Crack the snack code.
Create tomorrow’s icons.
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Why do some salty snack flavours become icons?
We set out to explore this question and now we’re sharing what we learnt. Read on to discover how we can crack the snack code together and team up to create the bold, iconic flavours of the future.
Understand
Find out how the market for salty snack flavour icons is evolving – and why local context matters.
Imagine
Explore how we transformed our research findings into success dimensions and tools to help you imagine new icons.
Create
Find out how Givaudan’s experts, solutions and sensory tools can help accelerate your snack development journey.
Understand what makes a flavour iconic
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Understand what makes a flavour iconic
We analysed trend reports, spoke with leading food culture experts and profiled snacks across 8 European markets. We discovered that market conditions have evolved over time, making the journey to icon status more complex than ever before. Here are some of the ways the market has shifted.
The historical context
- Brands had time to grow thanks to a slower diffusion curve
- Brands and retailers drove awareness, supported by traditional media ads
- Consumers focused on comfort, identity and safety
- Strong link with traditional cuisines
- USA as a source of inspiration
Evolving market factors
- Today, continual innovation is needed to stay visible
- Social media influencers and viral marketing mean brands need to work harder to stand out
- Consumers are interested in discovery and sharing
- Growing interest in street food and exotic cuisines
- Asia as a source of inspiration
Understand the local snack landscape
Local context can make or break a salty snack flavour. We carried out a detailed sensory analysis of 70+ snacks to discover why iconic tastes differ, highlighting key variations across three European markets.
Sour cream and onion
In Poland, sour cream and onion packs some of Europe’s boldest onion and garlic notes and is reminiscent of well-loved comfort dishes. This iconic flavour helped lay the groundwork for crisp flavours other than paprika.
Paprika
Germans have used mild, comforting paprika to spice up comfort dishes for centuries, so it became an instant icon when applied to potato crisps. Nostalgia and shareability made it the main flavour option for many years.
BBQ
This American import quickly became iconic in the UK, influenced by the countries’ special cultural connection. Its icon status opened it up to exciting new flavour twists, including sweet BBQ, Texas BBQ and smoky BBQ variations.
Hungry for more?
Book a one-to-one meeting to discover our full sensory insights in our virtual Snack Icon Lab.
Let’s chat
“An iconic flavour is a taste that we remember from childhood. But it is also a taste that is passed down from generation to generation that creates, through our first taste experiences, a link to our culture.”
Imagine your next snack icon
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Imagine your next snack icon
Drawing on our insights, we identified 10 key success dimensions that can help you shape a future snack icon.
Download our free guide to get a sneak peek at how these factors impact decision-making at each stage in the snack development process and find out how our virtual Snack Icon Lab and Snack Icon Decoder can accelerate your product development.
Create local variations
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Let’s team up to create your next icon
Capture freshness
Create snack icons that taste as fresh as if prepared just moments ago, supported by our TasteSolutions® Freshness technology.
Reduce salt content
Stay one step ahead of evolving regulatory and nutritional guidelines, without compromising taste.
Bring your snack icon to life
Our team can work alongside you to take advantage of emerging market trends and reimagine tomorrow’s snack icons.
Create local variations
Local context can make or break a snack flavour. Our proprietary insights allow you to respond to what local consumers are really looking for.
Hungry for more?
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Hungry for more?
Whether you’ve already got a project in mind or you’d just like to find out more, here are two ways you can connect with Givaudan experts.
Got a new snack flavour in mind?
Tell us more about your product, and our team will take it from there.
What you’ll get in a free co-creation session:
- Dive deeper into our latest market and consumer insights on our Snack Icon Lab
- Evaluate your snack flavour’s icon potential, supported by our experts, using the Snack Icon Decoder
- Get inspired by 200+ consumer validated snack flavours
Looking for inspiration?
Dive deeper into our latest insights and hear from our experts how our tools and solutions can help bring your snack icon to life in our free webinar in February 2026.
What you’ll get:
- Hear our latest insights, straight from our consumer experts
- Walk through the 10 success dimensions that make or break a snack icon
- Learn more about some of the most popular emerging snack flavours in Europe.