PepsiCo targets doubling Quaker business every two years in India

The company has said recently that it is investing heavily into pushing Quaker to the top of breakfast cereal market, which has traditionally been dominated by makers of cornflakes such as Kelloggs.

A spokesperson for PepsiCo told FoodNavigator-Asia that the company that it expects Quaker Oats to help win on the Indian breakfast table in the coming few years thanks to growing incomes and an increasing health awareness.

“Quaker penetration and also consumption per household has been growing steadily, which shows that it is being accepted by consumers across India. Our ambition is to continue doubling the business every 2 years,”​ he said.

People getting richer, but PepsiCo wants the less wealthy too​

According to the spokesperson, thanks to an increasing array of product offerings, growing disposable income and improving lifestyles, Indian consumers across income strata are adding branded products to their grocery list.

However, this does not mean that PepsiCo only wants to target the upper middle class segment in India, which is showing the highest growth in incomes, and adding new people to it every day, he said.

“Quaker is well poised to capture growth across income segments in India because it is healthy, convenient and costs less than 5 rupees or less that US$0.1 per serve,”​ he remarked.

He pointed out that breakfast habits in India are diverse; they vary vastly owing to either regional differences or to income disparity or both,​ adding “at the upper end, consumers are looking for nutrition and convenience while at the lower end affordability along with stomach fill is more important.​

Brand building is key​

The spokesperson said that Quaker is the world’s no 1 brand in breakfast cereals, and has been built on authentic goodness, but work needs to be done to get that message out to the Indian public.

“Quaker is building the brand in India by educating consumers on healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging them to include Quaker in their diet, to eat right, exercise and spend more stress free time,” ​he said.

He disclosed that PepsiCo had just launched a campaign called the Quaker Smart Heart Challenge on television, radio, cinema, digital, and new media to build awareness about the benefits of the product.

“We are also doing massive sampling, both wet & dry sampling in retail [traditional & organized retail), in corporates, hospitals, gyms, cafes, etc. to introduce consumers to the taste & benefits of oats,”​ he added.