"Don't be afraid of new ideas, be afraid of old ones," said Lisa Bodell, CEO of futurethink, in introducing the panel that included a data specialist, a "mommy blogger" and a futurist.
The trends they underscored ran the gamut from [image-nocss] general value and health propositions to specific moves toward "real sugar" and natural dyes," and even to larger-scale trends from life sciences, which, with the mapping of the human genome, opens up the real possibility of targeting products to a distinct consumer segment based on science,
"We're going to see more individual health products, said Michelle Bowman, cofounder of AndSpace Consulting.
Lynn Dornblaser, director of CPG Trend Insights for data specialists Mintel, meanwhile, sees a move toward providing value, simplicity and health in new products. "It's about providing a little bit of an indulgence but at a value," she said.
Blogger Kim Moldofsky, founder of MomImpact.com, however, finds herself mining trends from and even creating trends for parents like herself. In this "universe," she finds high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), additives and preservatives among ingredients parents want to avoid.
And when a fellow "mommy blogger" finds a product she likes, she lets the online world know about it. It's a new way of marketing controlled by the consumer rather than the manufacturer.
Meanwhile on the tradeshow floor, there were ample examples of new products aiming to meet the panelists' most-wanted lists. Products like Annie's Bunny Fruit Snacks, Gimbal's Honey Lovers fruit chews and Qbel's Crispy Rice Wafer Bars showcased the fact they are made from "real sugar," while other healthy attributes were underscored by VitaminGum, Natural Kingdom gummies and even Procter & Gamble's new Pringles Multigrain Crisps.
Products that "tell a story" also were abundant, such as Endangered Species chocolate bars, Native Garden's Vegan Chocolate Truffles and Hoja Verde's Single Origin Dark Chocolate bars.
(Click here for previous CSP Daily Newscoverage of the 2010 Sweets & Snacks Expo.).
What was most important, according to Dornblaser, was recognizing that the concept of a snack has changed. "A snack in not a category," she said. "It's an eating occasion. Anything can be a snack and sometimes, a snack can be a meal."
[Pictured: Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley greets vendors on the tradeshow floor at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago.]
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