The secrets behind innovative strategies and partnerships at Iceland
Dec 12, 2024
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Oliver Gilding, Head of Innovation and Licensing at Iceland Foods, dives into the world of retail innovation. He emphasizes the courage needed to embrace bold partnerships, including collaborations with well-known brands like Greg's and Heinz. Oliver shares their success with exciting product launches, such as takeout-inspired meals, while discussing the importance of understanding core customers. He also highlights the role of a cutting-edge AI tool that drives informed decision-making by analyzing consumer insights, paving the way for continuous innovation.
Iceland's innovative strategies, including bold partnerships with brands like Greggs and Heinz, drive exclusive product development to attract diverse customers.
The brand embraces a culture of experimentation, viewing product launches as learning opportunities that enhance responsiveness and relevance in the market.
Deep dives
Driving Innovation for New Customers
Iceland Foods focuses on driving new customers into their stores by developing exclusive products that cannot be found anywhere else. Collaborating with notable brands such as Greggs and Slimming World, they create innovative products for their frozen food range, expanding into new categories and attracting a diverse customer base. For example, a partnership with Heinz has led to the introduction of unique frozen offerings, while a collaboration with Ninja allowed them to educate customers on air frying benefits. This strategy not only enhances the customer experience but also helps Iceland establish a distinct identity in the competitive grocery market.
Failure is an Opportunity for Growth
Iceland Foods embraces a culture of experimentation, where launching a new product is seen as a chance to learn rather than a risk of failure. Their successful 'Scarily Spicy' product line, which included the world's first over-18s curry made with the Pepper X, illustrates this mindset. Despite initial hesitation, the product received positive feedback, quickly selling out and creating a trend on social media. This willingness to trial and adapt leads to a more responsive innovation process, ensuring they remain relevant and exciting for their customers.
The Importance of Customer Insights
Understanding their core customer, referred to as 'Claire', is crucial for Iceland's innovation strategy. The brand focuses on offering exciting, nutritious, and affordable products to support single parents with limited budgets. Iceland continues to adapt by analyzing customer behavior across various store formats, from smaller high-street shops to larger food warehouses, to identify emerging trends. Leveraging insights, including data from innovative tools like Evaluate AI, Iceland aims to streamline product launches and enhance their decision-making processes to better meet customer demands.
In this episode of Kantar's Future Proof podcast, Dr Nicki Morley, Head of Behavioural Science and Innovation at Kantar, interviews Oliver Gilding, Head of Innovation and Licensing at Iceland, to discuss their approach to innovation through unique product development and strategic partnerships.
Oliver shares insights on the importance of being bold and tenacious in innovation and how Kantar's Concept AI tool has allowed them to make informed decisions in a crowded marketplace and stay ahead in the competitive retail market.