Highlighting the Holidays

Consumers are craving nostalgia! And nothing says nostalgia quite like a holiday LTO, an item inspired by consumers’ favorite seasonal traditions. With consumers becoming increasingly restless these days, the food industry is cycling through trends at an accelerated rate. Limited time offers (LTOs) present the perfect opportunity to generate buzz and excitement. Innovate with holiday inspiration to capture consumers’ attention – and satisfy their cravings for nostalgic foods and flavors. Keep reading to get our experts’ take on how to translate the hallmark holidays of each season into craveable food products.

Flavors for Fall

First up in fall, we have Halloween. From spooky inspiration (think ghost pepper) to candy cravings, there are several ways to incorporate some of the spirit of Halloween into yummy food products. Thrill Millennials with a spicy – and spooky – Ghost Pepper BBQ, or appeal to a wider range of consumers with candy inspired products, like a peppermint patty cheesecake.

For many consumers, Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, making it highly anticipated. And then there’s the food. Thanksgiving is a true food holiday – it’s centered around gathering together and eating. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce… the list of Thanksgiving foods to draw inspiration from goes on and on.

Winter Inspired

Winter has no shortage of holidays! With Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah, overlapping in December, there are numerous opportunities to introduce foods inspired by these holidays that are sure to delight. These holidays are the epitome of nostalgia. Take a classic winter holiday favorite and offer it in a new application or put a new twist on an old favorite to up your innovation game.

And don’t forget about Valentine’s Day. With months between New Years and Easter, Valentine’s Day gives consumers something to celebrate in the middle of winter. Excite them with an innovative take on an indulgent Valentine’s Day favorite, like a sparkling champagne fruit dip or a chocolate covered strawberry seasoned trail mix.

Something for Spring

Spring isn’t exactly short on holidays either. Let’s start by raising a glass to St. Patrick’s Day. While some brands have embraced this holiday by dying their products or packaging green in honor of the March 17th every year, you can take it one step further by finding inspiration in Irish cuisine. With European cuisine on the rise, consumers will be delighted to try something new, while partaking in a holiday that’s been growing in popularity in the U.S. in recent years.

When it comes to spring holidays, Easter tends to be top of mind. But chocolate bunnies don’t serve up nearly the inspiration that other spring holidays, like April Fool’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, do. With these holidays growing in popularity, look to them for inspiration as well. Think mole poblano tortilla chips, horchata ice cream, and Himalayan pink salt & pink peppercorn potato chips.

Focus on Summer

The Fourth of July is the ultimate celebration of summer in the United States. While Independence Day provides brands not only an opportunity to lean into patriotism with stars-and-stripes themed packaging and the like, the opportunity for flavor innovation here is bigger. Find flavor inspiration from popular cook-out favorites from the Fourth, like baked beans, popsicles, BBQ and more.

Hungry for more? Get our experts’ advice for creating craveable seasonal LTOs in our latest white paper, Reading the Season. Click here to request your copy!