‘Everybody’s in the protein game’: Inside the marketing behind consumers’ favorite food fad

Protein was once something that only athletes and gym aficionados paid much attention to. But in 2025, tracking protein intake feels like something just about everyone is doing, and in many cases actively looking to increase—to the extent that it’s driving a cottage-cheese resurgence.

As interest in protein consumption, especially among diet-conscious Gen Zers and millennials continues to grow, marketers behind protein-packed products are amping up their efforts to win over those consumers. As they do so, there’s a perception that just about every brand is trying to woo consumers with protein however they can, whether that’s adding frozen cod to their offerings or adjusting promotion efforts to appeal to the GLP-1 audience who may be focused on high protein in small serving sizes.

“It does feel like everybody’s in the protein game or trying to get into the protein game,” Stuart Heflin, GM and SVP of Quest Nutrition at Simply Good Foods, told Marketing Brew. “The biggest thing is that the consumer has changed.”

Heflin, who said that younger generations “just care more about their health,” isn’t alone in recognizing the growing audience for protein-heavy products. Companies like 1140 Foods and Post Consumer Brands are also tracking changing consumption patterns, as are marketers, who acknowledge that a heightened consumer interest in nutrition is having its moment.

“The protein conversation is not just about gym bros, it’s not just about fitness, it’s not just about wellness. More broadly, [it’s] about just nutrition in general,” Camila Caldas, strategy director, at Mother LA, said. “With that, there’s all of these really interesting white spots and new audiences that I think are really going to be hot audiences for protein companies to go after.”

All about taste

To address the growing category, Quest Nutrition’s latest ad campaign, which rolled out in early September and was created by Leo New York, pitches its protein products as a solution to a common food choice conundrum: do you want something healthy or tasty? The creative idea for the campaign was borne out of an effort on behalf of Quest Nutrition to “double down” on its messaging to consumers today, Heflin said; during the company’s fiscal 2025, which wrapped up at the end of August, the company increased its marketing spend, he noted, and Quest tracked double-digit sales growth.

The US protein product market, which the market intelligence firm Mintel valued at $114.4 billion as of 2024, is projected to grow steadily at an annual rate of 1.9% until 2028, and in a competitive field, some companies are leaning into flavor as a differentiator.

“Over the past couple of years, we’ve really stepped up our game when it comes to new flavor innovation,” Alex Fishman, senior brand director of Pure Protein at 1440 Foods, said.

That sometimes comes in the form of brand partnerships. In August, 1440 Foods announced a partnership with Post Consumer Brands for new Pure Protein products using Post brands, including Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles Protein Bars and Frank’s RedHot Popped Crisps. The partnership is a way for 1440 Foods to make the category, which can sometimes be “overly serious,” Fishman said, “feel more approachable” for consumers.

“We see that protein is driving a lot of consumer behavior today,” Leah Broeders, head of licensing for Post Consumer Brands, said. “As it’s gone more mainstream, people are looking for more ways… to incorporate protein into their daily lives. And we actually have already entered into the protein space with Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles…the flavor translates into that space.”

For Post, partnering with a company like 1440 Foods to make more protein-forward products allows its cereal brands to diversify; for Pebbles in particular, the move could help the brand broaden its reach from being “solely kid-focused” to appeal to people who “grew up with the brand,” Broeders explained.

Not all the same

While marketers are aiming to sway consumers with more flavor offerings, they also recognize that consumers venturing into increased protein consumption may be armed with a variety of information about their nutrition needs and seeking the best possible offerings. That’s why messaging about certain kinds of protein and overall nutritional value can also be necessary to help sway consumers.

“Anyone can just say, ‘We got protein,’” Heflin said. “What we find is, as people move along this curve to become more, I would say, sophisticated and understanding of nutrition and nutritional space and macros, you start to see more appreciation for things like, [what] type of protein does your body actually use?”

At the same time, marketers are also navigating the risk of falling into a sea of sameness for consumers today, especially when myriad brands are pitching consumers on protein. To avoid getting lost in the shuffle, Caldas believes marketers should focus on particular audiences rather than aiming to be the preferred protein source for everyone.

“When you’re looking at a shelf and everything has protein in it, it’s like, ‘Oh, this protein is actually better for you.’ Or, like, ‘This protein is actually made with an audience like me in mind,’ or ‘This protein actually is just the right amount of protein for me,’” she said. “Catering to lifestyle will be huge.”