Flavour Trends and Innovation: Classic Flavours with Strongest Staying Power

In the realm of innovation, companies are perpetually exploring which flavours to incorporate into existing products and which ones to launch with new offerings. According to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Industry Survey 2023 (fielded August to November 2023), nearly three in five businesses plan to grow by refining their existing product or service portfolio. Amidst an ever-growing array of flavour experiments driven by R&D, aimed at capturing the attention of increasingly distracted and busy consumers, certain classic flavours consistently stand out. In the world of packaged food, where new flavours are continuously being introduced, three enduring favourites—chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry—still lead the way.

With Euromonitor’s new AI-led Innovation dataset, we can see that these flavours lead new launches, being included in 33% of them from January 2022 to May 2024. But, perhaps more importantly, this data can also show which of these flavours exhibit the strongest staying power and in which categories.

Chocolate-flavoured new products have strongest staying power

Despite the challenges faced by food companies over the last two years, particularly inflation-driven price rises, the need for innovation remains critical. As a result, it's essential to examine which product attributes, particularly flavours, are impacting new launches. Between January 2022 and May 2024, over 1,600 new brands and sub-brands with chocolate-flavoured varieties were introduced in the 32 countries covered by Euromonitor’s new AI-led Innovation dataset. Remarkably, over 71% were still available on e-commerce shelves in May 2024, outperforming both the average and the other leading flavours, vanilla and strawberry. Remaining “on the shelf” refers to the concept of staying power and it’s important to track as new brands’ offerings receive much publicity when launched but often little attention is paid when they exit the market. By measuring the percentage of brands that are still available to purchase, it is possible to further understand their resilience and appeal to consumers – which can lead to sustained sales in the long term. One reason chocolate-flavoured products exhibit strong staying power is their broad consumer appeal and indulgent nature. Chocolate remains universally loved, and consumers can even associate it with health benefits due to cocoa’s flavonoids and flavanols, which help prevent cell damage and inflammation. An example is Maxine’s Heavenly Crispy sub-brand launch in the US in 2022. When the brand introduced its crispy version of home-made cookies sweetened with natural sugars, the first two flavours selected were Chocolate Chip and Cinnamon. The balance of indulgence and healthy ingredients led the new brand to receive "Best Chocolate Chip Cookie" from registered dietitians at Good Housekeeping's 2022 Healthy Snack Awards. Beyond the initial accolades, the brand’s simple flavour has had staying power, indicated by its availability across multiple online retailers nationwide. This indicates sustained consumer interest and consistent demand, crucial for the long-term success of any product in a competitive market. 

Staying power can vastly differ by sub-category

Understanding staying power at the sub-category level is vital for strategic new product development; decisions need to be made from multiple perspectives, so diving deeper into the performance of flavours at the sub-category level can showcase the variance in staying power. In this innovation sample, while chocolate has a higher staying power percentage overall in all of packaged food, the dataset shows that strawberry and vanilla flavours have higher staying power at the snack bar level. With packaged food product lifecycles continuingly being shortened to align with consumers’ attention spans and desire for new brands, identifying these timeless flavours with strong staying power at the sub-category level can lead to a strong foundation for subsequent new product decisions such as the variety or combination of flavours.   

An example is Lotus Bakeries’ Nakd snack bar from the UK. As consumers increasingly focus on their nutritional intake and dietary needs, raw protein bars have gained popularity. In 2024, when the company aimed to extend its portfolio of healthier snacks with increased fibre content, it turned to the familiar flavour of strawberry, cleverly combining it with raspberry to highlight the benefits of fibre through fruit. Combined with a variety of other healthy claims such as vegan and no added sugar, this strategic flavour choice not only leverages consumer familiarity but also addresses the growing demand for functional, health-orientated ingredients. Euromonitor’s e-commerce data system shows that sales of Nakd in the UK grew by 5.2% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023. With such a strong flavour selection and alignment with current health trends, Nakd is positioned to sustain and possibly increase its market share, moving forward.

Leveraging staying power for strategic success

Understanding staying power by attributes like flavour through Euromonitor's AI-led Innovation dataset is essential for strategic innovation in the packaged food industry. This data empowers companies to prioritise flavours with proven longevity, reducing the risk of failed product launches in an increasingly competitive market.

To learn more about tracking new brand and sub-brand launches across the global digital shelf, read our article, Strategies for Success in Innovation and New Product Development, and visit our Innovation product page.