Special K to Launch Water, Protein Bars

Kellogg Co. will extend its Special K brand into fitness categories this fall with a line of protein-fortified products.

Kellogg will bow Special K20 Protein Waters, Special K Protein Snack Bars and Special K Protein Meal Bars in November, with aggressive advertising and marketing support.

The line extensions are first work from Kellogg's Health & Wellness division. The line will be positioned as nutritious "shape management" tools, targeting consumers interested in weight loss. The new products join cereal, cereal bars, snack bites and waffles in the Special K portfolio.

"Retail acceptance of our new products for the pharmacy aisle of grocery stores and the diet and nutrition aisles of drug stores has been extremely positive," said Mark Baynes, senior VP-marketing for Kellogg's Morning Foods division.

The line extension reinforces Special K's long-standing positioning as a diet food, including the Special K Challenge: Consumers eat Special K for two meals each day for two weeks to drop a jeans size. A current tie-in with Levi Strauss & Co. fuels an in-pack instant-win awarding a free pair of Levi's Signature jeans (via coupon redeemable at Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Meijer, Shopko or Pamida).

Special K20 Protein Waters, with five grams of protein per 16-oz. bottle, will sell for $5.99 and come in three flavors: Strawberry Kiwi, Lemon Twist and Tropical Blend. Special K Protein Meal Bars (10 grams of protein) will sell for $1.29 each, or $5.98 for a box of six, in Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate, and Strawberry flavors. Special K Protein Snack Bars (four grams of protein) sell for 89 cents each or $3.99 for a box of six, in two flavors: Chocolate Peanut and Chocolate Delight.

Why water? Consumer research showed that water, like snacks, "play an important role throughout each day as they try to stay on track with their weight management goals," said Kellogg spokesperson Jill Saletta. "Because the Special K brand is focused on providing a variety of alternatives to help meet shape management goals, water was a logical place for us to explore."

Special K cereal sales topped $276 million, up 14% for the 52 weeks ended May 21, per Information Resources, Inc. Its cereal bar sales are $85.5 million, up a whopping 65.5% for the time period in food, drug and mass outlets excluding Wal-Mart.

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