There’s little more than a week left before the deadline of the World Food Innovation Awards 2017, to be held at IFE in London in March. These awards have been running for many years and are a fantastic way for you to bolster and enhance your brand. By entering the World Food Innovation Awards you can ensure that you get both your brand and your products noticed by top names in the industry.
Our final round of judges tell us what they’re hoping to see from this year’s entries. They’ve given you their advice – now you’ve got until 3 February to submit your entry!
Julianne Ponnan Creative Nature owner and CEO
When I was asked to be a judge of this year’s World Food Innovation Awards, I was so excited to get to see some fresh, new and exciting businesses and entrepreneurs in the food and drink industry. Whilst I started thinking of the type of innovation I am looking for in the entrants, I had to keep in mind that the same thing doesn’t work for everyone and what often makes a business innovative is being different and thinking outside the box.
The first thing I’ll be looking for in entries is originality. I want to see how entries have shown innovative ways to get where they are, taking new approaches and new businesses strategies will impressive me greatly.
Secondly, I’ll be looking for innovative ways of branding. I would like to see how the entries effectively choose to brand their products, as branding makes such a difference to the growth of a business. I also want to see more originality with this side of business. Along with this, I am interested in how products are packaged and how it’s innovatively produced for the consumer’s use.
The third thing I’ll be looking out for will be a good story. I’m interested in where the company has come from and the triumphs and losses they have had to go through to get where they are.
Next, although it’s important to see where the businesses have come from, it’s also key to see where they are going next and how innovative their plans are for the future.
Lastly, the main thing about any food or drink brand or product is the taste! Although taste is a matter of opinion, it’s vital to have a product that appeals to a wide variety of people. I’m keen to see a business that finds and follows the trends in the food and drink industry.
Daphna Nissenbaum Tipa co-Founder and CEO
We live in thrilling times in the food industry as 2016 was full of new innovative products and concepts. New products all across the food industry were introduced last year, which makes the judging task harder than ever.
When I look at new products and try to evaluate them, I care for the idea’s origins, innovation and productiveness. For me the product must demonstrate innovative thought process. Innovation that changes the way we consume, behave and treat food, and at the same time can be easily implemented into our day to day lives.
One of the most important criteria for me is how the technology affects the world. Does it change the world for the better? Does it make people healthier? Does it create jobs? Will it raise the sustainability bar for the rest of the industry? Or does it consume more energy or raw materials, making the product more expensive and not sustainable?
Whether the idea came to fill a particular void in the industry or market, or whether the idea sprung from university, industry or government research, how the idea came about has an effect on the product evaluation.
I am looking for products that push the industry’s technological abilities forward in terms of consumer preference and the technological challenges it faces and for products that are disruptive and yet still sustainable for the long term.
Of course, any technology can also be designed for the short run and still be disruptive and relevant for the next generation to follow. 2016 was a great year for innovation in the food industry, full of new products and concepts, and I am proud to look back at the year our industry had.
Set that trend
Have you launched a new product? Then the World Food Innovation Awards are for you! We regularly come across new products and trends, providing them with the platform to get the exposure they deserve. Showcase your latest innovations and set that trend! Find out how to enter here.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2023
