Mutate to innovate

There is an abundance of options for brands looking to adapt their food labels to local tastes

Mutation: A significant and basic alteration (Merriam Webster)

When it comes to foods, brands are often ‘forced’ to mutate to better satisfy consumers across different cultures. This is because food habits are fairly ritualistic across societies and brands have to offer more than a cursory nod to the embedded cultural norms to become part of a regular repertoire. 

Mutation as a legitimate innovation strategy is particularly relevant for food categories that travel across borders. For example, Quaker had launched its oats porridge in India a few years ago. The campaign succeeded in establishing the ‘gold standard’ health credentials of oats, but most