New Product Smorgasbord
This collection of food-centric products survived the gauntlet that all new concepts must run on the way to market. Some defined entirely new categories, like Smirnoff Ice. Some have been considered their respective brands' most successful new product introductions, like the Buttery Jack—also named Burger Business’s Burger of the Year in 2015. Others proved successful leaps across categories—extending brand relevance, like Kashi’s move into frozen food. One broke a 20-year streak of failed new product concepts— Poppable Twizzler Bites— named Product of the Year by the confection industry in 2014. Others broke unsuccessful pricing paradigms and were just damn successful, like Gorditas—to the tune of $540M. These examples are a few of the largest in-market successes I've worked on over the years, but I'm equally proud of many of the fatalities.