Inside Mondelez

by Jenna Movsowitz

AN INSIDE LOOK INTO MONDELEZ SNACKFUTURES

CoLab with Moonshot

SnackFutures, Mondelez International’s innovation and venture hub, has kicked off applications for CoLab 2023. The company is focusing the third class of its start-up engagement program on disruptively delicious snack brands

Selected brands will participate in a 12-week program in the spring of 2023 that includes virtual sessions, in-person workshops, 1:1 mentorship and access to Mondelez International’s experts, resources and ecosystem of partners. In addition, each participating brand also receives a $20,000 grant.*

CoLab was deliberately built to be a collaborative effort between ‘big and small’ – each gaining learnings, insights and capabilities from each other to accelerate growth. Participants in last year’s program were Bunny James, Every Body Eat, GoNanas, Moonshot, Nunbelievable, Oat Haus, Pan’s, Popcorn for the People, Wonder Monday and Yolélé. To hear about their experience firsthand, click here.

If you’re an emerging brands that is creating delicious snacks by doing something disruptive, please apply at www.applycolab.com.

We interviewed Julia Collins of Moonshot, the innovative snack brand that’s leveraging food to fight climate change, on her experience in the 2022 CoLab.

Startup CPG DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH COLAB. WHERE WAS MOONSHOT PRE-COLAB, AND WHERE WERE YOU AFTER?

Julia Collins Our experience with CoLab was invaluable in so many ways. At the time we applied for the program, Moonshot was building regional distribution. We came into the program with a set of business priorities we wanted to accomplish during our time at CoLab. These priorities ranged from macro-level business questions, like “how do we win at Target”, down to specific projects we were looking for guidance on, like “what materials should we use for sustainable sample size packaging?” Other priorities included ways to amplify Moonshot’s brand story and community building as we scale from a regional brand into a national brand.

What we learned throughout CoLab and the relationships we built led us to a lot of big wins this year, including: a successful Target launch, resources for alternative packaging material suppliers, our first-ever Ibotta campaign, refined brand messaging and taglines, leveraged insights from SPINS and Highlight, and friendships with other growing brands in the space—which may one day turn into collaborations. This year was a major growth year for our business, and CoLab was pivotal to a lot of our success.

SCPG WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WERE PRESENTED TO YOU DURING COLAB?

JC CoLab granted us access to Mondelez's expertise across innovation, packaging, shopper marketing, and more. We gained a lot of invaluable insights and resources through CoLab that we would not otherwise have access to as an emerging brand.

During our time in CoLab, we had the opportunity to connect with leading CPG partners across sales, marketing, and consumer research. Working with these partners was incredibly exciting for us. We had subject matter experts at our fingertips who could help us work through sticky issues and unlock invaluable insights.

In addition to the partnership opportunities, the final brand showcase was a fun and exciting experience for our team. During

the showcase, we had the opportunity to pitch Moonshot to investors, buyers, and influencers in the space. This door opening allowed us to build strong relationships with current and future partners.

SCPG WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS ON THE FENCE ABOUT APPLYING?

JC Definitely apply! Beyond the tactical and measurable benefits of the program (of which there are many), the connections you make with other founders in the Food & Bev industry is an intangible benefit that will last far beyond the 10 weeks you are in the program. I was blown away by the other founders in the program and I feel we all learned so much from one another. You will build a support system of people who understand your journey as a founder and that is hard to come by!

In addition to the amazing classmates, the access you get to the knowledge and expertise of the various departments within Mondelez is far beyond what you would ever get normally as an emerging brand.

SCPG WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR A BRAND TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE PROGRAM?

JC Be present: The program is a big time commitment but it’s worth it! You will get out as much as you put in, so do your best to stay present during the workshops and ask as many questions as you can during each session (and don’t forget to take notes!). • Leverage the expertise of your CoLab mentors: CoLab pairs you with mentors within Mondelez, each equipped with their own arsenal of knowledge and expertise. Make sure you take advantage of this! The mentors are absolutely incredible people and so eager to connect you to others within the

Mondelez network to get you what you need. We met with our two mentors weekly and ticked through a priority list we made with them at the program's onset. Each session was incredibly fruitful. Be honest about what you need and open to the help they can provide. • Make meaningful connections with your cohort: By far one of the most satisfying parts of CoLab was meeting and sharing experiences with the other founders. We are all going through similar experiences as we scale our businesses. Our

CoLab class became very close with one another and many of us still chat today! We share resources, swap stories, and give each other advice when faced with roadblocks. In the long run, these relationships will help propel your business forward. I can’t overemphasize the importance of building a supportive community.

SCPG WHAT WERE MOONSHOT’S KEY LEARNINGS FROM COLAB?

JC We had so many learnings throughout the program that it’s hard to choose just a few! Some of the biggest learnings we took away include: 1. Consumer Insights: We confirmed that our product over-delivers on taste, texture, and appearance through a blind consumer taste test run by a third-party consumer insights company! 2. Brand Insights: Through CoLab we had the privilege of working with creative agency, Fortnight, who helped us unlock a new tagline, and additional headlines that we’re

"We met with our two mentors weekly and ticked through a priority list we made with them at the program's onset. Each session was incredibly fruitful."

already using in point-of-sales materials, as well as a brand manifesto that we will be adding to our eCommerce site. 3. Packaging Insights: We were able to pressure test our packaging versus other brands in the set and how it delivers against our objectives, working with Sell Check to run a third-party test. 4. Category Insights: The CoLab x SPINS session provided consumption data and Category trends we have never seen before. This data has already proven vital as we have utilized it for sell decks, shopper marketing strategies, and more. For example, we learned that we were significantly over-indexing on category growth contribution for a brand of our size. Buyers love to hear that small brands are pulling more than their fair share of weight when driving category growth. This was a big unlock, supercharging our insights!

SCPG WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DID YOU HAVE THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM FROM THE MONDELEZ TEAM?

JC The Mondelez team puts so much work into this program and it shows. We were treated with the utmost respect and kindness throughout the entire program and everyone we met on the Mondelez side voiced how willing they were to help with any ask, at any time. They made us feel so comfortable, even about emailing them with even the smallest questions, and that comfortable environment that they created contributed to how much we were able to walk away with.