CATEGORY LEADERSHIP AWARDS SOUR CANDIES

While looking into the reasons people are drawn to sour candies, companies have realized that these sour treats provide a unique flavor profile that cannot be found elsewhere and many people crave. As sour candies have risen in popularity, The American Licorice Company decided to name July 18th National Sour Candy Day. Alongside this, many media outlets have also dedicated blog posts to listing and ranking the best sour candies, encouraging sour candy lovers to try different types brands,. This also possibly expands the demographic of people who enjoy the candy.

Leaders like Candy Dynamics provide consumers with a tried-and-true candy option that people can count on as the company has devoted its time to maintain its reputation and loyal consumer base in the sour candies category. “While there are plenty of companies emerging offering a better-for-you candy, we have prided ourselves in keeping the formulation of our candies the same from the start as well as adding products that remain consistent with our sour brand,” said Haley Peyron, Marketing Manager at Candy Dynamics.

“With so many young people having grown up with sour candy, not only has the category taken off, but the levels of sour have also been affected,” said Peyron. “Kids especially want to challenge themselves and others to see how much sour they can handle. This was an element that Toxic Waste was founded on and what eventually inspired our Toxic

Challenge where consumers place one piece of candy in their mouth and see how long they can hold it there before it gets too sour.”

Candy Dynamics is constantly examining trends in the confectionery industry whether it’s flavors, ingredients or packaging. “We work closely with our manufacturers to bring new innovative products to the marketplace,” Peyron continued.

Social media has continued to play a role in the company’s outlook on trends and up-and-coming consumer preferences, but Candy Dynamics has realized that it isn’t always the best or only way to find success in the category. “It is important to remember that notoriety in the confectionery industry can happen to any company at any time, especially with the prominence of social media. Trends have begun to move much quicker as social media instantaneously spreads information. You don’t need to be one of the big names in the confectionery industry to find success within it,” she explained.

In a previous interview with Grocery Insight, Peyron mentioned the company’s overall brand was boosted through its omnichannel presence. “We find the omnichannel approach to shopping has only helped build sales for our brand,” said Peyron. “It has provided further exposure to our brand as more touchpoints are established with our customers. With more retailers carrying our range of products, we have been provided with more opportunities than ever before for product trial. As our brand becomes more prevalent in the market, our products have become destination items, increasing sales for our company and the retailer as a result.”

Alongside this, when it comes to marketing, the company also holds meetings with its team to drum up ideas and opportunities. “We love meeting as a company throughout the year for our huddle meetings to hear ideas from all of our employees,” she continued. “We encourage all to be creative and provide fresh ideas for new product development, merchandising and marketing and advertising opportunities. We welcome all thoughts and, as one would expect with a candy company, we enjoy the time spent brainstorming new ideas together. Many of our most popular candies available in the market today have come as a result of these huddle meetings. The Candy Dynamics team loves the time when we can come together and share in these meetings.”

Impact Confections was established in 1919, and has become a leader in the category through its brand WARHEADS, a well-known candy for its extreme sour taste. According to the company, the brand became one of the fastest-growing brands of sour candy in the US. Recently, WARHEADS partnered with Hilco—another leader in the confections category—and launched a new product: WARHEADS Mega Sour Booms. The new candy is dusted in sour flavor profiles and is chewable, creating a burst of flavor.