Snackuits keeping in line with its Taste Bhi, Health Bhi formula, this product aims at making snacking enjoyable experience and at the same time getting rid of any guilt that comes with it. Snackuits was launched in January and is already available in North, West and East. Now Britannia is gearing to launch the product in South. Talking about Snackuits, Shalini Degan, Category Director, Delight and Lifestyle, Britannia Industries said: “The truth is that people want to snack and then they feel guilty which leads them to snack some more, making them unhappy. We want our consumers to feel ‘Snack Happy’. The idea being that we know that people want to snack and we don’t want them to feel guilty about eating in between meals. We decided to make a product that satisfies some need of the consumers but fundamentally it removes guilt. So we have been telling people, please have this whenever you feel like and be snack happy.” The highlight of the product is that it is baked and there is no ostensible calorie intake. In fact, healthy snacks have become a fad of sorts with many players joining the bandwagon and talking about health and nutrition such as Lays Baked, Aliva and even Nestle’s Maggi. Not deterred by many players jumping into the health platform, Ms Degan said: “People like to follow Britannia. We took to this platform much before the rest. It’s nice to know that others are following us. For us it is simple, we are here to make sure that our consumers are emotionally satisfied, we are here to ensure that along with the taste, we ensure that nothing that we do makes one unhealthy. That is something we have been doing for many years now.” But the question is whether the consumers are convinced enough to pick up a packet of such ‘healthy’ baked products? Degan clarified: “It depends on what your reference point is. We are not saying we are as healthy as an apple but yet as far as snacks goes we have an innovation that is healthy as well as satisfies your taste buds!” Britannia is aiming at getting 10-15 per cent of additional revenue from Snackuits tp contribute to its Rs480 crore business (as valued by AC Nielsen). It’s looking at achieving this target in two years time. Snackuits will probably see more flavours being launched or a variation in shape or formats but that is once it establishes itself among the consumers. It is now available in three flavours – Swiss Cheese & Chilly, Chinese Hot & Sweet and Italiano Pizza in 30 gms pouch for on-the-go consumption and 50 gms box for in-home consumption. In the Rs7000 crore salty snack business which has been growing at a CAGR of 20 percent per annum, the success of Snackuits is not overestimated. And to make it a reality, Britannia has planned a 360-degree campaign to talk to its consumers about this new product. Created by Lowe Lintas, Britannia will soon launch four TVCs that features homemakers who enjoy snacking on Snackuits along with their witty take on everyday incidents of life. The ad is all about breaking the ‘bechari’ stereotypical image of a homemaker one sees in many ads being bogged down by worries of domestic life. On the campaign, R Balki, Chairman and CCO, Lowe Lintas, said: “Who says housewives are boring? If only we could put a camera on when they are with their friends…husbands will be shocked! It’s not just teens who hang around with snacks. 50-50 Snackuits is positioned as an accompaniment to the housewives adda!” Along with TVC, the other multi-media platform will explore the ‘naya concept hai ji’ tagline that sums up Snackuits aptly. There will be spots on radio and various on-ground activation which will try and find places where 50-50 Snackuits can interact and engage with housewives

Snacks are positioned as everyday food due to the change in food habits of people, busy schedules, increased urbanization and hence affordability is more important.

As consumers are becoming more health conscious niche products like sugar free, low-fat, low salt or roasted snacks are expected to gain popularity.

Health credentials of any product launched are crucial to long term success.

BIL, however seemed to believe that its core competence was foods, and that by going into dairy products, it was not moving from its original focus. BIL also believed that its makeover plan had worked well, and that this was reflected in the remarkable improvement in profits. Accordingly it set ambitious targets for the future. Said Alagh, "Our vision is to make every third Indian a Britannia consumer within the next three years ...We want to be part of our consumer- at home, out of home, a natural part of his life. Consume the product of your choice, but consume Britannia."

Analysts felt that the challenge for BIL lay, in continuing to remain aggressive and in evolving to meet the needs of dynamic markets of the new millennium. If BIL was to achieve the objective it had set for itself, it had to continuously strive to deliver products with value that exceeded consumers' expectation. BIL's gamble and its long-run success would ultimately depend on whether consumers liked the new products it introduced in the market or not.