Nestle Revolutionizes Infant Nutrition
At Nestl, the BabyNes system (www.babynes.com) strives to provide mothers who choose not to breastfeed with superior nutrition solutions, second only to breast milk. Many infant formulas on the market today do not evolve in nutritional composition, and powdered formulas have to be reconstituted by hand, which is time consuming and prone to errors in dosing, temperature and hygiene.Ready-to-drink formulas are more convenient, but they lack the evolving nutrition dimension, and need to be heated before being consumed.
In response, Nestl has leveraged 25 years of systems technology experience to provide mothers with a comprehensive nutrition solution at the press of a button.
“We envisioned this nutritional solution based on our extensive nutrition and systems expertise and then refined it over and over based on various years of consumer research and insights,” explains Martin Grieder, vice president and global head of Nestl BabyNes.
Newborn Innovation
Initially conceived in the late 1990s based on the success of Nespresso, the BabyNes system is a breakthrough innovation for mothers when breastfeeding has finished.
At the heart of the innovation is the BabyNes capsule, which contains an integrated microbiological filter to eliminate bacteria from the water. The product preparation all takes place within the closed capsule, which means it doesn’t have any contact with the machine or the user before going into the bottle. The proprietary BabyNes machine recognizes each capsule of formula and prepares the bottle hygienically with precisely the right dosage and temperature in less than one minute. This means that, for the first time, and inspired by the evolution of breast milk, infant formula composition in six different capsules meets the evolving nutritional needs of infants from birth to three years (four formulas in the first year, and one formula for each of the following two years).
“We are the first company to develop and market a comprehensive nutrition system for infants and toddlers innovating along all four dimensions: Evolving nutrition, convenience in preparation, hygiene and safety, and nutritional services,” says Grieder. “Right from the beginning it had senior executive support at board level, and significant funds were invested in its development.”
The BabyNes system, available only in Switzerland and France, introduces a number of completely new technologies into the baby nutrition category. Nestl BabyNes took many steps to ensure product and preparation quality. Once it had mastered the various technologies, it took another three years to develop the machine, the capsules, the industrial filling as well as the business model. The marketing, branding and commercial strategy of the system came later with its launch in Switzerland in May 2011.
“With our direct-to-customer, online business model, we are also innovating our business model within the regulatory framework of the country where the system is marketed,” says Grieder.
The Right Formula
With the help of many strategic partners throughout the development cycle — from engineering to design and packaging to branding and communications agencies — the product has seen great success.
After its launch in Switzerland, BabyNes achieved a penetration rate of births above expectations. Customer satisfaction is extremely high and the recommendation rating is 99 percent (based on customer welcome and satisfaction calls, which are carried out with all customers).
“We have a direct-to-consumer business model and know each and every customer,” says Grieder.
BabyNes launched in France in September 2012 and has plans to launch in other markets with high potential in due course. Grieder believes that the company will use BabyNes as a platform to launch other future key nutrition innovations at Nestl.
“In 2013, we will be launching our WIFI-enabled machine, which will provide mothers with auto-replenishment, a baby dashboard showing nutrition history and growth curves that will be sharable with pediatricians, friends and family. With the WIFI-enabled machine we will continuously innovate strongly on the service dimension.”
FAST FACTS
An Unforgettable First
For the first time, and inspired by the evolution of breast milk, infant formula composition in six different capsules meets the evolving nutritional needs of infants from birth to three years.
Building Blocks
With BabyNes, Nestl builds on its expertise in baby nutrition gained over 145 years since the invention of Farine Lacte by Henri Nestl.
Words of Wisdom
“Right from the beginning it [BabyNes] had senior executive support at board level, and significant funds were invested in its development.”
– Martin Grieder, Vice President & Global Head, Nestl BabyNes
Growth Spurts
At present, the proprietary BabyNes machine is only available for sale in Switzerland and France. Nestl has plans to enter other markets with high potential in due course.