G’mores

Group 8 Gummies

Tanika Johnson, Kade Noyes, Sam Christenson, McKenna Strong

Minnesota State University, Mankato

November 21, 2022

 G’mores

G’mores give the nostalgic taste of a s'more without having to go through the work and

process of actually making one. Instead of having to buy graham crackers, chocolate, and

marshmallows and then having to start a fire to roast the s’more you could instead just buy our

pre-packaged gummy s’mores (or as we like to call it G’mores) that have the same taste but

with a new consistency. A G’more is something that hasn’t been experienced yet.

Many Americans have a lot of childhood memories that involve s’mores and being

around a campfire but with the gummy s’mores you will be able to expand that experience to not

just being around a campfire but also movie nights, game nights, and many other activities.

G’mores will be the new staple in households during the summer months. They will be the new

and modernized version of the s’more that children and adults can share together!

Selling Details:

-In packs of eight that will be packaged in cardboard boxes

-We will be selling these for $7.50 a box

-These will be sold in the candy aisle or possibly on s’mores end caps during summer

-We will be marketing these to parents that have young children

-We will also be marketing that these are interactive gummies

Potential Issues:

● People might not want to stray away from the normal s’more

● If the G’mores are in a hot environment for too long they have the possibility to melt and

lose shape, and possibly flavor

What is a G’more?
 ● Four gummy pieces will get put together, two graham cracker gummies, a chocolate

gummy, and a marshmallow gummy.

● They will be packaged in cardboard packaging with a image of the G’more on the

outside

Research:

What's trending in gummies?

● Many people are looking for healthier alternatives for their children's candy.

○ Adults still want to enjoy candy like when they were kids

○ It helps adults avoid weight gain so they can stay fit and healthy

● Something that more and more people are avoiding is red dye 40.

○ Migraines

○ Can cause mental health issues in young children

○ Has been linked to anger issues in young children

○ Can cause allergies

● Going Green

○ Many people are wanting to see less waste in places like landfills due to

plastic packaging.

○ People are more encouraged to buy items that have a good/zero effect on

the environment with products that can be recycled or reused

Be ready for G’mores to be a hit with kids and adults alike sharing the nostalgic flavor

and experience of a s’more without the mess, hassle, and inconvenience of real s’mores; a true

pioneer in the s’more industry, with potential to be paired with Maud Borup’s S’more Cotton

Candy, a pioneer itself.

Additional Research:

Gummies

Background:
● The first gelatin based shaped candy that was sold was in 1864 called the Unclaimed
babies sold by fryers of Lancashire
● Gummy candy didn’t become popular until 1920 when haribo was invented and came
out with the gummy bear
● He came out with the gummy bear after he wanted to make his hard candies softer and
used gum arabic a derivative of acacia tree sap
● By World War Two Haribo had over 400 employees and produced multiple tons of candy
each day
● Gummy bears inspired by trained bears hans saw in street festivals in Europe
● Trolli was invented in 1981 and produced the most popular gummy candy the gummy
worm
● Now gummies basically come in anything, but the most common ones are bears, worms,
rings, snakes, fruits, fingers and drops

Research:
Gummy candy has the main ingredient of edible gelatin which provides the candy long
stable shelf life, along with a chewy soft consistency.
High humidity for gummy candy is bad causes:
● Sucrose crystallization and subsequent grainy texture
● A sticky candy surface
● Diffusion of flavors out of the candy
● Possibility of microbial growth
Main ingredients are corn syrup, gelatin, sucrose, starch, and water which get mixed into
a giant, flavor is given by juices and citric acid to make gummies a certain flavor and food
coloring is used to color the gummy.
Once cooked, the mixture becomes slurry or thickened and then gets put into molds with
cornstarch so it doesn’t stick. It then sits for 24 hours at 65 degrees
Similar Candy:
● Licorice
● Carmel
● Marshmallow

Potential Ideas:
● S’more Gummies
○ Considering that Marshmallows have a similar makeup to gummy candy, we had
the idea of making a marshmallow substitute that could be used as the main
candy in a s’more sandwich alongside chocolate. Marshmallows are made of
sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and air to make them puffy. Gummies are made of
corn syrup, sucrose, gelatin, starch, and water. Because of the similar makeup,
we thought that this could potentially work.
○ There has not been much that has been explored with this idea so far in the
candy area, although some people have put gummy bears in the marshmallows
they use for s’mores.
○ Problems: The problems I see with this idea is that gummy candies don’t roast
like marshmallows do. They get to a somewhat liquid consistency that is different
from the typical s’more. Furthermore, the taste of gummy candies usually
consists of a fruity flavor that is very unique to the s’more world. One thing to
keep in mind though is that graham crackers and chocolate alone go very well
with fruit in terms of a graham cracker crust on a strawberry cheesecake or
chocolate covered fruits. This could be something to investigate further.
○ Options: Some different things we can test would be melting gummy bears as a
benchmark, then trying Dots (a harder gummy candy) to see how they react,
sugar coated gummies like gummy worms to see how sugar reacts in this setting,
and other gummies that Maud Borup currently sells. Using this information we
can find the ideal gummy that would be perfect for roasting over a fire.
○ Backup Plans: Incase melting the gummy becomes an issue, another option for
the s’more gummy could just be making s’more flavored gummies. Have the
gummies in a package with crackers, marshmallow, and Hershey chocolate
shaped gummy candy. This idea would be closer to candies like swedish fish,
 mike and ikes, etc. A quick google search showed s'more candy, but nothing
related to gummies so the idea is original in a sense. A survey would definitely be
sent out along with research into what sells more on shelves.

Exploring Candy in Different Countries:

● Japanese candy
○ Japanese candy many times is something that you can play with as well as eat,
but it is very hard to get it shipped into the United States to resell. We have
thought about going off of candy that has already been created in Japan and
giving it an American twist to it. Instead of it being flavored as Japanese top
flavors it would be the top flavors for Americans but it would still be fun like the
Japanese candy is for children.
○ While this is already a much explored area of gummies in the United States you
consumers can’t get their hands on any of it. Making kits with different types of
gummies and selling them packaged together makes it fun for kids to try the
different flavors together and even opens up the possibility of making it a
“buildable” gummy. An example would be putting different parts of a gummy car
in a package so that children could build a car and play with it and then eat it.
Making a sensory edible toy which is really big in the candy market right now.
○ Problems: The main problem with doing this is that it has already been done
before so it wouldn’t be anything new/surprising being put in the market. People
might not be that interested in it since they already sell things like it in other
countries.
○ Options: We could go off of big toys in the market right now like pop its and fidget
spinners and make edible versions of it. We could also do gummies that look like
legos and fit together so that kids can build and play with their candy.
● Overall we have a few solid ideas from brainstorming the last few days and feel
confident with our product ideas. We have done a lot of research and brainstorming
about what we feel would work best and sell best in the United States. The hardest part
will be testing the product and seeing what truly works, especially with a smores gummy
as we will have to learn melting points for gummies as well as the melted texture of
gummies.
The Most Popular Gummy Candies To Eat:
● Gummi Bears
● Life Savers
● Sour Patch Kids
● Sour Gummy Worms
● Swedish Fish

It probably would be smart for us to package everything for the s'more in one simple package,
not only to make it easier for the consumers but also to reduce plastic waste. We could package
the graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow gummies all together in one simple and easy
to open package

Healthy Gummies
● Millenials are starting to be more health conscious but still want a sweet treat so they are
switching to something sweet that is also healthy
● "I wanted to lower the sugar in gummy worms without sucking the soul out of it," this was
said by the company Rotten’s CEO
● People want to stay fit and healthy but still have fun with candy like they did when they
were kids
● Having sustainable and plastic free packaging is also a big part of why consumers buy
brands like Rotten you want yourself to be healthy but also want the Earth to be happy
● Companies like Rotten are growing rapidly and are starting to take over the market for
gummies
Things like gummy supplements are starting to take off and become more popular.
Taking into consideration all of the information above, going

with a healthier gummy that tastes like normal candy would be a huge seller for us and would
help market the product.
Red Dye 40
● Can cause migraines
● Can cause mental health issues in children
● Can cause allergies
● Childrens 2-5 in the United States have the highest intake of Red Dye 40
● Has been linked to aggression and anger problems in children
 ● Has been linked to ADHD in children
If possible we feel that we should avoid red dye 40 at all costs considering that it can cause
many problems for children and parents are starting to notice it. Red dye 40 is causing many
issues for children and their parents and people are starting to ask for it to change.

What is your idea? Include a name.

S’more Gummies.
G’more
What makes this item unique? Is there anything else similar? Why buy this one?
It gives the nostalgic taste of a s'more without having to go through the work and process of
actually making one. Instead of having to buy graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows
and then having to start a fire to roast the s’more you could instead just buy our pre packaged
gummy smores that have the same taste but with a new consistency.
Who is the buyer?
The biggest target market would be for kids aged 5-12.
What aisle are you selling it in?
(candy, snacks, health, gifts...)
These types of gummies would be sold in the candy aisle.
Item features.
Size of item. Number in a bag/box. Ounces. Etc.
These are a comparable size to the Krabby Patty gummies that are sold in many different
stores. We would sell them in packs of 8.
Packaging ideas.
(box, bag, clear, hanging, etc.)
It would be packed in a rectangular box with a picture of the s’more on the outside.
Does it have potential issues?
If it were to be in a hot environment for too long it could possibly melt which would make it sticky
and unenjoyable.
Melting (hot or cold). Can it break easily? Messy/easy spill. Any additions that might
cause choking, chip teeth, etc...
It could possibly be a choking hazard for very young children as a gummy can be harder to
swallow.
Price point at store.
For a pack of 8 we would sell that for $7.50.
Do you have any marketing ideas?
Showing kids can enjoy a s'more without having to have the danger of fire to make it. As well as
not having to clean the mess up of a melted marshmallow.

What makes you different?

A gummy s’more is something that hasn’t been experienced yet. Many Americans have a lot of
childhood memories that involve s’mores and being around a campfire but with the gummy
s’mores you will be able to expand that experience to not just being around a campfire but also
movie nights, game nights, and many other activities.

Why buy this?

Our product is less hassle then the original s’more and is all around easier to manage.
Is it interactive? How?
Yes, the s’more will be buildable so you can take the separate pieces apart including the two
gummy graham cracker pieces, the gummy chocolate, and the gummy marshmallow.
Will they repeat the buy?
We believe that many families will continue to buy this product especially during the summer
season as it still allows for children to have memories of s’mores but without the mess and
hassle.