top of page

Snackification + culture = transformation

Updated: Dec 8, 2024

In a world where culture moves at the speed of light and where supply chains are being pressured by various economic forces, consumer good brands are being challenged to transform radically and to play into new fields to remain relevant and competitive.


In order to do so, they must innovate radically and often rethink their business model altogether, jumping from a consumption ritual to another (like for example from the cereal to the snack category, or from sweet to savoury), or even explore how to create new eating habits. With the ongoing competition from retail brands and small (financial) margins to manoeuvre, those brands have to become agile to stay ahead of the curve.


To succeed they must double down on culture. And not just at a surface level, ensuring that content is engaging or doesn’t offend, but also much deeper, at its core. The balancing act of navigating fast and slow culture could be represented as a three-layered cake where brands must know how to:


1.      Be part of and respond to culture


2.      Create culture/ be the creator of a cultural movement


3.      Move at the speed of culture


Add to this the element of internationalisation and handling cross-cultures, sub-cultures and communities combined to the ongoing scrutiny of social media and the power of influence, and this can start feeling (a little) daunting for them…


Cracking the cultural code


Snackification is a fairly recent trend that has taken the world by storm. With our ever-more mobile and busier lifestyles, as well as new family models and new flexible scheduling, this has created an increasing need for food-on-the-go across both the sweet and savoury segments. An opportunity for F&B brands but also a challenge – namely: how to crack the cultural code?


Over the past few decades, trends and eating habits haven’t evolved at the same pace across markets. In some cultures, the term ‘snacking’ first appeared as late as the 90s indicating a relatively young space for brands and consumers alike. From one place to the next, its meaning and implications can differ hugely: is it a moment to be savoured on one’s own or collectively? Sweet or savoury? Healthy or indulging? At what time of day?


If we take France, well known for its rich food culture and heritage, a brand could find it complex to navigate the already fairly cluttered daily eating routine. With 5+ eating moments in the day (see chart below), how can a brand own one of these moments or integrate new eating habits altogether?

 


Source CREDOC, Enquete CCAF 2007


The devil is in the detail


So, over the years how have snacking and confectionery brands jumped on the culture bandwagon in search for longstanding brand heritage and equity?


The first approach could be qualified as culture-driven innovation (especially through product offering and flavours). A trend that McDonald’s very successfully initiated in the 90s in the fast-food restoration market. In the confectionery space, KIT KAT has been a cultural flavour innovator in the same vein. Looking to enter the Japanese market in the 1970’s, the brand realised that “Kit Kat” sounded fairly similar to a Japanese phrase “Kitto Katsu” (lit. “you will surely win”) and turned its product into a symbol of good luck. To deliver on an even more authentic experience for its Japanese audience, it onboarded onto a mission to develop a range of locally-driven flavours from green tea to adzuki (red bean) and beni imo (purple sweet potato). A trend replicated across other key markets a few years and decades later. As of today, the confectionery bar exists in more than 200 flavours worldwide, which has led it to become one of the leaders in its space globally. Agile and versatile.



Source: the Starry Mart Store on Amazon


While this practice has proven successful to anchor and establish brands across various geographies, its business model (and financial implications) has its limitations. Furthermore, it has proven to no longer be enough. In our digital world, fast culture has taken over from slow culture and this is where agility is king.


The second way to own a cultural space is to actively take part in culture. And here we are looking at other facets of culture beyond geographic borders. Forget about the local vs global conundrum but think more sub-cultures, communities, passion groups.


Brands who know how to develop the right partnerships, to find their niche in culture, to take part in the right conversations and be visible in moments that make history will always win. And more than a partnership, the real ambition is to create a longstanding cultural identity for the brand.

A great success story in this space is that of General Mills-owned Reese’s Puffs who’s been putting its stamp on various iconic cultural landmarks from the US (and beyond) – from rap music to fashion, manga and basketball.


In 2019, Reese’s Puffs collaborated with rapper Travis Scott who designed and supported the launch of a limited edition collection, including the cereal box, a spoon and a bowl, which sold out in 30 seconds. Years later, some of the boxes are still up for grabs on auction online.



Source: 97.5 NOW FM


Some of their other successful collaborations include manga icon Dragon Ball Z, fashion brand Ambush and Angel Reese (nice pun!), a renown female WMBA player for the Chicago Sky team – a partnership announced only a few days ago.



Source: General Mills


The third and probably most complex feat is how a brand can shape culture – playing an active role in creating cultural movements or long-lasting behavioural changes across society and communities. Those that succeed are generally future-facing and innovative brands (as opposed to focusing on the past and heritage). They are disruptors but are also clever at leveraging existing foundational belief systems.


To name but a few – outside of the F&B category –, AirBnb and Uber changed the way we go about travelling, Dove has shaped our vision of feminine beauty and Netflix changed the way we consume content and entertainment. Within the category, Kellogg’s shaped the way people eat breakfast worldwide many decades ago!

 

Moving at the speed of culture: it’s about seizing the moment


Making the most of now and being opportunistic about cultural moments as they happen can also be a really powerful tool to sit a brand’s cultural equity.


Two (out of category) examples spring to mind:


The first is by Nike.


Sports is a huge component of culture and one that rallies and divides across borders.

What a fantastic lesson from NIKE on how to leverage social media to become a culture facilitator this summer during the Copa America. During the Argentina-Chile game in July, the picture of an Argentinian player holding onto his adversary’s (NIKE) boot went viral in an instant. The answer from NIKE was immediate as they released a world acclaimed and widely shared social ad that served the brand and desirability wonderfully.



Source: Football Planet Facebook Page


The second comes from South Korea.


Have you ever heard of Chabak?


Chabak (car camping) is a trend that appeared in South Korea during the pandemic. It allowed people to travel out of town and to gather around a BBQ in open spaces, and socialise. Since, Chabak has remained particularly popular with Gen Zers and Millennials, as it combines two big local cultural codes: BBQ and drinks.


Korean car manufacturer Hyundai designed their Santa Fe model during the lock-down to answer this vision and aspiration of escaping into nature, allowing its customers to experience a modern comfortable camping experience. A success that stemmed from culture as it happened.

 


Source: Hyundai website


So how does it work in practice and what does it mean for your teams?


Preparation is key. For this change to operate, brand owners must think differently, plan differently and act differently. Onboarding new, more agile and faster WOWs is one of the most important pieces of the jigsaw. The changes and implications do not have to be incommensurate or disruptive. Easy-to-plug-in solutions are available to fit within your current processes and agency roster setup.


So what are you waiting for? Start thinking “culture first” and seek professional advice on how to embed this into your existing WOWs.

Comments


bottom of page