Member News & Headlines Blog

The future for food and beverage brands is not about market share, it is about mindshare, says Neil Saunders from GlobalData. “If you have a strong brand that is front of mind for consumers, you have a much better chance of being successful.” 

Click the link to read the full article by Stephen Daniells on FoodNavigator.com http://ow.ly/khSv30jbCKt

We had a great evening at The Hatchery Chicago, both networking and learning from IRI’s Executive Vice President, Larry Levin,  a recognized thought leader in new product innovation. Larry shared IRI’s thoughts and ideas surrounding the challenging and highly rewarding world of innovation sparked by small, “dark horse” brands.

 New product innovation is a cornerstone to success for any company in the consumer packaged goods space. Many companies rely on as much as 10% of their annual sales coming from new product launches. The trend of smaller companies quickly winning in today’s CPG environment has created a new mantra for “failing fast” so that time is not wasted getting new products to market. In IRI’s most recent New Product Pacesetters, 40% of new brands were from small, or “dark horse”, companies. These companies are surprising and delighting consumers across the country with new products that are “designed for me”. These small companies are breaking through with innovation and sparking a consumer innovation revolution.

Larry's slide deck can be accessed here. 

Food Scientist: the 8th most in demand job. Why are food scientist jobs hot in Chicagoland in 2018? Crain's Chicago Business asked our Network executive director. Read his interview for the scoop!

A front page placement at www.foodengineeringmag.com featuring our January innovation breakfast! Debra Schug, Editor-in-chief, highlights all of the great insights from Andria Long vice president of innovation & consumer insights at Johnsonville.  Read the article here. 

“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.

Now that Congress has passed the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, you likely have questions about how it will affect you and your business. Plante Moran is here to help. Here’s what you need to know right now.

Podcast series: Year-end tax-planning opportunities

Businesses and individuals can take advantage of several tax-planning opportunities in the short window between now and the end of the year. These short podcasts arm you with everything you need to know to make changes now: Planning opportunities for businesses Planning opportunities for businesses operating internationally Planning opportunities for individuals

Well+Good, thank you for the shout out. Chicagoland may be cold, but we have some hot food ideas!

Read the entire article here. 

This Food Navigator article highlights the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network. It features Executive Director Alan Reed and the organization's role in supporting the start-up culture and institutional industrial change throughout the region.  Read the entire article here. 

View the video here!