food

Splenda Sweetener Expands Beyond Calorie Control To Wellness

Low-calorie sweetener Splenda is repositioning itself as a wellness brand promoting a healthier lifestyle, as opposed to one meant just to limit caloric intake.

Under the “It Starts With Splenda” tagline, two commercials target people who prioritize eating healthier, managing weight and avoiding/controlling diabetes.

This 30-second spot from Blue Chip Marketing focuses on managing weight with depictions of people preparing and enjoying daily meals.

“It starts with Splenda -- every delicious way you’ll manage your weight today,” the voiceover intones. “Enjoy the delicious taste of sugar without excessive calories or carbs. Why wait? Start with Splenda and see the difference today.”

A diabetes-focused ad opens with “It starts with Splenda -- every delicious way you manage your diabetes today.” The spot includes the claim that Splenda is the #1 recommended sweetener brand by doctors and dieticians.

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“We’re reframing the narrative from restriction to celebration, and we’re transitioning from a functional conversation to an emotional one,” says Splenda senior marketing director Ami Krishan.

Splenda parent Heartland Food Products Group also sells plant-based stevia and monk fruit sweeteners, “which tip a little bit younger in general as a category,” according to Splenda senior brand manager Jeff Marvel.

Part of the repositioning is to highlight healthier, lower-sugar baking and cooking options, which "are important to a younger audience,” Marvel adds.

The spots are running on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Ads also will appear on Amazon TV and Hulu next month, and on cable television beginning in January.

Targeting audiences on Hulu largely consists of demographics and viewing interests, according to Marvel.

More precise targeting can be accomplished on Amazon TV’s IMDb TV platform. “They have an incredible wealth of consumer data that you can tap into based on how you wish to segment and target that consumer audience,” adds Marvel.

In addition, Splenda has established recipe and lifestyle content partnerships with publishers that include Meredith Magazines and WebMD.

Johnson & Johnson introduced Splenda—which contains sugar-derived sucralose—in  1999, and sold the rights to the brand to Heartland Food in 2015.

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