Open Innovation team expands search for 'Gr-r-reat Ideas' outside Kellogg

More Info ... The new external website is an extension of the internal Gr-r-reat Ideas Portal, unveiled here on Kellogg Today earlier this year. Leveraging industry-leading technology and best practices in open innovation, the portal provides employees a place to share their own ideas for new products, cost-savings initiatives, process improvements and more. Since rolling out earlier this year, Kellogg employees have submitted more than 2,700 ideas to the Gr-r-reat Ideas Portal through participation in 16 different ideation events. Watch for some new and exciting ideation events kicking off in January, where you’ll have another opportunity to submit your own "Gr-r-reat Idea."

New product innovations have often been recognized as key to our business success in recent years. But did you know that more and more of our technology-driven innovations, such as Special K 2O protein water, Printed Fun Pop-Tarts ink-jet toaster pastries and Live Bright brain-health bars with DHA, have been enabled through partnerships with outside companies?

Hoping to discover new technologies and partnership opportunities, the Open Innovation team has created a new website – www.kelloggsgreatideas.com – to solicit ideas from external vendors and suppliers, as well as consumers. The site is accessible from Kelloggs.com.

"When it comes to innovation, one of our guiding principles is that ‘Ideas Come from Anywhere, Always,'" says Jim Melluish, Director, Marketing and Open Innovation. "With this website we can do an even better job of connecting external ideas and opportunities with the Kellogg teams who can drive them."

In addition to new product ideas, the Open Innovation team is seeking promising new packaging or processing technologies as well as innovation collaboration opportunities from external sources.

The process for submitting non-confidential innovation proposals is simple and streamlined through the new website, and all proposals will receive a response within six to eight weeks. Since launching earlier this summer, over 100 business proposals have been submitted to www.kelloggsgreatideas.com.

The website also provides a process for consumers to submit their own suggestions for new products or product improvements. To date, more than 3,000 consumer ideas have been submitted.

"We have a long history of listening to consumers and responding to meet the growing needs of all families," Jim says. "Providing an easy way for consumers who are passionate about our brands to tell us what they'd like to see is what ‘Ideas Come from Anywhere' is all about."