Kraft Food is one of the leading food and beverage companies, with a large portfolio of well-known brands. In the early 2000s its Nordic branch was doing a lot of market research, but was lacking coordination as well as a shared picture of where consumers and markets were heading.

Therefore a Consumer Insight division was established with the task to improve insights in important consumer and market trends and uncertainties and to boost innovation with those trends and we were asked to help them develop and facilitate the process.

"One of the greatest risks with trends is that there is an incredibly vast range of interesting information, with Kairos Future’s trend managementsystem you get help to focus on the most important trends for the organization and how they will affect the company, and create a concrete action plan to meetthe upcoming changes in the best way." /Sofie Randén, Consumer Insight Manager at Kraft Foods saw the benefits of the structured approach.

Kairos Future’s Consumer, Marketing and Innovation division developed process for continuous and integrated trend analysis and monitoring that was used as a springboard for innovation for over 5 years. Ambassadors from different categories within Kraft were appointed and trained in trend analysis and trend-based innovation and the process was linked to business planning process of the company. Direct results of the trend and scenario analysis were both a series of successful new product launches and marketing campaigns and improved foresight among key people in the company

Consumer trends and innovation in consumer industry Kraft Foods: Issue establish business intelligence/consumer insight

ISSUE
• Kraft was doing a lot of research but there was little or no coordination
• All four divisions were doing similar studies and needed a common unit for managing their business intelligence and market research

THE TASK 
• Establishing Consumer Insight as a powerful knowledge centre
• Identifying key trends and issues with most impact on the group
• Link consumer insight to innovation and development

METHOD: Kraft Trend Management System (Illustration) Success factors:
• Selection of limited number of trends
• Communication to all stakeholders (speech/lecture)
• Consequence and ideas workshops with all categories
• Shared language – Training och internal “ambassadors”
• Tailored condensed report

HOW THE RESULTS WERE USED
• To develop specific ideas – Products, packages, communication, campaigns, distribution channels, organization, processes
• Provide arguments and support for new launches both internally and externally
• Shared views of the future – ”What is coffee in ten years?”
• Select high-potential products from other markets – Example: Now bestseller Marabou Premiim (chocolate)
• Choose ”right” position at launch of new products
• Improvement of existing products and ideas
• Development of new concept – Example: Health expert