Innovations in Food and Drink Flavors

Despite the significance of key consumer trends such as health and convenience, taste remains the dominant influence on consumer choice. Flavor innovation is integral to new product development and cross-category migration represents a proven method of inspiration. This report provides a review of the most interesting flavor developments in food and drinks and highlights areas of opportunity.

Features and benefits

• Identify the top, fastest-growing, and new flavors in the major food and drink categories.
• Use highlighted examples to discover the potential of flavor migration. Understand what works and what doesn't.
• Analyze current flavor trends and evaluate future opportunities.
• Learn how cross-category flavor migration is linked with strategic marketing options.
• Examine the creative processes that can help with development of new products with innovative flavors.

Highlights

New bakery and cereal flavors include new savory sources such as Sea Salt and Seaweed, as well as the confectionery flavors, Nougat and Marshmallow. Red and berry fruits (Plum, Forest Fruit, and Red Fruit) also appear as new flavors in this category. The sweet and savory mix of new flavors in this category is interesting.

It is interesting to note that popular, traditional flavors are evolving courtesy of their development and description in terms of their authenticity, provenance, and specificity. Some recent product launches feature varietal flavors of strawberry such as Senga, or Wild Strawberry.

Almonds have traditionally been seen as a specialist nut for confectionery, snacking and baking, but more recently they are appearing in a range of categories, having been successfully promoted by growers and manufacturers. In the decade up to 2011, North American per capita consumption of California Almonds grew 71%.

Your key questions answered

• What are the most common flavors in new food and drink products? Which flavors are new and original and which are the fastest-growing?
• Why does cross-category flavor migration happen, how does it work, and what are the major flavor movements at the moment?
• What are the marketing strategies that leverage cross-category flavor transfer?
• What sort of opportunities are there for new products with cross-category flavors?
• How can the creative process be applied to develop new products with innovative flavors?

Table of Contents

About the author
Disclaimer

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction
Drivers of cross-category flavor migration
The process of cross-category flavor migration
Definitions and origins of flavor

New and emerging flavors
Leading, fastest-growing, and new flavors
Flavors with cross-category appeal
New flavors are specific to categories
Current and future category to category transfer points

Cross-category migration flavor trends and innovations
Alcoholic flavors move to lots of categories
Soft drinks to ice cream
Soft drinks to confectionery and vice versa
Desserts to yogurt, ice cream, and confectionery
Confectionery to ice cream
Savory snacks with main meal/cooking sauce flavors
The unexpected is the future?

Creating the products and flavors of the future
Marketing strategies leveraging cross-category flavor migration
Opportunities for new products with cross-category flavors
Application of the creative process

Conclusions
Flavors and trends to watch
Other sources of flavor migration and innovation

Appendix
Scope
Methodology
Bibliography/references

List of Figures

Figure: New products with unexpected flavors for the category
Figure: Major drivers of cross-category flavor migration
Figure: Top, fastest-growing, and new flavors in major categories
Figure: New Almond-flavored product launches
Figure: New products with Fig content, or flavors described as Fig
Figure: Novel Cola-flavored popsicles
Figure: Flavor introduction and development within a category
Figure: New Mojito- (and Piña Colada-) flavored products
Figure: New ice cream products with soft drink flavors
Figure: Smoothie- and fruit-juice-flavored ice cream products
Figure: Jelly Belly and soft drink flavor exchange
Figure: New Mars drinks and mixes with chocolate confectionery flavors
Figure: Semtex Cool energy drink
Figure: New ice cream and yogurts with Cheesecake flavor
Figure: New ice cream and confectionery co-branded products
Figure: Potato chips with savory flavors from other categories
Figure: The Burger King Bacon Sundae
Figure: Product launches using "healthy" flavors in unexpected categories
Figure: Chuao Chocolatier Potato Chips in Chocolate bar
Figure: Kraft Philadelphia Cadbury Cream Cheese Spread with Milk Chocolate
Figure: Very Peculiar Milk Chocolate
Figure: Faith carbonated wine alternative: Rosé, White, and Red
Figure: Creating new product concepts with cross-category flavor transfer
Figure: Flavors and trends to watch
Figure: Key drivers of food and drink flavor innovation