When Frito-Lay wanted to increase the appeal of its calorie-conscious snacks to women – who are snacking more than men – it turned to NeuroFocus, a research company that brings neuroscience to the world of advertising, messaging, packaging and product development.  By measuring brainwaves, eye-tracking and skin conductance, researchers can, for example, determine whether a message resonates with a consumer.
In Frito-Lay’s case, NeuroFocus was enlisted by the ad agency charged with re-defining calorie-conscious snacks such as Baked Lays and 100-calorie packages to make them appeal to women.  To learn more …

We’ve all gone to the grocery store and seen them: the boxes of cookies, crackers and other snacks that offer small packs of our favorite treats that limit calorie intake to 100 calories. Given the amount of shelf space these products take up, it would be a fair assumption that these items generate a fair amount of sales.  But the fact is that these products comprise a fairly small share of the huge, multi-billion dollar snack category. And with a high cost-per-ounce, the price premium for these products may be …

Nielsen has issued a year-end look at the most popular trends among Americans during 2008, covering everything from the top TV programs to the most popular consumer packaged goods.
It’s official: Americans love their carbs.  The Bread and Baked Goods category ranked number one for 2008 — both in terms of consumer purchases and retail sales.  According to Nielsen, 99% of U.S. homes purchased bread/baked goods at least once during the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2008.  The Bread/Baked Goods category raked in $18.3 billion in sales through November 1.  Other …

U.S. households earning $100,000 or more in annual income, spent more than twice as much on wine than average American consumers during the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2008.
Although they represent only 18.7% of U.S. households, high-income households represented 39.6% of wine dollar sales during the time period. 
Other categories skewing to households with high incomes include diet aids, liquor, and floral/gardening supplies.

Rank
(by highest index)
Top 10 Category Purchases:
U.S. Households
With $100,000+ Annual Income
Dollar Volume Index*

1
Wine
212

2
Diet Aids
158

3
Liquor
156

4
Floral / Gardening
155

5
Baby Needs
152

6
Snacks / Spreads / Dairy Dips
148

7
Baby Food
147

8
Skin Care Preparations
147

9
Fresh Produce
144

10
Juices / Refrigerated Drinks
142

*Note: “Dollar Volume …