FrieslandCampina Netherlands set out to redefine its role in improving public health with the purpose “We nourish sustainable growth for a healthier Netherlands.” The challenge was to explore where the biggest opportunities for health innovation lie, especially for the Optimel brand. They wanted to understand consumer needs around strength and balance, and identify concrete innovation domains to guide product development in line with changing lifestyles and health trends.

We combined research, inspiration, and co-creation to unlock opportunities. Together with FrieslandCampina, we translated existing research into opportunity platforms, visited trendsetters in the health industry, and organized co-creation sessions with experts. We generated and tested dozens of new product ideas with consumers and synthesized all insights into nine clear innovation domains, clustered under five strategic pillars. These covered physical and mental health, from gut health to mood stimulation.

The outcome was a set of nine health innovation domains that highlight where FrieslandCampina, and Optimel in particular, can play a leading role. These provided direction for product development and brand positioning. With this framework, FrieslandCampina innovated with confidence, balancing consumer needs, health impact, and sustainability while strengthening its reputation as a reliable, health-driven brand.

This all resulted in the highly successful launch of the Optimel Proteine range