The latest trendy word in the food industry is “crazy.” True, “crazy” products have been around for ages, but the most recent explosion of popularity is turning all kinds of foods into crazy marketing gimmicks. Pizza Hut has a “Crazy Cheesy Crust” pizza, Taco Bell has “Doritos Locos Tacos” (“locos” of course meaning “crazy”), and Pop-Tarts have been running a “crazy good” campaign for a few years now.
Extreme is Old
Another popular buzzy marketing adjective from recent memory, “extreme,” is beginning to die out. New products marketed toward children and young adults used to carry the “extreme” label to make them stand out and seem more appealing for the age. Now it appears the millennial generation is tired of “extreme” products and is looking for something more “crazy.” These type of words tend to ebb and flow in popularity, though consumers are always eager to find a word describing a product that breaks the norm or goes against the status quo.
How Long Will It Last?
Right now, food companies are scrambling to come up with “crazy” versions of older products and new “crazy” products to fill shelves while the buzz lasts. But how long will that be? If history is any indication, this wave will probably last a while, allowing companies to develop and launch a steady array of new products. However, the market is fickle and within 5 years or so, there will likely be another word to take its place. Think “wild,” or “zany.” Anything with a letter from the last leg of the alphabet tends to do well in these trendy positions. Or anything with an exclamation point.
What It Means
The bottom line is this: consumers are fickle. What appeals to one generation in one year will probably be dead in the water to any other generation or any other time period. But there is a certain cyclical nature to it—a word rises in popularity, becomes overdone, falls away, but eventually rises in popularity again, maybe decades later as audiences grow and appreciate the nostalgia. The key takeaway is to stay observant, jump on trends when you can, and get out before the bubble bursts. Easier said than done.
