Dive Brief:
- New research from Mars Ice Cream shows consumers view ice cream as a snack to be enjoyed throughout the day, not just after dinner, according to Fona International. It found 18% of Americans eat ice cream on-the-go in their cars, and 48% of Millennials report they enjoy eating the treat “in bed watching TV.”
- Despite new flavor launches such as Frosted Cinnamon Bun and Orange Blossom; Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry are still the three most popular global ice cream flavors.
- High/added protein is the third fastest growing claim in the past year, with brands including Halo Top and Arctic Zero winning customers with their low-sugar, low-calorie, high-protein recipes.
Dive Insight:
Ice cream is heating up. No longer just a treat to enjoy after dinner, the frozen dessert is now a full-fledged snack.
Half of adults snack two to three times a day, and 70% believe that any food can be a snack, according to a recent Mintel report. Ice cream is now being enjoyed in between meals, and even in the car or in bed.
Similar to food and beverages such as beer, some consumers, especially the millennial crowd, are looking for newer, more creative flavors that challenge their taste buds. The top five new varieties in 2017 are frosted cinnamon bun, vanilla mochi, Bavarian cream and strawberry, honeycomb, cocoa and vanilla and orange blossom.
Despite these flavors, this has not changed the expected flavor profile of ice cream too much. Consumers still want their ice cream to be sweet. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry remain the top three flavors internationally, but new flavors are getting more sophisticated.
U.S. consumers have cut back on how much ice cream they consume, from 16.1 pounds per person in 2000 to 13.1 pounds per person last year, according to Statista. Mintel’s Ice Cream and Frozen Novelties report found 19% of ice cream shoppers are cutting back because they view the product as unhealthy.
In response, brands like Halo Top and Arctic Zero are winning fans and dominating the market with their low-calorie, high-protein recipes. Halo Top became the #1 selling pint of ice cream in the U.S. this past summer. Last year, the company sold more than 17 million pints in 2016, a 2,500% increase in sales. Adding protein to the mix was the third fastest growing claim in the last year. Expect competitors to explore more high-protein possibilities to lure these customers back.
Another popular trend is adding booze to ice cream recipes. Many of the products on the market register a real ABV%, giving consumers the feeling they are getting an indulgent treat from the rich dessert, and from the alcohol in the recipe.
Gone are the days of traditional plain old rum raisin. This past summer, Häagen-Dazs launched a line of alcohol-infused ice cream in Canada in five flavors: Rum Vanilla Caramel Blondie, Whiskey Chocolate Truffle, Irish Cream Coffee & Biscotti, Vodka Key Lime Pie, and Rum Ginger Cookie. Small startups stateside also have found success combining the frozen dessert with popular liquors, wine and beer.
Alcohol-infused frozen desserts first started appearing in certain regions of the U.S. roughly nine years ago, and began to hit their stride in 2016.
With new flavors and more consumers eating the treat at different times of the day, ice cream could have a chance to regain some of the lost market share that has melted away in recent years.