Innovation That Matters

Gravanity & the fruit roll-up factory

Food & Drink

M&Ms began offering customized colour versions of its classic coated-chocolate candy some years ago, followed soon after by the option of adding personalized text. My Fruit Roll-Ups Factory from General Mills is taking the idea a step further by allowing consumers to customise its fruit-flavoured strips with not just text but also images. The concept is targeted at parents, not surprisingly, since the snacks are a kid favourite. Ordering is a matter of choosing a cartoon-style picture from the site’s collection of more than 400 (birthday cakes, sports symbols and seasonal images are particularly well-represented); adding a message in the font, size and colour of your choice; and placing the order online. Pricing is by the box at about USD 1 per roll; delivery takes about 3 weeks, and is currently only available in the United States. The market possibilities for customized M&Ms may be broader, since they’re popular with grownups, too, and therefore can tap into the corporate market. But with birthday parties and kids’ celebrations becoming an increasingly big business, it makes sense to target personalized snacks at the younger set—or at least at their parents. Goldfish, Oreos—where are you on this? Other snack makers: now’s your chance! For a refresher on one of mass customization’s main drivers, check out trendwatching.com’s gravanity briefing. (Not new, but still worth a quick browse.) Spotted by: HL Tay

Website: www.myfruitrollups.com