The Making of a New Product - SUPERPRETZEL Multigrain Soft Pretzel

An interview with Susan Tracey, Associate Marketing Manager of J&J Snack Foods, to find out more about the how this hit new product was developed.

It's no secret that Phil keeps a box of SUPERPRETZEL in his freezer at home, but he was a little skeptical when they came out with this version only to be proven wrong! SUPERPRETZEL Multigrain Soft Pretzel was chosen for a Pick of the Week, so we had a conversation with Susan Tracey, Associate Marketing Manager of J&J Snack Foods, to find out more about the how this hit new product was developed. 

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

SUPERPRETZEL Soft Pretzels are the #1 selling soft pretzel in the US, and that’s not an accident! As a company, J&J Snack Foods consistently strives to create products that exceeds consumer’s expectations. Crafting a multigrain version of SUPERPRETZEL was a no-brainer…the challenge was to make it appealing to all consumers, not just people seeking to get more grains into their diet. 

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

SUPERPRETZEL Multigrain Soft Pretzels is really almost unchallenged in terms of brand recognition, distribution, and most importantly, taste! Along with 6 grams of protein and 11 grams of whole grains, this product is the real deal. 

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

This is a great question! Internally, there was a lot of emphasis put on the packaging. It was crucial to find the right balance between the iconic SUPERPRETZEL brand and leveraging that brand recognition with new graphics that emphasizes better-for-you and differentiates this line extension. We feel the end result is packaging that combines both!

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

Absolutely! SUPERPRETZEL Multigrain Soft Pretzels contain 6 grams of protein and 11 grams of whole grainsand certified by the Whole Grains Council. Also, SUPERPRETZEL Multigrain Soft Pretzels contains no saturated fat and no added sugar. Through consumer testing, we learned many people would consider using SUPERPRETZEL Multigrain Soft Pretzels at different dayparts such as part of a healthy breakfast.

What sustainability efforts have you made with your product/packaging?

All SUPERPRETZEL cartons are made from 100% recycled paperboard with a minimum of 35% post-consumer content. 

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

The easiest part of creating SUPERPRETZEL Multigrain Soft Pretzels was the decision to move forward with the line extension. I’d say the R&D process went fairly smoothly…probably the most challenging aspect of the whole process was the packaging for the requirements listed above.

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

This launch was a fairly smooth process. Not all are such, but this one was a great experience!