Marketing Strategy and SWOT Analysis of Quaker Oats

A good day starts with a good breakfast. One of the most popular breakfast items is oatmeal, something that most people have in their pantry at all times. But come to realize that you can make so many different foods with oats. It can act as a substitute for flour. You can use it in cakes and cookies. But oats are also a great addition to healthy bars that will keep you full and fulfill your sweet tooth. Quaker Oats is a company that makes everything you can think of regarding oats. In this blog, the marketing tactics of that company are what we are going to discuss.

To begin with, we will talk about the mission and vision statements of Quaker Oats.

The mission statement of the company is as follows.

“Inspiring your mornings, inspiring your life. Wherever you’re headed, count on the goodness of Quaker Oats to keep you going”.

It sounds, so cliche to base a full day on breakfast, but this meal is essential. It sets off the day straight, gives you a great mood. Have you ever heard of the statement that you should live every day like it is your last? That is exactly why making sure that you are having a good day is an important priority.

Essentially successful days lead to a fantastic life. Quaker Oats is your way to great days. So, basically, Quaker Oats are what change your life.

Wherever you go, you are never going to stay hungry. Because the products that this company offers come in many forms. You can carry a candy bar with you and eat it on a hike. You can have warm water on you with a thermos and quickly make instant oats in a cup. Eating was never this easy and delicious at the same time.

The vision statement of the company goes like this.

“Since1877, we have been on a mission to inspire health, fitness, and energy amongst our patrons. Were dedicated to converting oats, whole grains, and dairy into energy that helps people lead more fulfilled lives. We aim to inspire a healthier and fitter India through our products, enabling millions to do more of what they love doing!”

Now, obviously, we all know and value the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. However, that is not something that one can achieve through only healthy eating or purely exercising. It is a good balance of both. But if you are just starting your health journey, it is a little more motivating to have a guide. Quaker Oats is your helper.

To be successful in life, people have to be energetic to find time and motivation for their goals. It starts from what you put into your body to contribute to your decisions.

Converting yummy food into energy that will help you stay fit is a source of happiness. Your happiness and fulfillment are all that Quaker Oats has been trying to achieve all along.

With the following Instagram post, we are going to unravel the archetype that Quaker Oats belongs to.

This post is in collaboration with Team2moms, video creators from Georgia. Now, we all know and realize that mothers’ jobs are highly complicated and take a lot of energy and effort. But despite everything, creating an environment where children are healthy and happy is a significant move.

We see the mother in the photo providing breakfast to her children. But, of course, a wide selection makes the job that much easier. Hence why she has a wide assortment of oats for each kid to choose from.

The photo is very simple. They took it in her kitchen, in an everyday environment where the family is around. The caption of the post is trying to engage followers in the content.

The question ‘what’s your go-to instant oatmeal?” unconsciously will make the viewers go search for the products of the company. If they are not familiar with the products, they will still go and inform themselves to answer the question.

So what does this post tell us?

The first hint that we get is the unconditional devotion of the mom. She loves her children, and she will make sure that their tummies are full and they are satisfied.

Then, we know that lots of marketed breakfast foods are full of artificial stuff and a great amount of sugar. Oats, though, are incredibly healthy and filling. In other words, one way or another, this post is talking about health safety.

And lastly, even though she takes care of her children, she also takes good care of herself. While you are making sure that your children are well, you should not lose your sense of needs.

These hints make it obvious that the archetype that Quaker Oats belongs to is the Caregiver.

What do we know about this archetype?

Desire: protect people from harm

Aim: to help others

Strategy: do things for others

These are the messaging levels of the archetype.

Level One: seeing someone in need​

Level Two: caring for and nurturing one’s dependents​

Level Three: balancing self-care with care for others​

Level Four: altruism, concern for the larger world

The Caregiver provides a good identity for brands:

• for which customer service offers the competitive advantage​
• that grants guideance to families (from fast food to minivans) or that are connected with nurturance (such as cookies)​
• for assistance in the health care, education, and other caregiving areas (including politics)​
• that help people stay associated with and care about one another​
• that encourage people to take care of themselves​
• for non-profit purposes and charitable activities

Moving along, we are going to talk about the SWOT analysis of Quaker Oats.

Strengths

Strong legacy: The company has been in business since 1877. Some businesses have been around for not even a decade that have grown immense recognition. Thus, you can only imagine how big of a legacy Quaker Oats must have built in that amount of time.

Extensive distribution channel: The products of this company are marketed in tons of locations around the world. Oats are an item that most people enjoy. Thus, the marketing of oats should be focused on deeper layers. In this case, we are talking about the distribution channel, which, luckily, Quaker Oats already has covered.

People trust this brand: People tend to buy products from companies they believe in. This trust is possible by people directing each other to their favorite brands. And then, once you find your favorite item maker, you stick to it. Especially in the US, people really adore Quaker Oats.

Major market share: Quaker Oats is a part of the oats and cereals category. There are supermarket isles devoted purely to that category. Quaker Oats is eye-catching because of some qualities that we already have mentioned. Thus, it has a good market share.

Innovative products: Some marketed foods are risky, and people should be careful about what they put in their bodies. It is such an amazing approach when companies double-check their ingredients. For example, Quaker Oats makes products that reduce cholesterol levels.

Broad product portfolio: This company makes a great variety of products. We see oatmeal, cereal, snacks, etc. There is an option here for everybody.

Excellent branding: After all the time that Quaker Oats has been around, the company still puts effort into its branding. Of course, the company is so popular and has loyal consumers. But that should never hold a business back from staying consistent with its marketing. Quaker Oats continuously comes up with fresh and engaging ads and campaigns.

Weaknesses

Competitor brands: Lots of other companies offer similar products as Quaker Oats. Sometimes, without putting effort into research, people reach for what is easy, and that may not be Quaker Oats.

Limited market share: This point is slightly controversial. The market share of the company is high but low at the same time. Because there are lots of other brands in this category, being a leader in the market is a challenge.

Opportunities

Broadening of the distribution channel: The company can highly benefit from entering emerging markets in developing countries. This is a smart move for any company, but Quaker Oats, in specific. Because the items this company makes are demanded, this step for the company could act highly beneficially.

Healthier options: Innovating into healthier food choices is another thing the company can do. The contemporary world is influencing people to choose healthy foods. With the emergence of people giving up on fast food, the sales of companies like this expand.

Threats

GMO regulations: Genetically modified organisms are controversial. Some people are for it, and some are against it. Developed markets are setting regulations against GMOs. If some of them restrict the usage of GMOs, Quaker Oats will be facing a significant threat.

Competition: Again, if a person is not passionate about doing research on the go, they may buy oats from a competitor brand. This category is comprehensive. So, even though Quaker Oats has loyal consumers, it still faces potential threats.

Last but not least, we are going to look at the segment that Quaker Oats has chosen to target.

Comedic solutions are integrated into the different elements of making this ad come true. It is as if there is a Quaker Oats championship within a family. We see them accepting the challenge they see on TV and getting right into it.

We see the father pass the oat cup on to his team player. Someone else comes right into the house. The players want to give him a yellow card. But it does not matter who did what and how they performed in the game. One way or another, the end result is breakfast, Quaker Oats that we all love and adore.

Now, what does this ad tell us?

To begin with, this ad includes a consistent focus on health. We all know that oats are obviously healthy. But being physically active is another inseparable aspect of maintaining good health.

The characters in the ad are brand loyal. They have different categories and different items of Quaker Oats in front of them.

And lastly, all of this starts from pretentious TV when a man declares the game. This speaks about the family’s habit of watching TV.

These small hints lead us to believe that the segment Quaker Oats has chosen to target is Revitalizers.

Lifestyle and values:

This segment is continually thinking about what they have missed in life. They feel that the world is moving too fast, and they are not managing anything. This leaves them in a constant thought flow where they are dissatisfied with themselves.

Revitalizers claim that their appearance is not essential. However, in reality, just like the rest of us, they have insecurities. They think deeply about what they look like. An integral feature of the latter is good health.

Good looks are the way to earn social recognition. This segment thinks twice about its outfit. They have to dress fashionably, go to the gym, and consume a variety of plastic procedures.

Many Revitalizers are vegetarians. They track what they eat in order to maintain a healthy diet.

Work is a central part of this segment’s life. They do their job amazingly and always seek the next opportunity. They will even go out of their way to sacrifice quality time with family to perform well at work.

Revitalizers are not very good team players. They prefer to work on their own rather than coming to terms with a team.

Interestingly enough, this segment lives in the moment and does not really have the future in mind. Revitalizers are adventurous risk-takers.

This segment is not one whose life revolves around family. Sure, being praised by the family is amazing, but nothing stops there.

Revitalizers are not endeavoring for long-lasting relationships. They do not believe that faithfulness is a vital aspect of a relationship.

Brand usage:

Revitalizers search for affordable products when they are out shopping. This segment prefers quantity over quality. It is not always worth investing more money in luxury products.

At the same time, Revitalizers invest in quality products when it comes to appearance. For example, they will buy clothing and accessories from premium brands to appear beautiful.

This segment is pretty brand loyal. Once they find their brand, they will stick to it. Revitalizers are among the first ones to buy a new product as soon as it comes out.

Revitalizers are spontaneous even when it comes to shopping. They do not tend to save up because they might decide to buy something on the spot.

Other interesting facts:

Revitalizers

• like to be around friends, either eating, going to a pub, or a cinema
• believe that the only reason for drinking is getting drunk
• spend a reasonable amount of time exercising and beauty care
• prefer to be tan even in winter​
• are not fond of cultural events
• regularly watch TV​, specifically movies and cartoons with kids
• are intrigued by gossip news​
• are below average Internet users
• do not hold enough knowledge about technology
• consume news mainly for entertainment
• are below average radio users
• do not really like listening to music​

And there you have the ‘Marketing Strategy and SWOT Analysis of Quaker Oats’ blog. Quaker Oats is a successful American breakfast food company. We did a deeper dive into its marketing tactics to uncover the story behind its success. Be sure to check out our main website for more blogs like this.