CPG Mashups

The digital economy created the term mashup. At some point, the combination of content - be that audio or video - became a fad or a way to renew the old.

I wonder if that can extend to the industrial economy, perhaps in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry. Knowing that over 15,000 food products are introduced into the US every year; I would imagine there is an opportunity to extend certain brands that stand for similar things. Here are some ideas:

Red Bull Skittles: Red Bull has mistique and street cred and Skittles are impossible to stop eating. Wonder if you could create Red Bull flavored Skittles, taht only came in a pink and blue color, much like the can. They could come in a Silver wrapping.

Arizona Green Tea + M&Ms: Perhaps M&Ms can have other ingredients beside chocolate. How about some organic M&Ms that are made of green tea or other natural ingredients?

Snickers with [Danone] Activia: Hungry why wait + health and digestive benefits.

The important bit is that some consumer products can be balanced or extended by others on several aspects:

• The consumption mechanism (e.g Red Bull being consumed in bite size vs. in drink)
• Balancing exclusive brands and mainstream brands (e.g. combining an Activia benefit with a mainstream snickers)
• Balancing health and functionality (e.g. add green tea to an existing product that craves many needs)

Just an idea trying to understand new delivery mechanisms for existing products and the need for some brands to work with others.