The Future of Snacking

In an industry where the latest trends can shift overnight, today’s snack brands are competing for attention, identity, and relevance. The Sweets and Snacks Expo provided tangible examples of how viral ideas come to life, brands are evolving, and what conversations are happening behind the scenes in the world of snacking.  

For my first tradeshow I wasn’t sure what to expect, and Sweets and Snacks was one hell of a way to dive in. With over 1,000 exhibitors ranging from huge corporations like Hershey and Kinder to the newcomers on Startup Alley, the expo was overflowing with learnings. The space was arranged by category, taking me through the seven layers of the candy cane forest to snack heaven. I met industry leaders that shared their brand story, participated in fun activations, and sampled more products than I’d care to admit. I attended seminars and made my way across the floor to find a few stand out observations that I plan to bring back to my work.  

Functionality is in and protein is maxed out 

If you’ve spent any time on social media or scanned the shelves recently, there is one ingredient that cannot be missed: Protein. What was previously reserved for gym lover’s workout shakes has made its way into everyday snacks, drinks, and dessert. As the health-conscious nature of shoppers continues to rise, brands have met them where they are and made their products fit the need. However, what goes up must come down, and protein is not excluded from this principle. The market has become oversaturated with protein products, and brands are now focusing on functionality first, shifting into energy, focus, and mood.  

Brands can move from impression to consumption in less than 30 minutes  

I attended a great seminar, “From Scroll to Cart: What Drives Gen Z Discovery and Loyalty” led by Michael Peroutka at Gopuff that revealed how buyer behavior is shifting. “Instant and quick commerce is rising” – particularly within the Gen Z audience buyers are likely to see a product on social media and order immediately. This creates an opportunity to “collapse the marketing funnel” and reach conversion quicker than ever before. With social media channels increasingly used as search engines over content channels; Michael emphasized how important it is to play into the algorithm and find ways for your product to stand out when scrolling.  

Flavor and texture are replacing traditional innovation  

For strictly research purposes, I sampled as many products as I could at the expo. The bold flavors, textures, and combinations stood out to me and could be seen across both the candy and snacking landscapes. From “spicy mango candy” to “Mountain Dew gummy worms” consumers should expect the unexpected in the snack aisle. Product variance is growing each day as brands are finding out of the box ways to provide innovative flavors to their consumers. Rather than reinventing the wheel with all new products, brands combine unconventional flavors and textures to create unique snacking experiences.  

So why should agencies care?  

As I take these learnings back to my creative team and clients, I’m exploring how trends are no longer just cultural moments - they’re shaping how consumers discover, evaluate, and buy products. Brands that move quickly on emerging behaviors are better positioned to stay relevant and drive performance. This creates an opportunity to help brands identify the right trends early and translate them into smarter creative, messaging, and media strategies. Sweets and Snacks taught me that the future of snacking will belong to the brands that are listening closely, adapting quickly, and finding meaningful ways to meet evolving needs before their competitors.