1. Better, Quicker & Cheaper An NPD Practitioner’s View Nadine Mason 07884 316 467

2. Several FMCG grocery sectors; Breakfast Cereals, Yellow fats, chilled and ambient desserts, fruit juice, classic British cooking aids, home-baking, chilled ready meals, Asian foods, Biscuits And several health & beauty sectors; Bath & shower, Haircare, skincare, baby, oral care and sun protection In several countries: UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal In several large companies: Weetabix, Cereal Partners Worldwide, St Ivel, Boots, RHM Culinary Brands, Premier Foods, Burton’s Foods >20 years in Marketing & Innovation

3. Common Sense & « Stealing with Glee» Where are you going? Developing organisational capability Seeking inspiration & insight Do it yourself or get outside help?

4. Innovation Strategy – it helps if you have a plan of attack An iterative process but you have to start somewhere How will innovation help you achieve the vision for your brand or product sector? What do you expect / need it to deliver? Where should you look for great ideas and which should you focus on?

5. The critical questions – 6 Ws: Who? What? When? Why? Where? & Why not?

6. Brand & Category Out Business Out Externally Driven Consumer Trends In Technology & Supplier In Internally Driven Exploration Territory Growth Platform A Growth Platform B Identifying platforms for growth… Health Obesity Satiety Low fat Well-being Obesity ore.g. …and meaningful jumping off points for ideation

7. Developing Organisational Capability Commitment from the top Priority calls and difficult decisions Dedicated teams vs part of the day job? Engage the whole organisation Getting the best out of your suppliers Training and freedom to experiment Build in time for freshness & inspiration

8. Do you ever feel like this?

9. …and you’d like to feel like this?

10. Then it’s time to go on safari and get closer to your consumer “A desk is a dangerous place to view the world” John Le Carre “The difference between sitting behind a mirror in a focus group and sitting talking to consumers face- to-face is a million miles” Gary Hamel

11. Freshness, Inspiration & Insight Get closer to your consumer Consumer connections Friends & family Cooking with your consumer Fridge & cupboard raids Try a different newspaper, magazine, tv programme or radio station Get closer to the shopper Shop to a consumer brief and with a set budget Shop in different stores – upscale, downscale Get out to store with your sales & category colleagues Accompanied shopping Get closer to the food Specialist shops Farmers Markets Borough Market Restaurant research Meet the chefs Foodie Magazines Use your products (and competitors’) Cooking courses Food fairs & exhibitions

12. Getting the best out of your safari Write a brief Choose destinations carefully and with clear objectives linked to your challenge Invite the broader team Use a recruiter to help find the right people for connections– and write a simple discussion guide Think beyond consumer, shopper and the food - who else faces similar challenges? Add something completely different Don’t forget a structured download of what you have learned!

13. Doing it yourself – and not only when the budget is cut! Creative workshops & 1-day NPD Including consumers and « experts » in your team Get out of the office – unexpected & affordable venues Chefology Consumer Galleries Friends & Family panels Survey Monkey et al Use others - to take you further than you thought possible and starting with a more focussed brief

14. Top Tips for good and lean times alike 1.Use your own brains first - keep asking the 6 Ws 2.Get out from behind your desk – plan & download 3.Make creative use of the resources at your disposal 4.Engage the broader team early on 5.Enlist specialist agencies to take you beyond the obvious –Don’t confuse consumer connections and inspriation safaris with research –To turn a good idea into a great concept