The trend: Foodmakers are relying on a combination of novelty, limited-edition releases, and pop culture tie-ins to keep shoppers interested in their wares.

Some recent examples:

• Kraft Heinz is selling apple pie-flavored Kraft Mac & Cheese for a limited time. By combining two holiday favorites, the company hopes to appeal to consumers’ growing desire for products that are both sweet and savory—and draw attention ahead of Thanksgiving.
• Tillamook partnered with Kewpie to release “Butternaise,” a combination of butter and Kewpie mayonnaise designed to help customers enhance their grilled cheese dishes. The product sold out less than two minutes after launch, Tillamook said on Instagram.
• Taco Bell’s technicolor Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie is now available nationwide for a limited time. Customers can buy an entire pie for $20, which the fast-food chain is positioning as the ultimate “Friendsgiving flex.”
• Hostess Cakes, General Mills, and Mars are among the legion of companies looking to capitalize on Wickedmania with limited-edition products and packaging tied to the movie series.

Our take: Delivering a steady stream of fresh and unusual products is one way for food companies to keep private labels from further encroaching on their market share. It’s also an effective way to get the attention of younger consumers, whose desire for novelty and enthusiasm for limited-time offers helps spur impulse purchases.

But being able to consistently engage those shoppers requires companies to rapidly speed up their rate of innovation.

• Social media has shortened the trend lifecycle, forcing companies to constantly be on the lookout for the next shift in eating habits. Additionally, consumer tastes have diversified thanks to changing demographics and phenomena like the Hallyu wave—pushing foodmakers to embrace spicier, more international flavors.
• Companies that rely too heavily on the strength of their brands alone to drive sales will find themselves losing ground to nimbler competitors that aren’t afraid to experiment.

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