I spent 4.5 YEARS in CPG innovation. (And now I'm crazy...)
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When I walk the aisles of grocery stores, I don't look at a shelf and think, "What do I want to eat today?"
I look at a shelf and think that some founder saw a white space and thought that their product idea was so good that they wanted to devote 5+ years of their life to making it exist.
And I HAVE to see what they saw.
(Living walking distance from an Erewhon doesn’t help my white space curiosity/addiction lol)
SO I’m going to start providing monthly recaps of my favorite new products & why from a brand/innovation perspective.
Here are my June favorites:
Halo Top Creamery Mug Cakes — As a self-proclaimed "volume" eater, I love the need here. When “health-ifying” a category IMO it goes two directions: 1) less calories for same volume or 2) including better-for-you ingredients.
The Halo Top Mug Cakes are great tasting, a satisfying amount of volume, and for way less calories than the other guys. So... I'm a huge fan.
Grüns Gummies — It's basically your greens in gummy form. BUT here's the twist: there's 8 gummies in a pack instead of your normal serving size of 2. For someone like me who views their gummy vitamins as a mid-morning treat, it makes consuming vitamins that much more enjoyable.
Filthy Food Olive Juice — Mixers needed a rebrand & packaging refresh that’s more portable, still resealable, and smaller/cheaper because of that. Whenever I used to buy bloody mix, I’d use 1-2 servings and then the rest would sit in my fridge for months. Great execution of a packaging/size problem.
Trader Joe's Red Pepper Crisps — 90 calories for a pack of these crisps feels like a phenomenal value from a volume consumer perspective. At $1.99, they are a snackers paradise. Basically, TJs made peppers more delicious and easier to eat.
Sauz — High-end sauce is not a new concept, but I’m always a fan of an interesting take on a classic. Restaurants get innovative with sauces, so why can’t grocery stores too? Sauz proves great flavors can disrupt a category.
What's the best new product you tried this month? What should I keep my eyes out for next month?
P.S. Anyone else crazy like this?!
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#brandmarketing #whitespace #innovation