The Making of a New Product: Kids Gourmet Slammers Awesome Flavor

An interview with Go Gourmet Co-Founders and sisters, Jennifer Carlson and Jill Vos.

In case you missed it, Kids Gourmet Slammers was chosen as a Pick of the Week in Phil’s Food Reviews. We wanted to find out more about how this product was inspired and developed, so we caught up with Go Gourmet Co-Founders and sisters, Jennifer Carlson and Jill Vos. These two moms started their journey in search of healthy, convenient snacks for their own children.

What inspired you to create your new product? Is there a particular niche or segment of the market you were focusing on?

Our kids inspired us to create these new products. As parents we were looking for healthy, convenient snacks that our active kids would enjoy eating. They were tired of the typical snack bar and apple sauce, so we created something great tasting and fun to eat that would also help fuel their activities. Our target niche is active school-age kids. 

What makes your product different and able to stand out against similar ones? How important has differentiation been in developing this product?

Many similar products on the market are basic fruit purees where we are providing a snack with a more unique blend of ingredients such as super fruits (acai, blueberries, yumberries), veggies, ancient grains, Greek Yogurt, and protein. These ingredients are more appealing to school-age kids and are focused on providing the fuel that these kids need to get through their busy days. Most products in this category are focused on younger kids (3-6) and are usually a simple combination of apples and 1 other fruit. Having a healthy snacking option for their school-age kids (6-12) makes moms feel good and also helps to develop good eating habits early.

What was the process like of designing your package, and how do you feel the final result has impacted perceptions of your product?

The process is always fun when designing new packaging. We worked with a wide variety of kids representing our target market, and a great agency helped to develop a really unique pouch and box. We wanted to create an edgy, fun pack with bright colors, relateable avatars and names that would stand out among the many options in this category. We came up with a stand out black package that showcases the ingredients in the pack while educating parents and kids about the goodness that Slammers delivers. 

Does your product have relevant health attributes? What are they?

Besides being organic, with no added sugar, we strive to develop our products to provide additional benefits. Most of our line up provides kids with one full serving of fruits and vegetables, and within specific flavors, is a good source of vitamins and high in antioxidants from our superfruits. Our newest protein varieties deliver 7 grams of protein per pouch which supports bone and muscle development for growing kids.

Through creating a new product, what would you say were the most difficult parts of the process and what came the easiest?

Developing the new products is the easiest part of the process. We're inspired by what our kids are eating and what they like, and frequently use them for feedback as we develop new flavors. The most difficult part is creating something completely new like our Slammers Protein. It was very difficult to create a great tasting, high protein product without adding sugar. We managed to do it and are most proud of those flavors. 

Anything you would change if you were starting from scratch again?

Not a thing...we love these products! 

Besides your product, what's one out on the market that you admire?

In our niche market of school-age kids, I admire Cliff Kidz. I think they have developed a great tasting, convenient product with good nutritional benefit and have marketed it well to both kids and parents.