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Case study
Crafting food for people to love
Cooking, packaging and testing a pipeline of new soup and bean products with Kraft Heinz
Kraft Heinz is one of the largest food companies in the world, and specializes in non-perishable foods.
Challenge
Crafting foods for consumers to love
Kraft Heinz, one of the largest food companies in the world, specializes in non-perishable foods. They approached Board of Innovation wanting to innovate within their existing product lines, while pushing innovation in the company.
Strategy
Turning product ideas from a slide to a spoonful
Together, we ran a six-week innovation sprint, focused on bringing product ideas to life. With AI as a co-pilot, we focused on prototyping new food concepts and getting it in front of real consumers, to validate them.
Outcome
6 new product concepts and customer experiences, ready for launch
We delivered six total product experiences for Kraft Heinz. These prototypes included various soups, beans, and meals, all designed with the consumer experience, from purchase to consumption, in mind. Alongside these products, we delivered a repeatable process for innovation within the company and digitized an idea library.
Challenge
Crafting foods for consumers to love
Kraft Heinz, one of the largest food companies in the world, specializes in non-perishable foods. They approached Board of Innovation wanting to innovate within their existing product line with the help of their Consumer and Culinary Experience (CCX) team. The team, composed of chefs and sensory experts, was tasked with creating food that would make consumers fall in love with the Kraft Heinz brand while pushing innovation in the company. Together, we ran a six-week innovation sprint, with AI as a co-pilot, aimed at prototyping food and getting it in front of real consumers to validate the new food concepts.
We were tasked with tackling three strategic design challenges related to core consumer groups.
The big idea
Developing new products to meet changing consumer needs
We partnered with Kraft Heinz to develop a new range of bean and soup products tailored for the UK market. Through rigorous testing in central London, involving cooking, packaging, and iterative tasting sessions, we identified products that truly resonated with consumers.
These standout offerings, celebrated for their taste and value, are now poised to join Kraft Heinz's esteemed product pipeline, ready to meet the demands of households across the region.
Strategy
Turning product ideas from slide to spoonful
To address this challenge, Board of Innovation implemented a process to take loose ideas, that had been floating around in the company for years, and bring them to life with tangible, interactive experiences. At the outset, we began by sifting through existing ideas within Kraft Heinz, many of which were captured in PowerPoint slides. Recognizing the potential within these concepts, we conducted qualitative consumer research to map out specific pain points. The insights gleaned were transformed into video assets, providing the business with a tangible means to empathize with their consumers.
Food is multisensorial, we enjoy it with all our senses at the same time. To be effective, we need a distinct approach. We got cooking and prototyping packaging ASAP, so consumers could experience our innovations with their hands, eyes, noses and mouths.
Kevin Shahbazi, Principal Business Designer
In a dedicated space in central London, we assembled a multidisciplinary team from R&D, Marketing, Consumer Insights, and Culinary Experience (CCX), among others. This team expanded on the initial ideas, methodically outlining product ranges, defining flavors, and conceptualizing packaging and artwork. With these details in place, we moved to the prototyping phase. We all rolled up our sleeves, business leaders included, to cook the next generation of beans and soup products with novel flavors, textures and convenient packaging intended to delight consumers.
To validate our prototypes, we engaged +30 consumers in a tasting session. Their feedback was instrumental in refining the products, helping us discern what resonated and what needed adjustment. From this feedback, we established clear design principles, detailing criteria for packaging, artwork, communication, and the food itself, all aimed at driving trials and ensuring consumer loyalty.
Outcome
6 new product concepts and customer experiences ready for launch
We delivered six “total product experiences” for Kraft Heinz. This is a strategic portfolio document that provided Kraft Heinz’s business with clear directives on product creation and the underlying philosophy.
These prototypes included various new products, all designed with the consumer experience, from purchase to consumption, in mind. Alongside this, we delivered assets tailored for subsequent quantitative testing to create a compelling business case.
Give someone a fish, feed them for one day. Teach someone to fish, feed them for a lifetime.
Next to doing this once for soups and beans in Northern Europe, we delivered a repeatable process for innovation within the company and digitized an idea library. We helped Kraft Heinz bring their product ideas to life, while providing a repeatable process for future innovation.
We got hands on creating the future of a British staple for the next generation. As consumer tastes and global pressures shift, we focused on health and sustainability benefits to create what life needs next.
Aidan Lethem, Business Designer
What if you could ideate, develop and validate your food and beverage concepts with real consumers, in just six weeks?
