The aim is to enhance existing partnerships with the world’s largest technology corporations while looking for pioneers among the thousands of small technology startups that Nestlé can work with.
Nestlé wants to use the innovation outpost to build on the progress made in recent years to better understand consumers’ needs and respond to them more quickly. It will also help brands manage their growing fan bases. On Facebook alone, Nestlé pages have more than 180 million fans and publish more than 1,500 pieces of content a day.
“The pace of innovation taking place in Silicon Valley is really impressive,” said Patrice Bula, Nestlé’s head of marketing. “Organisations there are shaping the future of consumer communication. We have an enormous amount of nutrition knowledge and expertise within our company. We are determined to leverage this through digital technology and online content in meaningful and engaging ways for our consumers. Building a stronger network in the region will allow us to move faster in our efforts to combine new technology with opportunities to bring our consumers greater benefits.”
Nestlé already has strategic partnerships with Facebook and Google, and is establishing close links with Twitter.
It has also created Digital Acceleration Teams at its headquarters in Switzerland – and in various markets worldwide including China, India and Italy – to help develop its relationships with consumers online.
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