Today, I had the honour of reviewing all your innovations – a true privilege! In preparation, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This final roast is my unfiltered, uncensored, no-holds-barred, raw opinion. If you need resuscitation after this roast, require life-saving IV therapy or simply feel the urge to cry your heart out… No worries! That’s exactly what my company, Start a Food Story, offers mentorship programmes for.
No worries, I’ll pick you up. 🚀🔥
With these words, I introduced the Concept Roast to a group of Food Innovators. You know the comedy TV format: in the world of comedians, a roast is a humorous, often brutal and unfiltered tribute to a person, where jokes are made at the expense of the ‘guest of honour.’ The person in question is mocked in a funny, sometimes ruthless way, but always with a wink and out of respect. Their traits and quirks are exaggerated for comedic effect.
A Concept Roast for food innovations works the same way: the concept is assessed in a sharp, honest and confronting manner, but always with the goal of making the idea, product, brand and the inventor or entrepreneur better and more successful!
Food Innovation Concept Roast, what is it?
The Food Innovation Concept Roast is a feedback method in which a food innovation is put through the wringer. Every element is scrutinised, the target audience is examined in detail and all the benefits are listed—until, suddenly… the weak spot is exposed.
And that weak spot? It could be anything.
Where Do Food Innovations and Market Launches Go Wrong?
Getting the right product at the right price in the right place with the right message for the right audience. That’s all. Simple, right? But where does it go wrong? Here are a few examples I’ve recently come across:
❌ Wrong distribution channels, meaning the product is not available at the right time, for the right price, to the right audience.
❌ Completely missing consumer needs, leading to a beautifully crafted product with fantastic communication… that simply doesn’t land with the (wrong) target audience.
❌ Failing to make clear choices, resulting in a service that is valuable on its own but too vague for anyone to understand its worth. A patchwork of ideas: ‘We do everything for everyone’ which ultimately means you do nothing for no one.
Great, So My Concept Has Been Roasted… Now What?
The Food Innovation Concept Roast magnifies the weak spot to the point that you can’t ignore it anymore. At first, you go into defensive mode: Why are you tearing down my idea, innovation, or business? Then, you might start laughing at yourself. How could I have missed this? But no, you’re not stupid. You were too involved, too occupied, and simply couldn’t zoom out. And then, you take action. In three gear shifts.
Gear Shift 1: Prioritise today! What needs fixing first? Your website, branding, messaging? Put some activities on hold and accelerate the right actions.
Gear Shift 2: Identify missing information
What do you still need to know? Research, investigate, and gather insights.
Gear Shift 3: Redesign & Reposition
Now that you know what’s missing and have gained valuable insights, it’s time to reshape your concept and strategically reposition it.
🔄 Refine & Adjust: Adapt your product, story, or strategy based on feedback. This could mean refining your value proposition, better defining your target audience, or reconsidering your pricing model.
🎯 Test & Validate: Talk to potential customers, run small tests and make sure your adjusted innovation actually resonates. Ideally, do this in context. Supermarket product? Test it on the shelf next to competitors. Hospitality product? Test it in real use, at a pub or festival.
🚀 Accelerate & Launch: Time to move forward! Put your refined innovation on the market, improve your communication, and make a powerful start.
From Roasted to Ready for Success!
This is the moment to truly make your food innovation succeed.
🔥 Would you like to explore how I can help accelerate your food innovation? Or do you want your brand, product or innovation roasted? Let’s talk! mary@startafoodstory.com
