Happy New Year & 2023 Favorites Innovations
All of us at Mission Field wish you a phenomenal end of 2023 and fantastic start to 2024!
As we close out 2023, our team wanted to share a few of our favorite new innovations that caught our eye and made it into our homes this year. Hope you enjoy!
We spend most of our time working on new product innovation in the food space. Here are a few stellar new ones that fit into our lives…
We’re all a little biased on this one at Mission Field as we supported the founders for their 2023 launch. It’s a great combination of a new functional benefit (enhancement of dopamine production) with BFY bona fides (low sugar, made with real fruit juice, no artificial sweeteners!) delivered in a cool, fun and irreverent package. The flavors are differentiated and delicious! Try them standalone as a soda replacement or as a mixer – you can’t go wrong. We love what Illicit Elixirs has done to bring their brand to life – a great team who struck the right balance of entrepreneurialism, decision making, and risk-taking to get this cool new product on shelves in record time!
- Caragh McLaughlin, MD
KHC NotCo Plant-Based Not Cheese Slices
One more that I’m personally excited about is Kraft and NotCo joining up to launch this delicious alternative to cheese slices. While doing research for this launch, I had the opportunity to eat lots of grilled cheese sandwiches made with this new product and they are delicious! If I didn’t know, I would have thought the GC I had was standard Kraft singles. As a mom to a life-long vegetarian child (now all grown up), I have always looked for vegetarian and vegan alternatives and no other cheese melts and tastes like this and fits the bill. We wish the KHC NotCo team loads of luck as they grow this joint brand and bring more plant-based alternatives to market.
- Carolina Sasson, COO
As a busy, health-conscious mom that has growing boys who often eat multiple dinners, I am constantly looking for fast and easy, but nutritious food that doesn’t compromise on taste. Goodles delivers on the taste that my kids want but the nutrition that makes me feel good about feeding it to them. It’s one of our favorite 2023 new products!
- Julia Wing Larson, MD
I bought my first bag at Costco without even sampling because I loved the packaging – it is modern with an engaging name and graphics that pop. I love that you can eat one at a time (ha!) and it has both milk and white chocolate, which makes it unique - and it’s fruit, so it’s healthy!
- Julie Beck, MD
I saw Wild Wonder’s founder pitch on Shark Tank and immediately was intrigued and shortly after discovered them at Sprouts! It is a light and refreshing beverage (not overly sweet, not bitter) that promotes gut health by combining live probiotics and prebiotic fiber. Plus, the company is woman owned and gives back 5% of profits towards causes to empower women and marginalized communities. It fits in my life as a low sugar, low calorie, organic beverage made with fruits & herbs. Try one, you’ll love it.
- Lauri Silnutzer, VP
I love this Banana Bread batter! Banana bread has always been a favorite in our house but it definitely takes time to make from scratch. There’s really nothing better than the smell of fresh baked banana bread! Although I love the idea now, it would have been HUGE when my kids were younger and I didn’t have time (or bananas that were ready). An innovative solution for buys moms – thank you. I think I’m going to add some nuts or chocolate chips to the next batch… yum!
- Stacey Olson, Operations Manager
Thirsti by Ninja Kitchen
The folks at Ninja took a good idea and made it even better. Now my family can make one glass at a time – not a whole bottle – that is customized to each kid or adults’ preference with 3 fizz levels, different flavors and different glass sizes. Even a simple no flavor carbonation for me. I love that it is super user friendly and sustainable with no disposables. Sometimes the win is simply making a good idea better!
- Michelle Halsey, VP
Inspiration for great ideas can come from anywhere and a couple of our favorite things in 2023 were actually not food related…
Stoko is “supportive apparel” that’s made to work with an integrated layer of tensioned wires. This spoke to me as someone who is an active athlete with a history of knee injuries. I think it’s a very compelling idea to integrate a base layer for skiing into a knee support system. Since I already have to deal with heavy and complicated knee braces that, at the end of a hard and fun day, feel uncomfortable, why not try something new that maybe increases support, reduces bulk and hopefully maximizes comfort. While I have yet to try it to see if it works, I have one in my ski gear box ready to go!
- Jonathan Tofel, CEO
I had the opportunity to spend a day at the Overland Expo in Loveland CO this September while doing client work. This is an event for outdoor adventurers who want to get off the grid and need the tools and toys to get outside. Amongst the hundreds of amazing rigs, the Lightship, a prototype from a Boulder, CO based startup caught my eye. It is electric with its own drive train for EV users that want to get off the beaten path and not lose any range, it is beautiful with a mod-modern aesthetic and 360 windows that make you feel like you are outdoors, and it is unlike any RV I have ever seen. The founders built a totally new concept from the ground up that is stunning. That is innovation!
- Carolina Sasson, COO
Want to talk about new product innovations in 2024… reach us at hello@mission-field.com
Here’s to 2024!