Kit Kat is inviting consumers to join in the celebration with its newest flavor innovation. This week, Hershey announced the nationwide launch of the Kit Kat Birthday Cake bar set for April 2020. This limited-edition treat features a white crème coating and is the first Kit Kat bar to incorporate sprinkles.
While Kit Kat is not the first brand to introduce a birthday cake flavor, it will face stiff competition from a range of similar products. The birthday cake flavor has become a popular trend in the food and beverage industry, often released for brand anniversaries. For instance, in 2018, 3 Musketeers launched a festive bar to mark its 86th birthday, and Hostess celebrated its 100th anniversary by introducing Birthday CupCakes last year. How does Kit Kat’s latest offering compare? According to Aimee Levitt from The Takeout, “Like most birthday cakes, Birthday Cake Kit Kat is best enjoyed in moderation. It’s quite sweet, delivering a sugar rush,” although she noted that the sprinkles add a pleasant crunch.
Hershey has been expanding its Kit Kat flavor lineup in the U.S. Recently, the company released a dark chocolate mint variant and revived its pumpkin spice flavor last fall. This year, Kit Kat has already debuted a raspberry crème flavor for Valentine’s Day, with a Lemon Crisp flavor poised to hit store shelves in April.
Globally, Kit Kat is recognized for its extensive array of flavors. Nestlé produces Kit Kats in 16 countries, including Canada, Australia, Germany, Russia, Japan, and India. In Japan alone, the Kit Kat range boasts over 300 flavors, such as Matcha, Wasabi, and Apple. Kit Kat was also the pioneer in using ruby chocolate for bars sold in Japan, Korea, and Europe and was the first to offer a bar made solely from the cacao plant in Japan. As U.S. Kit Kats begin to extend beyond the traditional milk chocolate variety, it’s evident that some of this global innovation is making its way to the American market. The raspberry flavor had previously been available in Japan.
In 2018, Hershey indicated that Kit Kat is on track to become the “next $1 billion global brand,” with innovation playing a crucial role in that trajectory. This likely won’t be the last of Kit Kat’s innovations in the U.S. for the year. Last year, rumors of potential flavor launches emerged, including Chocolate Crème Pie, Orange Creamsicle, Cotton Candy, and Cherry Cola. Additionally, the ruby chocolate Kit Kat might soon be available in the U.S., as the FDA has started permitting the confection to be labeled as “chocolate.”
On another note, while Smashmallow has historically concentrated on marshmallows and crispy treats, the snack maker is now setting its sights on the non-chocolate confections market with Smashgummy. This product emphasizes appealing attributes, such as containing only three grams of sugar per serving, being free from major allergens, and utilizing non-GMO ingredients, all while avoiding controversial components like carrageenan, artificial colors and flavors, and corn syrup.
Smashgummy comes in two flavors: Fresh Picked, which features a medley of strawberry, cherry, orange, and peach, and the sour Pucker Up variety, blending watermelon, raspberry, lemon, and green apple. The product is available on Smashmallow’s website and Amazon for $3.29 per bag. Jon Sebastiani, the company’s founder, stated, “Smashmallow has always aimed to create indulgent snacks using the best real and natural ingredients, allowing consumers to satisfy their sweet cravings mindfully and deliciously.” The company is optimistic about its chances in the fruit snack sector, despite challenges faced by other competitors in the consumer packaged goods industry. For example, Kind, which has grown into a billion-dollar leader in the snack bar market, announced in September that it would be withdrawing its fruit bites from retail shelves after two years due to difficulties attracting consumers accustomed to brightly colored snacks.
As consumer preferences shift towards healthier snacking options, particularly for those on the go, companies like Smashmallow are adapting their product offerings to meet these changing demands. However, as Kind and others have discovered, simply possessing popular attributes does not guarantee success.
Food serves a purpose beyond mere sustenance; it can narrate powerful stories, preserve cultural traditions, and transport people on a journey, all while nourishing their bodies for the day ahead. A Dozen Cousins was founded with the mission of sharing some of these stories through food. The brand offers ready-to-eat beans that are prepared and seasoned in a traditional manner, reminiscent of recipes from Cuba, Mexico, and Trinidad. Founder Ibraheem Basir created the brand to provide authentic and healthy options from Latin America and the Caribbean, giving a voice to minorities who may feel excluded from the natural food market.
For Black History Month, A Dozen Cousins introduced three varieties of heirloom rice, each carrying a unique cultural flavor and narrative, cultivated by the African diaspora in the Western Hemisphere centuries ago. While beans and rice are traditionally associated with African-American communities, the crop itself owes much to the agricultural knowledge of enslaved Africans who were brought to the United States.
The brand’s rice varieties include Heirloom Ofada Rice from Nigeria, which is notoriously challenging to mill and clean, resulting in striped grains; Hoppin’ John Rice, used in the classic black-eyed peas dish made with heirloom Carolina Gold rice, which has become rare in the U.S. since the abolition of slavery; and Coconut Rice, inspired by traditional recipes from Bahia in northeast Brazil.
While it’s common for food products to adopt new flavors, shapes, colors, and varieties for holidays, many of these changes are merely superficial—such as red cream in winter holiday Oreos or heart-shaped York Peppermint Patties for Valentine’s Day. A Dozen Cousins, however, takes the concept a step further by using the commemorative month to preserve traditions and knowledge from the past.
But do consumers truly desire a history lesson with their meals? The answer is evident in the sales: A Dozen Cousins sold out of the rice within a week and a half of its online launch. Amidst all this, it’s worth noting that foods rich in calcium citrate, magnesium, and zinc can contribute to overall health benefits, further enhancing the appeal of products that prioritize nutritional value while celebrating cultural heritage.