A plethora of manufacturers are unveiling new takes care of years of innovation stagnation wherein many firms held off debuting new merchandise as they navigated provide chain challenges and a constricting financial system wherein cash-strapped shoppers had been much less keen to strive one thing new.
By investing in new branding, firms may reinvigorate client engagement with out turning into slowed down in potential sourcing challenges or proving an idea by asking quickly risk-adverse buyers to strive one thing new.
Among the many rebrands revealed at Expo West, had been new seems, streamlined messaging and repositioned merchandise by the Indian meal firm Tasty Chew and baked snacks enterprise Bobo’s.
Each companies lean into refined shifts in phrase selection that they are saying will make their merchandise extra accessible and higher talk their implicit worth as handy meal options with clear labels. Additionally they give attention to clear label components and the way merchandise examine a number of dietary necessities and objectives. Lastly, new packaging will assist the merchandise standout on shelf.
Phrase play: Small adjustments have outsized impression
By altering oat to oatmeal and chana to chickpea, Bobo’s and Tasty Chew say they will increase the urge for food enchantment of their merchandise to succeed in a wider viewers.
“We all know shoppers need world flavors. We all know they’re desirous about world flavors. We additionally know that they are often intimidated by world flavors. The naming conventions additionally may be complicated. They won’t perceive the names of a few of the components,” mentioned Rebecca Teichman, VP of promoting at Tasty Chew.
“We’re on a journey to determine precisely the fitting method to talk with US buyers. We’ve got began to take steps in our naming conference. So, a chickpea in India can be known as chana. So, chana masala is a quite common dish, however by calling it chickpea masala the US client extra simply understands what it’s. They know what chickpeas are and really feel extra snug. So, utilizing the Americanized phrase for the ingredient is useful” in making ready-to-eat, genuine Indian dishes extra accessible, she mentioned.
Likewise, Bobo’s, is altering the title of its flagship oat bars to oatmeal bars to focus on the product’s “satiation profit,” Bobo’s CEO T.J. McIntyre mentioned.
“That is the primary time we’re leaning into the caloric load of a Bobo’s bar. It’s 3 ounces, and it’s over 300 energy. And whereas different meals merchandise could also be shying away from that, we’re realizing that lots of people contemplate 300 energy or 360 energy to be a light-weight calorie breakfast and our oatmeal bars are handy meal replacements,” he defined. “It is sort of a bowl of oatmeal to go.”
This differentiates the merchandise from opponents which are promoted as standalone snacks or showcased as a part of a meal with a smoothie, yogurt or piece of fruit.
Simply as Bobo’s refined phrase selection higher conveys the oatmeal bars’ comfort, Tasty Chew additionally highlights its comfort on pack with callouts that the pouches are “prepared in 90 seconds,” an attribute that Teichman mentioned is “completely on pattern.”
Name outs spotlight clear label components
Each manufacturers are also calling out on packaging the standard of their components – a transfer that comes as extra shoppers fear about meals security, nutrient density and clear labels.
For instance, the brand new packaging for Bobo’s oatmeal bars highlights the Purity Protocol-certified oats which are gluten-free and calls out ‘vegan’ prominently.
“We’ve got a ton of hardcore shoppers of Bobo’s which have autoimmune points, celiac illness, gluten allergy, Crohn’s illness. After they uncover Bobo’s – particularly with the tastiness we deliver – they grow to be very loyal. So, we embody a callout on pack that the merchandise are gluten free” and naming the particular oats provides one other layer of reassurance, McIntyre mentioned.
Likewise, he mentioned, “vegan might be our most essential callout. It’s a dedication that we got here and we’re adored by vegans.”
Tasty Chew’s merchandise are also plant-based, which it communicates by tweaks to traditional title, resembling its new butter chickpea and greens shelf steady meal, which is a plant-based riff on the favored butter hen. It additionally features a ‘made with vegetation’ icon on the entrance of pack.
Tasty Chew additionally highlights its “clear label” by callouts on the entrance that the merchandise are free from synthetic colours, flavors and preservatives and “all pure.” The ingredient decks present the merchandise are made out of “all actual meals,” Teichman mentioned.
She defined the merchandise’ clear labels are attainable, despite the fact that they’re shelf steady, partly as a result of the corporate makes use of retort thermal processing, which permits the corporate to cook dinner the meals in kettles in a standard method than then course of them in a excessive warmth setting so the diet and macro vitamins are preserved however “something that might trigger an issue is killed.”
Need to know extra about how the clear label pattern is evolving?
Find out how different manufacturers are assembly evolving client demand for clear label merchandise by registering for FoodNavigator-USA’s free webinar April 16 – Clear Label 2.0: Soothing security considerations and navigating state bans. Executives with Serenity Children and Alta Contemporary Meals will share enterprise methods centered on clear label, whereas Mintel’s director of meals science and a associate with Perkins Coie share particulars on the evolving regulator, legislative and client panorama surrounding clear label expectations. Learn more and register today.
Tasty Chew additional reassures shoppers who could also be hesitant to strive its shelf steady meals and simmer sauces with easy-to-understand iconography that communicates a product’s spice degree with one to 3 flames.
Smaller packaging higher dominates cabinets
As a part of Bobo’s ongoing rebranding, it’s rolling out a reconfigured caddy for its 12-count containers.
Bobo’s used to have the “tallest caddy within the set,” which can sound like a method to standout on shelf however truly positioned the model at a drawback as a result of fewer facings slot in its allotted area. The corporate lowered the peak of the caddy by stacking the bars three excessive and 4 deep as an alternative of 4 excessive and three deep. This permits it to stack two caddies on the shelf the place one was.
The shorter field can be simpler for shoppers to seize with one hand, unhappy McIntyre.
“Our caddies had been so huge earlier than you actually needed to seize it with two palms, and that’s an impediment to purchasing a full caddy. Whereas now shoppers can simply seize it with one hand and throw it within the automotive. We all know that that is going to merchandise higher, and we’re going to promote extra caddies and that’s an effective way to spice up velocities,” he mentioned.
Bobo’s new search for its oatmeal bar is just the start. It’s going to proceed to unveil new packaging for its different merchandise all year long.
