About Hormel Foods:
Hormel Foods is a Fortune 500 company that manufactures and markets brand-name food and meat products globally. The company is headquartered in Austin, Minnesota where it was founded in 1891 by George Hormel.
Open Innovation Challenge:
Personalized protein snacks or meals [vending machine delivery]. Design a vending machine application to distribute personalized protein snacks or meals based on the identified needs of the consumer. The consumer will enter [either at the machine or through a mobile application] personal information related to age, gender, height and weight, upcoming activity routine, and their choice of a meal or a snack. Based on this input the vending machine will either mix various snack ingredients or select a pre-packaged meal formulated to meet the immediate needs of the purchaser. The application could include flavor combination choices, vegan options and various supplements. Retail pricing between $3.50 and $5.00 depending on the combination.
Reason for Seeking External Innovation Partnership:
Hormel Foods has experience in protein nutrition, shelf stable meals, and snack products. We are interested in additional expertise in vending and technology applications. We believe this type of immediate and personalized nutrition aligns with the growing demands of millennial and Gen Z consumers. We believe the vending application provides access in non-traditional locations like subways, office buildings, high-schools, colleges and universities.
Scope of Solution Space:
- Technical application for vending including mobile pre-order
- Protein and other ingredient combinations based on consumer cohort and need clusters
- Flavor proofing to ensure all combinations provide a satisfying experience
Innovation Solutions Not of Interest:
- None
Proposal Response Date Deadline:
April 30, 2019
Contact:
To submit your proposal online, click the link below:
Open Innovation Submission Form
To submit your proposal in a PDF document, click here.