Navigating the New Normal: New Product Development and Consumer Needs During/Post COVID-19

Will tighter household budgets drive changes in consumer priorities and behaviors (are legacy brands finding new audiences will ‘Big Food’ stage a comeback?), and could some habits (‘stress baking,’ scratch cooking) formed during weeks under lockdown become part of the ‘new normal,’ or is it risky to change NPD plans based on how consumers are shopping now? Is ‘Big Food’ really staging a comeback?

Could a recession dampen consumer enthusiasm for plant-based meat (which is typically more expensive) or could the current crisis even accelerate the push towards plant-based eating as consumers start to question the role of industrialized animal agriculture in the spread of animal and human pandemics?

In this webinar, we’ll bring together R&D professionals and innovation experts to explore how coronavirus is impacting new product development in the short term and how it could impact medium and longer-range planning. We’ll also address some short-term challenges COVID-19 has created for R&D, with some brands hitting the 'pause' button, but many others developing creative approaches, from lab work in home kitchens to online focus groups and home use testing.