Aspire Food Group: Marketing a Cricket Protein Brand

While the practice of eating insects was still in its infancy in North America, Aspire Food Group (Aspire), with its Aketta cricket-protein products, was positioned for success in this emerging market. In 2018, having recently acquired Exo, a maker of cricket-based protein bars, Aspire's co-founders faced an important decision regarding the Aketta brand. While Aspire had experienced some success in marketing cricket powder, whole roasted crickets in popular chip flavours, and granola bites under the Aketta brand, the acquisition of Exo would enable the company to enter the protein bar category and possibly launch other product and brand extensions. As the founders devised a comprehensive marketing plan for the newly acquired brand, they needed to identify which consumer segments would be most receptive to Exo protein bars and most profitable.