Someday in everyday life: You are scrolling through Instagram and all of a sudden you encounter a man in a white overall surrounded by bags of colourful chewy sweets. He beams into the camera and throws a few Hitchies into his mouth and says: "This here is my life!" - heart-warming, authentic, tangible. This man is not just an influencer, but indeed Philip Hitschler-Becker, CEO of the traditional sweet company, Hitschler International. He has succeeded in positioning himself as a "corporate influencer" and leading the company into the digital world with a mixture the traditional and the modern.

But how did it come about that a CEO in a suit suddenly started dancing in TikTok videos and on LinkedIn as "Chief Happiness Officer"? The answer lies in the special dynamics of the food market: Here emotions, stories and above all the ability to speak with the consumers at eye level is what counts. And that is precisely what Hitschler-Becker masters down to a tee.

When he took over the company in the fourth generation he was faced with a decision: Either continue on the classic, traditional path - or dare to tread a totally new one. He opted for the latter. "In comparison to the huge sweets giants like Haribo and Katjes our budget was limited," he explained at the beginning of September at DMEXCO, the trade fair for digital marketing and advertising . "So, I had to be creative." Instead of investing in expensive advertising campaigns, he relied on himself and the social media. Armed with a smartphone he started sharing stories from everyday company life: The production of sweets, personal memories from the company's history, but also the challenges that he had been faced with as a young entrepreneur.

Philip Hitschler-Becker portrays himself as part of the brand, talks about successes, shares moments from everyday life and celebrates every single employee, who contributes towards the success story of Hitschler International. Through this honest communication he has succeeded in addressing a new, younger audience that identifies with the company. In this way, a chew suddenly becomes an emotional product that tells stories.

Whereby his appearances are not at all smoothed over or perfectly staged. On the contrary - sometimes he even comes across as being slightly "cringey" as he puts it himself. Because that is precisely what makes him so authentic and likeable. The followers experience a CEO, who is not afraid to fool around sometimes, pick up on the trends and not take himself seriously. That is what turns Hitschler-Becker into the "person behind the brand" - and that creates a bond that classic advertising campaigns could never achieve. "People follow people," he emphasised during an interview at DMEXCO .

The story of Philip Hitschler-Becker impressively demonstrates how important authenticity and proximity are in the world of modern marketing - particularly in the food section. We all remember sweets from our childhood, the mixed bag from the swimming baths or kiosk round the corner. Hitschler-Becker cleverly picks up on these memories and combines them with new trends.

By acting as a corporate influencer he has lent Hitschler International a modern, fresh image. He brings the taste of one's childhood back to life - wrapped inside a contemporary, digital packaging. The figures prove him right: Within just six years he has turned the company into one of the most successful sweets brands on social media, with thousands of followers and a continually growing community. The turnover is increasing constantly and today Hitschler International is perceived to be an innovative and modern player on the sweets market.

The success story of Philip Hitschler-Becker shows how a corporate influencer can change the face of a brand - and at the same time sell much more than just products. He has proven that a modern CEO doesn't have to just sit in meetings or behind a desk. He can at the same time be a pace-setter, storyteller and influencer - and thus shake up a whole industry. In an age where we are flooded with advertising messages, he reminds us that at the end of the day the person behind the brand is what counts.

Taste has always been the undisputed buying criterion. However, a new dynamics is becoming apparent: The taste remains to be the most important factor, but its significance is decreasing. Nowadays, the consumers expect their food and beverages to taste good - that is a must, not a bonus. Excellent taste is essential in winning over the favour of the buyers, particularly in the case of low-sugar products. According to the Sweets & Trends Report 47% of the consumers have exchanged their hitherto favourite beverage or meal for a low-sugar alternative. 

Whereas the taste has lost significance slightly, health remains to be a firm anchor. The consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious and are paying attention to how food and beverages are produced. In Italy, for instance, 60% of the people are concerned about how the sugar is reduced in their foodstuffs. This trend shows that transparency and honest communications about the ingredients and production processes is more important than ever. In the year 2023, 74% of the European consumers stated that they check the ingredients lists of food and beverages and 52% said that they have read the ingredients lists more attentively over the past 12 months. 

In addition to taste and health, aspects such as naturalness, organic and regionality are constantly gaining significance. Consumers are looking for products that not only taste good, but which are also of natural origin and are produced in an eco-friendly manner. For 56% of the consumers it is important to consume sustainably produced ingredients, which has increased from 48% in the year 2023. Consumers want to know what is in their food. A clear and transparent communication is the key to building trust. Imagine a product declares its sugar content to be beet sugar instead of simply just being white sugar. Such details make all the difference. Buyers want to be able to track where their food comes from and how it is produced. 

Sustainability is not just a keyword, it is a deeply-anchored buying criterion. Consumers pay attention to the fact that the products they buy are produced in an environmentally-friendly way. This encompasses everything from the reduction of CO₂ emissions, through to less packaging material. It doesn't suffice to merely communicate sustainable initiatives; these also have to be credible and transparent to avoid being accused of greenwashing. Almost every second consumer (49%) looks for eco labels and sustainability certificates on the packaging. Furthermore, 46% of the European consumers are worried about greenwashing. 

In addition to ecological aspects, social sustainability also plays an increasing role. Consumers want to make sure the products they buy are produced under fair conditions. This includes fair wages and good working conditions. 51% of the consumers are prepared to pay more for a product, which contains sustainably sourced sugar. 

The transformation of the world of food and beverages is clearly tangible. Consumers want products that not only taste good, but which also reflect their values. Naturalness, regionality and sustainability are not temporary trends, but fixed elements of the buying decision. Manufacturers, who recognise these needs and win over the trust of the consumers with transparent communications and sustainable practices, will be successful long-term. 

*Source: Sweets & Trends Report 2024, Euromonitor, FMCG Gurus - Top Ten Trends 2024 

"The Belgian chocolatiers have succeeded in capturing the taste essence of a cocoa pod with all its nuances in a fruity-chocolaty way in the Cabosse filling, creating a new taste experience for chocolates," said the jury of the ISM Top Innovations Award 2022.

Nicolas Degryse, Marketing & Communication Specialist at Vandenbulcke Confiserie, talks in an interview about the idea of launching such an innovative product and explains why the confectionery is still reaping the benefits of the media hype surrounding the TOP Innovations.

Mr. Degryse, your product is one of the top innovations at ISM 2022 and took 1st place. Congratulations again! What impact did the award have on your business?

We created the upcycled chocolate “Cabosse” especially for ISM to present it to our customers and subscribed it for the New Product Award. Winning the award gave us a lot of visibility in press releases and we had contact with a lot of potential customers because it is a very revolutionary product.

What is so special about your winning product?

Normally only the cocoa beans are used to make chocolate, but the cocoa beans are only

30 percent of the entire fruit. The rest is pulp (white flesh) that is normally being discarded, so it is a loss of 70 percent of the entire fruit. We made a chocolate where the filling is made of that white flesh. In this way, there is less waste, and the cocoa farmers have more income because the sell more of the same product.

On top of that, we made it in a “plastic” free packaging, using no plastic tray but a recycled paper tray.

In your point of view, what does it need to continuously come up with new ideas and products in the sweets and snacks industry?

Sweets and snacks industry is a fast-evolving business. Next to your core products, it is always interesting to follow the market, see which trends are in which countries to set up new products. We are not a company that releases a new product every month, but with our R&D department, we are striving to have one new, but very good product a year.

Why should exhibitors of ISM apply for the New Product Showcase Award?

The new product showcase award is a very good platform to reach a lot of international customers and have a lot of visibility. Even when you don’t win, you are showcased in the middle of the fair where a lot of international buyers go looking. So don’t hesitate and apply for the New Product Showcase award.

The desire for more sustainability, naturalness and transparency is not new, but it has currently become one of the most important food trends. This is also reflected in the snacks and confectionery sector and will be clearly evident at ISM in Cologne. The industry has already reacted to this development in some areas: According to the BDSI, 94 percent of the sweets sold in Germany in 2019 used sustainably produced palm oil or palm kernel oil. In 2013, it was only 60 per cent. The development is even more pronounced in the cocoa sector. The BDSI reports that 77 percent of the confectionery sold in Germany in 2020 already contained sustainably produced cocoa. This is an increase of 74 percent compared to 2011.

One of the reasons why these topics, already virulent for years, have gained momentum once again is the pandemic. Corona has done something to us - to us as individuals, to us as societies, to us as a world. This includes the fact that consumer awareness and shopping behaviour have changed: Health and regionality have clearly gained presence in people's minds. At the same time, sweets and snacks help to make the days "special" in these uncertain and unsettling times. Indulging oneself is good for the soul. This is also confirmed by the figures of the 'Ernährungsreport 2021' published by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture: As many as 32 per cent of women and 21 per cent of men eat sweets and snacks almost every day, and for 99 per cent, taste comes first when eating.

But snacks and confectionery should not only taste good, they should also be as organic as possible. The market research company Innova Market Insights expects sales in the organic snacks category in Germany to reach 1 billion US dollars by 2021. Worldwide, Allied Market Research forecasts growth of 13.6 per cent to over 24 billion US dollars for this sector by 2025. According to Innova Market Insights, France is currently the European leader in organic confectionery with sales of 1.6 billion US dollars. In general, Europe is a driver in organic snacks and sweets: 66 percent of all global market launches in the organic snacks segment and 71 percent of all launches in the organic confectionery segment take place here. In the long term, however, the growing demand for organic food is also a result of the growing markets of the Asia-Pacific region, with populous countries such as India and China, rising disposable incomes, more hectic lifestyles and changing eating habits.

But what does the consumer understand by organic or sustainable, what is decisive for him or her when buying? For one thing, consumers want to know what they are eating. This is where clean labelling comes into play, with tidy ingredient lists and ingredients that are as natural and unprocessed as possible. Recently, criteria such as the origin of the ingredients, the environmental compatibility of the production and fair production conditions have also gained in importance. According to Innova Market Insights, the most important claims made when launching snacks and confectionery with organic claims are vegan and gluten-free, followed by no additives or preservatives and no genetically modified ingredients. The transparency of the supply chain is thus becoming increasingly important. Four out of five consumers already stated in a 2019 Innova survey that "brands should be transparent in their production process", and Innova Market Insights also ranks transparency among the top 10 trends in 2021.

When it comes to consumer expectations, the 2021 Nutrition Report finds more interesting results: Consumers are most likely to check the sugar (59%), fat (44%) and salt (25%) content of foods. For 35 percent, it is important to eat a low-calorie diet - a need that is most relevant among the over-60s with 49 percent. For 82 percent, it is important that food comes from the region. For nine percent, this also applies to sweets and savoury snacks. The proportion of respondents who eat vegetarian food has risen from five to ten percent compared to 2020. A much larger proportion, namely 30 to 35 percent, reach for vegetarian or vegan alternatives at least sometimes. And: while 83 percent welcome less sugar in convenience foods, only nine percent are in favour of offsetting it with artificial sweeteners.

Visitors to ISM can look forward to a wide range of products that serve these trend themes. Almost 200 exhibitors will present articles with organic attributes: from organic marzipan potatoes from Odenwälder Marzipan Konditorei and chocolate icing without added sugar from Frankonia to organic wafer bread from Dr. Quendt or chocolate Easter bunnies and Santas made of organic chocolate from Hans Riegelein Confiserie to the "Free From" product world from Coppenrath or certified organic dates from Horchanie Dattes International. Clear Chox focuses on a transparent supply chain from cocoa farmer to finished chocolate, and the Goodlife Company says it is on a "Healthy Snacking Mission". Q Chocolate offers Dr Choq, a Fairtrade chocolate aimed at "a new generation of chocolate lovers". Good Food Products focuses on items without artificial colours or additives as well as GMO-free products, for example in the form of rice cakes in various flavours. The crunchy snacks from Pizza Croccantina, which has relied on organically grown products for 20 years and only works with certified suppliers, have no added preservatives or acidifiers.

Williams: Based on what we can see from the Transparency Triumphs trend, products from the Snacks and Confectionary industries are now being more consistent with adding detail on traceability of their ingredients and a meaningful story telling. A good example of this is chocolate products highlighting how their cacao is produced using sustainable farming techniques or how through its cultivation, many communities are being empowered and supported.

3 in 5 global consumers say that they are interested in learning more about where their food comes from and how it is made. Source: Innova Consumer Survey 2020

Another trend that that has been shaping the snacks and confectionary industries is Plant Forward. A trend that has been consistently evolving through the years and now, we can see producers incorporating new innovative alternatives to their existing portfolio, offering indulgence across sweets and salty products that highlight the plant-based element.

Confectionary product launches with Plant-based claims show an average annual growth of +34% (Global, CAGR 2017-2020YTD*) *2020YTD=Jan 2020-Oct 2020 (Source: Innova Database).

Williams: Williams: As the COVID-19 pandemic transforms our shopping and eating habits, we see it impacting almost all the Top TenTrends for 2021. The pandemic also has bolstered focus on overall health and immunity, with consumers seeking foods and ingredients that support their unique lifestyles. In our “In Tune with Immune” trend we see how immunity-boosting ingredients will play a significant role in the coming year.

3 in 5 global consumers say they are increasingly looking for food and beverage products that support their immune health. Source: Innova Consumer Survey 2020

Williams: Trend 10. Age of the Influencer is a trend that is most likely to prevail in Asia, this trend takes a look at really what is influencing consumers to try things. Chinese consumers highlighted that WeChat, TV and Weibo are platforms that have a major impact on Chinese consumers purchasing behavior. Idol actors and singers are also used by brands in China to attract young consumers and increase brand recognition.

With plant-based products becoming more mainstream, we can see the Plant-Forward trend prevailing in European and US markets. Variety of plant powered snacks and sweets increase consumer awareness of this trend and allow room for further product innovation.

From a global perspective, there are trends that will prevail across regions, for example Transparency Triumphs. Consumers across the world are now engaged in understanding where the products they are buying come from and how they are being produced. It has now become part of the identity of consumers to care for what they put into their bodies.

The same we could say about the In Tune with Immune trend: The pandemic ignited a sense of curiosity in global consumers. They are educating themselves on ingredients and procedures that can keep them healthy, for instance botanical ingredients with immune-boosting benefits being incorporated across product categories.

Williams: Increasing consumer demand for more natural and healthy options that can also add an element of indulgence within snacks and confectionary products is one of the biggest challenges producers face in 2021. The use of Natural colors, sweeteners and flavors is expected to become more mainstream across categories.

Confectionary product launches with a natural claim show an average annual growth of +36% (Global, CAGR 2017-2019) Source: Innova Database.

To be honest, this award had an incredible leverage effect for us. We suddenly had a very big presence in the industry and received and still receive a lot of enquiries for paddies, especially from other European countries but even from all over the world. Many of these enquiries turned into orders within a very short time, so that today, only 2 months later, the first paddies have already arrived in Poland, Finland and Hungary. Our expansion into Germany is also going well and was given a big boost by the ISM award. We are very happy about that.

A product like Paddies has never been on the snack shelf before. Paddies are the first salty snack biscuits with the dip already inside. They combine the fine crunchiness of a wafer with a spicy taste - new texture, brilliant mouthfeel and great taste guaranteed.

Extremely important. ISM, with all its channels and presentation opportunities, has given us an incredible reach in the industry and we are grateful that we, as a start-up, had the opportunity to present our new product Paddies within the framework of all participating snack brands.

Yes, we are one of the ISM 2021 Top Innovation and we are very proud of our 3rd place. This is the recognition of our know-how and values. For 50 years, our teams have been perpetuating and improving the traditional techniques used in artisanal confectionery and chocolate-making.

This award also confirms our strategy to work only with natural ingredient and to completely remove dyes in our confectionery.

We warmly thank all of our employees, who make our company the excellence of confectionery.

Innovation is the DNA of our company. We invest every day in research and development (R&D) and always look for new raw materials, new fruits, new flavors, and new taste experience to achieve the best confectionery.

Our obsession is to use quality raw materials with a fully identified origin and cultivation location:

• 100% of our almonds and hazelnuts come from France (conventional farming)
• 75% of the fruits we use come from Provence (South of France)
• 100% of our chocolate is fair-trade

Each year, we create new confectioneries, with new raw material, new ingredient, we are constantly looking for more naturality to meet the requirements of our customers.

We combined mankind’s heritage, know -how and innovation: a crispy and crunchy gluten free cereal, coated in fair-trade white chocolate and natural fruit powder (passion fruit, lime, raspberry, and banana) and without artificial flavors.

This product reflects our daily work of continuous improvement in R&D and in particular with regard to the use of natural dyes, which are all the more difficult to measure at the level of the recipe, and to master in terms of aging! All this while responding to a strong demand from the gluten-free market. So this is a double feat!

ISM is a fantastic platform to launch and promote our brand, products and create networks.

All world leaders are present. We can discover the latest trends and topics and our competitors activities. ISM is a trendsetter and source of ideas for the sweets world.

We can meet our customers from all over the world and find new prospects. ISM is the best way to taste and test our new confectioneries. So ISM is the place to be.

The range of sweets and snacks is very wide not only in Germany but worldwide. Most manufacturers have a certain portfolio or specialized segment that they represent. In recent years, ISM has shown how portfolios are evolving. Ingredients, texture and packaging are adapted to meet the needs of the target groups. Today’s consumers have a wide variety of products at their disposal, so everyone can find what they are looking for.

In parts, yes. This is particularly visible in the organic segment. The segment has received a further boost from the Corona pandemic. Enormous growth has been seen in the organic snacks segment in particular, as consumers try to balance their busy lives with staying healthy. Snacks play a crucial role, as snacks can provide useful nutrients when there is no time for a substantial meal.

First of all, we currently assume that we will certainly not take off again at the same level as this was the case in 2020 or the years before. One of the innovations in 2022 will be that we are planning a hybrid format for ISM as well as ProSweets Cologne, that takes place at the same time. In addition to the physical product show, there will be a digital platform that offers our exhibitors additional reach besides the actual trade show. The platform is "state of the art" and offers exhibitors options such as presenting their products in a digital exhibitor showroom. Moreover, content about products and companies can be presented to interested participants in digital panels or conferences and, of course, can be deepened via special networking functions in chats or digital meetings. In addition to a variety of other tools, the platform thus also supports addressing new visitor target groups and will also be relevant for future editions of ISM.

For us, it’s clear that the needs of our customers will now change even faster due to the pandemic. This means that trade fairs will also have to change as platforms for the respective industry. That's why it's so important for us to rethink trade shows together with our conceptual sponsors, partners and customers, because that's the only way we can create solutions that fit the needs of our target groups, exhibitors and visitors alike. Digitization plays a very central role in this. That's why we started digitizing processes early on, even before Corona, from the registration process for exhibitors or ticket purchasing for visitors, to digital platforms that strongly complement a physical trade show and increase the reach for everyone.

We have also used the pandemic period to develop solutions for hybridizing future trade shows and for new digital business models. The challenge will be to optimally combine the digital solutions with the strengths of the physical trade show to create the best possible benefits for the various customer groups. For the future, we therefore firmly believe that hybrid events will prevail. That is why we are also planning ISM and ProSweets Cologne 2022 in this format. Personal contact, emotions and the event experience as such cannot be replaced by virtual formats alone, all the more so when it comes to product sampling, smelling and tasting as in the sweets and snack industry.

Sweets and snacks is the most active segment taking a 16.4% share of the regional total in 2020. The category shows an average annual growth of +11% over the past five years (MENA, CAGR 2016-2020), growing twice as fast as the total F&B launches tracked in region over the same period.

Sweets & snacks manufacturers are challenged to launch products aligning specific diet or lifestyle needs, such as vegan, reduced sugar and high protein. The market for plant-based sweets and snacks is growing and creates opportunities, since plant-based is currently the fastest growing claim within the global sweets and snacks market (+80% CAGR 2016-2020). Given the rapid global growth of these claims, it is expected that this will spill over the MENA region as well. Other growing health claims are for example ‘prebiotic’ and ‘anti-aging’ with an average annual growth of +40% and +38% respectively (Global, CAGR 2016-2020). A regional response to these trends is emerging, ever since we tracked the first plant-based snack introduction for the MENA region in 2019.

Within the sweets and snacks category in MENA, vegetable based snacks is an emerging category with an average annual growth of +73% (MENA, CAGR 2016-2020), while being still a niche market with a share of 0.4% in 2020. Also licorice and toffee & fudge are fast growing small categories with average annual growth rates of +32% and +27% respectively (MENA, CAGR 2016-2020).

Emerging claims within the sweets and snacks market in MENA are mainly related to health or specific lifestyles. An example of such a health related claim is immune health, where an average annual growth is observed of +73% (MENA, CAGR 2016-2020). Growth was also observed in the claim high/source of fiber with an average annual growth of +25% (MENA, CAGR 2016-2020). Both claims are showing that consumers demand their sweets and snacks to be fitted within their specific needs.

A global trend within Food & Beverages is launching hybrid products, which broadens the dimensions of indulgence. Brands collaborate to bring hybrids and create new sensory experiences. In the MENA region there is an average annual growth of +21% of products with a co-branding claim (MENA, CAGR 2016-2020). 39% of these co-branding product launches in 2020 contained Oreo-flavor, such as an Oreo flavored candy. Producers of sweets & snacks should further explore brand collaborations to bring new exciting hybrid products to the MENA market.

Awards are always great because they recognise the daily achievements of all employees. It's a wonderful external reward, so to speak, which you can't give as a company management. The award for our tea leaves means even more for the entire team of the Lauenstein Confectionery, because it rewards a development phase of about three years, during which we also doubted or questioned our vision again and again. We are all the more pleased that these efforts have now been rewarded with this great award and the many positive feedbacks.

Our industry is in a constant state of change, because tastes are changing. Whereas in the past, chocolates containing alcohol were mostly desired, the trend is now towards non-alcoholic and fruity. Therefore, we have also streamlined our assortment.

The most important role is played by our quality standards, which we never deviate from. Apart from that, new products should of course appeal to the changing tastes of our customers and also open up new target groups.

The two ancient cultivated plants Camellia sinensis and Theobroma cacao share some similarities. But they also harmonise wonderfully in terms of taste. After years of development and with the help of leading tea experts, we have developed this special process that marries our fine Lauenstein chocolate with the highest quality real tea. And that is what makes our product so special. Of course, we do not reveal how this works.

ISM is one of the most important, if not the most important trade fair for the confectionery industry. This is where manufacturers and trade meet. It's about exchange, networking, the emergence of new trends. In fact, it's about everything that moves our industry. We are optimistic and very much hope that ISM will be able to take place again in 2022 in almost its old form.