FMCG Consulting: Bahlsen – Product Innovation 🌐 KBC
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Innovation

FMCG Consulting: Successful Product Innovation for Bahlsen

To mark the 10th anniversary of the PiCK UP! by Bahlsen, a new product variant was to be developed. The key challenge: The innovation had to be feasible on the existing production line. As part of FMCG consulting and a structured innovation process, a new product idea emerged that successfully established itself on the market.

FMCG Consulting by the Numbers

Dates:
Duration of the innovation project
Ideas for Consumer Tests
Tons:
Sales of the new product

The Customer

Bahlsen and the PiCK UP! brand

Bahlsen's PiCK UP! was approaching its tenth anniversary. The company planned to use this occasion to launch a new product variant or an expansion of the existing product line. 

On the one hand, the new product concept was intended to offer recognizable added value to consumers. On the other hand, it had to be adapted to existing production capabilities. This called for an innovation that was not only eye-catching but also feasible within the constraints of the existing production line.

The Project

From an idea to a market-ready product variant

As part of the FMCG consulting project, the innovation process began with interviews with selected project participants and a structured analysis of the current state of affairs. Particular emphasis was placed on the existing production line. The goal was to understand the technical and organizational framework and to identify feasible innovation opportunities based on that understanding. 

This was followed by the actual innovation workshop. During the workshop, various ideas for a new product variant were developed. Six of these ideas were selected and refined into concepts, which were then tested with consumers. 

The consumer tests were conducted as part of a multi-focus-group workshop. The feedback from this workshop formed the basis for the further evaluation of the concepts. Based on this, the most compelling concept was selected, and the decision was made to launch it as a new product. 

The innovation methodology was based on “The BOLD Way.” This approach involves strategically combining existing product features or modifying their characteristics. For the new product variant, this principle was used to transform familiar product characteristics into a new sensory and visual concept. In keeping with The BOLD Way methodology, the combination of familiar product features follows the logic of fusion.

Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, graying hair and square dark glasses looks calmly and confidently into the camera. He is wearing a dark navy blue suit over a light blue shirt without a tie, with one hand in his pants pocket.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, graying hair and square dark glasses looks calmly and confidently into the camera. He is wearing a dark navy blue suit over a light blue shirt without a tie, with one hand in his pants pocket.

This Is How We View FMCG Consulting

In the context of effective FMCG consulting, successful product innovation does not result from a creative idea alone. The key lies in combining market insight, customer feedback, and technical feasibility. Especially for established brands, new products must be compatible with existing production structures while also clearly differentiating themselves from the current product lineup.

John Dowling, Partner at KBC

The result

A new product variant with sustained market success

The result was the PiCK UP! BLACK’N WHITE product variant for Bahlsen’s PiCK UP! brand, which was introduced as the first line extension of the original brand. The concept was based on the deliberate reversal of familiar product characteristics: a dark cookie was combined with white chocolate. This created a clearly recognizable contrast between the black exterior and the white interior. 

The new product proved to be a huge success in its very first year. A total of 600 metric tons were sold. Due to the positive market response, Bahlsen decided to set up a new production line for the product. 

Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
John Dowling
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Facing a similar challenge? Talk to us

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