Consumer recipes that trended on social media (SNS) are being successively launched as new products. This is the result of ideas previously consumed as limited-edition or event-based menus passing market validation and leading to new product development. "Consumer R&D" has emerged as a key product development strategy in the food industry.
According to the food industry on the 17th, Nongshim will launch its new product "Gambas Chapagetti" on the 27th. The company productized a consumer recipe that won first place at last year's "Chapagetti YoLisa Contest." It incorporated the unique flavor of gambas into Chapagetti using ingredients such as roasted garlic, shrimp, and olive oil.
Nongshim also began selling "Neoguring" on the 12th. Inspired by an SNS consumer recipe that involves shaking Neoguri soup with onion rings, the product combines the texture of onion rings with the spicy seafood flavor unique to Neoguri.
Baskin-Robbins develops new products through consumer contests. This year's "Great Taste Contest" received approximately 43,000 ideas, and about 648,000 votes were cast in the first and second rounds of consumer voting. The winning entries, "Monster Crunch Cookie" and "Matcha with Banana," were launched as the flavor of the month and a delivery-exclusive product, respectively.
Consumers even directly choose the final products to be released. To mark the 40th anniversary of the launch of "Shin Ramyun," Nongshim is conducting consumer voting and tasting evaluations until the 18th for "Shin Ramyun Cheese & Doenjang" and "Shin Ramyun Seafood & Fish Cake," which were co-developed with Chef Edward Lee.
The food industry's focus on consumer ideas stems from its ability to reduce uncertainty in new product development. A recent analysis by global market research firm NielsenIQ of approximately 250,000 new products across 130 consumer goods categories, including food and beverages, found that only half of the products saw revenue growth through their second year on the market. Productizing combinations that have gained interest among consumers can help secure demand in the early stages.
Changes are also being detected in product development methods. In the past, consumer ideas were used as a tool to boost buzz by applying them to event-based menus, but recently, the frequency of launching them as official products has increased. There is a move to develop these into hit products that generate continuous revenue rather than using them on a one-time basis. A representative example of successfully launching an official product through this method is Nongshim's "Shin Ramyun Tumma." Inspired by cooking methods shared by consumers, the product was launched in 2024 and became a mega-hit, gaining popularity overseas and surpassing 100 million units in cumulative global sales by the end of last year. Ottogi also referenced a recipe involving adding milk, cheese, and other ingredients to "Yeol Ramen" (Spicy Ramen) to launch "Royal Ramen" in May, selling over 2 million units within one month.
The trend of wanting to directly experience products and recipes that have become topics on SNS also boosts "Consumer R&D." A survey by DMC Report last year of 1,000 food and beverage consumers found that 56.1% of respondents purchased products that had gone viral on SNS or followed related recipes.
A food industry official said, "The biggest advantage of 'Consumer R&D' is that consumers voluntarily post reviews and cooking videos, which then lead to marketing."
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