General Mills Launches a New Series of Products to Meet the Trends This Summer

General Mills launches a new lineup of products around the world this summer, many closely aligned with increasing consumer interest in wellness, convenience and snacking.

The new range includes new Yoplait Greek 2% Whips!, Nature Valley Nut & Seed Crunchy Granola Bars, Annie’s Organic Cereal, Old El Paso Mini Taco Boats, Totino’s Pizza Sticks and Häägen-Dazs Stick Bars.

“We’re in a period of very rapid change in the food industry. And consumers are very clear about what they want – simple ingredient lists, free from artificial colors and flavors, free from gluten, less sugar, less sodium, more convenience. This translates into a very clear set of growth opportunities for us,” said Ken Powell, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills.

One of the ways the company is meeting these opportunities is through “lemonade stands,” where product development teams go into business for a day with a product concept, setting up a table to interact with people – whether at a cooking school, a farmers’ market, a fitness center or even a traditional grocery store. Lemonade stands allow teams to more quickly test new product ideas with consumers and capture learnings earlier in the new product development process.

In many cases, the company’s new development processes have increased speed to market from approximately 24 months to less than 12 months.

General Mills has included in this new range products to satisfy new trends, such as wellness snacks and dedicated products for younger consumers – discerning tweens and teens alike – who prefer differentiated products created just for them.