Dive Brief:
- General Mills debuted 150 new products at its annual investors day conference, as the company looks to reboot amid changing tastes.
- Among the noteworthy themes is the prevalence of protein. New lines from established brands such as Cheerios and Cascadian Farms contain heavy doses of the pea-based protein the company has been researching. On the opposite side of the scale, the company also introduced new, decadent snacks like a molten fudge cake filled cookie.
- Other themes include product line extensions into unusual areas, such as an oatmeal under the brand name Chex and a gluten-free pizza dough from Betty Crocker.
Dive Insight:
It's likely been a fun year for the food scientists, recipe formulators, and marketers at General Mills. The list of new products reads like it was created with a don't-worry-just-try-anything attitude.
What is most interesting about that approach is that it's likely to work. Last year the company debuted a similar list of unusual new items. And new products drove roughly 5% of the company's revenue this past fiscal year.