Breakfast by another name is a marketing opportunity.

According to market research firm NPD,  over 40% of individuals give themselves two or more eating or drinking opportunities from the time they awake until roughly 11 am.  For some, it’s a cup of coffee or some other beverage, but for others it includes a breakfast meal and a mid-morning snack.  However consumers choose to define these eating and drinking opportunities, for food and beverage marketers these consumption patterns define an opportunity.

In terms of eating, day-parts have become increasingly blurred from the traditional three meals a day, and many consumers think of snacks as a fourth mini-meal, no matter which day-part they consume it in.  “Understanding the number of eating and drinking occasions and items helps food manufacturers seize the morning opportunity,” according to Dori Hickey, author of NPD’s  study “Morning MealScape 2011”.

Product versatility and positioning gives food marketers the opportunity to drive increased sales.  One person’s morning treat with coffee is another person’s afternoon snack or evening mini-meal.