Private Brands

By: Doug Baker, Vice President Industry Relations-Private Brands, Technology, Food Marketing Institute

Throughout his four+ years directing Google’s global corporate meals program, Michiel Bakker, director of global food services, noted that “food at work really works” – in terms of building culture, happiness and supporting health and wellness among its employees. Mr. Bakker explained during his Midwinter Executive Conference presentation that the 165,000 meals served per day to 110,000 individuals is certainly an investment in the company’s overall mission to incubate creativity and feed talent.

The Google Food program has implications for food retailers’ own employees and it also offers insights into new merchandising and sustainable partnership opportunities. In fact, this program is a microcosm of what retailers are trying to do with their health and wellness initiatives. Unfortunately, they can’t offer the food for free.

Mr. Bakker said that many employees eat better at work than they do at home because the program enables individuals to make personal, informed food choices for sustainable lifestyle, but Google also caters to a time-deprived and younger generation that doesn’t always have the right skills to make the food at home. The same kitchens that feed Google employees support staff in building culinary skill sets by offering basic cooking classes and even team building events.

He asserted that better-for-you foods should be easiest to access when you offer free food. However, he cautioned not to take away treats, but to instead make the alternative better, more attractive, easier and convenient. Citing Google’s user insights for its feeding program, he noted several trends impacting Google Food’s design: the growing eating (not cooking) culture; the idea that we’re all experts when it comes to food; the desire to create digital food experiences; personalization; grazing, instead of three-squares –a-day; the constant struggle of what we say versus what we actually do; and how people are making tradeoffs.

The program is branded Google, but executed by vendor partners and franchisees. Mr. Bakker and his team define expectations and the vendor program brings it to life. Globally, there’s an expectation for a similar approach and experience among all the Google offices. Essentially, he’s managing globally branded franchises that offer sustainable solutions to corporate feeding and nutrition programs.

Mr. Bakker offered several action items for the food retail audience at our conference when implementing their own food-at-work program:

• Investment or cost: How could you afford not to invest?
• Provide support to users
• Food care and health care are intertwined
• Flavor rules
• Make the alternative food choice taste better, more attractive, easier, convenient
• Culinarians are key, so do not underestimate the chef
• Act. Launch.

Google is a monumental Bay Area company synonymous as an incubator for ideas and culture, but in this intimate executive roundtable session, I found them to be a company that inherently cares about its people, nourishing them, creating community and being good stewards of resources. Google and food retailers may have more in common than I originally thought.