An interdisciplinary marketing call into food design thinking to create innovative, healthy, and pleasurable food experiences

Abstract

AbstractThe evolving landscape of food innovation demands that food manufacturers and stakeholders develop solutions that are novel, health-conscious, enjoyable, and sustainable, thereby enhancing food well-being (Block et al., 2011). This research proposes an interdisciplinary framework within the Food Design Thinking (FDT) process that integrates insights, methodologies, and perspectives from marketing and related business disciplines. It merges concepts from various business fields through a marketing and Food Well-Being (FWB) lens to expand the FDT framework and provide food manufacturers and stakeholders with tools and techniques to drive food innovations. The proposed conceptual framework contributes to the existing stages of FDT by emphasizing empathic emotions, emotional intelligence, and customer centricity in the Empathy stage; applying thematic thinking, experiential marketing, and experiential learning in the Visualization and Prototyping stage; and nurturing value co-creation, sharing, and open innovation in the Collaboration stage. Food manufacturers and stakeholders can leverage on these elements when developing, innovating, and creating new foods and food experiences that are meant to be healthy, pleasurable, and sustainable.