Kids are frank. They'll be the first to let you know that your meatloaf sucks, and they're never too shy to ask for better groceries. Apparently, they're just as brutally honest to the makers of Jell-O.
Kids want the same jiggly and colorful food -- minus the artificial stuff.
Looking to pick the brains of truthful consumers, Jell-O held focus groups with 11- and 12-year-olds. The young gelatin eaters were more nutrition-savvy than the company had expected.
“We heard a lot about artificial ingredients, which was most surprising to us,” Nicole Kulwicki, Jell-O's Head of Marketing, told USA Today. “They talked to teachers and friends at school, and they were really aware of it.”
Soon after, Jell-O Simply Good was born. It's a pouch of pudding or gelatin mix made without artificial dyes, flavors or preservatives.
While kids of today are evidently chatting about health and the detrimental effects of sugar in the schoolyard, taste remains key.
Simply Good is available in pudding flavors like vanilla bean, banana and chocolate caramel. Real-fruit-juice flavored gelatin mixes come in strawberry, pineapple orange and mixed berry varieties.
Experts say food companies' move toward more natural products is a good response to consumers' changing needs, but they'll eventually need to take a look at sugar content if they want success long term.
“With the Internet, people are now educated on the impact of sugar and its weapon-grade effect on the body,” brand expert Eric Schiffer told USA Today. “Consumers are looking for healthy options."
While Simply Good is artificial flavor-free and has a short ingredients list, a serving of the Jell-O packs in about 18 grams of sugar.
When the dessert hits stores, pouches will be available next to original Jell-O products. For now, get the scoop under the hashtag #delightfullyhonest. It's Simply Good's marketing campaign where parents are encouraged to share photos of their children's "unfiltered moments" in the spirit of their honesty.