Customization Strategies in Food And Drinks

This report examines how manufacturers can use mass customization to meet consumer trends and direct their business strategy. It considers how customization has evolved and how digital technologies enhance and enable customization opportunities. The report provides case studies of successful customization strategies and considers future developments and growth opportunities.

Understand what is meant by "mass customization", how it relates to customization and mass production, and its interplay with personalization.

Evaluate key strategic questions relating to mass customized products for food and drinks companies.

Understand the key technical aspects associated with mass customized food and beverages, based on analysis of theory and existing products.

Gain insight into future developments as mass customization matures as a concept, including key challenges and the impact of emerging technologies.

Prompt your marketing and NPD teams with customized product and marketing ideas from around the world.

Mass customization have been evident in some sectors of the food and drinks industry for decades, but customization is now becoming a more significant trend, driven by an interplay between consumer trends, economic trends and technological innovation.

Digital technological innovation has made mass customization a viable business strategy, by enabling customized products to be manufactured with the economies of scale associated with mass production. However, there are considerable challenges including the costs of flexibility required in production and packaging.

There are examples of customized products in several key food and drinks categories, including bakery and cereals (e.g. MyMuesli), hot drinks (e.g. Nespresso), snacks (e.g. Graze and You Bar) and confectionery (e.g. Chocri).

What is the intersection of trends that makes the concept of mass customization so important right now?

Which strategies of customization are being used by food and drinks manufacturers?

What are the key challenges for both small and large manufacturers in customized food and drinks?

What are the features specific to the food and drinks industry that govern customization strategies?

What are the current and expected technological developments that will change what is possible within the mass customization space?