How Hormel Became a Snack Company

Winning in a Blurry World

Hormel is most often associated with various meats, but the company’s innovation engine, powered by consumer insights and a full-time anthropologist, means that it’s also focused on plant-based and flexitarian options. For example, the company’s pizza topping plants now manufacture plant-based pepperoni and are exploring other options, including sausage. There’s also activity under brands such as Natural Choice and Applegate — the latter a brand whose tagline is “changing the meat we eat” — to introduce animal and plant-based protein blends.

“Most recently, Applegate introduced Well-Carved, lean protein combined with vegetables,” says Brady, noting that the company also offers plant-based options under the Jennie-O brand. “There’s a lot of opportunity there to look for healthier options, but as a dietitian I’ve always said, ‘It’s all about everything in moderation, and you need to teach people how to eat bacon one day, and how to eat a salad with lean protein the next.’”

The concept of blurring, whether it’s in the protein categories or the way Americans shop for and consume food, is a trend that continues to gather momentum. Snee contends that the company’s brand portfolio and food retail and foodservice approach ensures that it’s positioned to win in a world where the consumption of food is the only constant.

“This whole blurring of the channels is only going to continue to happen from our perspective,” he predicts. “We’re channel agnostic because we have different organizations aligned against different parts of the business. What we’re really focused on is the expertise. Whether it is our refrigerated retail marketing team, in-store, in the deli for that prepared food section or the foodservice segment. Our thing is, wherever the consumer is going to show up, we need to be there, we need to understand it, and we need to have the expertise. We feel really good about how we’re positioned.”