Analyzing Everyday Rhetoric: Marketing Strategies of Kay’s Naturals

A very sweet blogger recently sent me some goodies: a few packages of Kay’s Naturals protein chips and protein cookies! These products are advertised as nutritious foods, and they do an excellent job of appealing to the public:

1) Product Name: With products such as “Cookie Bites” and “Kruncheeze”, these products appeal to all ages. They sound fun and they also sound tasty! These products are advertised as snack foods rather than as a breakfast or a mini-meal, and for 100-200 calories per serving, they are certainly the right size for a treat during the day.

2) Front Label Nutrition Stats: The calorie count and amount of fibre, total fat, and protein are all listed on the front of the package for the Cookie Bites. The average consumer will likely appreciate seeing the information right in front of them in big letters, particularly in the cute differently-shaped, coloured boxes that each statistic is stated in.

3) Health Claims: The Cookie Bites are a clear winner in terms of the advertising strategies in the health claims. Marketed as gluten-free with no cholesterol, trans fats, and made with all-natural ingredients, the Cookie Bites also include the statement “1 ounce = Protein of 2 Eggs”. That is very clever. Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and are well-loved in health circles for their protein content and perfect balance between protein and fat. Comparing a manufactured product to a whole food is a great way to convince consumers to buy a product.

4) Visual Layout and Font: Kay’s Naturals uses large lettering on its package to clearly outline what their products are all about. Straight to-the-point, bulleted lists highlight essential information, making it easy for the consumer to just give the product a quick scan to gather the information they’re interested in. The font itself is rounded and wide to increase accessibility.

So, are Kay’s Naturals “actually” healthy? They do use some really nutritious ingredients, but some of their products also include “natural flavouring” and different kinds of sugar. They are by far healthier than most products you’ll find on the grocery store shelves. It is better to think of these products as snacks, however, than an important part of your daily diet. There’s no way that I would choose one of these products over eggs in terms of health, but if I’m craving cookies, then I would definitely say that these products are an excellent choice to make. And certainly a yummy choice!