1. Do innovate with purpose – and keep your point of difference sacred
A common mistake in innovation is straying too far from the idea that made the concept exciting in the first place, according to Charlie Chappell, VP of innovation and R&D at the Hershey Company.
“What is the core, most important thing that makes you believe this innovation is going to be successful? Don’t deviate off that… That’s your point of difference. That’s why the consumer at the shelf is going to pick you over something else,” he says.
Too often, tweaks in the commercialisation phase – cost-cutting, scaling compromises or scope creep – dilute a product’s power. “Launch what you test, and protect what makes it special,” he says.
2. Don’t sacrifice taste and texture – ever
It sounds self-evident, but according to the experts, functional, sustainable or better-for-you attributes won’t save a product that fails on flavour.
“It has to taste amazing. You can’t bother with all the other stuff until you’ve nailed that,” says Fliss Newland, former Mondelez International executive and founder of better-for-you UK gummies brand Wild Thingz.
From soft, Turkish delight–style gummies to botanically enhanced chocolate, today’s consumer won’t tolerate unpleasant trade-offs – especially when it comes to indulgence.
3. Do move fast – but know when to prioritise speed over perfection
Hershey’s response to the TikTok freeze-dried candy trend is a textbook case of strategic agility.
“At Hershey, we talk about: is this an innovation where speed is most important, or where perfection is?” says Chappell.
By iterating quickly – solving the next problem in front of them every 2–4 weeks – the company brought a Jolly Rancher–inspired innovation to market in just six to eight months.
Learn more about effective innovation strategies by attending our free webinar
For more from these experts, tune in to the free Sweetest Innovation 2025 webinar on July 10. You’ll hear more fr om Charlie Chappell about his work continually innovating and iterating at the Hershey Company, how founders Fliss Newland and Chris Peruzzi took their passion projects from concept to shelf, and a fascinating discussion with Guy White on the nine data points confectioners need to consider to use AI most effectively for successful innovation.
4. Don’t ignore your brand’s permission space
In a fast-moving category, it’s tempting to chase trends – but consumers may not trust you to deliver them.
“Would you buy a chocolate bar from Haribo? Of course not,” says Guy White, CEO of AI innovation platform Catalyx. “Would you buy gummies from KitKat? You’d think twice.”
Understanding whether consumers believe your brand has the right to play in a new space is essential – especially if you’re straying into unfamiliar formats, functions or price tiers.
5. Do use AI to expand your thinking – but validate everything
AI is speeding up ideation, concept development and even packaging – but it has its limits.
“It can be a silent killer… AI will always give you an answer. But you don’t know if that answer is valid until it’s on shelf,” says White.
Models excel at surfacing overlooked ideas and boosting ideation. But they’re backward-looking tools too – an echo chamber. For novel innovation, and especially in sensory-led categories like confectionery, human instinct and consumer validation remain vital.
6. Don’t ignore packaging – it’s a retail salesperson
Eye-catching packaging is still the most effective way to win attention and communicate value.
“You have two to three seconds to catch their eye and pique their interest…,” says Chris Peruzzi, co-founder of US-based the Functional Chocolate Company. “My packaging is just as important as my formulas.”
Peruzzi’s chocolate is positioned in wellbeing spaces – not with other confectionery, to convey its functional efficacy – a bold strategy to attract a new health-oriented audience. But whatever your category, he says, it’s vital to make your brand stand out and your benefits clear.
7. Do design with real-life consumers in mind
The most successful brands are obsessively consumer-first – from format and flavour to portion and positioning.
For Wild Thingz, finding the intersection between parents wanting to give kids a treat while being mindful about their health meant pack size became a key consideration – a segment of innovation Newland says is often overlooked.
That insight led to the bold decision to make the pack size a conservative 25g. “We’re giving less to the consumer, but we’re delivering value – because we really understand what their life is like,” she says.