Case Study: Shaking Things Up (Blender Technology)
The Problem
Juices, smoothies, and health cleanses have taken center stage for the growing market of health-conscious consumers. While CPG companies have concocted a bevy of vitamin-enriched, ‘super-food’ products to respond to market demand, consumers are catching on to the fact that blended juices and beverages are not always as nutrient dense as advertised.
The new product development team at a consumer device company wanted to develop a blender that would enhance the preservation of vital nutrients during the blending process. In order to do so, the team needed to better understand what factors contribute to the breakdown of nutrients while blending.
Critical Issues
Sensitive Data Static Industry Practices First-hand Experience
The Solution
Maven suggested launching a Telephone Consultation inquiry to target individuals with specific knowledge of nutrient preservation of foods during the blending process (i.e. fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds). Maven provided dozens of qualified food scientists, physicians, nutritionists, dietitians, and other professionals with direct experience evaluating the nutritional value of food ingredients, providing the team with a wide variety of backgrounds to choose from.
After four constructive Telephone Consultations, the team selected a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at a leading university to conduct testing on the nutrient loss of their blender prototypes. To the team’s surprise, the professor had access to the university’s lab facilities and was able to perform extensive testing and analysis over the course of the engagement. The feedback the team received during the Extended Consulting engagement helped them to develop a state-of-the-art blender with optimized heat output that was able to preserve twice the nutrient content of foods, when compared to other blenders on the market.
“Our Maven experience could not have come at a better time for our team. Maven delivered someone who possessed not only the exact expertise we needed, but also had access to the lab equipment that made our prototyping and testing process easier than we’d ever imagined.” – VP of Product Development
