Dive Brief:

• Kind Snacks will stop selling its prepackaged snacks through its website on March 1 and 2 in an effort to encourage consumers to purchase the company's Whole Fruit and Nut Box instead, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
• The brand is also placing a Kind Bar filled vending machine in New York City's Greenwich Village. Upon purchase of one of the bars, the vending machine swings open to reveal a secret farmers market where customers can fill their basket with whole foods free of charge.
• The campaign is meant to underscore the idea that whole foods are superior to prepackaged ones while also raising awareness for its new product.

Dive Insight:

Kind Snacks is making an effort to educate the public on the importance of eating whole, unprocessed snacks and food while promoting its new product, the Whole Fruit and Nut Box. Inspiration for the campaign came from Centers for Disease Control data that found nine out of 10 American adults and children do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, and are more likely to consume prepackaged foods. The Whole Fruit and Nut Box is meant to make eating whole foods easier for the average American, according to the company.

The campaign coincides with National Nutrition Month in March. By refusing to sell its packaged snacks for the first two days of March, Kind positions itself as a health-conscious company that cares about the ingredients in its products. The stunts, including the secret farmers market, look to capture the attention of increasingly health-conscious consumers.

"There's a time and place for eating a Kind bar, but we believe it should never replace eating the whole, fresh foods that are essential to staying healthy," Kind CEO Russell Stokes said in a statement. "Since our founding, we've always advocated for nutrition transparency and encouraged Americans to eat better, even if that means buying raw almonds and apples over our bars."

In addition to drumming up buzz around its health-conscious products, the stunt also allows Kind to learn more about its digital consumers as Google moves away from third-party cookies. Direct-to-consumer platforms are the fastest growing market for CPG brands, and Kind is making an effort to reach those consumers.

With the secret farmers market, Kind is reaching customers on a more personal level. As pandemic-related restrictions again ease, Kind is able to meet consumers face-to-face with an experiential pop-up. The fact that it's hidden creates an air of exclusivity with a scavenger-hunt type element.

Kind has run similar, health-conscious campaigns in the past. For example, in order to promote its Kind Energy Bar, the brand gave $100 to the first 1,000 people to submit a photo or receipt for the purchase of an energy bar (including Kind competitors) and sign a pledge saying they would consume an energy bar before working out, instead of before less demanding activities.