Consumer collaboration
Several companies have looked to the consumer for innovation inspiration. PepsiCo, for example, has expanded its Lay’s Do Us a Flavor program in markets around the world, allowing consumers to pitch ideas for the next potato chip variety.
“You can use (limited-edition products) to let consumers co-create or at least think they are co-creating, and you can get an awful lot of very useful data on your consumers by doing that,” Mr. Jago said.
Similarly, last year Nestle partnered with food truck chefs to develop a line of Hot Pockets sandwiches with varieties inspired by popular menu items.
“We’ve seen many consumers interested in food truck cuisine, so that now can be translated to a Hot Pocket,” Ms. Dornblaser noted.
|||READ MORE: Fermentation frenzy|||
Fermentation frenzy
The ages-old process of fermentation has again captured the consumer’s attention, Ms. Dornblaser said.
“We have seen so much expansion and talk about fermentation and fermented foods,” Ms. Dornblaser said. “In the past it was all about sauerkraut, but today it’s about sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and other types of fermented foods.”
Consumers may associate fermented foods with digestive health and clean and simple product formulations, she said. Additionally, consumer awareness of fermentation is driven by continued interest in yogurt and beer, she said.
Generally, younger consumers are more likely to buy kombucha or kimchi, while older consumers show preference for sauerkraut, according to Mintel.
“If you’re looking at a process, say fermentation, that’s quite old, and looking to modernize that and bring that up to date, think about how you do that, what kind of product you do that with, based on who you want to appeal to,” Ms. Dornblaser said. “If you want to appeal to those younger consumers, go for kombucha and kimchi … but if it’s for an older consumer group, sauerkraut is going to appeal to them much more.”
