Snacks brand index – 2019 Q4

Every quarter we survey British consumers on their brand awareness and preferences in relation to the snacks industry. We’ve laid out our latest insights into the snack industry in this snacks brand index.

To compile this quarter’s snacks brand index below, we looked at three things:

• Percentage of unprompted brand recall within the snacks category
• How likely a person is to purchase each brand (purchase intent)
• How likely a person is to recommend each brand (net promoter score)

Key changes in brand sttributes

Autumn’s here! As the UK prepares for more grey days, earlier sunsets, and that familiar chill in the air, consumer snacking habits also change with the seasons. Thanks to the colder months creeping back in, we’ll be starting to crave ‘comfort food’. Will we see a surge in the popularity of sugary treats or calorie-dense carbs? Is chocolate making a comeback after the meltingly-hot summer months? One thing’s for sure – the snack industry is set to be as popular as ever, with positive consumer sentiment through the roof.

Each quarter we ask consumers to rank the top 10 snack brands they’ve named in eight category-specific attributes. Here are the main winners, losers and movers this quarter:

• Scores were generally high across the board this quarter, with first and second place rankings often separated by very little. Doritos, McCoys, Graze and Mars managed 2 first-place rankings each, with Doritos taking home the coveted (and highly competitive) ‘best taste’ ranking, which went to Kettle in Q3. Graze scored very highly for nutritional value (as would be expected), and were also rated the best snack to eat on the go. McCoys achieved an unbeatable 100% weighted ranking for having great multipack options.
• It was a less positive quarter for Cadbury and Pringles. Cadbury picked up 2 last place rankings, for taste and nutritional value, but managed to improve their ‘on the go’ rating, which they came last for in Q3. Pringles were rated worst for price, multipack options, and the ability to eat on the go, as well as being ranked the most boring snack – that’s 2 more last-place positions than they received in Q3, with price and multipack value being the consistent consumer complaints.
• Walkers have come last for sustainability this quarter, with a weighted ranking of 66.9%. Despite their efforts to be more sustainable, with new recycling schemes for their crisp packets running since last December, consumers are still wary of their plastic-lined packaging. Mars was narrowly voted the most sustainable snack brand, winning out over Graze by only 0.2%.
• In Q3, Kettle managed three first-place rankings, for taste (with an impressive 100% weighted ranking), price, and consumer interest – in Q4, however, they’ve dropped from the top 10 entirely, along with Kellogg’s, Snickers, and Nakd. 

Key takeaways

• Walkers win out again this quarter – they’ve knocked it out of the park with their steadily increasing total brand equity score and impressive unprompted brand Recall. UK consumers undeniably know the Walkers name, and also intend to buy from them – a winning combo for any brand. The top of the leaderboard in general has remained pretty stable, with Cadbury and Pringles switching places, and Doritos staying put in fourth. 
• Beneath the top 4 is where things have really been shaken up. KP have made gains in Q4, climbing from 10th to 6th and seeing positive changes across all of their key metrics. Mars, on the other hand, has seen a slight drop this quarter, from 5th to 7th place. Their NPS has taken a hit, suffering a drop of over 20 points, and their Total Brand Equity has fallen as a result. 
• This quarter, the top 10 welcomes four new arrivals. Kettle, Nakd, Kellogg’s and Snickers (who ranked in 6th, 7th, and joint 8th in Q3) have all dropped from the leaderboard, replaced by McVitie’s, McCoys, Snack a Jacks, and Graze. For McVitie’s, it was their impressive 70% Purchase Intent score that rocketed them into 5th place, and newcomer McCoys’ NPS is the highest on the board at 63.6. 
• It’s a perpetual see-saw for these four incoming brands, with Graze, McVitie’s and Snack a Jacks all being pushed out of the top 10 by Kettle, Nakd and Kellogg’s in Q3 – it’s a never-ending battle for positive consumer sentiment and overall memorability in a crowded snack industry.

The full report

The report includes:

• The UK’s leading snack brands for awareness, purchase intent and net promoter score
• Overall brand strength and total brand equity index
• Industry averages and market dynamics
• Key takeaways for the UK snacks industry

The report is based on a nationally representative survey of 1000 people in the UK (aged 18+), surveyed in January 2019. 

Click to view research

Brand index methodology

The Attest brand index is a platform agnostic measure of a brand’s total brand equity in the snacks sector, as determined by real consumers.

What does that mean?

When we say ‘platform agnostic’, we mean the results are not influenced by any particular method of obtaining them, like looking exclusively at social media mentions or at brand search terms. This reduces bias and gives us a much more accurate view of a brand’s strength in their category.

Learn more about why we think this is the best methodology for brand intelligence.

Brand index data is gathered every quarter from a nationally representative survey to 1,000 UK consumers aged 18-65.