Here is a link to my last newsletter, in case you missed it.
In this week’s newsletter:
The Two Tensions of Snacking: Understanding snacking today
The Grown-Ups Are Back: Why kids categories might be going back to adults
Can You Pivot : Finding the strength to change your mind
New Product Gut Reaction: The WOW! and the WHAT?
TIDBITS: Fun and interesting news from the world of food and the food industry
What Drives Snacking Today?
Target’s Favorite Day has launched a seasonal line of mini Waffle Cone treats. The cones represent the bottom part of a waffle cone when you reach the chocolate filled end. Available in S’More and Strawberry flavors.
Just the Fun Bite, who also sells a mini-waffle cone treat, is out with Just the Fun Bite Chocolate Covered Mini Butter Biscuits. The snack consists of two cookies sandwiched together, one covered with chocolate, to give a balanced bite of chocolate. Available in Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut.
Tahini maker Soom is out with a new line of Snack Bites. The soft, chewy bites consist of a mix of their signature tahini, dates and oats and are free of refined sugars. Available in three varieties: Tahini Maple Coconut, Tahini Cherry Chocolate, Tahini Double Chocolate.
Kellanova, Kellogg’s new snack spinoff company, has launched Pop Tart Crunchy Poppers. The bite-size snacks offer all the components of a Pop Tart (crunchy crust, creamy filling, and frosted topping) in a mini-size. Available in two varieties: Brownie Crunch, Strawberry Crunch.
Amylu introduced a new line of Breakfast Bites at the recent Expo West. The chicken/pork sausage-based balls are fully cooked and ready to heat and eat. Gluten, nitrate and nitrite-free, Bites are 17g protein per serving and are available in a country sausage-style and with cheddar cheese, bacon and spices.
Danone is entering the $1B US yogurt mix-in category with the launch of a Remix banner across three of its brands. The company now offers Remix sidecars on its Oikos, Light + Fit and Too Good & Co. brands. The company told FoodDive that this launch attempts to give consumers mix-ins that are in-line with their dietary needs and aren’t seen as overly indulgent (a negative they claim keeps consumers from buying other versions).
Planters, a Hormel brand, is out with a new line called Nut Duos. Each pack consists of two types of nuts, each flavored with a complementary seasoning. Nut Duos comes in three varieties: Peppercorn Pistachios & Parmesan Flavored Cashews, Cocoa Cashews & Espresso Hazelnuts, and Buffalo Cashews & Ranch Almonds.
So What? If you want to understand the shifting trends of snack development, just watch the vigorous ‘sandwich debate’ that broke out on TikTok last week. It started when @foodporn uploaded a video of a half-eaten sandwich with labeled sections and asked the simple question “which one would b ur next bite?"
He concluded that “no sane person would choose A” but that ‘B’ would be his choice. Quickly, TikTok imploded. User @Soogia1 summed up the common response well with her take that the “dry, crust-filled C” is the obvious next bite, followed by the unmarked ‘D’ at the bottom, so that you can finally relish the “crown jewel” of the sandwich which is B.
Silly, yes, but insightful. This debate perfectly sums up the two types of consumer snacking motivations dominating today’s innovation: (1) those seeking the ‘perfect bite’ every time (AKA ‘Constant Bliss’) and (2) those that enjoy building up to the perfect bite (AKA ‘Bliss Builders’).
Take a look at all the mini-products listed above (or any of the mini products launched in the last 5 years). I think one of the reasons they are so popular is that they cut out the boring bites and satisfy the need for Constant Bliss. Each mini is like biting into ‘B’ in the sandwich over and over again—there is no ‘wrong bite.’
However, it’s possible that snack developers have over-played their hand. While Constant Bliss is delicious, it can also be boring. Without experiencing the less than delicious bites, you acclimate to a new hedonic. Without peaks and valleys, these snacks become unremarkable; all bliss becomes blissless.
Enter the ‘Bliss Builders.’ They recognize that the perfect bite exists in every snack but want the freedom and creativity to work their way up to it. That’s the power in yogurt mix-ins and Planter’s Nut Duos; choice. Instead of providing consumers with Constant Bliss, it gives them the Bliss Journey.
How is this going to play out in the snacking space? While both forms will continue to exist, I think we are reaching the limit of Constant Bliss products. However, Bliss Building is only beginning. Creating new paths for consumers to build their own experiences has so much potential for innovation.
Adultification of Kids Categories
Best Behavior has launched three chef created RTE cereals that cater to adult tastes. Flavors include Mocha Latte, Blueberry Pancake, and Cinnamon Brioche. Each cereal has 12g protein, 6 g fiber and 6g sugar per serving. Available via the brand’s website.
One of Korean’s most popular snack brand’s Young Man Dduk is bringing one of its “much loved” line of snack bars to US Costco. Honey Oranda Snack Bars combine puffed wheat balls and a light honey syrup together with a variety of toppings. Flavors include Original, Roasted Soybean and Black Sesame. The bars will initially be available at Los Angeles Costco, soon followed by Midwestern stores (Illinois and Ohio).
UK premium chocolatier Hotel Chocolat has added a new hot chocolate to its line of drinks made for its Velvetizer drinking chocolate appliances. Caramelized Pineapple features “notes of pineapple combined with caramel-milk chocolate.” The drink can be served hot or cold. Hotel Chocolat is also bringing back their Banoffee Pie drinking chocolate for a limited time.
So What? I heard the theory once that holidays in America don’t make it ‘big’ unless they somehow appeal to kids. Several holidays have tried to gain traction (e.g., Grandparents Day) but lacking kid excitement, they fall away. While there are a lot of holes in this theory (St. Patrick’s Day does quite well powered by beer and whiskey), I can see some truth in it all. By turning holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day into candy-filled, child-centered events, we’ve made these secular celebrations bigger than they have any right to be.
Perhaps that happens in grocery too. The RTE cereal, snack bar and hot chocolate categories started out as taste-first, adult segments, but over the years, in search of increased volume, they have become kid-dominated. Even when they are not directly marketed toward children (e.g., wellness cereals and snacks), the taste profiles feature simple flavors that appeal more to kid palates. Perhaps this makes these products more family friendly and more likely to be worth the purchase? Or perhaps the simple flavors that appeal to kids are easier and cheaper to develop for companies?
Whatever the reason, I wonder if we are starting to see a change. As the US sees a slowdown in the number of kid households and the overall population ages, I think we might see a regression of these ‘kid categories’ back to their adult roots. Again, I’m not talking about a turn to health or wellness (although that will also accompany an aging population) but a return to flavors and forms that offer more adult sophistication.
Some of this will likely be through the flavors of new cuisines, but I can also see a turn toward more premium and mature flavors in cereal and snacks as marketers see the need to appeal to future households without kids.
Are Your Strong Enough to Pivot?
Right before COVID hit, I was consulting for a small company that made all-natural, premium Keto snack bars. It was a women-owned company targeting women who were on a wellness journey. They produced truly delicious brownies and blondie squares made of nut butter, dates and coconut fat. They came to me because sales had stagnated, and they weren’t seeing clear avenues for growth.
In looking at their numbers, I immediately noticed an anomaly. While their sales were decent in natural food stores and online, they were off the charts in the regional convenience stores they sold in.
Lacking data, we talked to a handful of c-store operators and asked them to do the following: when someone bought the brand’s brownies or blondies, hand them a small pamphlet with an invitation to participate in an upcoming focus group.
On the day of the focus group, we watched and waited, and were shocked by who showed up. Guys; and not just any type of guy big, burly men!
So, here I was moderating a panel of guys while my client stood in amazement behind the glass. How could this company that had orientated its whole brand and messaging toward toward a niche group of women be winning so strongly with male truck drivers and construction workers?
Of course, part of it had to do with placement (c-store), but much more had to do with product fundamentals. When we talked to the guys, we found out that many of them had recently moved to a Keto diet but desperately missed their normal candy bar in the middle of the day. While other consumers might have been put off by the 450-500 calories in each brownie, these guys didn’t blink. As for the more feminine branding, most of the focus group participants said they never read the copy, they just saw ‘Keto’ and ‘brownie’ and were sold on the taste.
I tell you this story because of my client’s reaction to focus group: disbelief. When I explained that the fatal flaw in their product might be the calorie count, they disagreed. Making the brownies smaller or less caloric would be technically expensive, and they might have to move away from their current formulation. Plus, people could just eat half, they insisted, if it was just a small snack. When I suggested pivoting the brand to men or creating a male-targeted subline, they said they wanted to maintain the ‘made by women for women’ ethos (which I respect).
In the end, the company ended up doubling down on natural grocery stores and gyms and keeping their 500 calorie bars, then COVID happened, and they folded. However, I’ve found myself thinking about this journey numerous times since.
Pivoting your brand or product is extremely difficult, especially for small companies. You have a vision and personal belief about the future and often look only for data that confirms your convictions.
My advice to clients is that you need to have ‘weakly held strong beliefs.’ Be passionate and bold in the direction you take the brand but, when faced with new information, be open to changing your mind. Too many leaders make the mistake that they must be resistant to any change in their stated beliefs or else they will look weak and unsure. The truth is the exact opposite. The best leaders I’ve seen have an open mind, welcome new data, and are happy to change direction when appropriate.
Pivoting isn’t always the right move, but being open to pivoting when necessary is.
Don’t Get Ahead of Your Consumer
CHKP Foods introduced a new mango flavor to their yogurt line-up. Introduced at Expo West, the new flavor, as well as the existing flavors, has 5g plant protein per serving.
ChiChi has introduced a line of high protein oatmeals made with chickpeas. The oatmeals have 10-11g protein per serving, no refined sugars, and 7g of fiber. Flavors include Original, Banana Bread, Maple Syrup, and Apple Pie.
Shark Tank alum Long Table Pancakes has introduced a Popcorn flour variety to their lineup. Making the mix from ground, popped kernels, the brand says is responsible for their unique light and fluffy texture.
UK-brand Whole Earth is out with a high protein peanut butter. Made with real ground peanuts swirled with puffed pea-protein crunchies, the spread contains 10% more protein than standard peanut butter.
So What? You’ll likely look at these products and think, chickpeas, popcorn, and added protein, that’s so 5 years ago, and you’d be right. However, for the average consumer, chickpeas are still novel, popcorn is still seen as a healthier snack and protein is still a sign of BFY health.
The truth is, we in the food industry are too close to the action. We have seen these trends for so long that we grow bored with them and feel they are played out. In reality, there still is life in these trends if you find the right opportunity and the right consumer.
Don’t let yourself get jaded on ‘old’ trends just because you’ve seen it before.
GUT REACTION
TIDBITS
Even without a ban, TikTok’s growth is slowing
Are snakes the new high-protein superfood?
Unilever divesting ice cream—Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum and Popsicle
Rise of the de-influencers
Chick-fil-A is going back on their no antibiotics promise
Trader Joes and it’s not so savory practices with small food brands
Comparing flavors of different edible ants
The 2024 list of produce ‘dirty dozen’
Chick-fil-A is doing pizza (kind of)
Walmart looking to woo wealthy shoppers with high-end offerings (e.g., duck breasts)
Doordash is testing drone delivery—first up is flying Baconators!
A new study says significantly lower meat and poultry production will mitigate climate change
Fake AI cookbooks flooding Amazon
Starbucks sued by California residents saying the company discriminates against the lactose-intolerant
Krispy Kreme donuts are coming to McD
Fake onigari, SF mayor, and the use of the fake to make the real
Trader Joes raises banana prices for the first time since 2001
Cocoa is now as expensive as copper as prices hit record highs due to heavy rain and disease
Flamin’ Hot is now its own brand within Pepsico
Japan’s largest diaper manufacturer says they will stop making diapers for babies and switch completely to adult diapers as population ages
Low income diners are eating less fast food
Woman arrested for a bad online review of tomato sauce
Not so fresh—financial problems signal Tupperware’s potential demise
Yum Brands says they are becoming AI-first in there focus
Aloha Protein bars just got a $68M infusion of cash
Barilla pasta eating soundtrack
Costco partners with Sesame to offer weight loss drugs to customers