Back-to-school NPD: Innovation in lunchbox treats

29 Aug 2019 --- With students around the world starting to trickle back to classes, industry is bursting with new product developments and initiatives. Brands are pulling out the stops to make lunchtime more convenient and engaging for kids and parents alike, while the market is also bustling with fundraisers and campaigns. This helps to address anxieties around the back-to-school season while providing the industry with new marketing opportunities.

“We found that consumers have emotional associations around back to school that are helping to trigger some of the food and flavor choices that make sense for this occasion. The main emotional associations are nervousness and excitement. Therefore, from a functional perspective, they are looking for food and beverage items that are either comforting to help with the nerves of getting back to school or new and novel to help fuel excitement and sharing with their fellow students,” Dylan Thompson, Marketing & Consumer Insight Manager at Symrise, Flavors Division North America, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

One in three US consumers finds back-to-school shopping more stressful than holiday shopping, according to a CompareCards survey. Additionally, half of back-to-school shoppers intend to spend more this year than last year, while over a quarter expect to go into debt. “With parents collectively spending billions of dollars on their children’s back-to-school shopping needs each year, it’s no wonder the end-of-summer ritual takes a toll on wallets, emotions and even relationships,” says Matt Schulz, Chief Industry Analyst at CompareCards.

Kid Builder has 50 percent more protein and calcium.The back-to-school season represents a valuable new marketing opportunity amid other autumnal festivities, with limited time offers being a key chance for companies to experiment with new products. “Many of the foods and flavors for back-to-school are surrounding the school lunch or school snack occasions. Think portability, ease-of-eating and some of the basic comforts like yogurt, fruit, sandwiches, desserts and cookies, to name a few. So far, one of the most popular back-to-school flavors that brands have gone after is peanut butter and jelly. We think there is room for that to expand with twists on PB&J, as well as putting new takes on other typical school lunchbox foods,” Thompson continues.

As well as consumers having financial anxieties around the season, they also lack inspiration when it comes to the food they pack for their children. Seventy percent of parents are looking for new and easy sandwich recipes, according to a survey from Applegate. The company is launching a “Lunching Awesome” campaign, through which parents can access new sandwich recipes. This could also help the 15 percent of parents who blame their lack of lunch inspiration on not having enough time to make their children’s lunches.

In other campaigning news, The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) is addressing food waste by educating future consumers about the problem. The “No Taste for Food Waste” program in partnership with Young Minds Inspired (YMI) will teach middle and high school students how food waste equates to a US$218 billion loss to the economy each year. The program advises that families plan ahead, are aware of portion sizes and become more aware of the differences between a “use by” and “best before” date.

A+ NPD
Lunchtime drinks are seeing a boost this season, with Borden Dairy launching its “Kid Builder” fortified milk. The 2 percent fat, no-sugar-added milk contains 50 percent more protein and calcium than regular, with 13g and 490mg per 240ml serving respectively. The company notes that the product, which is available in chocolate and strawberry flavors, can provide energy for a “fun playdate or an after-school snack.” Protein is popular in the drink space, with oveJuicy Juice is launching lunchbox-friendly offerings.r five percent of new global food and beverage launches featuring protein claims, according to Innova Market Insights. Additionally, between 2013 and 2018, protein claims on food and beverage launches saw a CAGR of 29 percent.

This trend can also be seen in Juicy Juice’s new Juicy Juice + Protein product, which uses whey protein to create a juice blend with 5 grams of protein in each 8oz serving. Additionally, the brand is launching Fruitifuls Organic, which has 45 percent less sugar than the leading juice and contains a half cup of fruit in each serving. Another piloted product by the company is Juicy Waters, a flavored-water beverage made without sugar or sweeteners. The company pegs its lines as being suitable for snack time, lunchboxes and after-school sports. 

Meanwhile, in the snack category, Frito-Lay is bringing back its Snackable Notes, which lets parents write a note for their child directly on the chip bag. Additionally, this year, the company will donate US$1 to Feed the Children for each note shared on its website. “The Snackable Notes program keeps encouraging words top-of-mind throughout the school day for countless students, and now extends virtually to truly help hungry kids through our partnership with Feed the Children,” says Rhasheda Boyd, Senior Marketing Director, Frito-Lay North America.

In a similar move, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats is partnering with Autism Speaks to create sensory “Love Notes” for children with autism. The Love Notes come in a pack with four heart-shaped stickers to match the space on Rice Krispies Treats writable wrappers, and have soft, smooth and bumpy textures. 

Snackable Notes lets parents write directly to their children.“The sensory stickers will be offered throughout this back-to-school season,” Sarah Reinecke, Marketing Director of Rice Krispies Treats told FoodIngredientsFirst’s sister platform PackagingInsights. “Last year, Rice Krispies Treats created accessible Love Notes for children who are blind or low-vision with braille stickers and re-recordable audio boxes. We received amazing feedback from the blind and low-vision community, with many posting their braille stickers on social media thanking the brand.”

The sustainability trend will be hitting lunchrooms, with Soley, Inc. launching a line of six certified-organic, single and two-ingredient fruit jerkies across Whole Foods Market Stores in the US. The products do not contain any added sugar, flavors or sulfites. Additionally, the brand uses aesthetically imperfect fruits to create the snacks, in a bid to reduce food waste.  

In this space, Lunchskins launching Unbleached + Non-Wax Food Storage Bags. The bags can easily biodegrade and be recycled, which taps into a growing desire for environmentally-friendly options. “The bag represents a new paradigm in plastic-bag-free food storage. “Every Lunchskins product helps heal the planet and promote consumer wellbeing, while also delivering on convenience, affordability, and style,” says Kirsten Quigley, CEO and Founder of Lunchskins.

By Katherine Durrell