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Accessible products with local adaptation, a societal stake
:: One of Danone's strengths is that it accurately documents the nutritional situations in each country. This work is carried out in collaboration with local authorities, using robust methodologies, making it possible to offer products with nutritional qualities that are perfectly suited to the needs of local populations.
However, these nutritional improvements are only worthwhile if the consumers targeted are able to gain access to the products they are offered… And Danone's rapid geographical expansion in emerging countries has brought to light the fact that the majority of the population does not have the means to purchase these products. Therefore, new ways of innovating and producing must be created. This takes the form, for example, of in-depth work on traditional ranges in order to reduce their prices to the maximum extent. By implementing innovations regarding formats and packaging with a greater or lesser degree of sophistication (offering products in large packaging, with a lower price per kilo, or, to the contrary, in smaller formats marketed on a unit basis) or regarding the products themselves (Activia kefir, in addition to being perfectly suited to Russian consumers' tastes, is the most economical product in the whole range). In 2009, the Gizikita range was launched in Indonesia. Developed in partnership with a major Indonesian NGO (PKPU), it includes milk for pregnant or breastfeeding women, porridge for 1-2 year-olds, and a topping for 3-5 year-olds making it possible to cover a major part of daily needs in terms of essential nutrients (calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, vitamins A and B9). This was achieved at a very low cost ranging from 5 to 15 euro cents per portion. In Mexico, the entry-level yogurts offer was relaunched in 2009 in order to make it more accessible to consumers with low and very-low incomes, who constitute 67% of the population. Consequently, Danone 90 años was launched, which has a price 30% lower than the previous range (14 euro cents per 125 g pot) whilst at the same time offering yogurt's nutritional qualities. The result is that over 20 million Mexicans enjoy the benefits of yogurt on a daily basis.
But when, in certain parts of the world, millions of people live on less than 1 euro per day, these innovations are no longer enough, and a completely new societal model of production and distribution must then be thought up. This is why danone.communities exists.
