Andrew Wiseman looks at 2025 snack trends including the new frontiers of flavour, wrapped up in a bag of tortilla chips and just a hint of Spice Girls nostalgia.
I’ll admit, when I wrote the title of this blog, I’d completely forgotten that The Spice Girls had been the face of Walkers for a period in the mid-90s. Scary Salt & Vinegar? Posh Cheese & Onion? They were all the rage before ‘Tik Tok friendly packaging’ was even a twinkle in somebody’s eye.
The best part of 30 years on, the rules haven’t changed, except they have. Yes, consumers want products that they can tell others about – but now it’s less about word of mouth, and all about social virality.
The rise of boldness in Gen Z and Gen Zalpha snacking
More than that, Gen Z and their emerging Zalpha siblings have re-written the snacking handbook. Having the latest big name on the front of a legacy product just doesn’t cut it. Gen Z’s and Zalphas want BIG flavours and global inspiration, and they want product and packaging that looks as good on Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, as it does in real life.
With this in mind, we looked at the trend for bold-flavoured tortilla chips, championed by Takis and Doritos, to try and predict where brands can win with the younger audience in the flavour stakes.
To do this, we assembled a list of 20 potential flavour variants and tested them with a sample of Gen Z consumers. We then undertook a TURF analysis to understand how brands can maximise the reach of their range.
TURF? Sounds tasty. What is TURF analysis and why does it matter?
TURF stands for Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency. It’s an analysis method that allows us to:
- Understand the best combination of products to maximise unique buyers;
- Move from standalone product appeal to understanding complementary products to maximise reach;
- Avoid wasting precious shelf space with products that add no incremental reach.
In short, it goes beyond a pure popularity contest to a portfolio optimisation strategy.
So, what are the top 5 flavours on Gen Z’s hitlist?
With the popularity of Korean dishes like Bulgogi, and Korean spice pastes like Gochujang, it came as little surprise that Spicy Korean BBQ was the most popular flavour variant amongst our audience of Gen Zs – with almost 40% of this cohort saying they would likely buy this flavour if it was available. Elsewhere, we found that:
- With a spicy offering so dominant in terms of purchase likelihood, the second portfolio pick moves away from the territory, with a ‘swavoury’ Maple Bacon Crunch variant dialing into those who are perhaps less on the spicy bandwagon;
- The flavour mashups continue in positions 3-5, with Smokey Chipotle & Lime, Buffalo Hot Sauce & Blue Cheese, and Truffle & Cheese making up the rest of the top 5 – representing equal parts spicy, sweet, salty, sour and umami;
- Beyond these five flavours, you’re not adding any further reach to the category – three-quarters of Gen Zs are fulfilled with these five flavours. So as much as you might fancy some Wasabi and Ginger Kick tortillas, they just don’t make the grade, and they wouldn’t be worth the investment.
Gen Z and Gen Zalpha cultural trends and insights
The most popular flavours through this exercise tied exactly into some of the cultural trends we’re seeing:
– Social-first snacking
The spicier the better! Perfect for TikTok viral challenges with your mates and beyond.
– Global street-food mashups
We know the audience is looking for culinary inspiration from around the world, so the presence of international flavours is crucial to get engagement.
– We’ve seen ‘swicy’ (sweet and spicy) but we’re increasingly seeing ‘swavoury’ too
The Maple Bacon variety is on the money with this trend.
– Nostalgia marketing
We’re seeing lots of this – but how about a Tortilla chips launch supported by The Spice Girls today? Right in the crosshairs of those millennial parents who wanted to relive the mid-90s and Gen Z wondering who The Spice Girls even are?
With the increasing influence of Zalphas, brands also need to consider Tik Tok snack hacks and viral snack flips. For this audience, what they eat says a lot about what they are. It’s part of their identity. They crave limited flavour launches that they can use to drive their ‘social currency’.
What snack brands can learn from Gen Z and Zalpha
So, what are the three things that brands need to tap into to get this audience right?
1. Lead with hero flavours to maximise reach
In the case of our tortillas, Spicy Korean BBQ, Bacon Maple Crunch and Smoky Chipotle and Lime are the flavours to get right. The rest is mostly noise.
2. Feed-first (Tik-Tok friendly) design
Ensuring the packaging, flavours, names and even chip shape are Tik-Tok friendly is critical to gain traction.
3. Intelligent use of nostalgia
This can work brilliantly when done right. Geri Horner fronting ‘Girl Power Ghost Chilli’ flavour, perhaps?
In summary, Gen Zalpha are rewriting the snacking rulebook: big, global flavours, feed-first design and experiences worth sharing is where it’s at. But there’s always a hat-tip to the past to find the sweet spot between bold flavour and cultural moment. To paraphrase The Spice Girls “if you wanna be the loved brand, you’ve gotta get with the trends”.