The modern snack market is undergoing a transformation: familiar flavors are giving way to bold experiments, and emotions are becoming the main tool of sales. Here’s how brands are using new strategies:

1. Flavors that Challenge Expectations Consumers are tired of clichés. The response? Chips you’d never expect: – Utz with lemonade flavor — an attempt to "capture summer" in a crispy form, blending sweetness, tartness, and the fizz of the drink. – Fairfields (chorizo & red wine) — a combination of spicy meat aroma with wine notes, like a full dinner in one bag. – Pringles x Miller Lite — a collaboration where chips imitate the taste of “beer-can chicken,” creating synergy between snacks and alcohol.

2. Nostalgia as a Marketing Hack Brands bring adult consumers back to childhood through flavors and associations. Think summer holidays, grandma’s cooking, and the excitement of limited editions — just like seasonal fruits that used to be unavailable in winter.

What does this mean for the market? For brands: – Risk-taking is essential. Gen Z and millennials seek experiences, not just food. – Seasonality and exclusivity drive sales. Limited editions turn chips into collectible items. For consumers: – Snacks become entertainment. Trying lemonade- or beer-flavored chips is about surprise, sharing, and emotion. For flavor manufacturers: – Demand for “impossible” flavors is growing. How do you capture lemonade’s zing in a chip? Combine wine and chorizo? This is a challenge for flavorists and technologists.

How can brands stay in the game? – Create a wow effect The Pringles x Miller Lite example shows that even seemingly absurd collabs work if they spark curiosity. – Play with context Lemonade-flavored chips aren’t just a snack. They evoke summer, picnics, and freedom. Packaging, advertising, and storytelling should reinforce this connection. – Think globally, adapt locally Use Mediterranean, African, or Latin American motifs for launches in local markets.

Snacks are no longer just food — they are a way to surprise, tell stories, and create emotional bonds. Success is no longer about the size of the bag, but about how memorable the flavor is, whether it triggers nostalgia or becomes a talking point. Brands that turn chips into an experience, not just a product, will win the loyalty of the new generation.

At SEGMENTA, we live for challenges and turn “impossible” flavors into reality. Our team of flavorists and technologists doesn’t just solve complex tasks — we create flavors that surprise, inspire, and stick in memory.

Give us your boldest idea, and we’ll prove that even in flavor, creativity knows no bounds.