It was a glorious day last Wednesday when the office gathered together to share our mutual love for dips. It was R+K’s annual “Just-for-the-love-of-dips” contest proving once again that dips are not just for parties or dining out. A banquet of homemade, delicious creamy, saucy, spicy, warm, cold and tangy dips became our lunches for the day and the highlight of our week.
Why do people love dips so much? Is it because it’s a restaurant dining experience they don’t get as often in this economy? Is it a comfort food or an indulgent food? Whatever the reason, dips and spreads are growing in popularity with consumers yet they aren’t a necessary purchase and tend to be impulse driven. To get them on a consumer’s grocery list, you need to give consumers a reason to buy. Positioning a product as unique, healthy, comfort/indulgent or as a versatile snack might just turn dips and spreads into a household staple.
If our own internal Dip Day was an indication of consumer trends out there, a basic salsa isn’t topping the favorite list (I didn’t win L) and instead people are opting for more unusual, creative and complex dips including hummus, reuben sandwich and jalapeno popper dip.
The winners of the “Just-for-the-love-of-dips” contest:
- Best Appetizer Dip: Stephanie Soesbe – “Fire Roasted Corn Dip”
- Best Appetizer Dip: Bonnie Heinsohn – “Jalapeño Popper Dip”
- Most Creative (Presentation) - Valerie Holland – “Crab Dip”
Claudia Zellmann is a member of the R+K Food team, which offers food manufacturers and marketers a fresh perspective and measurable communications solutions that work today yet are flexible enough to endure.