How the Foodini is Changing the Food Service Industry Today

Final Marketing Plan for Natural Machines\' Foodini D Food Printer

Today, professional kitchen users are searching for innovative solutions to the challenges that are inherent in the food service industry, including most especially ways to prepare foods that are tasty and nutritious in an efficient fashion. In response to this growing demand, a number of manufacturers are promoting three dimensional (3D) food printers as a viable solution to these needs. The purpose of this paper is to present a final marketing plan for Natural Machines’ 3D food printing device, the Foodini Pro. To this end, the paper first provides a brief but comprehensive description of this product followed by a SWOT analysis and discussion concerning the current and future target market for the Foodini Pro. In addition, a competitive analysis and positioning assessment, a summary of the secondary research as well as the findings that emerged from primary research concerning this product. Finally, an analysis of the Foodini Pro’s optimal price, place and promotion is followed by a composition plan presentation.

Product Description

Three-dimensional food printers use the same basic technologies that are used to create other tangible articles, including the layered manner in which materials are deposited, but they substitute different types of food products for the thermoplastic materials that are used in other applications. Although many 3D food printers that are currently on the market are limited to producing foods that consist only of paste-like ingredients such as chocolate and batters (Lansard, 2021), there are some other models that are available such as Spain-based Natural Machine’s (hereinafter alternatively “the company”) Foodini Pro 3D food printing meal assembly device that provide a far wider range of possibilities by using “real food” ingredients (Karidis, 2020). For instance, according to the company’s co-founder and chief marketing officer (CMO), Lynette Kucsma, the Foodini Pro is “an innovative tool that enables chefs to create unique dishes from food scraps that otherwise would be tossed [which] also aids in minimizing scraps even before they are produced” (as cited in Karidis, 2020, p. 37).

As noted above, unlike its competitors’ 3D food printers that rely solely on paste-based foods, the Foodini Pro is capable of transforming fresh foods into precisely portioned, shaped and formed meals that provide kitchen professionals with the ability to create unique dishes that can be easily duplicated or customized as the need arises. In this regard, Karidis (2020) emphasizes that, “The whole point is to be able to customize manufacturing, even down to the ingredients. You print the precise amount of food you need and no more” (p. 37). The sleek but expensive Foodini Pro is depicted in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Representative Foodini Pro

Source: https://www.aniwaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Store-Demo-Foodini-1.png.webp

Although the market for 3D food printers in general and Foodini Pros in particular has been growing rapidly in recent years, there are some significant challenges that are involved in expanding the existing target market and making these devices more affordable and these issues are discussed further below.

SWOT Analysis and Target Market

SWOT analysis:

A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of Natural Machine’s Foodini Pro is presented below; strengths and weaknesses are internal to the company while opportunities and threats are external.

· Strengths: Ease of use; precise portioning; customizable ingredients; wide range of functionalities; ready availability; first-mover.

· Weaknesses: Comparatively high price between $4,000 and $6,900 per unit; in addition, there is potential consumer reluctance to embrace new food-based technologies that require an inordinate amount of time to learn.

· Opportunities: Rapidly aging population that will need assistance in meal preparation and additional easy-to-chew foods; increased interest in health foods by mainstream consumers.

· Threats: Downturns in the global economy; increased competition.

Target market:

At present, Natural Machine’s target market for the Foodini Pro is professional kitchen users, but the company has plans to expand this market over the next several years to include ordinary consumers who are looking for a better approach to food preparation at home. For example, according to Natural Machine’s co-founder and CMO:

We believe that in 10 to 15 years, 3D food printers will become a common kitchen appliance in both home and professional kitchens, similar to how an oven or a microwave are common appliances in kitchens today. So, we will target both professional kitchen users and home kitchen users. Currently, we are focused on professional kitchen users. (as cited in About Foodini, 2021, para. 2)

In fact, the marketing professionals at Natural Machines may not have to wait another decade or so to reach this new target market, and the company has already made significant progress in identifying other food-related markets, including increased sales to food manufacturers, restaurant chains, research organizations and educational institutes for its Foodini Pro product (Karidis, 2020). Taken together, it is clear that Natural Machines has a world-class food service product with a promising future, but it is not the only player in this burgeoning industry and these issues are discussed further below.

Competitive Analysis & Positioning

At present, there are multiple competitors in the international 3D food printing sector, and prices for their devices range from under $1,000 to nearly $7,000, placing the company’s Foodini Pro’s price of between $4,000 and $6,900 in the upper range as shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Major competitors in the 3D food printing sector

PRODUCT

BRAND

COUNTRY

BUILD SIZE

PRICE

Focus

byFlow

Netherlands

208 × 228 × 150 mm

$ 3,630

Choc Creator V2.0 Plus

Choc Edge

United Kingdom

180 × 180 × 40 mm

$ 3,072

Food 3D printer

Micromake

China

100 × 100 × 15 mm

$ 999

Chocolate 3D printer

Mmuse

China

160 × 120 × 150 mm

$ 5,499

Foodini Pro

Natural Machines

Spain

250 × 165 × 120 mm

$ 4,000 - $6,900*

PancakeBot 2.0

PancakeBot

Norway

445 × 210 × 15 mm

$ 299

VX

ZMorph

Poland

250 × 235 × 165 mm

$ 2,799

*Depending on model and accessories

Source: Lansard (2021)

Although the price of the company’s Foodini Pro is in the upper range of current 3D food printer offerings, its unique features and functionality far surpass all of the other models listed in Table 1 above by virtue of its ability to use food ingredients besides just paste-based foods and customize the foods it produces. This attribute also means that it is possible for the company to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage in the 3D food printing sector at present and for the foreseeable future as discussed further below.

Secondary Research Summary

The secondary research was consistent in showing that the company has developed and is marketing a high-quality appliance for kitchen professionals that has far wider appeal than its current target market. Indeed, in many ways, Natural Machines’ assertions concerning the similarities between their Foodini Pro and the early microwave oven market are directly on point. Indeed, early models of microwave ovens developed in the mid-20th century were first marketed primarily to commercial food service facilities due in large part to the cumbersome size of these first models as well as their steep price tags which ranged up to $50,000 in 2021 dollars. This exclusive market quickly expanded, however, to the point where fully 90% of American households have at least one microwave oven today (Liegey, 2020).

In fact, the company’s co-founder is relying on the same trend to affect the acceptance levels of their Foodini Pro in coming years. In this regard, McCue (2019) points out that, “Lynette Kucsma wants to sell the 21st century’s version of the microwave” (para. 2). Moreover, the company’s top leadership team expects the uptake of their Foodini Pro to surpass comparable sales of microwaves during the latter half of the 20th century due to ongoing innovations in technology that stand to reduce the cost of the device while simultaneously improving its functionality. For instance, Kucsma emphasizes that, “When people first heard about microwaves they didn’t understand the technology, but now 90% of households have microwaves. We see the same thing happening with 3D food printing, but on a much faster scale because we adopt technology faster and the technology advances faster” (as cited in McCue, 2019, para. 3).

Although the company intends to expand its current target market to include ordinary consumers in the future, Natural Machines is also making significant progress in marketing to other food service entities at present but always with an eye on the future by highlighting the benefits that can accrue to the use of the Foodini Pro in a wide array of personal and commercial kitchen settings (McCue, 2019). In addition, the company has also partnered with various food service research and development organizations in Europe to identify new applications and promotional opportunities for the Foodini Pro which have proven highly effective to date in driving brand and product recognition among Natural Machine’s current target market (McCue, 2019).

Primary Research

Using a convenience sample of 22 classmates, friends, co-workers and family members, a brief survey was conducted in order to assess consumer views about the Foodini Pro and their intentions to purchase such a device at present or in the future. The ages of the respondents ranged from 21 years to 69 years, and there were 12 males and 10 females. The results of the survey are set forth in Table 1 and depicted graphically in Figure 2 below.

Table 1

Results of 3D food printer survey

Yes

No

Yes %

No %

Are you aware of 3D food printers?

7

15

31.82%

68.18%

Have you heard of the Foodini 3D food printer?

2

20

9.09%

90.91%

Do you intend to purchase a 3D food printer in the near future?

1

21

4.55%

95.45%

If no, please state the reason(s)

Sounds complicated

Too much money

We don\'t need another kitchen appliance

If yes, please state which brand

I don\'t know yet

Figure 2. Results of 3D food printer survey

The results of the survey shown in Table 1 and Figure 2 above indicate that a clear majority of the respondents (15 or 68.18%) were unaware that 3D food printers exist, and just 2 respondents (or about 10%) had even heard of the Foodini product (of the two who reported knowing about the Foodini, one – or about 5% -- indicated he or she intended to purchase some type of 3D food printer in the near future. Of the seven respondents (or 31.82%) who reported being aware of 3D food printers, three (or 13.6%) provided their reasons for not intending to purchase one in the near future which mirrored the constraints that were identified in the secondary research. It may be possible to directly address these constraints through appropriate marketing strategies and these issues are discussed below.

Price and Place

With respect to price, although the Foodini Pro remains comparatively high priced at $4,000, its functionality and additional features set it apart from its competitors’ models. Regarding place, besides simply turning to Google, practitioners in the food service industry also rely on several professional peer-reviewed journals and other periodicals for the most recent innovations that affect their businesses, including the following, among others:

· Art Culinaire;

· Bon Apetiti;

· Chef;