Manly Groceries

With more men doing the shopping, food companies are changing their packaging to appeal to their male sensibilities.

October 18, 2013

MIAMI -- How can you tell if the yogurt package is for men? One clue might be the black label, the Wall Street Journal reports. Food manufacturers, such as Kraft Food Groups and General Mills Inc., are redesigning packaging on food products to catch the eye of the male shopper.

With recent studies showing men are doing a bigger share of buying groceries—and preparing meals—food makers are scrambling to capture those dollars by appealing to the male eye. Another study found that men are using coupons more than ever, too.

Armed with those statistics, food companies are hoping a bit of cosmetic surgery on existing brands will make men more likely to pick up the item. Some changes include bigger sizes and darker colors, plus the removal of recipes on the package backs.

Currently, many food products just don’t help men feel manly, said Lu Ann Williams, head of research for Innova Market Insights. “A beer or soda in a long-necked, brown bottle makes a man feel like a man. Drinking out of a straw does not—puckered lips and sunken cheeks are not a good guy look,” she said.

One example of a company trying to appeal to men is Powerful Yogurt, a Greek yogurt that debuted in the spring. The bull’s head symbol and red-and-black colors, plus the graphic of stomach muscles juxtaposed with the slogan, “Find Your Inner Abs,” definitely has the male shopper in mind. General Mills’ Helper brand received a revamp and relaunch over the summer, touting its Crunchy Taco and Ultimate Three Cheese Marinara to capture the male interest.

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