Millennials Get their way at 7-Eleven

Millennials continue on a food discovery journey looking for fresh food fast that is ‘better-4-you’ according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Today, Americans spend 87% of there time in-doors. That is the key reason beverages have become a meal replacement and when combined with the ‘halo’ of better-4-you bverages sell according to Johnson.

The newest Slurpee Lite drink is naturally flavored, contains less sugar, is fortified with vitamins B3, B6 and B12, and an 8-ounce serving has just 20 calories. Now we all know Millennials grew up with Slurpee’s and so did most of their parents. The ‘halo’ of better for you will extend the brand too a new generation of children and parents according to Johnson driving new electricity into Slurpee messaging.

On its website, 7-Eleven says of the fiery orange-red Slurpee Lite drink, "vitaminwater spicy watermelon-lime is so fire, it had to be turned into a Slurpee just to cool it down." Inspired by the bottled vitaminwater fire, the Slurpee drink is described as a spicy watermelon-lime flavor with a touch of jalapeno and habanero that sparks a "slight tingling sensation." Glaceau vitaminwater is a 7-Eleven top-selling non-carbonated, flavored water.

Jacob Barnes, 7-Eleven proprietary beverages director stated "After the big splash that vitaminwater Chill Slurpee Lite drink made with Slurpee-lovers, we expect this spicy watermelon-lime vitaminwater fire will be even bigger," "Slurpee Lite has had some of our more unusual and sophisticated flavors, so thirsty customers can cut sugar without sacrificing flavor."

Battle for Share of Stomach 

Recent Grocerant ScoreCards found that 75 percent of U.S. adults are willing to try new foods, with some 80 percent of millennials saying they are looking for bolder taste profiles.  Other reports found that Gen Z'ers aren't quite the flavor risk-takers as the generation before them, they do love the duality of sweet flavors paired with spice, sour or salt. The Slurpee Lite vitaminwater fire drink mirrors established trends in candy, chocolates and frozen treats categories that are bringing the heat with the sweet.

Consumers are dynamic not static how is your brand keeping up with consumer demand for fresh fast food? How are you driving new electricity into your brand?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, plant based  foods,  sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Subway Branding the Sweet Sounds of Success

Success does leave clues and Subway the world’s largest restaurant chain is expanding the value of their brand messaging this summer with music, food, fun, and consumer interactivity and Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® believes that is a very good way to expand the ‘halo of better-for-you’ beyond the four walls.

This summer Subway, will be serving free mini sandwiches, among other goodies and experiences, at five music festivals.  From May to August, Subway will take an interactive lounge known as “The Green Room, baked by Subway” on a roadshow to festivals, starting with this past weekend’s Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The Green Room baked by Subway, is a restaurant, a performance space, and a lounge, “it will bring a “backstage” experience to the front of the house for all festival goers. Featuring live acoustic and DJ sets, meet-n-greets with artists and semi-famous internet people, a live-stream of mainstage performances, virtual games, prizes, sweet amenities like cookie-flavored lip balm (no joke), and free mini sandwiches, festival-goers can chill out and recharge however they please.”

The Green Room is about much more than FREE MINI SANDWICHES (and high speed Wi-Fi, air conditioning, exclusive performances, phone charging stations, and personal refreshment stations) but don’t get me wrong the Free mini sandwiches will be big hit. It’s about th, expanding, evolving, and redefining, Subway as a brand with consumers.

Karlin Linhardt, SVP of Marketing for North America at Subway stated “The Green Room provides an experience festival-goers can’t get anywhere else. It’s also a chance for people to connect with Subway in a fresh way, and reconsider how they see our brand.” “Subway is a part of people’s lives everyday, and we want to expand into new territory to exceed the expectations of younger customers,” 

There will also be a sauce bar and fresh-baked cookies “offered sporadically,” while thirsty folks can chug new vitaminwater that will be served at select festivals. If success does leave clues this is the right step at the right time for a brand consumers enjoy. 

Do your marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.