What’s Mars Food & Nutrition’s new strategy shift about? Summary
- Mars Food is shifting focus from sides to centre-of-plate meals
- Centre-of-plate now makes up 30 percent of its portfolio
- Consumers want convenience, taste and health in ready meal options
- Protein and fibre are key nutritional targets across new product lines
- Innovation includes new formats, flavours and global cuisine inspiration
In a fitting twist on ‘my dog ate my homework’, Emma Reynolds’ son ate the Dolmio pasta pouch she had set aside for our chat.
“I no longer have it as a prop, but I do have a happy consumer at home – it definitely met the needs of a teenage boy wanting a quick meal while I’m working,” she says with a laugh. I find myself joining in, enjoying her quick save.
Reynolds is the global vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability for Mars Food & Nutrition. And it’s in this role that the missing Dolmio pasta pouch is relevant. She’s overseeing a major strategy shift for the business: from side to centre-of-plate.
Inside Mars’ strategy: from the background to the spotlight
Mars Food & Nutrition boasts a stable of household name brands, from Ben’s Original to Dolmio, Suzi Wan, Kevin’s Natural Foods and Masterfoods.
It’s a portfolio synonymous with sides, sauces and spices. No brand screams ‘main event’. But that’s starting to change. “We see an opportunity to extend our portfolio to include meal solutions – and move from the sides to centre of plate offerings," says Reynolds.
The portfolio’s already heading in that direction, with Ben’s Original rice range expanding into Ben’s Original Street Food: a line of ambient, microwaveable entrées made with rice, vegetables and protein. Mars Food & Nutrition’s pasta sauce brand, Dolmio, is also expanding into ready meals with its Dolmio Classics pouches.
Innovation is not all in-house. The business is outsourcing, too, through acquisitions like Kevin’s Natural Foods in the US. The brand sells paleo and keto-certified, gluten-free ready meals with a strong health focus.
All in all, centre of plate offerings now make up 30% of Mars Food & Nutrition’s portfolio, and it’s growing.
How the new strategy responds to consumer needs
The strategy directly responds to consumer feedback. The business is “constantly” being told by shoppers they have three main priorities: convenience, taste and health.
AI is a helpful tool here when monitoring and tracking trends. But Mars Food & Nutrition also keeps a keen eye on the out-of-home sector too, looking to restaurants and chefs for inspiration.
In terms of health, it’s not all about cutting salt and sugar from formulations (although the business has cut sodium by 5% across the portfolio). It’s about enriching products with nutrients, and two macronutrients in particular: fibre and protein.
Mars Food & Nutrition will champion fibre content on packaging where relevant – notably for lunch bowl products that contain pulses, vegetables and grains. “We know that most people aren’t getting enough fibre in their diets, and they’re not eating enough fruit and vegetables to meet the WHO’s recommendations.”
But it’s protein that’s the real focus here. “Around 40% of consumers are trying to consume more protein. That figure’s even higher among younger age groups,” says Reynolds – and I think of her son devouring the Dolmio Classic Meatballs Fusilli which carries a ‘13g protein’ claim front of pack. “Demand is growing fast among older age groups, too.”
What’s next for Mars Food and Nutrition? A peek into the innovation pipeline
Mars Food & Nutrition is preparing to buckle in: its innovation pipeline over the next couple of years looks “pretty intense”, reveals Reynolds. One-third of that innovation will be in meal solutions, as the business continues to expand its offerings beyond sauces and sides.
“We’ll see more of that, of moving into the centre of plate, and at the same time we’ll be looking at innovations around pack format.”
Beyond packaging, consumers should expect new flavours too. The business will continue to seek inspiration from global cuisines and different tastes, since that’s what shoppers are asking for. “We know that taste is the first and foremost priority for consumers.”
As tastebuds become even more adventurous, Mars Food & Nutrition will too.
“We’re seeing consumer becoming more experimental, wanting to try different cuisines and flavours. So the future innovation agenda will also look at how we meet those needs.”
Whether her son is as adventurous remains to be seen. She might have to leave a Jamaican or Mexican-flavoured Ben’s Street Food pot lying around to find out.
