How Long It Really Takes Häagen-Dazs To Bring New Flavors To Market - Exclusive

Summer is on the horizon, which means it's the optimal time for some sunshine and new ice cream flavors. Häagen-Dazs just launched the City Sweets collection, and it is all things street foods. That means the flavors are inspired by crunchy churros, salty pretzels, cake swirled with a berry sauce, coffee, and black-and-white cookies that you grab on-the-go in most big cities (per the company's press release). Dream flavors is really an understatement here.

Häagen-Dazs is always looking for new and innovative products, as the brand has come out with everything from holiday peppermint bark ice cream to a limited 60th birthday cake ice cream. With new announcements like these always coming about, people might not think about the process behind these new initiatives. During an exclusive interview with Mashed, Rachel Jaiven, head of Häagen-Dazs marketing, explained exactly how much planning goes into bringing ideas to market, along with the inspiration behind the new City Sweets ice cream line.

When new ideas are brought to the team, it can take over a year to get the perfect pints. Rachel Jaiven, head of marketing for Häagen-Dazs, said of the brand's new City Sweets collection, "The idea started [in] late 2020, and then we go through a number of different iterations with our team on flavors and getting it right. Then, we have to make sure that we can make it on the line and then we bring it to market and it starts to hit shelves in January, the year that we launched."

She continued, "It's quite a process, a very fun one, and time actually goes really quickly when we do it." Sounds like an exciting and delicious time. Jaiven also described the new line as a play on the original Häagen-Dazs flavors, which fans are extremely loyal to, as the company has seen over time. Jaiven explained that, when the marketing for a new product begins, the brand tends to reach younger consumers with unique flavors like these. However, Häagen-Dazs does see a strong love of ice cream across all ages. Although vanilla, which is Häagen-Dazs' top-selling flavor, remains a classic that can't be beat.

Head to the Häagen-Dazs website to learn more about its products and the new City Sweets Ice Cream Collection.