UNITED STATES - Could French Toast Crunch be the key to big gains for your marketing department?

New research suggests that the nostalgia marketing championed by General Mills with the relaunch of the '90s favorite French Toast Crunch could be the silver bullet for appealing to Millennial shoppers. Nostalgia marketing appeals to the memories and experiences of a consumer's youth, attempting to link today's brands with the fond feelings associated with the past. Could produce companies seize on these same techniques to boost sales? The answer may be yes.

Millennial shoppers overwhelmingly report a desire for “authenticity” from the brands they purchase, according to the Entrepreneur.

Millenials look for brands that are “authentic, that create a sense of purpose and that are wildly differentiated,” explained Jeff Fromm, President of FutureCast and co-author of 'Marketing to Millennial.' “At the core, brands are trying to, in many cases, create engagement with consumers, and this [nostalgia marketing] is an engagement hook for them.”

Nick Fereday, Executive Director and Senior Analyst of Food and Consumer Trends at Rabobank International, agrees that nostalgia is a promising weapon in making this connection.

"It's one of those standard things that companies like to play with every now and again to lure customers back to their products," he explained to NPR. "One of the challenges for the millennial generation is that it's a much more diverse group than generations before. So, for example, not everyone may know who the horoscope lady is...in a way that 40 or 50 years ago...everyone knew who the cartoon characters were."

While it may be a difficult technique to execute, a strong nostalgia campaign can associate a brand with some of a consumer's most cherished memories. There's a reason that people salivate even decades later when thinking back on Mom's apple pie. The memories we associate with events from our childhood are powerful things. The company which is able to make a mental bridge between these events and its own brand stands to reap big rewards at the retail aisle.

Stay tuned to ANUK for more marketing tips and analysis all year long.