Pringles
Sometimes innovation is just a question of framing. P&G executives were excited about a technology that let the company make its Pringles chips out of rice, which would retain less fat from the fryer than potatoes. But they couldn't figure out how to use it effectively.
As P&G's project leader, David Cotter, put it, "Most consumers think rice snacks suck. They also think low-fat snacks suck. Good luck."
Chefs, though, didn't agree: After consulting with the professionals, the Fahrenheit team found that rice actually held flavor better than potatoes. And because Pringles were made from shaped dough and not cut potatoes, flavor could be blended right in, rather than sprinkled on at the end. So a rice Pringle would not only be better for you, it would taste better, too.
Pringles Rice Infusions launched in 2007, and while the line wasn't expected to pay back its total investment cost for several years, it reached that benchmark in just 12 months, driving P&G's overall chips and snacks category into positive territory.
NEXT: Group portrait
Reinventing innovationAs P&G's project leader, David Cotter, put it, "Most consumers think rice snacks suck. They also think low-fat snacks suck. Good luck."
Chefs, though, didn't agree: After consulting with the professionals, the Fahrenheit team found that rice actually held flavor better than potatoes. And because Pringles were made from shaped dough and not cut potatoes, flavor could be blended right in, rather than sprinkled on at the end. So a rice Pringle would not only be better for you, it would taste better, too.
Pringles Rice Infusions launched in 2007, and while the line wasn't expected to pay back its total investment cost for several years, it reached that benchmark in just 12 months, driving P&G's overall chips and snacks category into positive territory.
NEXT: Group portrait
