New products for the millennials: So random

The food and beverage industry is introducing new items targeting millennials, who are said to prioritize satisfaction.

The millennial generation, commonly defined as those born between 1981 and the early 2000s, is considered a top priority in the food and beverage industry.

Their consumption patterns are said to be unique. The “Me-conomy,” which is about investing in “me,” and “nashimbi,” which roughly means applying happiness in a cost-effective way, are guiding consumer products companies.

Coca-Cola’s annual New Year’s campaign is focusing on “Little Big Moments” this year, which emphasizes small happiness everyday. Its D.I.Y. New Year’s special package offers a four-column digital panel on its 350-milliliter can and 500-milliliter plastic bottle products on which to write personal messages.

Since its introduction, this item has been receiving a lot of interest from young people, who are uploading photos of products on social media.

High-end products

Instead of having to go to the Haagen-Dazs store, consumers can now enjoy the Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream and Dessert Waffle at home. This premium dessert collection provides separately packaged Haagen-Dazs vanilla or cookies and cream ice cream with a dessert waffle.

Hollys Coffee has recently released seven types of Seolhyang strawberry desserts. Seolhyang strawberries come from Seolhyang, Jeju Island, and are favored by consumers for hardness and strong sweetness.

Hollys Coffee’s new strawberry desserts - mini-round cake, cheese tart, double fromage cheesecake and chiffon cake - target millennials with their fancy look and fresh seasonal fruit.

Two-in-one products

GS25 introduced a new dessert drink called Dear Pudding, which is a caramel pudding drink. Dear Pudding contains glucomannan powder and pectin, which brings the texture of pudding to a drink. Depending on the temperature of the products and the degree of shaking, the consistency of the contents varies.

If you keep it cold in the refrigerator and drink it without shaking, it feels like you’re eating pudding, while if you shake it several times, you can enjoy it as a sweet caramel-flavored drink with a hint of a pudding texture.

Ottogi has gained popularity among the millennials by releasing a limited “bokki” product that provides two different types of bokki in one serving.

Customers eating two Ottogi products together has become a popular phenomenon on YouTube and social media, so Ottogi has made combinations official products.

One new combination being offered is cheese-bokki and spaghetti-bokki, which maximize savory tastes, and another combination is jjajang-bokki and ramen-bokki, which feature spiciness.

BY SEO JI-YEONG [kim.yeonah@joongang.co.kr]