At Imperial Brands we believe true innovation is not only consumer-centric, but consumer driven – so starting with the consumer underpins our entire next generation product (NGP) research & development philosophy.
We strive to identify technologies that satisfy our consumers while facilitating improved harm reduction potential.
This mindset led to the creation of our Sense Hubs and prototyping labs. Within them, we interact and collaborate with the actual people buying and using our NGP on a daily basis – feeding their crucial insights into each stage of the product development process.
Consumer Co-creation
We prioritise ‘real world’ consumer insights, data, and co-ideation to maximise product impact.
Preto- and Prototyping
We bring NGP ideas to life more rapidly than ever, co-creating and co-iterating at pace with our consumers.
Technology Readiness
We look for technologies that provide sensorial benefits to our consumers, as well as increased harm reduction potential.
Platform Approach
We focus on technologies with the potential for long-term deployment across multiple NGP categories.
This approach to innovation is transforming the pace, agility, and efficiency of our product development in new and exciting ways.
Meanwhile, we continue to build deep and open partnerships with third-parties across the globe so our innovation ecosystem is best equipped to fulfil our harm reduction ambitions.
And the results? Product development cycles have fallen from years to months in some cases, plus we now offer much greater choice to consumers.
Our continued investment in our innovation capabilities makes Imperial Brands a more exciting, diverse place in which to work and collaborate. It also clearly demonstrates our passion and commitment to providing adult smokers with a wide range of satisfying, state-of-the-art NGP that help them in their unique journeys to switch away from cigarettes.
Formulation
This team focuses on new NGP formulations, product sample development, and production capabilities. These capabilities allow them to experiment with diverse elements including flavour and intensity, sensory experiences, and nicotine satisfaction.
Industrial Design
This team translates consumer insights into compelling product designs. Concepts are brought to life through sketches, pre/prototyping, model making, and photorealistic visualisations. Preferred consumer designs then pass to our engineering and realisation teams.
Consumer Psychology
Our psychology, neuroscience, and sensory capabilities – including emotional and biometric measurements – help us develop a deep and meaningful understanding of consumer perceptions of our NGP.
Consumer Co-creation
This team engages with consumers around early NGP iterations, closely observing their reactions in our viewing studio. Following preto- and prototype phases, they once again gather consumer insights before subsequent market launches.
Since opening, our innovation hubs have become a core component of our NGP pipeline – transforming the pace, agility, and efficiency of our product development through consumer collaboration.
In the UK we bring all of our NGP concepts to life through consumer co-creation – rapidly building, understanding and testing ideas, prototypes and products together.
We gather feedback on elements including size, shape, aesthetics, and ease of use and use the data to make further improvements.
Our Hub in Germany focuses on heated tobacco and oral nicotine. Additional expert sensory panels perform product appraisals on a daily basis. Strong collaboration between Sense Hubs ensures best practice and new learnings are quickly shared to evolve our broader capabilities.
Our Chinese Hub hosts device and packaging laboratories plus expert panels. These facilities enable us to rapidly screen new NGP flavours and tobacco extracts during product development in collaboration with our local external partners.
Watch the video below to find out more about our Sense Hubs.
We believe our holistic approach to innovation demonstrates our passion and commitment to continue to provide adult smokers with state-of-the-art NGP that encourage them to switch to potentially harm reduced smoking alternatives.
Karolina Wiechmann-Wilczek
Head of Global Sensory & Consumer Science
