BOCA RATON, FLA. — McCormick & Co. plans to launch a range of co-branded Tasty McCormick recipe mix blends in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom this year. The company also has entered a global partnership with BuzzFeed Tasty, a cooking video web site with over 2 billion views a month, said Lawrence E. Kurzius, president and chief executive officer of McCormick & Co.
BuzzFeed Tasty is popular among millennials and Generation Z, he said.
“This partnership allows us to gain significant reach as we will now be the official spice in the videos and recipes these generations use while seeking recipe inspiration through social media,” Mr. Kurzius said Feb. 20 during the Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference in Boca Raton. “Our partnership with Tasty began in December with editorial placement of McCormick products into the Tasty videos, and as mentioned earlier, we'll be launching a range of co-branded Tasty McCormick Seasoning Blends during the second quarter of 2019 in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. The blends will be available both through direct-to-consumer channels and retail. We’re excited about this new partnership, which will deliver substantial incremental impression to reach an audience primarily under 35 years of age.”
The younger generations, including millennials and Generation Z, are driving demand for flavor, he said.
“Gen Z is the largest consumer segment, bigger than millennials, and they are just starting to enter the workforce, form households and fuel the next generation of flavor growth,” Mr. Kurzius said. “They’re more experimental and health-aware about food and seek authentic, global, bold and spicy flavors. Gen Z consumes a substantial amount of digital content, largely on social media, making images the primary method of communication. We like to say our phones eat first, so helping them create a fabulous dish that looks shareable, in addition to tasting great, is a growing focus for us.”
McCormick in the United States also is launching Grill Mates marinade flavors and plans to expand its Gourmet line through a range of premium salt and peppers. The company in France will introduce a range of Ducros featuring herbs grown in France. In the United Kingdom, a new range of recipe mixes will seek to capitalize on the trend of sandwich wraps in home meals and on restaurant menus.
Mr. Kurzius in his presentation called attention to McCormick’s e-commerce sales, which grew by 61% in China and by 58% in the United States in 2018.
“We continue to see not only great traction with pure-play customers but also very strong growth with omnichannel retailers as they further invest in their online offerings and digital efforts,” he said.