It seems as if the frozen yogurt craze—and talk about a franchise frenzy with all the Red Mangos, Pinkberrys and Yogurtlands across the country—is finally slowing down a bit! As much as Froyo might pick up again this summer, there’s been a bit of a step back to the basics: good ole yogurt.
If you’ve taken a look at the dairy aisle recently, you couldn’t have missed the plethora of new yogurts that have hit the shelf (if you’ve always thought of yogurt as a bit bland or boring, think again). There are drinkable yogurts, fruit- infused yogurts, Greek yogurts, protein yogurts… the list goes on and on. What’s remarkable is that here in New York we’ve even had two yogurt stores open up in the last year: <a href="http://www.yogurtculturecompany.com/" target="_blank">The Yogurt Culture Company</a>, which is a subsidiary of Dannon, and <a href="http://chobanisoho.com/" target="_blank">Chobani SoHo</a>, a Mediterranean yogurt bar.

With its “good” bacteria, yogurt is not only healthy but a great base to “dress up” and pair with accent ingredients for a snack, or be used itself as an ingredient to supplement another dish. But with the great number of yogurt options for consumers to choose from, how will each yogurt brand differentiate itself?

Here are a few that stand out:

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<strong>Yoplait Simplait</strong>

<img class="size-full wp-image-6001 alignleft" title="Lucila3" src="http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Lucila3.jpg" alt="" width="81" height="117" />
It has “just 6 simple ingredients” and reminded me of the gimmicky Haagen-Dazs Five by trying to reinforce the product’s purity and simplicity (which of course should always be consumed in moderation). The handwritten name is easy and uncomplicated, and represents how the product is made.

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<strong>Müller FrütUp</strong>
<img class="size-full wp-image-6014 alignright" style="margin-top: -2px; margin-bottom: -2px;" title="Lucila4" src="http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Lucila41.jpg" alt="" width="107" height="139" />They claim to have turned yogurt on its head with a “luscious layer of fragrant fruit mousse.” This “sumptuous” yogurt lured me in by exposing its contents, which you rarely see in the yogurt category. Just by looking at its fruit imagery on pack, you get a good idea of what you can expect the mousse to taste like.

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<strong>Chobani Bite</strong>

<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-6004" style="margin-top: -5px; margin-bottom: -5px;" title="Lucila5" src="http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Lucila5.jpg" alt="" width="190" height="136" />
This is a new way to enjoy <span style="color: #000000;"> the already popular Chobani </span>Greek yogurt by dialing up its indulgence. The flavor variations of these little cups sure do pack a flavor punch. Adding a more premium flavor like fig makes this stand out from the rest.

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<strong>Powerful Yogurt</strong>

<img class="size-full wp-image-6032 alignright" title="a_190x190" src="http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/a_190x1902.jpg" alt="" width="129" height="129" />Aimed specifically towards active men, this Greek yogurt holds 20 grams of protein per cup. Hailing from Miami Beach, it’s no wonder that this yogurt is positioned to motivate men to eat healthy and achieve abs like those we see on Greek sculptures. The dark colors definitely pop off shelf amid a mostly female dominated category.

It’ll be interesting to see how these new brands tell their stories and communicate to their intended consumer audience. These trends also serve as a lookout for old yogurt brands to review their portfolios and do whatever is necessary to stay ahead of the incoming competition. Whether you make yogurt a daily habit or only choose to have it once in a while, I’m sure there’s something out there that will tickle your taste buds.