Once Again, It's Pumpkin Everything in the Food World

Pumpkin everything season now begins in late summer. Starbucks showed imagination in launching its Pumpkin Spice Latte via live-streaming, building on anticipation from fans. Dunkin' Donuts is doubling down on pumpkin coffees and muffins: "We’ve seen our fans ask for pumpkin earlier and earlier each year," the company explains.

In general, pumpkin everything is turning everything orange in the food aisles and in cafes well before autumn arrives. Some marketers, like Krispy Kreme, really limit the limited-time pumpkin trend: It will offer a pumpkin-spice doughnut for one day only.

Other marketers are riding the pumpkin wave for weeks or months. How about a Kit Kat Pumpkin Pie bar? Or pumpkin spice breakfast cereals like Cheerios? Pumpkin everything reigns in food marketing for autumn.

Nestle's "Not Kit Kat" Super-Premium Chocolates

Nestle has a new line of customized luxury chocolates--and these are not your everyday, average Kit Kat bars (one of Nestle's top global brands).

Instead, Swiss-made Maison Cailler chocolates serve as a journey into your Chocolate Personality. The process begins when you read about the Maison Cailler chocolates, look at all the luscious photos on the Web site or the Facebook page, and order a sampler to taste.

Now comes the personalization part: You go to the Maison Cailler site and rate each chocolate in the sampler box, also noting whether you like to discover "exciting flavors" such as spices in your chocolate. With a click, you'll know your choco personality and you can then order boxes of premium chocolate specially selected for your preferences.

Not at all like Kit Kat, which has just introduced a new chunky peanut butter flavor, below (based on the results of a public vote).

Kit Kat with Corn? Yes

Kit Kat with corn or soy sauce? In Japan, Nestle has introduced some unusual chocolate bars to cater to the craze for seasonal/limited edition foods.

Corn--often added to Japanese salads and other dishes--is the star of one Kit Kat bar, shown above. Below it is a seasonal Kit Kat featuring red beans, production limited to spring and fall.

This morning, National Public Radio discussed Kit Kats in Japan and concluded that the craze is fueled by the intense competition between convenience stores, not just consumer interested in variety. Limited edition bars are also introduced for national holidays and for special sports events.

Because not every variety is available in every location, Nestle's marketing encourages shoppers to buy Kit Kats when they travel around Japan and bring them home as gifts or souvenirs. Clever marketing!