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Ralph Lauren's daughter grasps candy innovation
By merging fashion, art and pop candy culture, Dylan Lauren has brought a new creative energy to the candy segment of the food industry.
June 3, 2011 by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting
What does Ralph Lauren's daughter know about food innovation?
More than you think!
When you listen to Dylan Lauren, CEO & Founder of Dylan's Candy Bar (www.dylanscandybar.com), you understand quickly that she has a passion for candy – and the food, marketing and packaging innovation that goes with it.
According to her website, Dylan cultivated her love of art and candy while attending Duke University, where she studied art history. She subsequently spent some time in London and Rome studying abroad. It was during these experiences that she developed a love for candy and started collecting artful wrappers and packaging. A combination of business training, passion for food (candy), an appreciation for art history, and a desire to be entrepreneurial led her to open her first store in New York City in 2001. She now has five stores across the United States with international expansion in the planning.
According to her website, Dylan has created a strong niche for herself as an expert in the candy world, and is hailed as an influential entrepreneur in New York City. In fact other companies have started to model their own concepts after her company – which is the ultimate compliment.
Dylan has won the prestigious Fashion Group International "Rising Star Award" for Retail Design, and was named one of Crain's 40 under 40 rising stars. Dylan's candy bar has also received numerous Retailer of the Year awards, was recognized by the Association for Retail Environments Design Awards, and has been featured in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, The New Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Dylan started with one simple innovation mission statement – to merge fashion, art and pop candy culture. That single idea captures food innovation, marketing innovation, concept innovation, packaging innovation, and business process innovation together in one sentence.
And food and beverage executives with an interest in creating innovation within their company would do well to meditate 15 minutes every morning on that mission statement. The results would transform their company for decades to come. Sometimes outsiders entering the established food industry have a perspective that shakes the industry up, and leads it to a whole new level of growth.
As I researched Dylan's business, I discovered a whole list of creative differentiators that she has built into her business:
- Candy Bar – an up-market candy store
- Wholesale candy shops at Yankee Stadium and Neiman Marcus
- World's largest candy store
- Cross partnerships with movies such as Harry Potter
- Candy merchandise and apparel
- Nostalgic candy
- Licensed candy
- Imported specialty sweets from around the world (international Candies)
- Charity candy bars
- Sugar-free, gluten-free and allergen-free candy section in her stores
- Private labeling
- Candy store café with a liquor license
Wow, this list could go on and on! Dylan Lauren brings creative energy to the candy segment of the food industry. That's why I coach company CEOs to establish a distinct food innovation team with some "outside creativity. Dylan did not grow up in the food industry, but she brought vision, passion, creativity and fashion to a simple segment of our food industry. The question should be clear as to why some food companies struggle in hard times – they are not bringing any innovation to the customers table.
Thank you, Dylan, for becoming that "energy shot" to the candy industry. You've brought more innovation to the candy industry than the established candy companies have in the last 25 years. You're a food innovation all-star!
P.S. Would someone on the program committee for Women's Foodservice Forum or National Restaurant Association please invite her to speak at your annual meeting as keynote speaker – on food innovation?
Please contact me at dsuderman@foodbevbiz.com or follow the Food Innovation Institute website (www.foodbevbiz.com) for more information on our 2011 Food Innovation Workshops, June 20- 22, 2011.
