Mashup

The prominence of digital media has made it more difficult to stand out in the food world.  Despite that, among the noise there are still products that break through the over-saturated digital market. Some do this through their connections with the consumer, others through strong marketing campaigns, and others by simply having a great product.  In such a crowded space, many have turned to outrageous mash-ups.  Restaurants like the Black Tap in NYC with unbelievable mixes of their picturesque shakes or food trucks serving a Korean bratwurst empanada have worked the formula to stand out and succeed.  With a small scale business these tried and true experiments are often successful, but to introduce a wild combination of ingredients commercially is usually high risk.  So how do brands tap into this? It seems many have turned to licensing arrangements with unlikely candidates to extend the reach of their own brands. Combinations like Jelly Belly’s jelly beans in the flavors of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, or Poptarts with Jolly Rancher flavored filling stand out as a few unions that have made it work.  So long as it is two trusted brands working together the risk of failure seems to be low.

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