Alternative proteins are hot as a summer BBQ grill! Consumer adoption of alternative protein continues to grow for a variety of reasons – health, environment and animal welfare. In Pearl’s 2019 Health & Wellness Study three-quarters (75%) of Canadians had either consumed or were interested in trying plant-based meat alternatives! Just under half of Canadians… Continue reading Food Fight – An Overview to Alternative Proteins
Category: Strategy
Review: Tim Hortons Innovation Café
We tried Tim Hortons Innovation Café – here’s what we. thought Pearl visited the new Tim Hortons Innovation Café in Toronto this week with a group of 5 taste testers to try some of their new and innovative offerings. Store Environment & Experience Our overall restaurant experience was pleasant. While it was busy non-stop throughout… Continue reading Review: Tim Hortons Innovation Café
Cannabis 2.0 Product Innovation Opportunities
Deloitte estimates the Canadian market for edibles and alternative cannabis products to be worth C$2.7 billion annually. With the coming legalization of alternative cannabis products in Canada, it’s important for licensed producers and retailers to understand what consumers are interested in and their motivations. In this blog, we’ll explore the findings from Deloitte’s report Nurturing… Continue reading Cannabis 2.0 Product Innovation Opportunities
Fun and Innovative Food Trends
Pearl went to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto and tried some of the fun and innovative food trends. Here’s what our group of 4 taste testers thought: Pickles The use of pickles was an unexpected trend we could get on board with! We tried the two most unique menu items featuring pickles: pickled… Continue reading Fun and Innovative Food Trends
Pearl’s Top Picks from Mintel’s Consumer Trends study
We reviewed Mintel’s 2019 Global Consumer Trends and here are the most interesting and relevant key takeaways: Total Wellbeing Consumers around the globe are looking for personalized products that are able to adapt to their body’s changing needs and can help them focus on their wellness in a holistic manner. Mintel shared that 38% of… Continue reading Pearl’s Top Picks from Mintel’s Consumer Trends study
Why You Shouldn’t Invite Consumers to a Focus Group
If you want to know your target consumers, don’t invite them to a focus group. If you want to feel empathy for your target consumers, don’t invite them to a focus group. If you want to tell a story about your target consumers, don’t invite them to a focus group. Why not? They are going… Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t Invite Consumers to a Focus Group
Health & Wellness Packaged Foods Trends
We reviewed Euromonitor’s Top 3 Health & Wellness Packaged Food Trends and deep dived into three key areas: Free from growth driven by healthy appetites Free from has moved beyond intolerances to a broader health-conscious consumer. Free from foods have a growing perception of being healthier and more natural. These perceptions paired with the increased… Continue reading Health & Wellness Packaged Foods Trends
Innovation in Cannabis
There is some much innovation happening in the cannabis space right now. Here are a few of Pearl’s favourite picks. Coffee Cannabis infused coffees are popping up in a wide variety of formats – from your traditional grounds, to K-cups, to ready to drink. One brand in particular, Therapy Tonics & Provisions, caught our attention.… Continue reading Innovation in Cannabis
How To Prevent Your Expertise From Becoming A Weakness
You are a knowledgeable expert in your industry. You are an experienced leader with a track record of success. However, the value of your expertise will eventually depreciate. Why? Your role as a leader requires you to continuously deliver results. You must find incremental growth opportunities and productivity improvements to deliver results. Your actions are… Continue reading How To Prevent Your Expertise From Becoming A Weakness
From Commodity to Superfood – Lessons Learned from how Pulses made a Strategy Pivot
If you have been following the meteoric rise of Beyond Meat, you may have read the recent Financial Post article, Pulse of the nation: How Beyond Meat could turn this humble pea into Canada’s new gold. What you may not know is the backstory of how the Pulse industry positioned itself to become a key… Continue reading From Commodity to Superfood – Lessons Learned from how Pulses made a Strategy Pivot