Featured in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times contacted us for comment on the news that Taytos, the iconic Irish crisp brand, has created a cheese and onion flavoured crisp chocolate bar. We are always delighted to read our names in the Sunday papers. Read the article here
The print and online coverage was a small section of a longer interview we gave about this kind of fusion food trend in development.
These kinds of products are all about leveraging the treat mentality. Brands want to create more reasons to purchase; if they do something new or unexpected with an already trusted and popular product, consumers get curious. It gives them permission to indulge - especially if it’s a limited edition offer, there's social kudos for trying it too.
Crisp-flavoured chocolate takes two favourite snacking categories and smashes them together for new levels of indulgence. This trend for hybrid products is driven by adventure-seeking consumers who want added excitement in their daily snack and to experience multiple products with one purchase. Consumers are generally looking for bolder flavour profiles post-pandemic, as well as a big drive towards nostalgic comfort eating.
Taytos are known as a playful, irreverent, and much loved brand: One in every 5 packets of crisps eaten in Northern Ireland is Tayto Cheese & Onion. They’re iconic, and extremely popular in Ireland, and even the brand name is a bit tongue in cheek. Conversely, Taytos are not that well known in England, even though they're stocked in some of the major supermarkets, because they just don't have the same legacy.
Social media very much drives new product development like this to get a buzz online. But it only works if brands already have hard-won customer loyalty like Taytos. Consumers can sniff out an empty publicity stunt, and if there's no substance behind it, then it just won't fly.
Brands are looking for innovative ways to bypass HFSS regulations (even if the legislation is delayed in coming into force). Social media and press coverage could be the new replacement for advertising slots that might soon be out of reach.
Tayto chocolate might seem outrageous, but it's not new. Savoury flavours are quite common in chocolate. Salted chocolate has gone mainstream, and bacon brownies have been around for a while. Mushroom is very much an 'it' ingredient because of health benefits, such as Four Sigmatic's reishi cacao drinks. Other big brands have done similar stunts such as Heinz tomato ketchup truffles in Fortnum and Mason (Feb 2020) and a Marmite flavoured Dairy Milk bar released in Australia in 2015.
