The Values Chain: An inquiry into how we create and capture value when we innovate

Now, let’s look at an example of a standard prepared meal, available in any US supermarket.

Here we have much more information brought forward. It’s not really information of the fruit, it’s meta-information about nutrition, storage, preparation, a branding statement, and look at a finished meal. These create more value for consumers, that’s why food manufacturers put them there.

I’d like to draw your attention to the information at the lower left. These contain negative statements, not about what the product contains, but drawing attention to attributes that are missing.  We begin to see here how we can relate food to broader goals such as health & wellness. “No artificial flavors” is a statement that relates a product to a preference for “natural” and a desire to avoid “artificial”. This is not information about a product, but meta-information that connects products to life goals, and positions food as a service helping customers reach their goals.