What are the World Dairy Innovation Awards judges expecting to see this year? (Part 1)

The World Dairy Innovation Awards 2021, in association with the Global Dairy Congress, are a celebration of innovation and excellence across every category of the global dairy industry. We asked this year’s judging panel what they are hoping to see from entrants.

There are 20 awards to win, covering all aspects of the dairy industry, and being shortlisted provides a hallmark of success that will prevail long after the awards draw to a close.

The judges’ criteria points will hopefully offer inspiration and help in crafting winning entries. Enter before this Friday 19 March and save £55 with the early bird discount.

Heather Anfang
Senior Vice President, US Dairy Foods at Land O’Lakes

I will review entries with an eye toward the following criteria:

• Strategy: How does your product fit into your existing portfolio? How does it extend your reach into new and different markets? Is it a foot in the door? A driver of big revenue? A brand conversation starter?
• Stats: Show me the numbers! How did you use data to inform product creation and/or marketing approach? How much did you rely on head vs. heart when it came to making decisions about your product?
• Solution: What problem does your product solve for consumers? What does it solve a problem for ingredient producers? Does it solve a problem for the environment? How?
• Surprise: How is this product unlike anything else that currently exists? Or, if not entirely new, how does your product extend or expand on an existing product in novel and surprising ways?
• Story: What is the story and sense of place, people, and principles behind your product?

As a 100-year-old farmer-owned cooperative, started by dairy farmers in St. Paul, Minn., Land O’Lakes, Inc. has an especially long track record of creating products, most notably our LAND O LAKES® stick butter and tub butter spread. The quality, flavour and trust of our products have turned multiple generations of families into fans. We love these loyal brand enthusiasts and continue to work to be part of their cherished family recipe.

We also know next-generation consumers want new flavours, textures, solutions, and products that are rooted in a sense of story and meaning. Land O’Lakes has done this by expanding our portfolio to include speciality goat cheese, cultured butter, Hispanic products, products with healthful additions, flavoured speciality powders and more – all geared toward meeting the emerging needs of consumers and customers.

Sumit Saurav
Head of Marketing, Fonterra Future Dairy Pvt. Ltd.

I have worked across different categories in consumer goods industry and have come across many successes and failures in new product launches. Dairy offers a lot of opportunities for innovators to create something exciting and delight the consumers. For me, the critical success factors are:

• What is the insight behind the innovation? What is the tension area you are addressing? Is it convenience, is it price or is it something else? What is the reason to believe that the innovation is going to resonate with consumers based on the insight.
• Is this innovation addressing a particular consumer need? There has to be one strong reason why consumers would buy this product? Is the innovation bridging the gap between what consumer wants and what current products in the market are offering?
• Is it making the lives of consumers better in some way or the other? Is the innovation more affordable, better performing, more convenient to use or is better than other products in any way. A great innovation doesn’t necessarily need to be a great differentiated product with new technology, ingredients or benefits.  It can either be a simply be an incremental innovation in terms of product but is solving a consumer need in a better way than others like a unique packaging.
• Is it consumer driven or is it competition driven? Most of the launches that we see in the market by different brands come out because a similar product is doing well by one brand and consumers take a back seat and it is not solving any consumer need in true sense.
• Last but not the least, how is the innovation communicated to consumers? Through packaging, communication material or any other medium. A great innovation is of no use until and unless consumers get to know about it.

Veronique Lagrange
Director, California Dairy Innovation Center

It is an honour to be invited to be a judge for these awards. I have worked in the dairy sector for many years both in the United States and around the world. The diversity of products our industry is able to create, all based on this one single “raw material” will never cease to amaze me. I have a background in food science and nutrition, but it is also simply as a consumer. Here is what will I be looking out for when reviewing entries:

• Surprise me! An unexpected texture, an enhanced benefit, a cool recyclable container, a totally new technology developed, or a new milk fraction ingredient discovered? Interesting! I will be curious about your product and you will stand out on my list.
• Enchant me! We all make decisions based on emotions, and in these days of the pandemic, I welcome a little enchantment to brighten my days. An exotic flavour reminiscent of past travels (and I do not mean airline food!)…a gorgeous label that could make me smile when I open the fridge, or a reusable container that is good for the planet and could hold pens on my work-at-home desk? I’ll love it.
• Relax me! Yes, it’s been a stressful year. We’ve cared for our families and our loved ones. We’ve worried and worked too hard. We are exhausted! If your product delivers functional benefits to help boost immunity or cognitive function, promises easier digestion or a peaceful night, or is simply easier to open, store or serve, you’ve got a winner.
• Bewilder me! Ok, the techie in me is still there. How did you do that?! You achieved a super long shelf-life and preserved the product flavour or bioactivity? You found a way to change a texture while keeping a “clean label”? You creatively developed synergies between milk components? Your new technology helps reduce waste or energy consumed throughout the supply chain? Wow – that’s groundbreaking and should be recognized.

At the end of the day, innovation is about people, is about making a difference. I will be interested if you have a really good product that is affordable, which can be widely distributed to those in need of quality nutrition around the world. Is yours a wholesome, yet perhaps simple, an innovation which will improve the lives of many? Most of our future consumers live in emerging economies, and our industry has a responsibility to serve them well. If your product or technology can help, you deserve an award!

I wish the best of luck to all contestants and thank the organizers for this awesome event!

Tushar Joshi
Global Dairy Innovation Director, The Coca-Cola Company

Dairy innovation is prevalent at this time due to structural changes in the way consumers are enjoying their food and beverage products. The top 3 macro forces disrupting the dairy category are: novelty, sustainability, and naturalness.

The consumer’s understanding of nutrition is changing from a traditional mix of macro and micro constituents, as nutrition is now being appreciated in a more complex way than just a “good for my body” positioning. This challenges the dairy category as it is an important part of the nutrition pyramid and products have the added task of proving nutritional values.

For dairy, there are more areas of innovation such as supply chain and packaging, and innovative new products should perform best at the point of consumer use.  I look forward to seeing the submissions in the World Dairy Innovation Award 2021, where I will be looking for the following:

• What is new and original about it and how does it prove to have a better way to solve a consumer problem?
• How is technology, or a combination of technologies, used in order to add value to the product?
• How does this product fit a new generation of consumer needs over existing similar ones?
• What element does the product have that is designed to solve current or future situations (such as health and sustainability)?

Dr Carolien van Loo-Bouwman 
Innovation Manager, Nutritional Sciences at Yili Innovation Centre Europe

How will a regular consumer best interpret the appearance, lay-out and text on a new dairy product? Do the pictures, colours and text promise more than the expected result of consuming the dairy product daily or weekly? Does the innovation contribute to better health or maintaining health by consuming?

Personally, I would like to see that extra ingredients have a science-proven health benefit or that the nutritional composition is improved to fit into a more healthy diet pattern. Further, any communication for a new food product should also simulate a healthy lifestyle with exercise.

Ideally, the innovation should contribute to a sustainable diet for the future, however, sustainability is interpreted in different ways by companies and it is difficult for consumers to check if the innovation contributes to a more sustainable world.

The following five aspects should be provided from the innovative dairy product entrants with correct communication of the benefits alongside value to consumers:

• Improved nutritional composition.
• Extra ingredients based on scientific proof.
• Promotion of healthy diet and healthy lifestyle.
• Any contributions the product has to a more sustainable world.
• Aesthetically pleasing appearance that signifies a delightful taste experience.

Jaap Petraeus

Managing Director, Dairy Sustainability Support

The Covid-19 pandemic has made many people realise that we are guests on this planet. Climate change and the loss of biodiversity will have an even greater impact on life on this planet than the recent coronavirus pandemic. Dairy is under increasing pressure because of the sustainability aspects and greenhouse gas emissions, animal welfare and loss of biodiversity are all causing great concern among consumers. Therefore, many consumers are looking for replacements for animal proteins. On the other hand, dairy products provide a good income for dairy farmers, who keep the countryside liveable.

By demonstrating that dairy products contribute to a sustainable diet for the future, with high-quality nutrients and a responsible environmental impact, the innovative dairy products must win the hearts of consumers. Dairy products can demonstrate that they contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Dairy products must demonstrate that they have a purpose and are in line with consumers’ concerns about the state of our planet.

The following topics will be considered in my assessment of dairy products:

• Demonstrably developed with respect for the planet. Not only as few greenhouse gases as possible, but also attention to the preservation of biodiversity and attention to animal welfare.
• The circularity of the packaging has been demonstrably considered.
• Arguably better nutrient content than comparable plant products.
• Contributing to improving the financial position of dairy farmers.
• Sourcing of raw materials as locally as possible.

Think you’ve got what it takes to win? Enter your innovative dairy products in the World Dairy Innovation Awards 2021 now!