Last summer, the Hershey Company teamed up with NineSigma to leverage the power of crowdsourcing in order to solve a common shipping issue. While many companies turn to crowdsourcing to name new products or choose new flavors, Hershey proved that the model can be equally useful for solving common business problems as well.
The Hershey 'Cool Ship Technologies' contest was launched last year in an effort to find a "lightweight, affordable cool shipping system that will keep chocolate close to the temperature at which it was packed for at least 48 hours." The idea was to help the company find a way to ship chocolate year round without resorting to gel packs to keep the product cold. Fans were asked to submit their ideas along with proposals supported by real data through NineSigma for consideration. The winner of the contest was awarded $25,000 in development funds, as well as the opportunity to continue collaborating with the brand.
Crowdsourced Chocolate Shipping Contests
Hershey's Latest Contest Aimed to Solve a Shipping Issue
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourcing for Business Solutions - The Hershey 'Cool Ship Technologies' contest demonstrates the trend of utilizing crowdsourcing to solve common business problems and find innovative solutions.
2. Sustainable Packaging Innovations - The contest highlights the trend of seeking lightweight and affordable shipping systems that can maintain product temperature, presenting opportunities for disruptive innovation in sustainable packaging solutions.
3. Collaborative Partnerships with Consumers - Hershey's crowdsourcing contest showcases the trend of establishing collaborative partnerships with consumers to gather insights and co-create solutions, leading to potential disruptive innovation opportunities in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - The chocolate shipping contest by Hershey indicates potential disruptive innovations in packaging and logistics for the food and beverage industry.
2. Supply Chain and Logistics - The contest stimulates disruptive innovation opportunities in the supply chain and logistics industry, specifically in the development of lightweight and effective cool shipping systems.
3. Consumer Packaged Goods - The Hershey contest suggests disruptive innovation possibilities in the consumer packaged goods industry, particularly in sustainable packaging solutions that maintain product integrity during transportation.