Book Provides Details Of Humane “Clean Meat” Technology November 30, 2017: 12:00 AM EST A new book, available for purchase in January, details the advanced technology behind “clean meat,” animal-based protein that is produced in a bioreactor using living cells from cattle. The cells are replicated to produce food-grade beef, bypassing the necessity of killing and butchering animals. The technology could redefine the entire animal agriculture industry, resulting in meat, eggs and dairy products that are identical to familiar animal protein foods. The new book is Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, by Paul Shapiro, vice-president of policy at the Humane Society of the United States. [Image Credit: © Cleanmeat.com ] Lisa Kramer, "‘Clean Meat’ could be a Major Revolution for the Agriculture Sector", The Globe and Mail, November 30, 2017, © The Globe and Mail Inc.

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Theory & Ideation Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Almonds Are The Healthful, Sustainable “Feel Good” Snack November 28, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Market opportunities are increasing for food ingredients that are not only healthful but ecologically beneficial by fostering sustainability in relation to humans, animals, and the environment. Ingredients that fall into that category are generally natural, GMO-free, sustainable, and ethical. One ingredient that satisfies these concerns is almonds, a snack people can feel good about. New snack product launches have again made almonds the number one nut for new product introductions in Europe.  "Almonds Provide Inspiration for Innovation at FiE", Food Ingredients 1st, November 28, 2017, © CNS Media BV

Domains Innovation Sectors Food Geographies Worldwide EMEA Europe

Company Launches Entrepreneurial Services For Beverage Start-Ups November 28, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Symrise Flavors North America (Laguna Beach, Calif.) announced a range of product development services for U.S. beverage entrepreneurs and emerging drinks brands. The idea behind “Califormulations” is to provide a “single-source partner” to beverage start-ups. The platform bundles rapid prototyping, full beverage formulation development, and access to its array of beverage flavors. Califormulations will give entrepreneurs “access to knowledge, new technologies, purchasing scale and resources not normally available to new and emerging brands," Symrise President Paul Graham said. Symrise, headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, is a global supplier of fragrances, flavorings, cosmetic base materials, and functional ingredients. "Symrise Launches "Califormulations" Creative Incubator Concept for Beverage Product Development", News release, Symrise, November 28, 2017, © Symrise

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Strategy Trends Beverages Food Geographies Worldwide North America EMEA United States of America Europe Germany

New L’Oréal Research Center Opens In Brazil October 25, 2017: 12:00 AM EST L’Oréal has opened a $51 million research and innovation center in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro designed to develop products targeted at Brazilian consumers. The new center is one of seven operated by L’Oréal globally. The company also confirmed that its Episkin skin reconstruction model will be available to the Brazilian scientific community beginning this month.  [Image Credit: © Perkins + Will ] "L’Oréal Reinforces Long-Term Commitment in The Brazilian Market with State Of The Art Research & Innovation Center", News release, L’Oréal, October 25, 2017, © L’Oréal

Domains Innovation Collaboration & Networks Process & Organization Sectors Beauty Geographies Worldwide Latin America Brazil

'Supermarket' Startup Seeks To Go Storeless October 5, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Farmstead believes it can reinvent the supermarket model by eliminating its physical structure altogether. The San Francisco based startup has a series of micro-warehouses stocked with a range of local farm produce and grocery products and uses AI to predict a customer’s future needs based on their initial order. The selection is then delivered to the customer. Farmstead claims to have made over 15,000 deliveries in the Bay Area and has raised $2.8 million from venture funds. [Image Credit: © Farmstead]  Dan Orlando, "Startup Believes it Can ‘Reinvent’ Supermarket Model", Supermarket News, October 05, 2017, © Penton

Domains Innovation Sectors Retail Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Coca-Cola Patent Covers Improved Small Bottle Design September 21, 2017: 12:00 AM EST The Coca-Cola Co. has filed a U.S. patent application covering a new bottle design that improves carbonation retention and lengthens shelf-life while remaining lightweight. The inventors said the new design works especially well with small bottles by increasing weight distribution efficiency (WDE), which is the extent to which weight is distributed uniformly over the entire container. Carbonation retention problems arise with bottles containing 300 milliliters (about 10 fluid ounces) of carbonated liquid or less. David Allison, "Coca-Cola Patenting 'surprisingly Improved' Small Soda Bottle", Business Journal, September 21, 2017, © American City Business Journals

Domains Innovation Sectors Beverages Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Coca-Cola Is Accumulating Mountains Of Data, And It’s Using All Of It September 18, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Coca-Cola recognized as early as 2012 that it had amassed a goldmine of data from social media, mobile apps, cloud computing and e-commerce that could be used to support strategic decision-making. Since then, the company has been applying artificial intelligence (AI) to squeeze insights from its big data. For example, Coke applied AI in the development and launch of the new flavor Cherry Sprite. The decision was based on monitoring data collected from new generation self-service soft drink fountains, where customers mix their own drinks. The company saw which flavor combinations were the most popular and created a ready-made, canned beverage to fit the profile. Big data analysis is also being used to modernize vending machines, customize marketing messages, and develop healthful drink options, such as orange juice varieties. Bernard Marr, "The Amazing Ways Coca Cola Uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) And Big Data To Drive Success", Forbes.com, September 18, 2017, © Forbes.com LLC

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Trends Beverages Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

On The Horizon: Beer Bottles Made Of Recyclable Wood Fiber September 18, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Danish brewer Carlsberg Group has partnered with a company pioneering wood fiber packaging technology with a view to using recyclable and biodegradable fiber bottles for beer storage. EcoXpac of Denmark has come up with a sleek bottle design that resembles a traditional beer bottle in the Carlsberg beer colors and labeling. A key technical hurdle to overcome, however, is the need for a secondary barrier inside the fiber bottle that would keep the beer-filled bottle standing in shape for a long time. Scientists at Carlsberg and ecoXpac say they are close to solving the problem. Yvonne Dick, "The future of beer may be in wood pulp bottles", Food in Canada, September 18, 2017, © Glacier FarmMedia LP

Domains Innovation Sectors Theory & Ideation Beverages Geographies Worldwide North America EMEA Canada Europe Denmark

Frozen Cheesy Bread Offers New Takes On “Soft Middle” Baked Goods September 13, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Frozen garlic bread pioneer Cole's Quality Foods has introduced a stuffed bread inspired by popular bread and cheese combination snacks. Middles are baked goods in the tradition of “soft middle” items like bagels, Italian breads, and pretzel breads, stuffed with savory and sweet centers, including cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and beer cheese. The heat-and-serve snacks are available in the freezer sections of grocery, club, supermarkets, and convenience stores for an SRP of $3.99 for a 10-ounce box of eight bites. [Image Credit: ©   Cole's Quality Foods] "Cole’s Quality Foods Introduces Innovative Stuffed Bread Snack Called Middles, Taking Cheesy Bread to New, Inspired Heights", MultiVu, September 13, 2017, © MultiVu, a Cision company

Domains Innovation Sectors Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Suntory Set To Launch Transparent Milk-Flavored Tea September 10, 2017: 12:00 AM EST The Suntory beverage company is once again attempting to disrupt consumer sensory – visual and taste – perceptions with a new product that doesn’t look the way it tastes. Transparent Premium Morning Tea Milk follows on the heels of its successful lemon tea-flavored water. Food writer Koh Ruide says “if it’s anything like its predecessor, it’ll be just as astounding.” Assam tea leaves provide the tea flavor while unnamed “milk-derived ingredients” deliver the milk flavor, producing “a refreshing drink that goes well with your breakfast.” Set for a September 26 launch, the new transparent tea brand will be sold in 550 ml bottles (131 yen, $1.21). Koh Ruide, "Suntory attempts to mess with our brains again with new milk-tea-flavored bottled water", Sora News 24, September 10, 2017, © SoraNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Beverages Geographies Worldwide Asia-Pacific Japan

Australia Grants Coca-Cola A Patent For Can-Molding Technology September 2, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Australia has granted Coca-Cola a patent, applied for five years ago, for a technology that uses blow-molding to form metal beverage cans. The patent – “System and method for forming a metal beverage container using blow molding” – is effective as of December 31, 2012, and is valid until December 31, 2032. "Australia: The Coca-Cola Receives Patent for 'System and method for forming a metal beverage container using blow molding'", Australian Government News, September 02, 2017, © HT Media Limited

Domains Innovation Sectors Theory & Ideation Beverages Food Geographies Worldwide Asia-Pacific Australia

Walmart Opens New Battlefront In War Against Amazon August 19, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Walmart has launched something of an air war against arch-rival Amazon. The Arkansas-based retailer has applied for a patent for its version of a floating warehouse – a “gas-filled aerial transport and launch system” – a similar version of which Amazon patented more than a year ago. And like Amazon’s version, Walmart’s could launch sorties of drones to deliver purchases to nearby homes. Walmart’s dirigible airship would hover at up to 1,000 feet in the air, contain multiple drone launching bays, and be computer- or pilot-operated remotely. Proponents of the airborne warehouses say they would cut online order fulfillment costs for “the last mile” to a customer’s house. [Image Credit: © Walmart ] Matthew Boyle, "Walmart Applies for Patent for Blimp-Style Floating Warehouse", Bloomberg, August 19, 2017, © Bloomberg LP

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Process & Organization Sectors Strategy Retail Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Smart Labeling Technology Could Revolutionize Retail Food Industry August 15, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Advocates of smart packaging and labeling that use short-range wireless technology – aka, near field communication – say that interactive labels can provide product information while reducing cost and waste, and boosting store profits. The technology doesn’t require a separate app like QR codes. Consumers need only tap the phone and receive info, without any additional steps. To advance the use of the technology, the NFC Forum has partnered with the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association to create the smart labels. It will be a while before the technology hits grocery stores, but NFC is compatible now with millions of contactless cards and readers worldwide. Matt Vitone, "Smart Packaging Could Provide a Wealth of Information about Food Items", Report, PSFK, August 15, 2017, © PSFK LLC

Domains Innovation Collaboration & Networks Examples & Case Studies Sectors Strategy Theory & Ideation Trends Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

New Spray Coating Preserves Fruits Much Longer August 11, 2017: 12:00 AM EST An advanced plant-based technology developed by South Korean scientists not only adds nutrients to fruits, it prolongs their shelf life. The technology comes in the form of a five-second spritz coating of Iron (III)-tannic acid-metal-organic coordination complex (Fe(III)-TA-MOC) for fruits. The spray forms a five nanometers-thick layer (more after additional coats). A field test that analyzed the post-harvest shelf-life of mandarin oranges found that, after 28 days of storage at 77ºF, more than a quarter of the uncoated mandarin oranges (10 out of 37) were rotten and covered with mold. Those spray-coated remained edible. A similar test on strawberries found that, after 58 days of storage at 77ºF, 56.3 percent of sprayed fruit were edible, but only 6.3 percent of the unsprayed. [Image Credit: © Ji Park et al.] Ji Park et al., "Antimicrobial spray nanocoating of supramolecular Fe(III)-tannic acid metal-organic coordination complex: applications to shoe insoles and fruits", Scientific Reports, August 11, 2017, © Park et al.

Domains Innovation Sectors Theory & Ideation Food Geographies Worldwide Asia-Pacific South Korea

L’Oréal Displays Beauty Innovations At Paris Technology Show August 3, 2017: 12:00 AM EST L’Oréal showcased its latest beauty innovations at Viva Technology Paris in June. Lancome, Kerastase, L'Oreal Paris, La Roche-Posay and L'Oreal Professionnel showed how they applied advanced digital technologies to create personalized services for consumers. The L’Oréal display area in the center of the Hall of Tech also included a startup corner highlighting partnerships with young companies in the area of human resources. Among other innovations, the company presented in Europe for the first time Lancome's Le Teint Particulier Custom Made Foundation that matches skin tone to a personalized foundation at the point of sale. [Image Credit: © L’Oréal  ] "L’Oreal presents its connected beauty innovations and partnerships with startups at Viva Technology Paris 2017 ", L’Oréal, August 03, 2017, © L'Oréal

Domains Innovation Collaboration & Networks Examples & Case Studies Process & Organization Sectors Beauty Personal Care Geographies Worldwide EMEA Europe France

Walmart Says To Develop Camera System To Detect And Assist Unhappy Shoppers July 20, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Walmart is creating an in-store facial recognition system designed to recognize customers' facial expressions. According to the retailer's patent filing, the technology will use video cameras at store checkout lines to detect signs of anger and dissatisfaction. Upon detection of an “unhappy customer”, the system will alert staff and prompt them to report to the checkout line. Also, the company has filed a patent for using drones to improve customers' in-store experience. Mark Prigg , "Walmart developing smart camera that can spot unhappy and frustrated shoppers and alert staff", Daily Mail, July 20, 2017, © Associated Newspapers Ltd

Domains Innovation Sectors Retail Geographies Worldwide North America EMEA United States of America Europe United Kingdom

Young Company Focuses On Memory-Inducing Scents For Cocktails July 18, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Brothers Aaron and Sam Wisniewski are very much into flavors and fragrances: they incorporate them into cocktail products as well as aromatic landscapes. A basic tenet of their full-service fragrance house –  Alice & the Magician (Burlington, Vt.) -- is that aromas are strongly associated with memory and emotion. Their products – there are now more than 150 different mists and 50 elixirs – are derived from their own fragrance memories, and may include the smell of their parents’ garden, or the snow and ice of a winter day. One of their creations includes edible scents designed to be sprayed on cocktails (Citrus Blossom Harvest, Perfect Ginger, Autumn Bonfire, Hiking the Long Trail). Unlike cocktail bitters, however, the elixirs don’t add any taste or texture to a drink, just pure aroma.. Isabella Alimonti, "Edible Scents Make Flavorful Cocktails—And A Lasting Impression", PSFK, July 18, 2017, © PSFK LLC

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Theory & Ideation Trends Beverages Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Enterprise Software Company Tackles Food Waste, Small Farm Management July 12, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Enterprise IT software giant Cisco Systems says its products are being used to solve food waste and farm management problems. A start-up company that helps manufacturers and farms make use of extra food raised $2.5 million to buy Cisco's enterprise software. Boston-based tech start-up Spoiler Alert’s cloud-based software links food producers, food banks, and pantries. The company helps them track food they throw away or donate. In addition, Cisco’s software has helped smaller and rural farms connect their “Farm from a Box” units with Wi-Fi capabilities and an Internet of Things (IoT) system to optimize everything from water and energy use to guidance on farm management. [Image Credit: © Spoiler Alert ] Stephanie Chan, "Technology that Helps Reduce Food Waste", News release, Cisco Systems, July 12, 2017, © Cisco Systems

Domains Innovation Collaboration & Networks Process & Organization Sectors Trends Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Bai Founder Ben Weiss Was Way Ahead Of The Curve On Low-Sugar Drinks July 12, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Bai Brands founder Ben Weiss noticed seven years ago that shoppers were carefully examining beverage labels to determine sugar content. “This is the issue that has fueled our growth,” he said in an interview. The company, which was sold to Dr Pepper Snapple Group for $1.8 billion, spent five years handing out samples of Bai, made from normally-discarded coffeefruit, explaining that Bai has only five calories and one gram of sugar. It was a unique claim in the beverage industry at the time -- the beverage caught on and took off when the company signed a distribution deal with Dr Pepper Snapple. [Image Credit: © Bai Brands ] Will Yakowicz, "How This Founder Built a $1.7 Billion Business Around a Product That's Normally Thrown in the Trash", Inc.com, July 12, 2017, © Sycamore Media Holdings Pte

Domains Innovation Other Sectors Beverages Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

New Coke App Uses AI Technologies To Modernize Vending Machine Use July 11, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Coca-Cola’s innovation chief Greg Chambers (left) says a new AI-powered app debuting soon will allow customers to order, and get, two drinks from vending machines equipped with special circuitry. The app will debut in late July at U.S. universities and in Australia and New Zealand. With the app, customers can order a Coca-Cola drink from multiple selections for themselves and a friend using a colorful touchscreen. The drinks will then be available on the vending machine. With AI technologies, “My goal is to push boundaries and push the brand forward,” Chambers says. [Image Credit: © Michael O' Donnell / Venture Beat ] John Brandon, "Coca-Cola reveals AI-powered vending machine app", Venture Beat, July 11, 2017, © Venture Beat

Domains Innovation Sectors Theory & Ideation Beverages Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Coca-Cola Installs Blow-Molding Machine At Canadian Bottling Plant July 11, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Coca-Cola Canada has expanded the production capacity at a Montréal bottling plant with a $23.2 million state-of-the-art blow-molding machine, one of the first to be installed at a Coke facility in North America. Coca-Cola and Canadian government officials said the increased production capacity reinforces the company’s commitment to Canada and helps strengthen the Canadian economy. [Image Credit: ©   Coca-Cola Company] "Coca-Cola Canada invests $23m in Montréal blow-molding line", FoodBev Media, July 11, 2017, © FoodBev Media Ltd

Domains Innovation Sectors Beverages Geographies Worldwide North America Canada

L’Oréal Uses Bioprinting To Create Live Skin Tissue For Cosmetics Testing July 8, 2017: 12:00 AM EST The FDA may not require it, but L’Oréal says it has ended live-animal testing of new cosmetics and has turned to alternatives such as EpiSkin, a lab-grown human flesh-like tissue available in more than 100,000 samples representing numerous ethnicities. And lately the company has partnered with biotech Organovo to apply advanced 3-D bioprinting technology (left) to create skin tissue with hair follicles. The technology would allow mass production of skin tissue for lab testing. It is not unlikely that the 3-D printed tissue will become, like EpiSkin, a profit center for L’Oréal. [Image Credit: © L’Oréal  ] Laura Goldman, "L’Oreal Grows Human Skin to Replace Animal Testing", Care2, July 08, 2017, © Care2.com, Inc.

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Food Personal Care Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Customized Dietary Supplements, Thanks To 3D Printing Technology July 3, 2017: 12:00 AM EST A company funded by the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund has figured out a way to use 3D printing technology to mix several ingredients and print customized dietary supplements. An example of the ingredient combinations – and one of the more popular among its test customers – is vitamin D, omega-3 and caffeine. The caffeine is released later in the day, “something a mass-produced pill cannot do,” one of the researchers said. The 3D technology permits small batches, which in turn permits personalization of a customer’s order after a dietary nutrient analysis. Other FDA-approved ingredients that the Multiply Labs technology can mix include calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc; vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, and folic acid. [Image Credit: © Multiply Labs ] Stephen Daniells, "MIT Spin-Off Gets Closer to Launch of 3D Printed Supplements", NUTRAingredients-USA.com, July 03, 2017, © William Reed Business Media SAS

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Shiseido Partners With Microsoft Japan To Develop Virtual Makeup App For Teleworking Women June 18, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Shiseido worked with Microsoft Japan to develop TeleBeauty, an application designed to make a person appear on computer monitors as if he or she is wearing makeup. According to the cosmetics company, the app is aimed at women who telework and use computers to teleconference with their employers, clients, or coworkers. Offering users four basic patterns, natural, trend, cool, and feminine, the app can also correct skin tones and “de-focus other parts than face.” Motokazu Matsui, "Shiseido aids working women with virtual cosmetics app", Nikkei, June 18, 2017, © Nikkei Inc

Domains Innovation Sectors Beauty Geographies Worldwide Asia-Pacific Japan

L’Oréal Takes An Expensive Flier On Virtual Reality Technology June 16, 2017: 12:00 AM EST L’Oréal’s Beauty Lab (left), located at the company’s year-old west-side Manhattan headquarters, serves as an experimental virtual reality center to explore a technology some industry observers call “the next frontier of fashion and beauty.” Though virtual reality has taken baby steps in fashion and cosmetics, it has yet to make significant inroads, and has had almost no impact on sales. Skeptics note that researchers aren’t even sure what to do with test data that are collected. L’Oréal, however, has invested a lot of money in its VR glasses, floor-to-ceiling VR screen, and additional 3-D modeling screens. Not so much to wow consumers, but to advance and enhance internal research. [Image Credit: © L’Oréal ] Hilary Milnes , "How L’Oreal uses virtual reality to make internal decisions at its New York HQ", Digiday, June 16, 2017, © Digiday Media

Domains Innovation Process & Organization Sectors Strategy Beauty Personal Care Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Tech Advances Power Sun-Safety Skin Patch, App From La Roche-Posay June 15, 2017: 12:00 AM EST L'Oréal brand La Roche-Posay, a start-up that exhibited at June’s Viva Technology show in Paris, presented the most recent developments of its My UV Patch. Designed to improve sun safer behavior and help minimize sunburns, the wearable patch features an adhesive comprising photosensitive dyes that change color when exposed to UV rays. A related app indicates varying levels of sun exposure. A smart algorithm incorporates personalized data (viz, geolocation, phototype of skin tone, hair and eye color) to advise when to reapply sun screen, seek shade, etc. According to company data, regular use has led to positive changes in sun-related behavior: 63 percent experienced less sunburn, 37 percent used more facial sunscreen, and 31 percent spent more time in the shade. [Image Credit: © La Roche-Posay ] "La Roche-Posay Reveals the Latest Edition of its My UV Patch at Viva Technology Paris", News release, La Roche-Posay, June 15, 2017, © La Roche-Posay

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Theory & Ideation Beauty Geographies Worldwide EMEA Europe France

Opportunities For Confectioners In Asia’s Functional Candy Market May 18, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Concerns about health among Chinese consumers have both helped and hindered the country’s confectionery industry, according to Mintel data. On the one hand, there is growing anxiety that the Chinese diet contains far too much sugar. This is reflected in a decline in volume candy sales beginning in 2015, a trend not helped by a general economic slowdown. However, Chinese consumers are buying more functional candy, for example throat-soothing or vitamin C candies. This presents a product development and marketing opportunity for confectionery firms, especially those that analyze the demands of demographic segments in Asian countries. One functional ingredient in candy is collagen, an anti-aging protein. Another is iron, already available in candy in Japan and Taiwan. Associated with good health and energy, iron is beneficial for skin complexions, and often taken to prevent anemia. ][Image Credit: © Golden Throat Lozenge (Jinsangzi Houpian] Loris Li, "China’s Sugar Confectionery Market Declines While Functional Candy Grows", News release, Mintel, May 18, 2017, © Mintel Group Ltd.

Domains Innovation Sectors Trends Food Geographies Worldwide Asia-Pacific China Japan Taiwan

L'Oreal Looks At Artificial Intelligence To Improve Customer Interactions April 24, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Beauty brand L'Oreal has collaborated with Automat Technologies to create beauty services designed for the Facebook Messenger social media and messaging platform. Chief digital officer Lubomira Rochet said the company's focus on Messenger bots is the latest illustration of L'Oreal's “service strategy.” Rochet added, the company believes combining conversational marketing and commerce with artificial intelligence will enable L'Oreal to personalize conversations with customers. Believing AI will have an impact as great as the internet, Rochet said AI will power the company's interactions with consumers, including advertising, CRM, and ad serving. Leonie Roderick , "L’Oreal on why artificial intelligence is ‘a revolution as big as the internet’", Marketing Week , April 24, 2017, © Centaur Communications Ltd (a member of the Centaur Media plc group)

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Strategy Beauty Personal Care Geographies Worldwide North America EMEA Canada Europe United Kingdom

“Blessed” Panera Streamlines Food Ordering, Ramps Up Delivery April 24, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Panera founder and CEO Ron Shaich says his company is “blessed” because it has not only applied the principle of “digital utilization” to streamlining the ordering process, its menu – soups, salads, sandwiches – is perfect for easy delivery to homes and businesses. This blessing has meant that the company can reduce the number of workers handling food, but has to hire 10,000 delivery people by the end of 2017, as it adds delivery services to as many as 40 percent of its eateries this year. The streamlining process, known as Panera 2.0, has meant changes across the board, including redesigned kitchens and reworked assembly lines, plus implementation of new ordering technology like digital kiosks. Kate Taylor, "Panera is Replacing Cashiers with Robots — but it's Hiring Thousands of Workers for Another Task", Business Insider, April 24, 2017, © Business Insider Inc.

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Process & Organization Sectors Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Hard To Swallow? Jiminy Cricket As A Dinner Entrée April 17, 2017: 12:00 AM EST It could be a sign of the long-overdue acceptance of insect-based foods – and entomophagy (bug eating) generally – by the Western world. Or not. It is a sign, however, that food experts are warming to the idea that crickets are a healthful, sustainable food ingredient. A group of Penn State University food science graduate students convinced judges in the Ag Springboard business pitch contest that the flavor and texture of pasta made with high-protein cricket flour closely resembled that of wheat pasta. The group won the $7,500 grand prize after also convincing judges that the flour was commercially viable. The product will compete with early entrants in the nascent market, including Bugsolutely Cricket Pasta and Chirps Chips (Six Foods), pitched successfully on the TV show Shark Tank. [Image Credit: © Bugsolutely ] Jeff Muhollem, "Cricket-Fortified Pasta Pitch Wins $7,500 Ag Springboard Top Prize", News release, Penn State University, April 17, 2017, © The Pennsylvania State University

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

New Bottle Is Edible, Compostable, And Spherical April 10, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Three London, U.K.-based university design students have developed a sphere-shaped gelatinous bottle, both edible and compostable, that they feel is ready for its market debut. An alternative to plastic bottles – and a potential solution to accumulation of them in landfills – Ooho is being developed by Skipping Rocks Lab. It is based on a technology known as spherification. A ball of ice is dipped in calcium chloride and brown algae extract. It forms a spherical membrane that keeps holding the ice as it melts and returns to room temperature. The membrane is edible – it can be flavored – and compostable. The company sees sales potential at cafes and outdoor events, like festivals and marathons, in fact anyplace people consume a lot of packaging in a short time. [Image Credit: © Skipping Rocks Lab ] Adele Peters, "This Edible Water Bottle Is How You’ll Drink In The Future", Fast Company, April 10, 2017, © Mansueto Ventures, LLC

Domains Innovation Sectors Theory & Ideation Beverages Food Geographies Worldwide EMEA Europe United Kingdom

Robots Join Domino’s Delivery Force In German Test March 29, 2017: 12:00 AM EST The Domino's pizza chain is testing robot-delivered pizza in Europe in partnership with an Estonia start-up. The project is launching in Hamburg, Germany, within the next couple of months. Starship Technologies uses six-wheeled robots that are about two feet tall, weigh 40 pounds when empty, and move at a speed of four miles an hour. Deliveries The robots will deliver food within a mile radius of select Domino's locations. They can mover independently, but during the test will have a human chaperone to make sure nothing bad happens. [ Image credit: © Domino's Pizza  ] April Glaser, "Domino’s is going to Use Sidewalk Robots in Germany to Deliver Pizza", Recode, March 29, 2017, © Vox Media, Inc.

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Strategy Food Geographies Worldwide EMEA Europe Germany

Amazon Working To Iron Out Kinks In Its Cashierless Store Model March 27, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Technical glitches are delaying the debut of Amazon.com’s cashierless brick-and-mortar convenience store, Amazon Go,scheduled to open at the end of April in Seattle. The innovative store automatically charges customers when they exit.  No cash registers are used. The delay spotlights the difficulties the online retailer is experiencing as it implements a strategy to broaden its retail influence, especially in food sales. Observers say the cashierless technology works perfectly as long as there are 20 or fewer customers in the store. It also has a problem tracking items once they leave the store shelf. [ Image credit: © Amazon.com  ] Laura Stevens, "Amazon Delays Opening of Cashierless Store to Work Out Kinks", The Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2017, © Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Process & Organization Sectors Theory & Ideation Retail Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Shiseido Deploys Humanoid Robots At Kakegawa Factory's Assembly Lines March 23, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Shiseido Company, Limited, has started deploying industrial robots to the assembly lines of makeup products at its factory in Kakegawa, Japan. Currently on a pilot-program basis, the deployment of robots started in March 2017 and features teams involving a human worker and two humanoid robots each. According to the company, the humanoid robots will focus on procedures that are hard to automate with existing machines and industrial robots, while their human partner will take charge of inspecting minor defects and assuring quality. "Shiseido Pilots the Deployment of Humanoid Robots on Its Assembly Lines, a Cosmetics Industry First", Shiseido Group, March 23, 2017, © Shiseido Company, Limited

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Beauty Personal Care Geographies Worldwide Asia-Pacific Japan

Technology That Creates Lab-Grown Chicken Meat Intrigues Big Food March 15, 2017: 12:00 AM EST A San Francisco-area start-up says it has developed the first chicken product from lab-grown cells. If the technology catches on with Big Food – Tyson Foods calls the cultured-meat technology “a good long-term proposition” – it could solve a lot of problems associated with meat processing. It might reduce the need for land and facilities to grow cattle, pigs, and poultry; cut the waste produced in meat processing; and help eliminate the costs of grain, water and waste-disposal associated with livestock. (It would also make groups like PETA happy.) It’s not exactly a cost-effective process yet, though. Boneless chicken breasts cost an average $3.22 a pound in U.S. grocery stores. Memphis Meats, which uses stainless-steel bioreactor tanks to produce its chicken, says its technology yields one pound of chicken meat for around $9,000. [ Image credit: © Memphis Meats ] Jacob Bunge, "Startup Serves Up Chicken Produced From Cells in Lab", The Wall Street Journal, March 15, 2017, © Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Theory & Ideation Food Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Consortium To Accelerate Technology That Turns Plant Protein Into “Beefsteak” March 13, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Several food companies, including Unilever, have formed a consortium with a Dutch university to advance a technology that transforms vegetable protein into a layered fiber structure that mimics the taste, texture, and appearance of beefsteak. The Plant Meat Matters consortium comprises Swiss flavor house Givaudan, French agri-food giant Avril, and plant protein supplier Ingredion. Wageningen University researchers developed the shear-cell technology that can use protein from soy, wheat, pea, rapeseed or corn. The consortium hopes to scale the technology to produce industrial quantities, and to make it available to industry as well as chefs and consumers. Global sales of meat substitutes increased from 163,000 tons in 2015 to 183,000 tons in 2016, according to Euromonitor. [ Image credit: © Beyond Meat, Wikipedia ] Niamh Michail, "Plant Meat Matters: Unilever, Givaudan and Ingredion Invest in Vegetarian Steak", FOODnavigator-USA.com, March 13, 2017, © William Reed Business Media SAS

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Salmon-Stuffed Croissant Is A Social Media Hit February 3, 2017: 12:00 AM EST A California restaurant has taken the croissant a step or two farther along the hybrid pastry evolutionary road with a concoction featuring smoked salmon, baked seaweed (nori), pickled ginger and wasabi. Aron Caddl, owner of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse of Los Angeles and San Francisco acknowledges that the pastry is “weird” but also “insanely delicious,” and an Instagram sensation. The California Croissant, which costs $5, is topped with a dry Japanese seasoning (furikake) and is served with a side of soy sauce. It will only be on the menu for a short time because, as Caddel admits, the chefs get bored.  [ Image credit: ©  Mr. Holmes Bakehouse ] Carly Stern, "There's Something Fishy About this Pastry! California Bakery Sells SUSHI Croissants Filled with Salmon and Wasabi, which its Owner Describes as 'F***ing Weird' but 'Insanely Delicious'", Daily Mail Online, February 03, 2017, © Associated Newspapers Ltd

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E-Retailers And CPG Manufacturers Need To Prepare For Strong Growth Now January 24, 2017: 12:00 AM EST E-commerce today accounts for only a small portion of consumer packaged goods (CPG) sales, with the food and beverage sector lagging somewhat behind non-food. But both sectors are set for strong growth, according to IRI. Over the next five years, CPG e-commerce will average 10 percent of industrywide sales. Digital is expected to play a major role in influencing that sales growth, and will drive as much as 77 percent of all retail sales generally, representing about $2 trillion. E-retailers are rapidly laying the groundwork for growth, with Amazon leading the way. Meanwhile, CPG manufacturers could grow online sales by up to 150 percent by building a strong online presence and earning shopper awareness. "Build, Drive and Earn E-commerce Growth for Retail Success", Report, IRI Worldwide, January 24, 2017, © IRI Worldwide

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Advanced Store Shelf Technology Seeks To Personalize Shopping At Kroger Stores January 20, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Supermarket chain Kroger has begun experimenting with in-store shelf-based sensor systems that detect shoppers via their smartphones and apply analytics technology to customize product offers. Dubbed the “digital shelf edge” project, the initiative is a facet of the company’s plan to automate and personalize shopping to battle online competition from Amazon.com Inc., Walmart’s Jet.com unit and others. E-commerce in traditional food and beverage stores accounted for $1 billion in sales in 2014, less than 0.2 percent of the $670 billion market. Sensors have been installed in 14 stores near the company’s Cincinnati headquarters.  [ Image credit: © ParentingPatch  ] Kim S. Nash, "Kroger Tests Sensors, Analytics In Interactive Grocery Shelves", The Wall Street Journal, January 20, 2017, © Dow Jones & Company, Inc

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Process & Organization Sectors Trends Retail Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Cookies Containing Galactagogues Have Become Big Business January 19, 2017: 12:00 AM EST A first-time mother who was struggling to produce enough breast milk to feed her newborn was advised to eat cookies that contained extra galactagogues (i.e., ingredients that increase milk flow). The functional cookies worked, but weren’t particularly palatable, and that gave Jennifer Acuna a business idea. Several years later, the business she launched has been successful enough to move from her kitchen table near Harrisburg, Pa., to a 2,400 square-foot bakery. Lactation cookies, brownies, and granola laced with galactagogues have become serious business. Buy Buy Baby and Babies 'R' Us sell bake-at-home mixes. Common galactagogues include oats, flax meal, fenugreek, and brewer's yeast. Matthew Wright, "Cookies and Milk: Meet the Kitchen Table 'Momtrepreneurs' Who Used Their Own Breastfeeding Woes to Corner the 'Lactation' Foods Market", Mail Online, January 19, 2017, © Associated Newspapers Ltd

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L’Oreal’s Smart Brush Demonstrates Internet Of Things Application For The Beauty Industry January 11, 2017: 12:00 AM EST L’Oreal’s smart brush, unveiled at CES 2017, is just one of a number of products responding to opportunities provided by the Internet of Things within the consumer products industry, including Beauty. Smart devices are allowing brands to brands to become more involved in consumers’ daily routines. The smart brush is being sold at around $200, and only time will tell if consumers regard that as a price worth paying for the benefits it provides – better and more personalized information, performance monitoring and suggestions for improvements, as well as tips and recommendations. These aren’t necessary attributes for a hairbrush or toothbrush, but they will make life a bit easier for consumers, and brands can become better connected to consumers’ lifestyles and preferences, allowing valuable insights for future innovation and marketing efforts.   Nikki Gilliland, "How the beauty industry is embracing the Internet of Things", Econsultancy, January 11, 2017, © Econsultancy.com Limited

Domains Innovation Sectors Trends Beauty Personal Care Geographies Worldwide

TCM Gets A Bigger Role In Beauty January 10, 2017: 12:00 AM EST The Beauty industry is increasingly borrowing from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Amway is just one company expanding its use of TCM ingredients. Jia Chen, vice president of the Amway Botanical Research Center, says that TCM is a “life philosophy”, covering diet, nature and spirit. Amway is already using TCM ingredients in its Nutrilite products, but the Center is looking to expand the scope. In China, consumers are looking for more from their Beauty products, such as a link to their cultural heritage and the benefits of TCM, and TCM Beauty is becoming very popular among younger consumers in Asia.   Deanna Utroske, "Trend Watch: Cosmetic and Personal Care Ingredients Borrowed from Traditional Chinese Medicine", CosmeticsDesign.com | USA, January 10, 2017, © William Reed Business Media SAS

Domains Innovation Examples & Case Studies Sectors Beauty Geographies Worldwide North America Asia-Pacific United States of America China

2017: The Year Of The Brand Chatbot? January 6, 2017: 12:00 AM EST 2017 could the year of the chatbots for brands looking to automate consumer engagement. They reside within Messenger Services, like Skype and Facebook Messenger, as well as internal messenger services, like HipChat. They are becoming increasingly sophisticated with more user functionality, and as artificial intelligence becomes better understood, chatbots will be able to do even more, with development moving from what the bot builders believe consumers want to a machine-learned reflection of what they really want. Chatbots will proliferate and become an essential element of any integrated marketing campaign, supporting highly targeted campaigns delivered in the environment in which the consumer spends the majority of their online time.   John Mccarthy, "What, Why and How: Chatbots for Brands", The Drum, January 06, 2017, © Carnyx Group Ltd.

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Kiehl's To Launch Skin Renewing Cream Aimed At Millennials January 5, 2017: 12:00 AM EST L’Oréal brand Kiehl’s is launching Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream, aimed at the Millennials by avoiding antiaging messages. Kiehl’s says that skin care today is focused on radiance and skin health rather than reversing indications of aging. Sources suggest retail sales of the cream could reach $40 million globally this year. Kiehl’s is marketing the product as 99.6 percent natural, and contains New Zealand manuka honey for antioxidants to combat environmental effects and for stimulating collagen, and South Korean red ginseng root for hydration and cell renewal. Ellen Thomas , "Kiehl’s Makes a Play for Millennials With Healthy Skin Pitch", Women’s Wear Daily, January 05, 2017, © Penske Media Corporation

Domains Innovation Sectors Beauty Geographies Worldwide

Mass And Premium Continue To Drive Growth In Color Cosmetics January 5, 2017: 12:00 AM EST According to Euromonitor International, the color cosmetics market was worth US$57 billion globally in 2015, driven by growing incomes for women in growth markets like India and China. Nearly two-thirds of the market (64%) was mass products in which consumers came from across the income spectrum, with some consumers limited to the mass market through income constraints and others choosing mass options over premium, with a new wave of mass “fast fashion” cosmetics brands that align with trends and rely on high volumes. Premium continues to grow faster than mass, and Euromonitor expects to see a CAGR for the premium segment of 4% over the next five years, versus 3% for mass. It also expects North America to be the first majority-premium color cosmetics market by 2020. The color cosmetics market will continue to encounter broad consumer megatrends, for example in the form of sustainability and healthy living. And customization remains a major opportunity for brands in this category, with brands catering for different skin tones, religions and cultures.   Hannah Symons, "Reinventing Colour Cosmetics through Novel Growth Concepts", Euromonitor International, January 05, 2017, © Euromonitor

Domains Innovation Collaboration & Networks Examples & Case Studies Sectors Theory & Ideation Beauty Personal Care Geographies Worldwide North America EMEA Asia-Pacific United States of America Mexico Europe Japan Russia

Amazon Fulfillment Services Reports Significant Growth In 2016 January 4, 2017: 12:00 AM EST Online retailer Amazon said it delivered more than two billion packages to 185 countries for sellers, brand owners and entrepreneurs in 2016 under its Fulfillment by Amazon program. The company said worldwide FBA shipments grew 50 percent during the holiday season. Amazon Prime members contributed significantly to the success of the program, ordering millions of items from sellers in the Seller Fulfilled Prime program that offers free two- or next-day shipping. Sellers worldwide using the FBA service grew more than 70 percent, while shipments grew 80 percent. [ Image credit: © Amazon  ] "Sellers on Amazon are Thriving: Fulfillment by Amazon Delivered More than 2 Billion Items for Sellers Worldwide in 2016", News release, Amazon, January 04, 2017, © Amazon.com, Inc.

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Kérastase And Withings Unveil Smart Hairbrush At CES January 4, 2017: 12:00 AM EST At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, professional hair care brand Kérastase, together with connected health company Withings and L’Oréal’s Research and Innovation Technology Incubator, unveiled its new smart hairbrush - the Kérastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings. Fitted with advanced sensors and incorporating L’Oréal’s signal analysis algorithms, which score hair quality and track the impact of hair care routines, the hairbrush received this year’s International CES Innovation Award. Sensors capture sounds, the force applied when brushing, brushing patterns and the number of brush strokes, and whether the hair is wet or dry. The collected data are sent to the app via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to a dedicated mobile app. Using external data, such as weather conditions, the app tracks the way the user cares for her hair and provides personalized tips and Kérastase product recommendations. It will be available around mid-2017 at select Kérastase hair salons, the brand’s website and through Withings’ online sales and distribution channels, for below $200. "Kerastase and Withings Unveil World’s First Smart Hairbrush at CES 2017", L’Oreal, January 04, 2017, © L’Oréal

Domains Innovation Collaboration & Networks Examples & Case Studies Sectors Theory & Ideation Beauty Personal Care Geographies Worldwide North America United States of America

Hawthorne For Men Matches Cologne To Consumer's Characteristics And Preferences January 4, 2017: 12:00 AM EST The Hawthorne for Men website invites visitors to answer questions about themselves and their habits and preferences, and then matches the responses to a cologne scent. The direct-to-consumer brand is targeting the eau de parfum market for men, which had sales of almost $70 million in 2015, according to NPD. The user is offered two options from the 10 formulas available: one a bold scent and another that is subtler. Each bottle costs $100. The company is confident it can accurately match the scent, but exchanges and returns are straightforward and returns are less than five percent, exchange requests are under 10 percent. Dena Silver, "This Cologne Brand Accurately Chooses a Scent for You", Observer, January 04, 2017, © The New York Observer, L.P.

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Online Grocery Deliverer Fulfills Orders Using Advanced Warehousing, Robotics December 29, 2016: 12:00 AM EST British online grocery delivery firm Ocado is applying an array of advanced technologies to speed grocery purchases to consumer homes. The company maintains a 350,000 square-foot warehouse near Birmingham that beats Amazon at automated order fulfillment. Most of the 48,000 lines of products it sells are perishable, many chilled or frozen. The complex, time-sensitive optimization challenge is handled by sophisticated technologies like swarm robotics – teams of robots that cooperate to find, lift and grab products from shelves – as well as autonomous delivery vehicles, and machine-learned preferences. The company is expanding its warehousing and robotics capabilities to be able to handle and deliver more products even faster in the future. [ Image credit: ©  Wikimedia  Commons ] Jamie Condliffe, "The Robotic Grocery Store of the Future Is Here", MIT Technology Review, December 29, 2016, © MIT Technology Review

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Trends In Cosmetics For 2016 December 13, 2016: 12:00 AM EST Looking back over the year, the author highlights some of the trends observed in cosmetics ingredients. 2016 was a year for product aesthetics with manufacturers using a variety of materials to make a sensory statement, but it’s also increasingly important to hit the market with new products fast and first, but without compromising on quality, compliance or appeal. The popularity of natural and organic has been sustained, but consumers are also expecting to be allowed more customization opportunities, and material suppliers will meet this by giving brands greater flexibility. 2016 also saw launches with increasingly sophisticated science incorporated, especially meeting anti-aging demand for skin care products, and hair care was also a huge growth area for materials this year, offering solutions for hair and scalp problems. Belinda Carli, "Top 6 Cosmetics Trends of 2016", SpecialChem, December 13, 2016, © SpecialChem

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