Alcoa

Company: Alcoa, Inc
Company Division/Group: Alcoa Consumer Products
Company Description: Alcoa is the world's leading producer of aluminum and is active in all major aspects of the industry. It serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building construction and transportation markets. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) aluminum foil. The company has 127,000 employees in 39 countries.
Nomination Category: Team Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Product Development Team

Nomination Title: Alcoa - Release Non-Stick Foil Product Development Team

1. Tell the story of what this team has achieved in 2002 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

   Few national brands are as trusted by consumers for exceptional quality as Reynolds Wrap® Foil. It enjoys a 58% share of the US aluminum foil business and is ranked among the country’s Top 10 most trusted brands. Through the launch of Reynolds Wrap® Release® Non-Stick Foil, the brand has brought meaningful innovation to meal preparation, meeting a large consumer need while generating sizable growth to a relatively flat business segment.

   Reynolds Wrap Release Non-Stick Aluminum Foil was successfully launched in 2002 as a result of an integrated multi-functional team effort between Technology, Operations, Sales and Marketing personnel. The Product Development team applied outstanding customer focus and technical expertise to successfully commercialize Release Foil as outlined below.

   The original idea for Non-Stick Foil was born out of a strong consumer focus. Quantitative consumer research indicated that consumers had important unmet needs to eliminate food sticking when cooking and to reduce the cleanup of messy pots and pans. The team placed product with consumers several times gaining feedback to optimize non-stick performance and other product attributes. This generated market research results that were among the highest ever received by an independent research firm.

   The Technology and Operations team members faced significant challenges in the development of Release Non-Stick Foil. The concept required a product that could be used in all applications of household aluminum foil. In practical terms, this is a product that will go from freezer to grill with an operating temperature range of -40 to 650 degrees F. The product needed to deliver a non-stick benefit, be food safe, meet cost targets, and enable introduction with minimal capital investment. An elegant solution was developed which involved the selection of a group of non-stick materials and processing conditions that enabled high quality product that greatly exceeded consumer expectations. This is the basis for two issued patents.

   Our Sales and Marketing team members were able to meet or exceed key benchmarks for distribution, consumer awareness and trial. Within three months of initial shipment, Release was found in over 80% of grocery and mass retail stores in the US. A single-minded marketing campaign was developed consisting of national TV, print, consumer and in-store promotion and public relation activities. Our TV campaign, when tested via an independent firm, ranked in the top 10% of all home use product advertisements tested for brand effectiveness. The PR efforts alone garnered television, print, and radio coverage generating over 140 MM impressions.

   Our business results to date have been outstanding. Reynolds Wrap Foil retail sales growth accelerated from 2% prior to launch to 8% post launch. Further, the consumer reaction has been extraordinary, as over 1000 consumers have called to express their gratitude for this product innovation. Recently, Release Foil was cited as a Top 10 innovative new product from among 31,000 new consumer products launched in 2002.

   Net, we believe the Reynolds Wrap Release Non-Stick Foil launch is an outstanding example of product development excellence and worthy of the American Business award for Best Product Development team.