Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) producer Tiger Brands has launched a new multipurpose centre – the Sensorium, which is designed and intended to foster a culture of innovation in the business and the way its employees approach product development and marketing.

Based at the Tiger Brands head office in Bryanston, the Sensorium will also soon get a three-dimensional printer – an item of technology Tiger Brands has been wanting to implement.

The decision was taken to place it at the Sensorium so that it could be used by several divisions in the business.

Tiger Brands has several divisions, with separate manufacturing facilities in South Africa, including those that make food, beverages and other household consumables.

Chief marketing and strategy officer Zayd Abrahams says the Sensorium is just one view of the bigger Tiger Brands ambition to build a “world-class innovation capability” that combines expert knowledge and skills to offer consumers, who are facing increasing pressure, solutions that make a difference in their lives.

The 850 m² Sensorium features an analytical laboratory, a functional pantry, an open-plan and central-based development kitchen and a “Sensory Room”, the latter being a purpose-built part-sensory-depravation room designed to focus on product tasting and testing in an environment that enables users to focus on factors such as taste, texture and overall product experience.

The open plan facility also offers a modern workspace to inspire employees and encourage collaboration along with an auditorium looking onto the development kitchen providing a facility for product demonstrations and training sessions.

The Sensorium is part of a larger multiyear investment estimated at R42-million to enhance the company’s research and development (R&D) facilities, category pilot plants at manufacturing sites and people capability to futureproof the business.

Tiger Brands’ research and development strategy is aimed at delivering growth through consumer-centric innovations and advancement of science and technology in the FMCG segment.

In this regard, new product development is focused on three key growth platforms that respond to consumer needs and macro trends, including economic food options, health and nutrition, and “snackification”, the latter being a drive to offer more variants of snacks following the trend of working from home and snacking more often, as opposed to eating whole meals.

“We have made good strides in responding to changing consumer needs through innovation,” he says.

In 2022, Tiger Brands completed 21 innovation projects across all three consumer growth platforms, achieving a R1.1-billion (4.2%) innovation rate and outperforming the market in terms of the share of innovation as measured against market share, adds Abrahams.

The company is also investing significantly in training and growing multiskilled R&D professionals to drive product, packaging and process innovation across the business.

In targeting new categories and fast-tracking the development of transformational products, the company is working with select universities, science and technology laboratories and expert third-party suppliers to address technology gaps and drive speed to market.

“Innovation at Tiger Brands is a culture and goes beyond new product and packaging, it includes our investment in technology, data systems and processes,” he says.

In addition to the Sensorium, the company has already completed upgrades to the pilot plants at its Baby and Home and Personal Care manufacturing facilities, with plans for upgrades to a further three pilot plants and two new pilot plants over the next two years being well under way.

VENTURE PARTNERSHIPS

In addition to a strong internal innovation pipeline, the Tiger Brands Venture Capital Fund (VCF) enables the company to access external innovators, ideas and exciting technologies and new developments.

In early 2022, the Tiger Brands VCF made its first investment in plant-based and vegan food manufacturer Herbivore Earthfoods.

The Tiger Brands VCF was launched in mid-2021 with the aim of driving growth for Tiger Brands by investing in innovative businesses based in sub-Saharan Africa that offer healthier eating options in line with the latest consumer movement towards health and nutrition, snackification and economical food options.