The role of consumers in food innovation processes

Abstract

Purpose The need for consumer involvement in innovation processes has been recognised for four decades. Consumer involvement as a part of open innovation is an important strategy in the food sector, specifically for enhancing consumer acceptance and promoting successful market introduction. The purpose of this paper is to systematically analyse the concept of consumers’ role and the level of consumer integration and interaction in recent food innovation processes. Design/methodology/approach In 2016, a three-step literature search was performed to identify the state-of-the-art scientific literature on consumer-involvement approaches and methods in the food sector. These methods and approaches were qualitatively analysed based on categories in accordance with the qualitative content analysis method. Findings A key finding is that most implemented consumer-involvement approaches and methods fall under von Hippel’s manufacturer-active paradigm rather than the customer-active paradigm (CAP). However, there are practical reasons for the low diffusion of CAP. The presumed reasons include needed change of the perception of roles and of organisational structures, as well as a lack of trust among actors. Practical implications There remains a need to promote an active role for consumers, especially amid changing consumer demand and increasingly conscious consumer behaviour concerning food production and processing conditions. Originality/value This paper contributes to the theoretical and practical discussion about innovation management by reflecting on the innovation paradigm underlying an approach or method. The paper may also have practical implications for the choice and implementation of business models that consider consumers’ role.

The Link between the Consumer and the Innovations in Food Product Development

“…To assess the ideal fitting of the new product with the needs of the target consumers, there are different methods available for the food industries to rely on, such as collecting data about consumers' needs and preferences [10,11]. A more traditional strategy includes a wide variety of tests designed to gather information about consumers' response to new ideas and concepts of possible food products as well as concrete developed products.…”

“…Examples of these include data on current food trends or aggregated data on environmental factors that affect consumers' needs and preferences, such as demographics, economical aspects, social and cultural factors or technological developments [11,12]. While the first, focusing on consumer involvement data collection and corresponding methodologies, have been more studied, the second group, namely study of consumer trends and socio-environmental factors, have been less analysed [10]. Ultimately, data obtained through direct involvement of consumers in NPD, like for example a consumer co-creation, constitute a rich source of product ideas and can have a positive impact on the successful product development and consequently improve the company's financial performance [13,14].…”

How Will We Dine? Prospective Shifts in International Haute Cuisine and Innovation beyond Kitchen and Plate

“…All restaurants with one, two, or three stars were contacted by email, as fast as this contact was offered, and the website was offered in English. The focus on the restaurant staff as the expert group is appropriate as they are the main drivers of innovation in haute cuisine, rather than consumers [ 6 , 18 ] or critics.…”

Participative Processes as a Chance for Developing Ideas to Bridge the Intention-Behavior Gap Concerning Sustainable Diets

“…More specifically, we aimed for suitable ideas for bridging the intention-behavior gap, which then led to an increased adoption rate of sustainable diets. Based on our comprehensive research in the field of open innovation we decided that our envisaged involvement of citizens can take place in specially arranged workshops for idea generation, based on the lead-user workshop concept [29][30][31], which is part of open innovation practices. This concept inspired our research to develop and apply a similar approach.…”