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My wife used to be on a team that managed Heinz ketchup. When I spoke to her about this, the decision analysis usually runs as follows: 1) Does this incremental improvement (i.e. non-stick coating) provide a distinct competitive advantage that is backed by clear and pressing consumer demand? 2) How much will it cost in terms of: i) disrupting/modifying existing at-scale manufacturing/bottling processes ii) fixed cost increase iii) potential liability

There is usually a laundry list of pressing consumer needs with associated costs, balanced against market share numbers (usually culled from Nielson data) and satisfying power distribution channel partners.

The non-stick coating is, afaik, not high on the list of consumer demands for Heinz ketchup.



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