If you value your customers, it’s time to explore value-adds. In the food industry, value-add solutions can take many forms. Additional benefits. Simplicity and cooking convenience. Comforting indulgences. Real, approachable food. Something extra – an unexpected bonus! Basically, value-adds are special features or improvements that increase your food’s desirability and worth in the eyes of consumers. How can you show consumers that you’re willing to listen and respond to their core values? How can you provide products that deliver quality and inspire confidence? How can you comfort, indulge, or excite your consumers – or all three at once? Just add flavor!
Picture ready-to-eat cannoli shells packaged with ricotta cheese filling. It’s real, it’s approachable, and it lets the consumer enjoy the dessert with a pinch of pride – almost as if they made it from scratch! Or, how about frozen gyoza with packets of ponzu-ginger dipping sauce? With the convenient addition of a flavorful sauce, consumers don’t have to go looking for the perfect sauce or buy an enormous bottle of dipping sauce separately. They can enjoy a full food experience while saving time and money.
Do you see what we’re getting at? The right value-adds can transform your products and delight your consumers!
Why Value Positioning is So Crucial Right Now
You might be wondering, “Why now?” Although it’s always beneficial to focus on value-add solutions, this is an especially prudent time to think about how you might inject some extra value into your products. Your consumers may be feeling burdened by inflationary pressure, overloaded by stress, or disillusioned by product offerings. Leverage value-adds, which can come in many different forms, to change their mindsets.
Everyday Indulgences:
Due to inflationary pressure, many consumers are struggling to find the right balance between what their stomach craves and what their budget can afford. Use value-adds to help them continue having fun during difficult times. Explore everyday indulgences, and reassure consumers that delicious foods and flavors can have a positive impact on their daily lifestyle. Foods can create small pleasures – think snack-sized ice creams cups as opposed to tubs, or bite-sized caramel-drizzled banana bread rather than whole loaves.
Next-Level Comfort and Convenience:
Many consumers are struggling as they adjust to the new normal. Think about value-adds in terms of simplicity, convenience, and comfort. Adding value isn’t the same thing as adding complexity or an increased price point. Support your consumers’ personal well-being through lifestyle value-add solutions, making their daily routines less jam-packed and their lives easier. For example, small, perfectly portioned sauces accompanying ready-to-eat foods and meal kits can help consumers avoid buying large bottles that will linger in their fridges for months – or even allow them to steer clear of scratch cooking altogether! Help them avoid food waste and save both time and money.
Approachable Authenticity:
Celebrate your cooking techniques to satisfy consumers’ quest for authenticity. Put a spotlight on your global ingredients and innovative, as well as familiar, cooking preparations. Show your consumers that your food is real, approachable, and authentic. Don’t just give them food – give them an experience that helps them explore different cultures and communities. Especially, when your guests are Gen Zs!
Create Value-Adds to Grow Your Business
The team at Giraffe Foods is ready to help you translate the positioning ideas described above into fun and inventive new product offerings. Whether you’re interested in
You can target a variety of different food segments with value-add solutions:
Value-Added Protein:
Amplify flavor, focus on convenience, and satisfy cravings with value-add protein. Try a frozen snack option, like frozen shrimp with a Sriracha Dipping Sauce, to provide a global experience without increasing cost. Pair ready-to-grill burger patties with a pouch of Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce – irresistibly delicious with a hint of smokiness! Or, combine ready-to-eat wings with trendy, tart Yuzu Sauce to brighten up the savory meat. You could also consider dip cups of Hot Honey or Cherry Chipotle. Whether you’re focusing on ready-to-eat meals, frozen entrées, or deli concepts, our delicious sauces and condiments present countless opportunities to boost the value of your protein offerings.
Value-Added Produce:
Value-Added Produce:Pair top-quality, in-season produce with dressings and dipping sauces to help consumers save time, conserve energy, and prevent food waste. Add a small container of Lemon-Basil Aioli to a ready-to-eat veggie platter, giving the veggies an indulgent creaminess and giving consumers time to spare and enjoy. Pack a pouch of Cilantro-Lime Dressing into your Mexican salad kit for a citrusy punch – chopped greens with added benefits!
Value-Added Bakery:
Value-Added Bakery:Try to think of a dessert that wouldn’t be improved with the addition of an icing, dipping sauce, or drizzle . . . They’re few and far between! Help consumers balance their sweet cravings with their budgetary concerns through value-add bakery items. Pair sugar cookie baking mix with small pouches of Birthday Cake Icing, giving consumers a fun experience in addition to enhanced flavor. Or, toss cheesecake bites in an indulgent Dark Chocolate Sauce – just one of several value-add ideas we explored in our Food Trends for 2023 blog post. More is delicious!
Celebrating Summer with Value-Adds
The inevitable change of the seasons offers another excellent opportunity for value-add solutions! Use limited-time offers (LTOs) to show-off the flavors of summer, embracing the spirit of celebration introduced by the warmer weather and longer days. Leverage this opportunity to add value to customers’ daily lifestyles while also pilot testing new products. Imagine a Salsa Roja teamed up with cheesy empanadas, a Lemon-Tahini Vinaigrette poured over a falafel bowl, or a Garlic Mayo Dipping Sauce alongside Hawaiian-style shrimp. Give your product offerings a value-boost with LTO summer flavors!
With our custom value-adds, the possibilities are endless. When you’re ready to get started, you can count on Giraffe Foods, your go-to partner for value-added sauces, dressings, marinades, drizzles, and more. Our talented team of culinologists pushes creative boundaries to bring food to life! Let’s explore the intersection between flavor and value. Are you ready to get started?
