Heinz Are Squeezing Every Last Drop Out Of Innovation.

Article author: Finn McConway

It is with interest I spotted the latest Heinz launch: Pickle Tomato Ketchup. Heinz have been on an innovation rampage over the last few years and 2023 has proven to be more of the same, bucking the conservative approach taken by some brands during the cost-of-living crisis.

Heinz' Innovative Approach

From Tingly Teds hot sauces with the flame haired Ed Sheeran to the Absolut Vodka partnership (apparently partly inspired by Gigi Hadid’s TikTok/Insta recipe sensation), both part of the broader pasta sauces launch. They've also launched a vibrant new Mexican meal kit range: Las Ch!cas. Not to mention the extensive tomato-based cooking ingredients range.

These were in addition to the continued roll out of a myriad of new products across multiple temperature bands and formats in the Heinz Beanz range as well as consumer fuelled innovation in the Heinz Mayo range with mustard, BBQ & sriracha mash ups and further twists like Heinz ketchup filled hash browns!

Now, there’s a new mash up we didn’t know we needed with Heinz Tomato Ketchup- Pickle Flavour! I absolutely applaud Heinz agility and willingness to tap into cultural trends, especially those on TikTok which is increasingly a lightning rod for product hacks and inspiration, particularly among that precious catnip unicorn for big brands of Gen Z! Leaning on and embracing the likes of TikTok is a great way for brands to get close to consumers, their habits and hopefully spot trends as they are emerging. Who can forget when we couldn’t keep feta cheese on shelves during the peak of the TikTok #fetapasta baked tomato & feta pasta recipe!

Pickle Vs Gherkin

There’s undoubtedly a surging trend in pickles which Heinz themselves have described as “booming” largely off the back of the ubiquitous #picklechallenge social craze of people sharing themselves eating one of the Van Holten bagged “pickles”.

Thiago Rapp, Head of Heinz Comms and Brand Build said: “We know there are lots of pickle fans out there, so it made sense to bring two of the nation’s favourite flavours, Heinz Tomato Ketchup and tangy pickle, together.”

A further statement by Heinz themselves on Tesco’s website framed it as "Our classic Tomato Ketchup with a delicious twist. We’ve added pickles to give it a sweet tanginess…But don’t just save it for the burgers! It’s just as tasty with sausages and toasties and transforms crusty bread and cheese into a pickly ploughmans."

This is where I think it could get interesting and potentially reflect what could be shoehorning a US driven trend and product into the UK market. Here, pickle is traditionally understood to be something entirely different vs the engrained understanding in America. Not content with spell check continually trying to incorrectly replace s’ with z, or my 6-year-old saying candy, it seems the Americans are now coming for our condiment references! It’s chips vs crisps all over again. 

For the majority of UK consumers, pickle = Branston and the tangy, sweet, vinegary gently spiced chutney that is a generational staple and bed fellow of a cheese sarnie. Not, a pickled green cucumber or gherkin as they are commonly known in the UK. 

It was the potentially clumsy reference to a “pickly ploughmans” that made me wonder if this was straying down the wrong path from a UK perspective? Will a decent chunk of consumers expect a “pickle” ketchup to be a Branston style sweet pickle flavoured? Especially with the cheese & ploughmans references as well as the “sweet tanginess” descriptor that is firmly Branston territory?

To further compound the potential for confusion, the pickle (as in gherkin) is rather subtle in the design (perhaps due to it being flavouring rather than any actual pickle inclusions).

What Did Our Consumer Panel Think?

We decided to put this query, of pickle Vs gherkin, to our 20,000 strong dedicated consumer panel. The results are closer than I had anticipated but still shows the importance of continually engaging consumers throughout the innovation process to get a read on how your product is positioned and resonating, as well as any potential crossover with existing brands and products. I'd suspect the social media hype and awareness the ketchup is driving will help shortcut some of these potential challenges, but the principle remains, especially for brands who don’t have the reach or clout of Heinz.

Impressive Consumer Focus

From a broader innovation perspective, Heinz agility and consumer focus is impressive. For the last five years or so, Heinz have actively harnessed consumer behaviours, conversations, and product usage to weave into tangible new product development and product launches.

The ball was rolling back in 2018, when Heinz put an online poll to their American audience asking if they would like to see a premixed version of their ketchup and mayonnaise. When this was met with an emphatic yes, Heinz Mayochup sauce was born, and a new sub range was created.

Since then, the brand has added the likes of Kranch, Honeyracha, and Buffaranch sauces to name a few to their range in a similar vein.

The utilisation of consumer product hacks and usage didn’t stop here though. Just last year Heinz launched Dip & Crunch to tap into Heinz has tapped into a popular TikTok craze and turned one of its burger dipping creations into an actual product.

As Kraft Heinz North America’s chief growth officer, Sanjiv Gajiwala said:

“We spent a lot of time listening…For us to hear that debate online, then bring it to life, is an example of how we’re listening differently, how consumer taste is evolving, and how that listening is helping us react… [to be] ready for when people are ready to experience these things.”​

The pickle ketchup feels like the latest iteration of Heinz proactively tapping into cultural trends and being happy to launch tactical NPD that brings these to life. Some may stick and some may just drive wider brand awareness, share of voice and eared media which if that is the aim, then it’s been successful.

As someone who has worked in innovation and product launches for a long time, this consumer centric, agile, and proactive approach is an exciting one. It taps into everything we do at F!S group, embedding the consumer throughout the innovation process.

Now, time for a cheese and pickle sandwich…