Abstract

The case “Rosenfeld – Creating an Innovation Culture at Kraft” describes Kraft’s efforts to adopt open innovation and bring in a transformation in its innovation strategies. The case traces the long history of Kraft and its emergence as one of the leading food companies in the world. The efforts of the company to use open innovation as a means to get new product ideas from its suppliers and customers is discussed in detail. The case also describes Kraft’s endeavors to bring in a change in its innovation culture, funding of innovation projects, and marketing of new products. The process of development of three of its most successful new products is also described. The case concludes with the areas of future new product development at Kraft.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• To understand the process of using open innovation to gather new ideas
• To recognize the impact of creating a culture of innovation in new product development
• To be aware of the need to manage the innovation process
• To identify the necessity of revamping old brands through new products
• To understand the various aspects to be considered during the development of a successful new product

Keywords

Kraft, MiO, Open Innovation, Crowdsourcing, Innovation Culture, New Product Development, Leadership in Innovation, Employee-driven Innovation, Consumer Research, ‘White Space’ Innovation, Diversification, Innovation Brokers, “Field Of Dreams” Strategy, Product Platform, Consumer Insight