McCain Omnichannel Strategy
Building an omnichannel strategy for appetisers in the USA.
Problem
Problem
Problem
The way Americans socialise and eat has changed radically. COVID, food inflation, the decriminalisation of Cannabis in 24 states and the rise of digital ordering, has resulted in 60% of people trading down to more casual restaurants and 55% more entertaining at home. The old rules of the entire food supply industry have been rewritten.
As a major supplier to the food service industry, McCain needed to rethink its omnichannel strategy and its innovation process to maintain/grow revenue in the face of rising costs. Brand, product and service delivery all needed to be reinvented for the new eating reality.
The way Americans socialise and eat has changed radically. COVID, food inflation, the decriminalisation of Cannabis in 24 states and the rise of digital ordering, has resulted in 60% of people trading down to more casual restaurants and 55% more entertaining at home. The old rules of the entire food supply industry have been rewritten.
As a major supplier to the food service industry, McCain needed to rethink its omnichannel strategy and its innovation process to maintain/grow revenue in the face of rising costs. Brand, product and service delivery all needed to be reinvented for the new eating reality.
The way Americans socialise and eat has changed radically. COVID, food inflation, the decriminalisation of Cannabis in 24 states and the rise of digital ordering, has resulted in 60% of people trading down to more casual restaurants and 55% more entertaining at home. The old rules of the entire food supply industry have been rewritten.
As a major supplier to the food service industry, McCain needed to rethink its omnichannel strategy and its innovation process to maintain/grow revenue in the face of rising costs. Brand, product and service delivery all needed to be reinvented for the new eating reality.
An extract of our working Miro Board, including planning for in-situ research in both Chicago and Houston.
Consumer & operator-informed insights for omnichannel disruption.
Reframe
Reframe
The different offers across food service compete with each other for share of the stomach, they don't operate in isolation.
We needed to look beyond current practices by rethinking the strategy in terms of consumer and operator needs and futures across ALL channels.
All our work needed to be grounded in 'true' shopping, cooking and eating experiences, so we got on the road and spent weeks talking to real consumers, operators, procurement teams, executive chefs, delivery people, store managers...across half the states of the USA.
We brought in lateral experts to challenge thinking, cross-fertilised learnings from overseas and insisted on iterative, rapid food prototyping to ensure meaningful research of concepts.
The different offers across food service compete with each other for share of the stomach, they don't operate in isolation.
We needed to look beyond current practices by rethinking the strategy in terms of consumer and operator needs and futures across ALL channels.
All our work needed to be grounded in 'true' shopping, cooking and eating experiences, so we got on the road and spent weeks talking to real consumers, operators, procurement teams, executive chefs, delivery people, store managers...across half the states of the USA.
We brought in lateral experts to challenge thinking, cross-fertilised learnings from overseas and insisted on iterative, rapid food prototyping to ensure meaningful research of concepts.
The different offers across food service compete with each other for share of the stomach, they don't operate in isolation.
We needed to look beyond current practices by rethinking the strategy in terms of consumer and operator needs and futures across ALL channels.
All our work needed to be grounded in 'true' shopping, cooking and eating experiences, so we got on the road and spent weeks talking to real consumers, operators, procurement teams, executive chefs, delivery people, store managers...across half the states of the USA.
We brought in lateral experts to challenge thinking, cross-fertilised learnings from overseas and insisted on iterative, rapid food prototyping to ensure meaningful research of concepts.
One of the final products introduced to market just one year later in the second half of 2024.
Solution
Solution
We combined three different human-centred design programmes to tackle the core channels of food service, QSR and retail.
Each programme brought together exhaustive quantitative and qualitative data, rapid prototyping and end-user segmentation. The team fully immersed themselves in each market with an always-on discovery-learning mentality.
Within four months, a new omnichannel strategy had been defined, approved and fast-tracked into implementation plans.
We combined three different human-centred design programmes to tackle the core channels of food service, QSR and retail.
Each programme brought together exhaustive quantitative and qualitative data, rapid prototyping and end-user segmentation. The team fully immersed themselves in each market with an always-on discovery-learning mentality.
Within four months, a new omnichannel strategy had been defined, approved and fast-tracked into implementation plans.
We combined three different human-centred design programmes to tackle the core channels of food service, QSR and retail.
Each programme brought together exhaustive quantitative and qualitative data, rapid prototyping and end-user segmentation. The team fully immersed themselves in each market with an always-on discovery-learning mentality.
Within four months, a new omnichannel strategy had been defined, approved and fast-tracked into implementation plans.
4 months
rapid strategy acceleration
from initial engagement to strategy implementation.
4 months
rapid strategy acceleration
from initial engagement to strategy implementation.
4 months
total interviews completed.
24
states covered
in rapid deep-dive ethnographic immersion and co-creation.
24
states covered
in rapid deep-dive ethnographic immersion and co-creation.
4 months
rapid strategy acceleration
from initial engagement to strategy implementation.
286
total interviews completed.
286
total interviews completed.
24
states covered
in rapid deep-dive ethnographic immersion and co-creation.
Impact
Impact
By taking an omnichannel approach, we were free to be more disruptive and anchored in future needs, not just in current practices.
Five new omni-channel platforms and over 30 new products were designed, backed up by far-reaching customer and consumer insight.
The first new products launched just one year later in the second half of 2024.
By taking an omnichannel approach, we were free to be more disruptive and anchored in future needs, not just in current practices.
Five new omni-channel platforms and over 30 new products were designed, backed up by far-reaching customer and consumer insight.
The first new products launched just one year later in the second half of 2024.
By taking an omnichannel approach, we were free to be more disruptive and anchored in future needs, not just in current practices.
Five new omni-channel platforms and over 30 new products were designed, backed up by far-reaching customer and consumer insight.
The first new products launched just one year later in the second half of 2024.
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