VIDEO: Kraft & Nielsen Partner on Product Innovation

NEW YORK — At the end of 2012, the Lunchables team at Kraft Foods reflected on annual dollar sales growth of 6 percent, but felt as though they were leaving money on the table. While Lunchables had proven to be a popular option at the lunchroom table among elementary-school-aged kids, the team knew most of those kids would outgrow the franchise a few years later when they became teenagers.

Kraft believed there was an opportunity to grow with kids and enlisted the help of long-time partner Nielsen to derive insights to help develop a product that didn’t just fill the need; it grew the brand. 

The result is Lunchables Uploaded, recently honored by Nielsen as one of its 12 U.S. Breakthrough Innovation Winners for 2015. The U.S. Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Project is a long-term, in-depth analysis of more than 20,000 product launches over six years. Since its inception in 2008, the project has celebrated 74 products, representing less than 0.5 percent of new product launches.

The Lunchables Uploaded line delivers larger portions designed for teens. While traditional Lunchables contain snacks such as crackers, cheese, and ham, Lunchables Uploaded offers meals ranging from 6-inch subs to nachos grande.

Geoffrey Feil, director of marketing for Lunchables at Kraft Foods, sat down with Karen Fichuk, president of Nielsen North America, at this year’s Nielsen U.S. Consumer 360 Conference to talk about the Lunchables Uploaded product and the Kraft-Nielsen partnership. A video of this discussion is now available by clicking here.