Elizabeth Thaler

Goodness is at the center of all that we do at Hershey. Creating the sweet and salty snacks consumers love is underpinned by the pride we take in how our products are made. Today, we’re sharing the progress we are making together in ways large and small with our 2023 ESG Report, Goodness in Action. Here are a few highlights of what we achieved over the last year: 🍫 Building a more resilient cocoa supply chain with the Hershey Income Accelerator Program (HIAP), which aims to improve farmers’ livelihoods and reduce poverty in cocoa growing communities, reaching 1,850 farmers  🏫 Agreed to fund the construction of 12 primary schools in cocoa-producing communities, with the first school opening in December 2023 in Drissapé, Côte d’Ivoire  🌎 Reduced our owned emissions – Scope 1 and 2 – by 43% against a 2018 baseline  🌊 Achieved a 20% absolute reduction in combined water use across all facilities since 2022, including a 46% reduction at our headquarters  ♾️ Phased out more than 1.7 million pounds of material by eliminating, redesigning and reducing packaging  👥 Recognized as a Great Place to Work® in six countries, named as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere, and ranked #1 on Fair360’s top companies for diversity  Read the report: https://bit.ly/3RcBWKQ

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🌎 We are proud to share our 2023 ESG Report, 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, which demonstrates our progress against key commitments. On #WorldEnvironmentDay, let's remember that, small acts of goodness can make the world a sweeter place. 🍫 Find out more about our sustainability impact: https://bit.ly/3RcBWKQ

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Consumer demand for clean labels, convenience, and health continues to rise, and many plant-forward brands are tapping into this trifecta. Can limited ingredients boost plant-based snack sales? Read more with The Food Institute

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In 1895 Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (the creator of Kellogg’s cereal) patented a process for creating peanut butter from raw peanuts. He marketed it as a nutritious protein substitute for people who could hardly chew on solid food. www.redpottage.ca #RedPottage #share #food #sustainability #innovation #value #zerowaste #foodcrisis #climatechange #foodwaste #motivation

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🍦 Consumers are saying “yes, and” to dairy in all its forms. From the traditional options to plant-based, next-generation innovations, and beyond, today’s broader dairy category has something for everyone. ➡️ Download our latest dairy insights and get the scoop on what’s driving dairy and dairy alternative purchases: https://bit.ly/4dbeoPE

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As consumers embrace alcohol-free lifestyles, classic cocktail flavors may be a great way to delivery functional ingredients in beverage and #gummy dosage formats. https://lnkd.in/etWqkP_x #mocktails #nutritionaloutlook

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Instead of always thinking Optimum Nutrition needs to be the "clear winner" in every protein category format for Glanbia Performance Nutrition (GPN), maybe ISOPURE is the better RTD protein beverage offering to compete against the likes of market leaders…Premier Protein, Fairlife/Core Power, and Muscle Milk. But you might be wondering why hasn’t ISOPURE been successful to those massive levels yet after ~26 years in market? - packaging swap needed - marketplace timing patience needed - retail/distribution strategy shift needed - protein technology advancement needed These internal/external factors could be converging together quickly...but will Glanbia be aggressive enough to take full advantage of it? #strategy #trends #markets #fmcg #cpg #sportsnutrition #supplements #protein #beverages #innovation #nutrition #health #wellness #productdevelopment #marketing #retailing #retail #grocery #merchandising #business #businessintelligence #entrepreneurship #consultants

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Functional Foods Find Increased Favor Among Consumers: As standard snacks and beverages attempt to hold consumer loyalty, functional foods and healthier beverages are gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers. More people are questioning ingredients and opting for a cleaner, simpler option according to consumer research reports. https://lnkd.in/eABW4ycV #food #foodtrends #2024 #foodtrends2024 #2024foodtrends #consumers #foodandbeverage #healthier #healtheroptions

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Our very own Jackie Philbin, RDN, LDN will join a panel discussion alongside a group of esteemed experts at NJ FoodTech 2024 today at Rutgers University. The panel topic is "Food as Medicine: Personalized Nutrition to Improve Health Outcomes." Together, the panel will explore the powerful impact of personalized nutrition on enhancing overall wellness and achieving better health results. We are incredibly proud of Jackie and look forward to the valuable insights she will share on this important topic. Stay tuned for more updates from NJ FoodTech 2024! #FoodTech2024 #FoodAsMedicine #PersonalizedNutrition #HealthOutcomes #BrooklynKitchen #NutritionExperts #RutgersUniversity

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Vitamin C isn't the only vitamin the US relies on China for. 75% of our Vitamin B and 70% of our Vitamin E are imported from China, making the US wellness industry particularly susceptible to supply chain disruption. To combat this, diversification is a valuable option. However, we might benefit more from strengthening our ties with China and developing a mutual understanding and respect for each other. More here from Yahoo Finance: https://lnkd.in/ez3U6Tgw #Geopolitics #Vitamins #SupplyChain #HealthandWellness

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Decluttering the cans in the pantry is one of the first steps to having an organized pantry but we also want to be sure that any expired food is being discarded responsibly. https://lnkd.in/dqZq3Uqm #Productivity #Clutter #Organizing #Marketing #Branding #Happiness #GrowthHacking #Housing #Mindfulness

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🍿 Amid pandemic-driven shifts towards grocery shopping and home dining, coupled with rising inflation, the salty snack category has faced challenges. Our mission: uncover trends and opportunities for clients. 🔍 Insights revealed a growing focus on health-focused ingredients, flavor innovations, and the profound impact of social media on consumer behavior. 📊 Over 4 weeks, our team analyzed over 2.5 million data points from company sites, social media, news, and brand platforms to guide a leading snack company. 🌐 Discover how CREWASIS is reshaping market strategies with advanced data analytics. Book a demo today: https://crewasis.ai/ #SnackIndustry #MarketTrends #ConsumerInsights #CREWASIS #AI #DataAnalytics #BusinessGrowth #MarketingStrategy

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If you talk to me long enough, you will find out that I am passionate about learning & development. My mission as a leader is to help people have their best career possible. That ranges from removing roadblocks to mentoring & coaching other associates in their career journey. I am grateful to work at Reckitt where I can fulfill my personal mission, learn and grow. #ReckittLearningWeek #FindYOURLearningMoment

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"The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” — Michael Porter TheMindCo partner Jessica Yankell recently discussed this and other thoughts during a talk on the role of strategy in innovation at the Food Innovate Summit in Atlanta. Jessica’s talk covered five key principles for making strategic choices amidst ambiguity, something that innovators are required to do constantly. These principles are particularly important in the CPG industry, where growing calls for ‘fewer, bigger, better’ innovations are heard amidst a simultaneous need to keep up with nimble startups and rapidly sophisticating consumer needs. Building on her experience leading innovation strategy and insights at PepsiCo and Ferrero, as well as decades of learnings from TheMindCo’s work with innovation, R&D, and strategy teams across the world, Jessica distilled key learnings to help innovators navigate these tough prioritization decisions. In Atlanta, she shared these principles with the audience of innovation leaders. If you missed the fantastic Food Innovate event, not to worry! We have compiled the key points from Jessica’s presentation into a handy PDF reference format, which you can download here: https://bit.ly/4aSRPNK We encourage you to grab a copy and share your thoughts with us on the role of strategic decision-making in innovation. How have your teams approached this critical challenge? Download the paper here!  https://bit.ly/4aSRPNK #innovation #strategy #strategicdecisions

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With the whey protein market estimated to reach $40 billion by 2023, 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗬 has earned a spot as Upland’s 𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛 for May. Our series highlights market activity, new consumer behaviors, and other growth drivers in the #foodandbeverage landscape.   𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧: Despite its decades-long market presence, consumers’ evolving tastes and needs continue to drive growing interest in whey, leading to opportunities for innovative offerings and category expansion.   𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗪𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 WHEY (and what we are hearing from consumers in research):   ☑ High-Protein: Appeals to consumers’ ever-increasing desire to incorporate more protein into their diets, it is one of the most important nutrition facts consumers consider when making their food and beverage purchases. ☑ Sustainability Credentials: Whey is a by-product of cheesemaking, using previously discarded milk waste. This #upcycling results in range of high-quality food and beverage products and could appeal to consumers looking for more eco-friendly products. ☑ Next-Gen Whey - Beverage: Consumers are familiar with drinking whey-based protein shakes and powders, but several new beverage forms that incorporate whey are emerging (see tonics and alcohol below) – which has us wondering how might brands help bridge the gap between the familiar and the new?   𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬 & 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦:   ✅ POWDERS: #Thorne’s whey protein isolate was named Bon Appetit’s best chocolate whey protein (valuation $680M) ✅ SNACKS: Quest Nutrition's range of snacks, including crackers, puffs, chips, candy and cookies (valuation $1B, acquired) ✅ FROZEN: Newer entrant into ice cream, Protein Pints with 45 grams of grass-fed whey protein per pint (total raised $220k, including $150k raised last month) ✅ ANIMAL FREE, LACTOSE FREE: Orgain (owned by Nestlé) introduced its #BetterWhey brand to advance Nestle's presence in functional nutrition while working to reduce its dairy-related carbon footprint ✅ UPCYCLED: First-of-its-kind whey-based alcohol, Wheyward Spirit (total raised $100k), The Spare Food Co. sparkling probiotic tonics (total raised $100k), and fizzy drinks from Superfrau (total raised $20k) ➡️ So what’s next for whey? What are the implications for brands that may want to play in the space? Between the investment dollars we see moving into innovation within core protein and emerging whey-based categories, patents using whey for high-protein food applications, and consumer demand for increased protein content and nutritional fortification, it is clear to us that whey is an ingredient worth watching. We will continue to track new market activity and map relevant opportunity paths for our clients. Stay tuned, and reach out to elizabeth.lawrence@go-upland.com to learn more about how we help create compelling, actionable innovation. #disruption #nutrition #newproducts #consumerinsights

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Start a Soda Brand That Beats Coca-Cola: Here's the Secret... Step 1: Hire a beverage formulation expert who can create a soda that tastes great and meets all certification standards. Step 2: Apply for product certification with the relevant certification bodies in your country, such as the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) in Uganda, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) in Kenya, or the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) in Tanzania. Identify and adhere to the standards body specific to your country of manufacturing. Step 3: Branding – this is where the real secret lies. Coca-Cola pairs its soda with desired outcomes that potential customers want, such as happiness, feeling good, and great taste. They don't just sell soda; they sell these experiences. Every time someone craves a great-tasting beverage or wants to celebrate a happy moment or simply feel good, they reach for a Coca-Cola. Your Task: Don't focus on selling your product as just a soda. Instead, pair your soda with a feeling like love, energy, or happiness. Sell these desired feelings, and you'll stand out from other soda brands that haven't discovered this secret. Step 4: Once you have nailed your branding (GOOD BRANDING), scale up production in a well-established manufacturing facility. Step 5: Hit the market and watch your bank account grow with dollar signs $$$. #Startup #Entrepreneurship #BeverageIndustry #Branding #ProductDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #MarketStrategy #FoodAndBeverage #Innovation #BusinessTips #BeverageBrand #BrandBuilding #PremiumProducts #Howtostartabeveragebrand #businesssuccess #Startuptips #Entrepreneurship #beveragedevelopment #beverageconsultant #beverageformulation #beveragebusiness #beveragestartup #Cocacola #Soda

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Last week we attended NJ FoodTech 2024 at Rutgers University, here are some key takeaways we gathered! At the forefront of the panel on ingredient and flavor innovations, moderated by Juan Salinas, Ph.D., Founder & CEO of Pnuff, industry leaders, including Dillon Friday, Associate VP of Creation & Application at Symrise NA., explored pivotal trends and challenges: Spicy Maple: Projected as the next major flavor trend following the success of hot honey. Peach Flavors: Increasing in popularity, driven by the Fuzzy Peach Pantone color trend. Supply Chain Challenges: Discussing the complexities of managing seasonal products, such as out-of-season carrots. AI Technology: Highlighting the integration of AI, like Symvision AI and Protiscan®, to enhance flavor development and processes. Sustainability: A focus on sustainable flavors and chemicals in food products. Raw Materials: Combining new technologies with traditional practices and tackling raw material sourcing challenges. Support for Startups: Insights and recommendations for launching new products within the industry. Dr. Dillon Friday addressed misconceptions about natural flavors, underscoring their regulation and essential role in maintaining brand equity. Click here to discover more! https://lnkd.in/eJEmFhtu #NJFoodTech2024 #FoodInnovation #FlavorTrends #Sustainability #AITechnology #SupplyChain #IndustryInsights #FoodTech

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