Hitting the Shelves: Kids Learn to 'Smarten Up' -- April 2009

To appeal to parents and children alike, several food and beverage products have undergone rebranding efforts to position themselves as educational. This trend is seen in numerous sub-categories--from breakfast cereals and pasta to confectionery and gum. For treats higher in sugar and typically categorized as less healthy, manufacturers can market these items to promote learning to kids in a fun format. General Mills adopted this strategy in its launch of Smarten Up Fruit Flavored Snacks under the Betty Crocker brand.

Smarten Up Fruit Flavored Snacks contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C in one serving, and each fruit chew features an alphabetic letter to provide children with a hands-on spelling lesson. This fruit snack includes strawberry, grape, cherry and orange flavors.