Are you one of those who is always grabbing a handful of sauce packets and stuffing them in your pocket or purse? Heinz sees you and respects your right to always be prepared for any “saucemergency”.

This past summer, they did something fun but also forward thinking. They created 50 collectible sauce packets – one for each state. Dubbed “Saucemerica,” the packets featured designs and paired with the most iconic dishes from each of the 50 states — think tartar sauce with Maryland crab cakes and yellow mustard with Illinois’ Chicago Dog. While each state’s packaging was unique, the sauce inside was one of seven Heinz products, including Ketchup, Yellow Mustard, Real Mayonnaise, Ranch, BBQ Sauce, Tartar Sauce, or Simply Ketchup. And you could enter a pic of your collection of sauces for a chance to win from $500 to $500,000. Talk about hyperlocal in action!

In a world where taste and flavors are ever-evolving thanks to the influx of more foodie-focused meals, reaching beyond the expected and offering something unique (like packaging tied to a state’s official and unofficial foods) makes a lot of sense. Heinz also debuted Sauce Drops, a line of six exclusive sauces available across famous chicken chains like Parson’s Chicken & Fish, Sticky’s Finger Joint, and Abner’s Famous Chicken. Each sauce promises to be both flavor-packed and fleeting:

  • Heinz Yuzu Wasabi: creamy with bright citrus notes and a surprising bite
  • Heinz Black Garlic Ranch: a unique and intense experience, combining the mellow, deep flavor of black garlic with the smoothness of ranch
  • Heinz Creamy Chimichurri: a traditional combination of herbs (parsley, oregano, & cilantro) in a thick dipping sauce with a slight tang and bright herby punch
  • Heinz Brewery Mustard: pub-style grainy mustard sauce with an ale aroma and hoppy background
  • Heinz Hatch Chili Ranch: a spicy smoky sauce enhanced with Southwest chilies
  • Heinz Harissa Aioli: a smoky roasted red pepper blend with flavorful heat and a North African/Middle Eastern flair

And as if that’s not enough innovation for you in a category that has pretty much remained the same for decades, Heinz devised a way to customize your ketchup. Think Coca-Cola Freestyle for condiments! The Heinz “Remix” machine is “the first customizable digital sauce dispenser” and was unveiled at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Using the machine’s screen, users can select multiple component sauces to create their perfect mix or choose from a menu of pre-programmed recipes. “Heinz Remix is a great example of this consumer-first approach to innovation. We’re changing the game for foodservice operators and sauce lovers — dipping will never be the same,” Alan Kleinerman, Vice President of Disruption, Kraft Heinz, declared in the announcement. “With Heinz Remix, it’s more than a sauce dispenser; it’s an insights engine and business model enabler that will help Kraft Heinz understand and respond to consumer trends and flavor preferences in real-time. Who knows — maybe our next new sauce combination will come from a superfan using Heinz Remix.”

Long story short: customization is in demand. What can you do with your brand to invite your fans to make it their own? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Contact us at rob@arthurelliott.com.

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