everyday rebekah

Mock Media Pitch: New Goldfish Flavor

Prompt: PITCH – Goldfish crackers is launching (2) NEW flavors – Jalapeno Lime and Korean BBQ. Write (1) pitch note for online media and (1) pitch note for trade publications to secure an interview for the Chief Marketing Officer of Goldfish to discuss innovation and growth.

GOAL – Drive product trial and awareness for the new flavors by attracting media and consumer attention

RESULT:

Pitch note for online media:

Subject headline: Goldfish taps in to the “swizy” flavor that people crave in 2026

Hi ____,

The biggest flavor trend predicted to take over in 2026 is “Swizy,” (mix of sweet and spicy). More and more people are ditching their classic chips and craving an engaging flavor with their snacks that has spiciness, sweetness, and tanginess. So, Goldfish is joining the fun, adding two new flavors based on growing popularity this year.

We are releasing a “Swizy” Korean BBQ flavor and a spicy, tangy Jalapeño lime flavor.

I’m reaching out because I wanted to see if you were interested in sampling the products as well as interviewing the Chief Marketing Officer of Goldfish to talk about innovation and growth throughout the past couple of years, and how we have kept up with trends.

Would you be interested? I can also send you any additional information and materials needed, and follow up with interview times with our CMO. 

Thank you,

Rebekah Shultz | (Phone #)

Media outlets I would like to target (online media):

  1. Today show: The Today show averages around 2.6 million viewers each week. With this publicity, Goldfish can leverage an intermedia agenda-setting and maximize coverage and bring awareness and product trial of its two new flavors to a much larger audience.
  2. Buzzfeed: With around an estimated 64 million visitors on the site monthly, I would like to target Buzzfeed because its main demographic is similar to Goldfish’s consumer demographic of Gen-Z and millennials. For this reason, I think it would bring awareness to Goldfish consumers who already purchase the snack.
  3. CNN: Gen Z adults are six times more likely than any other age group to buy Goldfish, and a report done by Morning Consult shows that CNN is the most engaged with online news site for Gen-Z. I think that CNN would be an important media to target to gain awareness for the new flavors among Goldfish consumers.
  4. @tommywinkler on TikTok: Many Gen-Z watch short-form videos on TikTok to get their news now. I think to raise awareness of the flavors to Goldfish’s consumers, it would be important to find a popular TikToker who gets good engagement and makes food interesting, like Tommy Winkler. He has over 12.2 million followers on TikTok and posts videos of himself eating trendy, mainly unhealthy food. His thumbnail images are always eye-catching and his videos are easy to watch and appetizing.
  5. MDFoodieBoyz Podcast: This tween boy podcast that reviews snacks/food has a very loyal Gen Alpha fanbase, and goes viral a decent amount, which would help drive both product trial and awareness with the younger generation. They have gained lots of traction in the past couple of months because of parodies created by SNL, and since then have had celebrity guests on their show, like David Dobrik and Lil Yachty. 

Pitch note for trade publications:

Subject headline: Consumers crave dynamic flavors in 2026, and Goldfish is partaking

Hi ____,

Now more than ever, people are reaching for the shelves for a dynamic sensory experience like spiciness, sweetness, and tanginess. Goldfish is embracing the trend, adding two new flavor additions based on growing popularity in 2026. We are releasing a “Swizy” (mix of sweet and spicy) Korean BBQ flavor, and a spicy, tangy Jalapeño lime flavor.

I wanted to pass this information along to you because this topic aligns with your audience of food industry professionals who would find it useful to know about our new product release/flavor trends in the ever-growing snack market. 

Would you be interested in sampling the new flavors as well as interviewing Goldfish’s CMO to discuss how we’ve kept our consumers engaged through innovation and growth? 

I’m happy to follow up with interview times with our CMO and provide any information and materials you might need.

Thank you,

Rebekah Shultz | (Phone #)

Media outlets I would like to target (trade publications):

  1. Candy & Snack TODAY: Candy & Snack TODAY would be a publication I would like to target because their mission is to provide consumers with trends and insight on snack production and confectionery, targeted towards “the entire industry from field to shelf.” With the angle of the pitch being about Goldfish’s trendy new flavors and overall consumer trends changing in taste, I think that this would bring more awareness towards the flavors, as well as go well with this publication’s overall goal. 
  2. Food Dive: This trade publication focuses on flavor trends for industry professionals. With this publication, Goldfish can spread the news much more quickly to the grocery industry about its new flavor products. This would bring awareness to the new flavors for grocers so they can add them to their stores.
  3. Progressive Grocer: I would like to target Progressive Grocer because of their audience that includes “key decision makers at store-level and industry leaders” in the grocery industry. With their help, Goldfish’s two new flavors could increase awareness and be distributed to independent grocers, chains, supermarkets, wholesaler distributors, etc., where some wouldn’t have known about it otherwise.  
  4. Supermarket News: Supermarket News would help bring awareness about Goldfish’s new flavors with their weekly featured product on the site called “SN Products to Watch.”  Their national audience is in the food distribution industry that reads Supermarket News for food retail intelligence.
  5. Food Business News: This publication explores trends/tech driving change and helps its readers in the food and beverage industry navigate the waters of the ever-changing market. It would be valuable to share the news with this publication because they cover trends in the food industry, and it would also be beneficial to be widely shared with grocers, so they make sure to stock the new flavors and increase awareness.

Assets needed for product launch: hi-res images, samples, fact sheet, social videos

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