Wall’s in global innovation move

Unilever subsidiary Bird’s Eye Wall’s is setting up an worldwide innovation centre for ice cream at Walton-on-Thames.

The shake-up follows moves at Birds Eye Wall’s food business to introduce global category management for each of its food groups (MW December 15).

The innovation centre will be headed by Sharon Gardner, who was previously general marketing manager for take-home ice cream. From this year she takes responsibility for worldwide tub dessert development.

Sources suggest that the company will place greater emphasis on the Birds Eye brand and will give Menu Master less prominence.

One industry insider says: “If you are a brand manager of a certain product and a different country becomes the innovation centre for that product, there is a very good chance you will be implementing other people’s plans.

“Clearly your ability to influence development of that brand will be severely limited. It could be a big dilution of power for the brand managers.

“The idea of innovation centres is being brought in across Unilever.”

The company is also establishing an innovation group for its chicken products at Walton-on-Thames, and another for frozen vegetables in Germany.

A Unilever spokesman refused to comment on the changes.