Dairy
Queen
Creating the next generation of treats for one of America's most iconic quick-service brands.
When a great franchise needs its next big idea.
Secret Ingredient designed and led a two-day Treat Innovation Workshop to help Dairy Queen accelerate innovation and uncover new menu platforms with the potential to expand the brand's role in the treat occasion.
DQ's treat territory was getting crowded.
Dairy Queen's competitive landscape was changing. Frozen yogurt, frozen drinks, smoothies and coffee were all moving into territory that had traditionally belonged to DQ's treat business.
Despite tremendous success with the BLIZZARD franchise, relatively little had been done in the way of broader treat innovation. Dairy Queen recognized the need to move faster and get ahead of the competition.
Get the team out of the everyday. Get them thinking differently.
Secret Ingredient brought core members of DQ's Marketing and R&D teams together for an immersive, highly hands-on innovation experience.
Deep dive
Explore the world of treats through product sampling and trend analysis.
Look beyond DQ
Engage with innovative treat specialists and uncover new possibilities.
Prototype
Turn emerging opportunities into tangible new product concepts.
Bring ideas to life
Use food illustrators to make the most promising concepts feel real.
A lot more than a brainstorming session.
The Treat Innovation Workshop sparked more than 140 new product ideas. The team then winnowed the concepts down to the most promising candidates for further development.
DQ's R&D team moved those ideas into testing, creating a pipeline of possibilities for the brand's next chapter in treats.
Innovation is more powerful when strategy, inspiration and making happen together.
By combining food trends, hands-on tasting, outside inspiration, rapid prototyping and visual storytelling, Secret Ingredient created an environment where DQ's team could move from “What if?” to “Let's make it.”
It's the kind of collaborative, food-first innovation process that turns an open-ended challenge into a tangible pipeline of opportunities.
Ready to create your next big food or beverage idea?
Let's turn consumer insight, food expertise and creative thinking into concepts worth bringing to market.
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