“I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want.” 90s pop music becomes gospel within the food and beverage innovation sector.

Meet Johnsonville’s VP of Innovation and Consumer Insights, Andria Long. In her tenure, Long has built two Chicagoland-based innovation centers and led innovation at a nimble family-owned company. She also has the savvy ability to turn cheesy 90s lyrics into catchy ways of improving consumer products.

Long kicked off our 2018 Innovation Breakfast Series on January 11 at Bluedog Design. And after her chat, we may call her the Casey Kasem of the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network for years to come.

Long says innovation comes from providing consumers what they want. Yes… What they really, really want. And doing so in a way that no one has done before.

Long easily identifies three focus areas that are key drivers of innovation success:

1. People: Having the right people on your team is critical. As innovators, we do something that makes some people uncomfortable. Innovators are all about creating change -- and some people just do not like change. To succeed,  you have to find the people who are up for the ‘change’ challenge. Seek positive people, ones able to handle rejection; especially ones comfortable with ambiguity.
2. Capabilities: Your capabilities come from giving consumers what they want, what they really REALLY want (to call upon the Almighty Spice Girls yet again). One of the most common mistakes innovators make is thinking they must have an idea. Wrong. There are already plenty of ideas. Instead, start with the consumer -- identify their wants/needs. Then satisfy that need with ideas that deliver a benefit in an unprecedented way.
3. Surprises (AKA WTF moments): Long has experienced a lot of surprises, good and bad. We all have. For one, it’s important to recognize and learn from the bad surprises (aka fails) so we can better approach the next challenge. Keep in mind -- it’s always better to have an ‘oops’ than a ‘what if.’

Think about mobilizing around innovation as a team sport. Everyone needs to approach the game the same way.  (Like the Spice Girls...not as a solo artist)

Andria was asked by an audience member why she likes doing business in Chicagoland? She boasted:

• Talent in Chicagoland is top notch
• Regional food and beverage community is strong
• Access to culinary arts is second to none
• Startup community is big here, and keeps them motivated
• Vendor access is critical - and for Johnsonville, they’re all in Chicagoland

Join us at our next events -- including our Wednesday, January 24 event, Industry Leadership Series: The Changing Landscape Of Successful Consumer Innovation: The Rise Of The Dark Horse. Register here.