SMASH Idea Development Process leverages unique partnership between Hyde Park Group & CB’a Brand Engine

In the overcrowded and ever-changing world of consumer packaged goods, new product success is hard to come by. That’s why Mary Haderlein, Principal of Hyde Park Group Food Innovation, developed SMASH, a proprietary New Product Idea Development Process that is blowing the roof off of ideation. “Our process is a cross pollination of three separate disciplines – strategy, culinary, and packaging design – working in lockstep, not linearly.” Haderlein is particularly proud of her partnership with CB’a Brand Engine, one of the world’s leading package design companies. “The combination of our strategic and culinary resources with their extraordinary package design team is exponential. And the results are truly breakthrough.”

Haderlein is a firm believer that the right people make all the difference. “I’m not interested in being the biggest food innovation firm, just working with the best people," says Haderlein. Hyde Park Group’s Chief Food Innovator, Michael Foley, is a perfect example of her philosophy. Foley, former owner and executive chef of the famed Printer’s Row restaurant group, has served as Hyde Park Group’s Chief Food Innovator for almost four years. Foley is a not only a five star, James Beard award-winning chef, he also has a long history of working directly with corporate America as a culinary consultant. At Hyde Park Group, Haderlein and Foley have successfully worked with a plethora of global companies including Starbucks, Kraft, and Kellogg.

Yet, when it came to developing new product ideas for companies, Haderlein felt that strategic and culinary exploration could only go so far. “We were missing the third leg of the stool – packaging. You can’t think about new food ideas without packaging or packaging without food. They are completely interconnected.” Haderlein looked long and hard for kindred spirits in the package design world and accidentally stumbled upon Brand Engine. “Actually, I followed Elainne Roberton. Elainne is undoubtedly the very best packaging professional with whom I’ve ever worked. When she joined Brand Engine, I thought, if she’s going there, they must really be something.” Elainne is now Hyde Park Group’s gateway to both the U.S. Brand Engine team as well as their global CB’a network with 13 offices worldwide.

As a 25 year veteran of the advertising industry with expertise in strategic planning and ideation, Haderlein knew that the existing idea development process was flawed at many companies. “Many companies can’t truly commit the culinary or packaging resources to an idea until the idea has proven potential. It’s a chicken or egg dilemma.” SMASH solves this dilemma by uniting strategists, chefs and packaging designers together in what some call the "fuzzy front end." By working together from the inception, the range and depth of ideas is well beyond what is achieved in typical development. Still, Haderlein contends that while they’ve perfected the SMASH process into a lean, mean, idea generating machine, it’s the people that make the difference.

Hyde Park Group & Mrs. Dash ® visit ABC 7 for American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, and to spread the message Hyde Park Group traveled to the studios of ABC 7 in Chicago. HPG’s Chief Food Innovator, Michael Foley, met with weekday anchors Linda Yu and Sylvia Perez to demonstrate heart-healthy recipes using Alberto Culver’s Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blends ®.

Hyde Park Group has worked on Mrs. Dash for several years assisting with branding, new product development, packaging and recipe creation. For the ABC segment, Michael Foley prepared two of the recipes developed by Hyde Park Group for Mrs. Dash: Chicken Caprese and Cauliflower Popcorn. Both dishes use Mrs. Dash salt-free blends and are delicious and heart-healthy food choices. Recipes for the dishes can be found on the Mrs. Dash website.

Mary Haderlein, Principal of Hyde Park Group, said, “Mrs. Dash uses recipes very strategically, to drive trial of new blends with easy to make, everyday dishes that meet the guidelines for low sodium. We’ve created almost 100 delicious recipes for Mrs. Dash which are used in everything from advertising to in-store sampling to promotion to public relations.”

Creating low sodium recipes that taste delicious is an art perfected by Michael Foley. With a lifelong interest in how spice and seasonings provide satiety, Michael is the ideal innovator for Mrs. Dash product and recipe development. As a five-star, James Beard award-winning chef, his genius with food is only surpassed by his commitment to health and well-being. By combining these passions, he is able to break the taste/health see-saw with recipes that truly deliver both.

The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency to help reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. More information on their Go Red for Women movement can be found at www.goredforwomen.org.

Our Top 10 Food Trends of 2010 (and What They Mean for 2011)

The new year brings with it reflections and predictions. We sat down and discussed what we saw in 2010, and what we expect to see more of in 2011.

1. The Digital “Foodie”

With tools like Twitter, FourSquare and Yelp!, today’s epicureans have the culinary underground in the palm of their hands, and they plan to conquer. They track underground supperclub openings, food trucks, farmers markets and food blogs. The tech-savvy foodie also has instant access to a plethora of recipes, and when experimentation is the name of the game, the smartphone often acts as culinary instructor. The logical pairing of the tasty and the technological isn’t going anywhere in 2011, and we’re keeping an eye out for even more applications of guerrilla marketing to lure in this hungry demographic.

2. The HyperLocavore

Also called Food Patriotism, the trend of buying and eating local has been around for years. 2010 brought us the HyperLocavore, home gardeners who prefers to grow their own herbs and produce. This group made a name for themselves online through blogs and Internet Yardsharing communities. We’re not so sure that the do-it-yourself trend will extend to “Killavore,” but we definitely expect a new kind of garden root cellar complete with homemade pickling and preserves.

3. Ethical and Spiritual Dieting

From a dieting perspective, 2010 was all about aligning your approach to food with your approach to the world. We particularly enjoyed Michael Pollan’s recent venture, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, and continue to find his message of conscientious eating inspiring and healthful. We expect to see a resurgence of ethical and green-conscious diets in the next year, as well as spiritual diets like Geneen Roth’s Women, Food and God.

4. Gourmet Food Trucks

A new breed of foodie enjoyed a fresh take at street cuisine this year in the form of food trucks. The cheap and decidedly un-frilly taste-mobiles cropped up in cities across the country. We especially enjoyed the variety of foods presented by these meals-on-wheels, and noticed everything from Korean BBQ to Mexican in all shapes and styles to gourmet bratwurst and schnitzel to bread pudding and crème brulee. Many of the trucks rely solely on social media sites like Twitter to advertise their whereabouts, a convenient and cost-effective way to generate buzz with the Digital Foodie (see #1). Overall, the Gourmet Roach Coach is a fantastic medium to showcase innovative and cheap food, and we expect to see many more of them in the next few years.

5. Hand Pies

As delicious as the cupcake is, its time as the ruler of the Pantheon of Portable Pastries has come to a close. For its successor, we’ve got our money on the versatile and tasty hand pie. Baked or fried, sweet or savory, the hand pie is simply delicious and elicits a sense of down-home comfort that consumers crave in a convenient and waist-line friendly size. Keep a look out for artisan pie dough in markets for flexible home prep, as well as pre-made organic fillings.

6. Smoking (The Good Kind)

The last five years saw a resurgence of smoked foodstuffs in the restaurant industry, and the technique is expanding onto the shelves and home kitchens of amateurs. Smoking meats and foods is a simple way to infuse and intensify flavors without adding calories. Smoked fish proved that it’s not just for bagels in 2010, new cuts of meat are getting the smoking treatment, and even non-traditional smoked foodstuffs like bread and chocolate made a splash. Home smokers and “liquid smoke” also grew in popularity, letting home cooks take a crack at making their own smoky creations from the simple pork to smoked fish pates.

7. One Package, Many Uses

The importance of food packaging continued to grow in 2010, marked by innovations aimed at upping practicality and simplicity for the user. Heinz introduced dual-usage ketchup packages that gave consumers the option to squeeze the packet in the traditional manner, or to dip their food directly into the packet. New package components also made an appearance, including lightweight and biodegradable paperboard trays, like the DeLight Solution by Stora Enso, that can be frozen and microwaved and offer shelf-life extension the foods contained within. We also noticed a new parchment package on the market that goes directly from prep to plate. The meals contained within can be cooked in a microwave or conventional oven right in the packet they came in; think sous vide meets microwave popcorn.

8. Low-Glycemic Index Sweeteners

Ah, will we never rest until we defeat sugar once and for all? We certainly made some headway in 2010. Natural plant-derived sweeteners such as xylitol and stevia were especially popular. Manufacturers gave particular attention to the Glycemic Index of sweeteners, which measures the spike in blood sugar as food is digested, a major factor in both type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Agave nectar, with its low GI and versatility, also made a splash and can be found in more than 300 products and growing. We also found several sweeteners that offered other health and wellness benefits, such as fiber, probiotics, and even purported relaxation.

9. Honey

This natural sweetener saw a lot of activity in 2010. Manufacturers treated us to honey-based vinegars and vodka distilled from the golden goo. 100% honey candies hit the shelves out of Canada (and it’s a little shocking we hadn’t seen that before, come to think of it). Honey even saw some controversy this year in the form of “honey-laundering,” and while we find that term adorable, we’re hoping that it won’t make a lasting effect on the apiary industry. Meanwhile, Chicago’s own local honey industry saw the entry of chef supported community assisted bee hives that guaranteed learning as well as product for their own inventive honey menus.

10. Relax!

Who doesn’t need a little relaxation these days? 2010 brought us a new way to think about eating and cooking, and it all about chilling out. Influences of the need-for-decreased-speed could be found throughout the food industry. The most popular diet books of the year were more likely to tell you to enjoy life than to starve yourself into a size 2. The beverage market saw an enormous boom in tea, as well as the rise of “calming” shots such as Tranquila and Unwind, purportedly soothing libations that seem to be the counterargument to 2009’s “energy” shots. The continued rise of “scratch” cooking, while still largely a product of frugality, became more of a philosophy than a chore. In the end, it’s all about enjoying yourself, and that’s one trend we hope to see a lot more of in 2011.

Coming to a Restaurant Near You: Calorie Sticker Shock

A major change in the chain restaurant industry is underway. As early as 2011, chain restaurants will have to start posting calorie information on their menus and signs. The federal legislation, part of the recently-passed healthcare bill, will affect more than 200,000 restaurant locations, and will have an impact on menu ingredients and portion sizes.

The calorie counts on popular menu items may send some consumers into sticker shock. Although they might expect the calorie counts from true fast-food chains, they may not be expecting that their healthy-sounding sandwich is 800 calories (vs. about 500 in a fast-food hamburger). Ideally, companies will lighten up items before these regulations go into effect to avoid losing market share. Consumer insights point to two main strategies:

1) Natural Substitution. Most of the hidden calories in casual dining and fast food restaurant dishes are in the sauces and dressings. Yet, today’s consumers don’t want to substitute “fake” ingredients to lower calories. They still want taste, but not if it means eating artificial or highly processed additives. To avoid calorie sticker shock while still giving consumers delicious and natural options, marketers should make real food choices that lighten heavier sauces and dressings. Hyde Park Group recently developed a line of sandwiches using a wide variety of vinegars, mustards, citrus, and spice blends to keep the offerings delicious and natural while reducing calories.

2) Portion control. There are thousands of innovative ways to reduce portion size without alienating customers. Will the item work with slightly less bread, sauce, or cheese? Making a 20 percent reduction in the item’s overall size or in the quantity of higher-calorie ingredients makes a big dent in the calorie count. Smaller plates and interesting presentation reduce calories while encouraging customers to try more than one menu item. Adding natural spices and herbs help increase satiation. And, many food trends also indicate that U.S. consumers are more comfortable with smaller portion sizes, as long as the offerings taste wonderful (note the resurgence of butter à la Julie & Julia.

Recent food news shows that popular dine-in restaurant chains are already reducing portion sizes. With the posting of calorie information on menus and signs, consumers are likely to make different choices to avoid calorie overload. Is your company ready for the change?

The New York Times recently wrote about stealth salt in packaged foods -- foods like sandwich cookies and syrup that contain a surprising amount of sodium. The article was prompted by a new study by the Institute of Medicine which calls for a national effort to reduce sodium in foods.

As we've said before, salt is the new trans fat, and regulations can't be far behind. There are many alternatives for food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sodium in their packaged foods. Does your company have a plan?

Bread, Butter and Better Food

We are fans of the movie Julie and Julia. Not just because it was the "feel good movie of the year,” but because, as food innovators, we recognize significant food trends that we are seeing in our work.

In part, the movie reflects the Real Food Revolution which we’ve written about before. Real ingredients, less chemicals: consumers are moving away from “fake” food and specifically seeking out products that have clear, understandable ingredients.

But more than that, the cooking in Julie and Julia reveals another development in buying behavior: the trend back towards traditional cooking, where real butter and white flour are not demonized. With a little more knowledge that sensible quantities of these items can offer taste, satisfaction and satiety, they are no longer viewed as the root of all things wrong with our diet.

It’s part of our changing sensibility of food. The book French Woman Don’t Get Fat, which bills itself as a “non-diet” book, tries to demonstrate to readers that food doesn’t have to be your enemy to be thin – it should be savored and enjoyed. Foods like butter, chocolate and (gasp!) white bread should be enjoyed, but not mindlessly and with attention to fullness, frequency, quality and quantity. Cooking should be creative and fun; meals should be planned with attention to fresh ingredients, vegetables, herbs and spices.

Some of the most popular TV chefs have absolutely no regard for fat and calories, but a passion for taste and cooking, and their popularity continues to grow. Rachel Ray, Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) and Nigella Lawson all revel in the preparation and sharing of food instead of the much more dreary efforts to cut fat and – in their opinions – taste – from food.

Even scientific evidence is supporting that low-fat diets no longer guarantee a long and healthy life. Obesity is up; yet Americans are eating less fat than ever. One of the studies most shocking to the low-fat conventional wisdom was published in 2006 in JAMA. According a summary by the Harvard School of Public Health, in an eight-year trial with almost 49,000 women, researchers found nearly identical rates of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease in women who followed a low-fat diet and those who didn’t. The finding of this study supported equally groundbreaking news from the Nurses' Health Study which did not find a link between the overall percentage of calories from fat and major health issues like cancer, heart disease, and weight gain.

But Julie and Julia weren’t concerned about the science; and the American public may be wearying of it too. As we receive an overload of news information of what’s good and what’s bad, going back to whole foods, sensible portions, indulging now and then, and treating food as an enjoyable experience is a much more pleasurable – and healthier – way to experience life.

The Real Food Revolution

Consumers are saying no to “mystery” ingredients, and food companies are listening. We’re pleased to see companies taking overt and deliberate steps to create foods with whole, natural ingredients, fewer preservatives, artificial ingredients and dyes, and to remove items that read like a chemistry lab primer instead of a food label.

Many consumers specifically seek to spend their dollars with companies that communicate with them honestly and openly. From understandable ingredients to clear company practices, consumers want complete transparency when it comes to the products they buy. And food tops the list as an area that needs greater clarity and simplicity.

We are particularly proud of Starbucks new position, “Real Food. Simply Delicious.” They’ve done the seemingly impossible: made the food taste better and actually be better for you. The company’s just-launched new bakery products contain no artificial flavors, dyes or trans fats. They've even removed high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient that continues to be a hot topic of debate among food and health aficionados. If the Web community is to believed, the new pastries are actually better-tasting than the former products.

Hyde Park Group thinks what Starbucks has done is not only smart eating, it’s smart business. By putting a stake in the ground on “real food,” they’ve started to differentiate themselves as conscientious food retailers — a meaningful statement that sets them apart from the wellspring of other coffee shops and QSRs gone bean-crazy.

The Starbucks food overhaul didn’t start with the bakery products; in fact, over the past few years they’ve gone toward healthier breakfast sandwiches, introduced hot oatmeal, more healthful lunch sandwiches, protein plates, and real Greek yogurt served in smaller, more human-scale portions.

Starbucks is not the only food retailer or restaurant chain to get in sync with consumer demand for real food. Yum! Brands, Burger King, Friendly’s, and others have all taken steps to remove objectionable ingredients or offer fresher, healthier alternatives to their standard fare. And, the move toward posted nutritional information in QSR and casual dining restaurants will surely cause consumers to pause before deciding where to spend their money.

In the packaged food world, we've witnessed major initiatives to "get real" with food; in fact, some of the best new products of 2008 were those with no preservatives, artificial ingredients or dyes. Products like Peas of Mind Organic Baby Food and True North Snacks built their brand propositions around being real and understandable. And, following in the steps of the more forward looking EU, many have started to adopt labeling with front of panel nutritional information and more obvious call-outs on allergens and other additives.

In today's world, processed and quick-serve foods are under greater scrutiny than ever before. Hyde Park Group is committed to helping companies take steps in the "real" direction: to create and adapt products for better taste, better health, and better business. It's a strategy built on consumer demand that just so happens to be the right thing to do.