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Innovation Narrative

There’s one word in the lexicon of Hormel Foods that has defined innovation at the company since 1891. That word is “originate.”

Client
Hormel Foods
Capabilities
Strategic Narrative, Business Strategy
The Originate Initiative

The Challenge

Despite founder George Hormel’s motto—”Originate, don’t imitate”—Hormel Foods faced three key problems:

ONE

Internal teams lacked a shared focus on innovation.

TWO

External stakeholders failed to recognize the company’s innovation accomplishments

THREE

Corporate rankings in the innovation category didn’t reflect their actual competency

Execution

Attention Span planned and implemented the multi-year Originate Initiative to:

  1. Position Hormel Foods as a leading innovator in the food sector
  2. Help team members understand and contribute to the company’s innovation work
  3. Build a cohesive story across various internal innovation groups

The team developed a communication strategy with these key elements:

  • 1. Digital Hub

    Designed HormelFoods.com/Innovation microsite to showcase innovation stories

    Produced digital and print-ready innovation reports for internal and external audiences

  • 2. Strategic Narratives

    Long-form stories, and short form messaging focused on innovation themes and business goals

  • 3. Strategic PR

    Executed media efforts to spread the innovation story, including a monthly innovation bulletin

  • 4. Quarterly Reports

    Produced digital and print-ready innovation reports for internal and external audiences

  • 5. Internal Events

    Organized “Forces of Change” exercises and storytelling seminars

  • 6. External Summit

    Partnered with Harvard University to create the Small Change Big Impact Food Summit

Results

The Originate Initiative successfully:

  1. 01

    Provided a steady cadence of innovation-focused content across all platforms

  2. 02

    Enhanced Hormel Foods’ reputation as an innovation leader

  3. 03

    Inspired workforce engagement with innovation initiatives

  4. 04

    Attracted valuable partnerships with customers and suppliers

  5. 05

    Created a unified innovation story across all company divisions