For a category crowded with protein bars, powders and digital-first brands, Quaker is taking a distinctly Indian route to healthy snacking. Instead of asking consumers to embrace unfamiliar formats, the oats brand is bringing protein and fibre to traditional favourites such as Quaker® Protein Ladooz and Quaker® Protein Chikki Bites, with affordability and convenience at the centre of its proposition.
The thinking is rooted in consumer research. Speaking to IMPACT Magazine, Sriram Iyer, Marketing Director, Quaker®, PepsiCo India, says the brand’s research with Euromonitor found that 89% of Gen Z, Millennial and Gen X consumers are seeking protein and fibre in familiar formats. “While there is ample awareness, the translation into action is better enabled when you offer consumers protein and fibre through familiar options,” he says.
For Quaker, the opportunity lies in bridging the gap between what consumers want from their diets and what they actually consume. The brand, traditionally associated with oats and breakfast, is extending its nutrition credentials into more occasions through the day with its protein laddus and chikki bites. Both offerings contain 12% protein, are high in fibre and are made with oats and nuts.
The move comes as protein gains visibility in conversations around everyday nutrition. However, Iyer believes awareness alone is insufficient to make protein a regular part of consumers’ diets. Affordability, convenience and the availability of familiar formats remain significant barriers. “A couple of barriers that we have identified: firstly, there is high awareness of the fact that consumers want protein and fibre in their daily nutrition or food. However, that's not translating into everyday consumption,” he informs.
The brand is addressing the price barrier with a ₹10 price point for its new offerings. According to Iyer, the objective is to bring nutrition and taste together without making healthier choices expensive for consumers. “The idea is to ensure that you can offer nutrition and great taste at the right price or value equation. It doesn't have to pinch your wallet when you are accessing these nutrients,” he explains, adding that the brand wants to make nutrition accessible to a wider base of Indian consumers.
While social media has helped increase the visibility of protein, Iyer believes the opportunity extends beyond urban consumers. Digital connectivity is helping awareness grow across markets, including smaller cities, although some consumers may still be relatively unaware of the benefits of protein. At PepsiCo India, he says, innovation begins with understanding what consumers want across different dayparts, including the functional and emotional benefits they seek from food. Research, backed by the company's research and development capabilities, helps translate those insights into products designed for everyday consumption.
For brands competing in the better-for-you category, communicating nutritional credentials credibly is equally important. With several digital-first brands building their identities around protein, Quaker is leaning on the ingredients behind its proposition. “The credibility to deliver the nutrient that consumers are looking for is very, very important. Also, for brands to be able to communicate that as transparently as possible is as crucial as well,” Iyer points out.
Quaker’s marketing strategy for the new range centres on three objectives: awareness, trial and repeat purchases. Digital and social platforms will help introduce consumers to the new formats, while retail touchpoints will focus on visibility and encouraging trials. Public relations will reinforce the brand’s move beyond breakfast into everyday nutrition. Creators will also play a role in making the products relevant to different consumer groups, including working professionals, college students and fitness enthusiasts.
At the heart of the campaign is the idea that taste and nutrition need not be mutually exclusive. Iyer says the brand aims to communicate a combination of nutrition, taste, convenience, familiar formats and a ₹10 price point, while speaking to younger audiences in a language that resonates with them.
On whether Quaker will become more digitally focused, Iyer believes that the principle is straightforward: “We need to be where the consumer is.” As consumers spend more time on digital platforms, the brand intends to use them to build awareness and consideration, while playing a greater role in consumers’ lives.
Looking ahead, PepsiCo India is continuing to explore opportunities based on consumer research across dayparts and consumption occasions. While Iyer declined to disclose specific categories under consideration, he says the company is examining how its existing brands, and brands not currently present in India, can address unmet consumer needs. For Quaker, the immediate challenge is to turn interest in protein into an everyday habit. Its bet is that familiar flavours, accessible pricing and clear nutritional communication can help make that happen.
