“People love the brand because it’s really crunchy. Likewise, some people avoid the brand because it’s really crunchy,” said Tom Lawrence, insights manager at Hormel Foods. “So the question then becomes, how can we work toward solving that in terms of providing a new texture for people and inviting those new folks in?”
The answer: CORN NUTS® Partially Popped Flavors — hitting select retail and convenience store shelves this summer — a new twist designed to welcome crunch-sensitive snackers while giving longtime fans another bold, satisfying way to enjoy the brand they love.
“With this product, people are still getting that authentic CORN NUTS® product experience,” Forbis said. “You’re getting those bold and trendy flavors, you’re getting all that corn, you’re getting the satisfying crunch. Now that experience is available to a wider range of consumers.”
Leveraging insights like these is standard practice at Hormel Foods, and the successful reimagination of the CORN NUTS® portfolio has been a prime example of how insightful exploration can lead to new products that resonate. Partially Popped is just the latest example of that strategy in action, this time in uncharted ways as the brand ventures beyond the traditional corn kernel for the very first time.
“Consumers will continue to shape the future direction of the CORN NUTS® brand, and that’s how we want it to be,” said Tim Bortner, brand manager at Hormel Foods. “By offering a new form, it allows us to open up to this new consumer base, who now have more access to the brand with a crispier option. I’ve seen a lot of people who can’t handle the corn-kernel crunch who have sampled Partially Popped and then said, “Oh I would totally eat these.”