Show Me Bitesize: Staple to Status

There have always been hot products. If it’s not oat milk everything, it’s mochi ice cream bites or any of the ever-rising tide of celeb-endorsed tequilas.

But some products have always seemed safe from this rampant trendification.

The basics – classic own-label goods, things you might not even associate with a brand. Until now.

‍From canned fish to canned water, let’s dive into five categories where brands are throwing out the rulebook.

Poshen Up the Pantry

Hot girls eat tinned fish. Hot Girl Pickles. Turns out hot girls have a broad palate, and Fishwife and Good Girl Snacks are here to cater to it.

For those who like it a little less ‘hot girl’, Cultjar offers a more restrained, minimalistic range of ferments and pickles.

What do they all have in common? A commitment to high-quality sustainably-sourced products, with an extra helping of character, ready to spice up your pantry.

Ready in a Flash

For years, the term ‘instant’ has indicated low quality; a quick-and-dirty meal, made with hot water and a soupçon of shame. A serving of ‘almost, but not quite’.

But some brave brands are challenging this perception. Asking, what if instant could simply mean fast?
What if instant ramen or instant coffee could, perhaps, even be good?

Omsom noodles and Little’s coffee are leading the charge, revitalising the world of instant with guaranteed quick quality.

Saucy Thoughts

You have a recipe. Your grandmother has a better recipe.
Everyone can make tomato pasta sauce, so why have we been settling for the sad store-bought version?

Well, settle no longer. These brands are bringing flavour back into the bland red-sauce world.

The innovators at Sauz, Monte’s, and even Heinz, are adding extra spice, rich flavours and top-tier ingredients to turn jar sauce into a star sauce.

Adding a Little Bit of Spice

Salt and pepper is so basic. And yet we can’t all be expected to have chef-level spice-blending skills.

Not to worry, now you can buy perfectly-balanced spice and seasoning blends pre-prepared from Just Spices.

Or, if you’re ready to mix it up, how about some MSG from Honest Umami for a flavour boost?

Keep an eye on this space, ‘Everything Bagel’ seasoning is just the tip of the spice-berg.

Canned Tsunami

Yes, now even water can be a cult accessory. If you haven’t heard of Liquid Death and their campaign to get the energy drink-guzzling masses to imbibe pure H₂O, then what rock have you been under?

But with great success comes competition and there’s no shortage of other brands looking to muscle in on the ‘cool water’ space.

If Liquid Death is a pastiche on energy drinks, then Not Beer is having fun with the category codes of beer.
Evian and Buxton should be watching their backs.

While new product development is stuffed full of exciting stories, there’s no shortage of innovation in more traditional categories either.

There’s plenty more categories ripe for reinvention.
Whether a staple or something more special, turning the plain into pleasure.
Bringing a new lease of life to a tired category is a sure-fire way to create buzz around your brand.

For Casey’s thoughts on how you could take your category from plain to pleasure, contact her here:
Casey Shepheard
Strategist
📧 casey.shepheard@missouri-creative.com
🔗 Casey Shepheard (LinkedIn)

Or reach out to Andrew Mitchell, Growth Director:
Andrew Mitchell
📧 andrew.mitchell@missouri-creative.com
🌐 missouri-creative.com