How
Instagram-worthy are your holiday treats?
Sure,
they taste delicious, but how would a potential new customer know if they’ve
never tasted your confections? No surprise, social media, like Instagram and Facebook, can be an effective
tool for reaching consumers, however if A.) you’re not sharing photos of your
products on your social media sites daily or B.) they don’t stand out
from other holiday gifts, you could be missing out on a massive opportunity to
gain new customers this season.
A
study by Forbes has shown that 78% of
consumers’ purchases are impacted by companies’ social media posts. So, if
you’re looking for a boost in sales, consider transforming these classic confectionery treats into holiday showstoppers to help your business standout this season.
Rice
Cereal Treats
Cookie
cutters aren't just for cookies. They also make a great tool for creating fun seasonal chocolate-covered rice cereal
treats. Make the most out of your collection of
cookie cutters, by repurposing common shapes to create new and unique designs.
After realizing that their gingerbread man treats weren’t selling as well as
other designs, Bomboy’s Home Made Candy gave the tired cookie cutter new life
by turning it upside down and transforming it into Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
This little reindeer proved to be a hit!
Make
fall and summer designs last into the holidays! If you have cookie cutters shaped like a
ghost or even an ice cream cone, just flip them upside down to transform the
shapes into cute elves. Did you know a pumpkin cookie cutter can be repurposed to
make a jolly Mrs. Claus?
 |
| Rudolph by Fab Art DIY; Mrs. Claus and Elves, Food Network; Ice Cream Cone Elves, Baker Stock by Bearfoot Baker |
Caramel
Apples
Traditionally
a fall treat, a little creativity can help transform caramel apples into a
festive holiday gift. For inspiration, mimic Santa’s jolly belly by adding his
signature black belt and big gold buckle around a red caramel apple coated in
red sprinkles or luster dust. Bring Frosty the Snowman to life by adding a jumbo marshmallow
to the top of a caramel apple before dipping them both in white chocolate. A
few chocolate chip “buttons" and a red licorice scarf will help tie it all
together. Lastly, add candy eyes, a red nose and antlers, of course, to create
everyone’s favorite reindeer out of a classic chocolate-covered caramel apple. There’s
lots of ideas online for creating Rudolph’s antlers—from the easiest to the
most realistic, you may want to try pipe cleaners, pretzel twists or sugar
cookies for your antlers.
 |
| Santa Apples, Baked with Love; Mrs. Prindables Reindeer and Snowman; Reindeer with Pipe Cleaner Antlers, Design Dazzle |
Need
help perfecting your caramel apples? Check out these past blog posts for tips
on making caramel stick to apples or learn
why you should flip your caramel apples upside down.
Marshmallows
Jumbo
marshmallows make a quick and easy canvas for creating holiday magic. Put three
jumbo marshmallows on a stick, coat them in white chocolate and decorate to
make marshmallow snowmen pops that are too sweet to pass up. Click here
to watch a tutorial by Two Sisters Crafting. All you need to make adorable
gingerbread marshmallow pops are, your choice of caramel-coated marshmallows or
marshmallows covered in peanut butter confectioner’s coating, some piped white
chocolate and tiny sugar decorations.
 |
| Snowmen, Two Sisters Crafting; Gingerbread Men, Munchkin Munchies |
Sandwich
Cookies
If
you don’t think of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer when looking at your favorite
sandwich cookies, changing your perspective may increase your holiday sales. When
RCI member Vande Walle’s Candies coated Nutter Butter sandwich cookies in
chocolate and embellished them with a pair of candy eyes, pretzel twist antlers and a bright
red nose, these cute reindeer treats reportedly
“flew out the door,” they were so popular with their customers! For another spin on this idea, try substituting the Nutter
Butter cookies with Oreo cookies on a stick.
 |
| Nutter Butter Reindeer, Vande Walle Candies; Oreo Reindeer, Oh Nuts! |
More than ever, consumers are looking to social
media for unique and memorable gift ideas this holiday season. Posting photos
of your festive holiday treats on social media regularly will help your company
capture the attention of consumers while they’re making their shopping list
this season.
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