“Pumpkin was definitely table stakes,” KIND brand manager shares LTO strategy

17-Aug-2023 - Last updated on 17-Aug-2023 at 15:10 GMT

Image Credit: KIND

Related tags Pumpkin spice KIND limited editions

Snack bar brand KIND is jumping into the fall flavor season with the debut of two seasonal varieties of Thins bars to tap into consumer trends to inspire flavor and product innovation in 2023 and beyond, Emily Geiger, brand manager for KIND, told FoodNavigator-USA.

Available at Amazon and retailers nationwide, KIND Thins will be available in Chocolate Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple Cinnamon for a limited time. In both of these bars, the “number one ingredient is almond but [they] also contain other whole foods like dried apples, or [the] pumpkin bars have real pumpkin in them,” Geiger said.

KIND understood that consumers still demand pumpkin flavors -- even after years of growth -- but also wanted to tap into other popular seasonal flavors with its apple flavor, she said.

“Pumpkin is everywhere. It's been everywhere for years, but consumers they love it. They're obsessed with it; it's not going away... Pumpkin was definitely table stakes for us. We wanted to have relevancy with pumpkin, and then we wanted to have a second flavor to complement that, and apples are also really relevant at this time but really not expected in the nut-bar space.”

KIND Thins and Minis: Innovating with 100 calories

With its “100 calorie platform,” which includes KIND Thins and Minis, KIND is tapping into demands for healthier, more permissible snacks, Geiger said. “If you're a consumer that's looking for something that's still tasty, feels like a treat but has those kind of health credentials, the 100 calories benefit is really a no-brainer,” she added.

“We will always stay true to our brand by leading with nutrient-dense-first ingredients by focusing on real food, driving whole nutrition, that's something that you can find consistently across our product lines, but then we're able to home in on particular trends with different product lines.”

Looking to KIND’s innovation pipeline, the company will also be exploring ways to grow its portfolio with new flavors and format innovation to attract new customers, Geiger explained. This year, the brand released soft-baked granola, baked squares, and breakfast cereal bars that includes “nutrient-dense-first ingredients like almonds or whole grain oats,” she added.

“We know that consumers are looking for new flavors, they want to be excited, and so we're continuing to look into the space of flavor innovation and bringing flavor news, but we also want to reach new consumers in new ways. So, we're looking at the end of the year going into the beginning of next year, launching a couple of new product lines to help us reach new consumers.”