Jeni’s Fall Ice Cream Collection

Welcome to Innovation Spotlight! Each month we’ll spotlight a brand that’s capitalizing on a current consumer trend with a new product innovation. We'll uncover the product's in-market potential, who it appeals to and why, and what you can learn from it to innovate smarter.?

Innovation spotlight: Jeni’s Ice Creams Fall Collection

As we approach Thanksgiving in the US, we wanted to take a look at Jeni’s Ice Creams’ limited-edition Fall collection.?

The unique new flavors in this collection grabbed our attention: Pumpkin Seed & Rye Cookie, Sweet Potato Marshmallow Praline, Miso Butterscotch Brownie and Bay Leaf Cheesecake.?

Beth Stallings, Jeni’s Head of Innovation, shared that the collection was “inspired by the way we all literally want to consume fall, maybe more than any other season. It’s about late harvest, that fine balance between sweet and savory and our craving for fresh and comforting foods.”

Why is it interesting??

Ice cream isn’t a classic sweet treat for cooler months. But Jeni’s Ice Creams are becoming increasingly more well-known due to their unexpected but undeniably appetizing flavors timed for different seasons and events (such as Powdered Jelly Donut, Brambleberry Crisp and even a line created specifically for the eclipse earlier this year), so it makes sense for the brand to keep the trend going with seasonal SKUs.

We were curious to see how these ice cream flavors might land with consumers during fall.??

What’s the potential??

Jeni’s Ice Creams Fall Collection scores in the top 1% of all food innovations tested in the US market in terms of breakthrough potential and the top 40% on trial potential.

The innovation sits in the ‘seed and grow’ section of our concept potential assessment framework. The Fall collection is highly distinctive and perceived to have an advantage vs other food innovations — this is likely due to bringing fresh flavors to the ice cream category, particularly during the off-season when people generally aren’t actively thinking about ice cream.??

The great news for Jeni’s is that the new fall line will stand out strongly in the market and has good trial potential, which will benefit the relatively small, yet quickly growing, brand.??

Who does it appeal to??

Nearly 60% claim they would buy the fall collection if available at a reasonable price, which is in line with expectations for other US food innovations.?

Purchase likelihood is even higher among the younger audience of 18-35 year olds and men. It’s also encouragingly high among more frequent chilled desserts buyers, with nearly three-fourths claiming they would buy Jeni’s new Fall Collection.

What do they like about it??

The flavors are the clear winning element for the collection. When asked what they like about it, over 50% mentioned the new, unique and variety of autumn flavors that combine sweet and savory ingredients.

What can we learn??

1. Innovation can be a great way to address seasonality. Relevant news for a brand in the off season can be a great way to boost sales during a time when sales typically “cool” off.? The enticing and seasonal fall flavors from Jeni’s creates high salience for the brand, keeping the brand visible outside of the traditional ice cream season, and has the added benefit of creating incremental sales. Jeni’s is tapping into this trend by also introducing other seasonal lines, such as the Splendid Holiday Collection for winter.
2. Seasonal cues work effectively. Jeni’s Fall Collection uses great cues that reflect the season, including flavors and well-liked autumn colors for the packaging, such as brown, yellow and orange. People get excited about well-targeted seasonal products and this can help boost sales.?
3. Tap into the sensory experiences trend. Sensory taste experiences with new and experimental flavors are very popular and can generate renewed excitement for a brand. It’s important to balance how experimental the flavors are with accessibility to a broad enough audience — since these can attract a more niche group of people. It’s also good to have a range of unique flavors to attract customers with different tastes and broaden the appeal. Marketing efforts will often work best when they are more targeted to groups who are most receptive to the more unique varieties. This can also work effectively for limited-editions that are trying to boost interest and sales for a shorter period of time.?

For more data & analysis

This was just a summary, for the rest of our analysis please head to our blog.?

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Until next time!?

Janine Klimko