Thursday, August 2, 2012

Can Gen Y be persuaded to buy Sweet ‘N Low?


At first it seems odd that a 50 year-old brand would think they had a chance to increase sales by targeting the variety craving Gen Y, but really what choice do they have?  Gen Y is now projected to be 80 million strong, larger than the Baby Boomers.  And since they are 18 - 33, they are the future. (Parekh, 2012)

But will they embrace a chemical product even if it tastes better than a natural one?  Perhaps.  A segmentation study of Gen Y from last April suggested that many segments of the group don’t particularly care about natural products.  While the 2010 Gallup survey said that 61% of women want to lose weight.  (Mendes, 2010)

So, what do you think?  Can this campaign be successful?

Here’s the link to the blog about the segmentation study.


Parekh, R. (2012, July 31) Why the Makers of Sweet ‘N Low are Trying to Target Younger Consumers.  adage.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012, from

Mendes, E. (2010, November 24) In U.S., 62% Exceed Ideal Weight, 19% at Their Goal. gallup.com  Retrieved August 1, 2012, from

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Despite the fact that younger consumers are watching their calorie intake and may be looking for less sugary substitues, gen y is more conscious about unnatural and unhealthy products than the baby boomers. The happy, youthful and playful emotions Sweet N Low is trying to appeal to may very well be relevant to the gen y generation, but I think they may be underestimating the fact that 20 and 30 year olds are also more technologically savvy in doing product research than their current target. The saccharin contained in Sweet N Low is very unhealthy. Although there is the recent scrutiny on sugary drinks, gen y has other options for healthier sugar substitutes such as Stevia that derive from the stevia leaf. For those reasons, I do not believe the Sweet N Low campaign will be successful.

Karina