JUMPSTARTING INNOVATION
One facilitated sprint session. Three viable concepts. One ready for launch.
Developing new products often demands significant time and resources. When D&W needed to move quickly to create a new, attention-getting concept ahead of a major tradeshow, they turned to Esrock to help accelerate the process. Through a single, fast-paced, one-day innovation session, we helped their team generate three strong concepts, launch one new product, and lay the foundation for ongoing innovation efforts.
The Background
D&W is known for developing custom packaging solutions for their customers. But when leadership issued a company-wide challenge to proactively create an innovative new product ahead of a key tradeshow, they faced a different kind of ask. The goal was to build something original, quickly, and without a customer brief to guide the process. While the company had the right talent and had scheduled a full-day ideation session, they lacked a proven process to turn group brainstorming into actionable outcomes.
The Challenge
With the tradeshow just months away, D&W needed more than just inspiration. They needed structure, strategy, and a seasoned facilitator who could turn a single work session into a springboard for action. They turned to Esrock for our unique mix of research-led planning, creative ideation expertise, and deep industry knowledge of the foodservice industry.
The Execution
To make the most of D&W’s cross-functional team and short timeline, Esrock led both the strategic planning and the hands-on facilitation of the ideation session. This ensured ideas moved from spark to concept in a single day.
SESSION PLANNING
Our approach started well before the group entered the room. Esrock worked with D&W leadership to define clear goals and structure a day that would guide participants from trend inspiration to concept selection. This included the development of a templated format for concept statements and defined evaluation criteria to drive clarity and consensus.
Held prep calls with all participants to align expectation and set objectives
Curated relevant consumer and industry trends to fuel creative thinking
Assigned participant “homework” to gather real-world inspiration examples
Compiled and shared those examples as a collective starting point
SESSION FACILITATION
On the day of the event, Esrock facilitated a fast-paced, collaborative session that balanced open brainstorming with decision-making rigor.
We closed the day with three validated concepts, each documented with clear next steps for continued development.
Coached on brainstorming techniques and inclusive collaboration across sales, engineering, and marketing
Guided small-group breakouts to generate ideas efficiently
Moderated full-team discussions to refine and build on key concepts
Led voting and evaluation to align the team on go-forward ideas
The Results
D&W successfully launched one new product at their tradeshow. This met leadership’s original challenge and created fresh opportunities for customer engagement. Two additional ideas moved into development for key customers.
But the biggest outcome was momentum.
Impressed by the process and outcomes, D&W formalized a company-wide innovation initiative. They invited Esrock back to lead a second, expanded session. Preparation for this follow-up included formalized store audits and voice of customer research. These additional inputs added real-world context to the ideation process and contributed to shaping future sessions.
D&W’s experience proves that structured innovation does not require months of runway. Sometimes, all it takes is one well-run session to change how a company thinks about what’s next.
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