New Product Launch via Consumer-Led Innovation
Launch of a new product within a fast-growing category to meet emerging consumption needs and strengthen brand leadership.
Client
Nestle
Industries
Food, FMCG
Services
Brand Strategy, New Product Development, Go-to-market Strategy, Communictaion Strategy
GEO
Ukraine
Date
2023
Challenge
The category (ready-to-use cooking bases) was growing rapidly not despite the crisis, but because of it.
As blackout-related cooking constraints spread, consumers looked for faster meal prep solutions. As Senior Brand Manager of the category leader, I needed to identify what fueled this growth, where it could go next, and how to stay ahead as competitors entered the market.
Solution
I uncovered that the category’s expansion was driven by a deep shift: the need to cook hot meals quickly, reliably, without full kitchen infrastructure. Borscht bases were booming, but what else were people actually cooking? Through search trend analysis, social listening, and user recipe behaviour, I identified soups as the next big untapped occasion. I led the concept development, consumer validation, P&L, packaging, naming, and executed a full 360° launch including ATL, digital, and trade activation.
The result: an incremental product that didn’t cannibalize hero SKU sales, but added a new consumption layer becoming one of the Top 3 performers in its segment within the first year.