LEAMINGTON, ON - While snacking products may appear like a simple arrangement of items organized for the ease of the consumer, Westmoreland-TopLine Farms knows that the concept development is more than just a shot in the dark. With the recent release of TopLine Farms Gourmet Dippers with Ranch to great customer feedback, Jimmy Coppola, Account Marketing Manager, joins me to share the efforts behind the success.
“A lengthy thought process went into this concept,” Jimmy tells me. “We are trying to target the snacking consumer with a convenient product that can go into any lunch and offer a fresh alternative to the typical snacks out there. We feel this item would be great in lunches at schools but also in the workplace for adults as we are all looking for healthy snacking alternatives. We wanted to accentuate the great flavor of our produce with that of Ranch dressing. What does one do with vegetables and ranch dressing? Dip them of course, and thus arose the Gourmet Dippers.”
To start, TopLine Farms will feature its mini cucumbers and cocktail cucumbers and will expand this offering to include sweet mini pepper, sweet grape tomatoes and TopLine Farms’ gourmet medley tomatoes. Adding ranch dressing toTopLine Farms’ gourmet produce was a natural fit.
“As our offerings expand we will continue to expand on this item,” he notes. “We are also toying around with different flavor dips to add to the lineup,” Jimmy notes.
When I ask Jimmy what trends are driving this type of product, he tells me that first and foremost it is convenience. Many snacking innovations have arisen for this need for convenience within the produce industry and related industries with items like bagged salads to packaged produce as well.
“The movement toward balanced lifestyles through safe and healthy food choices is another trend driving products like this. Although we all like to snack on chips or cookies it is not something we should sustain, and thus offering healthier alternatives such as snacking veggies (such as our mini cucumbers, cocktail cucumbers, mini sweet peppers and longline of specialty tomatoes) is something that we feel is only going to continue to grow within the grocery stores,” Jimmy says.
In regards to the Gourmet Dippers’ packaging design, what inspired TopLine Farms the most was the company’s concern for the environment.
“We are looking to create products that are not just healthier for consumers but also healthier for the environment,” Jimmy tells me.
The packaging is 100% recyclable so TopLine Farms feels that they are coming up with something that is not only sustainable as a snack but also for the environment. The company also used brighter eye-catching colors to appeal to the many, and also chose a model that encourages fun… fun snacking.
“We want to give buyers and the consumer more options when it comes to produce. We can offer different solutions for promoting the Gourmet Dippers within the store from free standing displays or POP stands to signage to add some flair to an existing showcases,” Jimmy says.
Consumers do like variety and that is what TopLine Farms offers… and don’t forget the fun.
