Jonathan Tofel

CEO

Mission Field LLC

Jonathan Tofel is the Founder and CEO of Mission Field, a global innovation, strategy & insights consultancy. Mission Field has 3X made the INC 5000 list and 3X the Financial Times America's Fastest-Growing Companies. For more than two decades, Jonathan has been a CPG entrepreneur at the forefront of innovation in Fortune 500 CPG companies working across more than two dozen categories. Tofel has worked to develop 1000s of unique product ideas. In addition, he has formulated, built and tested more than 400 innovations with retail partners. Author of the CPG innovation books Fire In The Machine, and the forthcoming Spark on the Shelf, his clients have included a who's who of CPGs, including: PepsiCo (Inc. Frito-Lay, Quaker), Clorox, Kraft-Heinz, Tropicana Brands Group, Kellogg's, Mondelez, General Mills, Heineken, Keurig Dr. Pepper and many more.

Sessions

Apr 30

2:05 PM - 2:25 PM EDT

Yellow Stage

CPG/Food & Beverage

Innovation & Product Development

Shopper & Retail

If It Didn't Sell, Did the Insight Fail? Understanding the Retailers POV on Innovation

Most CPG innovation is validated through the lens of insights teams—but it succeeds or fails through the reality of retailers. This session reframes innovation through what buyers actually see on the shelf: why so many “proven” ideas don’t translate in-store, how retail evaluates risk, and how insight methodologies can improve when real shoppers must make real choices.
Key Takeaways:
1. Understand innovation through the retailer’s eyes—and where insights can make the biggest impact
2. Clarify the insights that retailers value, and how it aligns everyone around one shared truth.
3. Create a roadmap on how to de-risk bold bets and turn disruptive ideas into lasting wins.

Also speaking

Cory Sexson

VP, Global Business Development & Innovation, The American Egg Board

Speaker