What are the World Dairy Innovation Awards judges expecting to see this year? (Part 2)

With less than a month to go until the deadline for the World Dairy Innovation Awards 2021, in association with the Global Dairy Congress, we asked the second half of 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 craft winning entries.

Entries close on Friday 30 April 2021.

Donna Berry 
Owner, Dairy & Food Communications

Innovation must go on! While the current uncertain climate may be disrupting product development plans, once the world recovers, consumers will be stronger, smarter and even more curious about the foods and beverages they put into their body. Nutrition, pleasure and sustainability will be key differentiators. It’s important that processors keep dairy relevant to shoppers.

As a degreed food scientist, who has been tracking consumer trends and innovation for 30 years, I appreciate when all aspects of product development are thoroughly addressed by the companies participating in the World Dairy Innovation Awards. Here’s what I want to know:

• What is the intent of the product? Is it to deliver nutrition? Provide convenience? Simply enjoy? Why does the market need this product?
• What makes this product different from similar products in the marketplace? Does it require special ingredients or processing technology?
• Were there any technical hurdles to overcome in its development? Does it use any patented technology?
• What role does the package play? Is it just a vessel to carry the product or is it a critical part of the concept?
• How is the company communicating the benefits or value of the product to consumers?

I’ve seen many new products debut, and sadly, many fail. Never before has the pressure been so great to innovate—and quickly–to attract consumers and then keep them as customers. The real industry disrupters—and winners–will be the innovators who think beyond the traditional refrigerated and frozen dairy cases.

Marcelo Pereira de Carvalho
Founder and CEO, AgriPoint

I am mostly interested in the following types of dairy product innovation:

• Products that effectively use new technologies to improve traceability and customization, such as blockchain and real-time farm data.
• Products that have a strong narrative and a compelling story behind them: such as provenance, tradition, fair trade, sustainability and social responsibility, being aspirational in these ways.
• Regenerative agriculture products.
• Products that can connect with consumers in innovative ways, during the difficult times we are facing due to quarantine, uncertainty and fear: brands and products that show solidarity and pro-activeness much beyond their original purpose.
• Products with a strong nutrition/health claim, using dairy ingredients as an essential part of the value proposition.
• Products that innovate in packaging and portioning, making dairy more convenient to consumers.
• Products and brands that effectively engage a conversation with younger generations, keeping dairy in a relevant position in their choices.
• Products that create new opportunities for consumption of dairy goods.
• Products that innovate in distribution (e.g. new channels) and explore e-commerce effectively.

Tolga Sezer
Dairy industry senior executive and expert

Innovation for the post-Covid-19 era: The new normal

COVID-19 is a worldwide health and economic disaster which will permanently alter consumer behaviours resulting in lasting structural changes to the Consumer Goods industry. Innovation will play a key role for the businesses to adapt and stay relevant to the accelerating trends impacting consumer goods:

• Health & Wellbeing: 79%* of consumers think the pandemic will increase the focus on health. How does your innovation deliver on the increased “good for you” expectations of the consumer? Is there any benefit that you can claim like supporting the immune system etc? How does your innovation help the consumer to satisfy this need?
• Conscious consumption: 62% of consumers say the pandemic will increase their focus on the environment. Do you have sustainable ingredients and/or packaging?
• The love of shopping local: 46% of consumers will sustain their increase in buying locally sourced goods. People are replacing their hypermarket/supermarket visits with visits to neighbourhood mom & pop stores. Do you have any channel-specific solutions/offerings?
• Digital commerce: Significant increase in e-commerce purchases from new or low-frequency users. How is your innovation working in terms of packaging, delivery and logistics for this new route to market reality? Do you have ambient solutions?
• Consumer creators: 62% of consumers are trying new recipes or cooking methods such as home brewing. Do you have “playful” dairy offerings? Does your innovation provide space for consumer creativity and/or co-create?
• Staying in is the new going out: 79% of households with kids are feeling more connected as a family. How does your innovation work for “at home” occasions? Does it deliver a sensorial treat a “small happiness” for the family? Or does it play a positive role in their new routines?

* Accenture COVID-19 Consumer Pulse Research

Raquel Melo
Vice President of Product Innovation, Dairy Brands Division of Dairy Farmers of America

There has never been a time when innovation in the dairy industry is more important, with dairy serving as familiarity, comfort, and wholesome nutrition in our tremendously disrupted lives. As consumer needs evolve and change in this global crisis and its aftermath, so too will the role of dairy in our lives, in line with changing consumer attitudes and needs. Innovation is now more important than it’s ever been.

As I review this year’s slate of innovation entries, here are the five key criteria I will consider first:

• Does the product have a clear job to do? Is it relevant? Does it deliver against a clear consumer need or “job to be done”?
• Is the product well-positioned? So many products deliver on taste, package design, or package ingenuity itself, only to fail at telling their own story. When well positioned, a consumer should be able to understand at a glance the who, what, why, when, and where.
• Is the product well-formulated? Regardless of benefits and attributes, how does it taste? For products with health & wellness benefits, how effectively does the product balance formulation ingenuity with great taste and sensorial experience?
• Does the product break-through? Is the product differentiated? Does the branding or positioning tell a fresh story? Is there an element of newness in the proposition, formulation, packaging, or sourcing that suggests a “wow”?
• Does the product have the potential to drive category growth? Ultimately, every product must prove its worth in the marketplace, and those that are most successful not only advance their own agenda but help to grow the category (or categories) that they belong to as well.

Andrew Howie
Co-founder, Shaken Udder

I’m delighted to be helping to judge the awards! Whilst there are a huge number of factors to consider, some of the main points I’ll be looking at are:

• Consumer-focused – Consumers should be at the heart of innovation so I’ll be looking for proof of a real understanding of consumer pain points and needs, and that the product truly addresses these.  I’d like to see positive innovation, not just innovation for innovation’s sake!  What insight has been used, what need is being met and how?
• Healthy balance – Focus on health has become increasingly important particularly in response to the pandemic but it’s also about balance, not taking away life’s little luxuries (which we all need now more than ever!).  I’ll be looking at what steps brands have taken to help achieve this: like innovative ways to reduce sugar, fortify products with vitamins and minerals, and the creative use of functional yet tasty ingredients. Consumers are savvy when it comes to health claims, so they must be meaningful and well substantiated.
• Sustainability – I don’t need to preach about how important it is for brands to drive this agenda. Whilst the breadth of this is huge, I’m interested to see how this is captured and incorporated as the brand grows – everything from sourcing ingredients, food miles, packaging, reducing food waste or a sustainable supply chain.
• Elevated flavour & real ingredients – this is at the heart of everything we do at Shaken Udder.  Are you using new and interesting flavour combinations, are customers excited and interested, does it shake up the category? Ultimately, the litmus test is: Is it something I want to try?
• Visual & ergonomic appeal – You can spend years developing an incredible product, but if the product and packaging aren’t appealing, you run the risk of being the world’s best-kept secret! Do your product and packaging clearly show who the product is for and what needs it’s solving over and above competitors? Are the right USP’s communicated, is the hierarchy of messaging right?

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