Make the Holidays Brighter with Sweet Candy Flavors

Unwrapping a tasty piece of candy is an undeniable holiday pleasure. Whether it’s a decadently rich piece of chocolate or the fresh notes of peppermint, most people have cravings for delicious sweets. 

Festivities may look different, but candy offers a way to deliver bite-sized fun and affordable indulgence for any celebration.

The National Confectioners Association (NCA) reports that 78% of consumers say sharing and gifting confectionary is a great way to honor holiday traditions. Confectioners are responding to consumer needs, and candy launches are up +21% for the year, according to Mintel. With 85% of Americans confident that they will find creative and safe ways to celebrate the season, candy is a sweet part of the mix!

Connect to Consumers through Candy Flavors

A well-crafted flavor provides consumers with a sense of comfort and delight during the colder months. You can create strong connections to your candy brand in several ways:

 Flavor Favorites

• Offer flavors that provide comfort and resonate with memories of the holidays.
  • Some scientists believe that the connection between flavor and memory originally comes from ages of human survival tactics known as conditioned taste aversion. Taste is often associated with memories of being in a location where something negative or positive occurred. 
  • Here’s a list of “Top 10” list of Favorite Winter Candy Flavors that are often requested from National Flavors based on consumer interest: 
     
    • Peppermint
    • White Chocolate
    • Dark Chocolate
    • Toffee
    • Butterscotch
    • Brown Sugar
    • Caramel Macchiato
    • Sugar Cookie
    • Orange
    • Cherry

Exciting Candy Tastes

• Expand beyond the familiar with a new taste for the winter season.
  
  • According to findings from the IFT’s 2019 Flavor Consumer Trend Report, 80% of consumers say they “actively seek out flavors to try regularly” or “like trying new flavors from time to time.”
    
  • Historically, the holiday season is a time for innovation. Mintel reports show candy launches of +56% of Q4 within the last year:
    • Peanut Butter Chocolate cups
    • Caramel-Chocolate Peanut brownies
    • Banana taffy 
    • Fruit puree gelatin

Flavor Adventures

• Target niche audiences, like “Flavor Collectors” who want to express that they’ve “tried it all.” Often, these consumers are trend-setters and influencers who respond to emerging flavors. Flavor collectors will enjoy the experience of holiday candies with flavors like:
   
  • Bacon or Pickle 
  • Sweet potato 
  • Green tea 

Mix Things Up with Flavor Mash-Ups

• Create fun cross-category flavor mash-ups that allow you to introduce seasonal flavors in candy form. Tap into familiar flavors with fresh, sweet takes like:
   
  • Pumpkin pie jelly beans
  • Caramel apple lollipops
  • Gingerbread popcorn
  • Candy cane gum

With the right flavor, you provide customers with more than a treat on a single holiday. You’ll give them comfort all season.

Boost Your Candy Brand with Creatively Delicious Flavor Solutions

The current environment offers many opportunities to make your candy a top-of-mind, first choice with consumers. Brainstorming flavor ideas, even fresh takes on familiar tastes, is an essential (and fun) first step, but development is an iterative process requiring time and expertise. A flavor company partner that understands your goals, target audience, and market dynamics is vital for meeting your launch timetables.

National Flavors is a trusted resource that provides flavors to food and beverage companies across North America. Our team understands the value of time in product development and knows the influential role flavor plays in brand success. We invite you to sample our variety of flavors, available online through Flavorush. Samples ship in 24 hours to keep your project moving forward. Additionally, they can help you bring your ideas to life through custom flavor development. Through collaboration and combined expertise, you’ll have a reliable partner that will help you deliver memorable taste experiences to your customers.