DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Snack company Mondelez International has rolled out a new mobile marketing initiative, Shopper Futures, which brings together entrepreneurs and retailers to help transform the consumer retail experience. The program will pair the company's brands with entrepreneurs from the United States and Canada who are developing the technology and mobile solutions to solve pressing retail challenges.
Shopper Futures is debuting with a launch events in New York City on June 3 and in Toronto on June 4. The program builds on the aim of its original mobile counterpart, Mobile Futures, a Mondelez initiative from 2012 that paired its brands with select startups to accelerate existing mobile innovations and incubate new ventures.
"Technology has had an undeniable impact on the consumer path to purchase," said Laura Henderson, head of U.S. media and communications at Mondelez. "Through Shopper Futures, we're collaborating with the brightest minds in the industry and startup world to shape the future of retail, both in-store and online. This time around, we're focused on solving real shopper challenges in our snacking categories and unlocking new opportunities for growth."
Shopper Futures harnesses the startup entrepreneurial spirit to discover technology solutions for real business challenges. Mondelez will identify early-stage innovators to learn from them, and in turn give the startups an opportunity to collaborate with brands and retailers on in-market case studies.
On August 5 and 6, Mondelez will host a pitch day with top startups in East Hanover, N.J.
Nine final startups will receive funding to work one-on-one with a team of marketers from U.S. and Canadian brands such as Oreo, Halls, Ritz and Cadbury, and a retailer. The teams will then collaborate to design a 90-day pilot execution.
"We're excited to approach Shopper Futures from a North American perspective and to offer startups the potential for immediate exposure and access across our region," said Kristi Karens, director of media and consumer engagement at Mondelez International Canada. "This next phase of our Futures-focused programming promises to be extremely interesting, not just for the participating brands, startups and retailers, but for the e-commerce and retail industries in general. We're looking forward to seeing the great innovations that will come to market."
Mondelez has amassed a broad collaborator network for Shopper Futures among the media, technology and startup industries, whose knowledge and experience will be key to the success of the program. Twitter will serve as the official media partner for the program, offering technical and editorial support. The network also features some of the leading organizations in the tech startup ecosystem, including incubators, accelerators and shared work spaces. This collaboration will link the program to technologists and entrepreneurs to establish relationships and source startup applications. Members include Evol8tion, INcubes, 500 Startups, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, MaRS, Velocity, 1871 and Innovation Endeavors.
Mondelez is issuing an open call to startups that are disrupting the retail space. Interested startups must be based in either the U.S. or Canada, less than four years old and with technology that is at a stage where it could be live in market. Startups are encouraged to apply online from June 3 to June 27, 2015.
Deerfield, Ill.-based Mondelez International is a global snacking company with 2014 revenue of $34 billion. It is a leader in biscuits, chocolate, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages, with billion-dollar brands such as Oreo, LU and Nabisco biscuits; Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate; Trident gum; Jacobs coffee and Tang powdered beverages.
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