Clif Bar has launched its Trailblazers Incubator, an in-house ventures group which will operate similarly to start-up companies in the food business to drive new growth strategies for Clif Bar. This includes expanding into new categories that align with the company’s original business model.
 
Overseen by chief innovation officer Rizal Hamdallah and led by incubator senior director Greg Lok, the first Trailblazers venture is Clif Pet, debuting plant-based pet snacks. Slated for national launch in 2022, Clif Pet will start with three flavors of snacks for dogs with plans to build out the pet portfolio in the near-term.
 
“Just as Clif Bar was founded on disrupting the energy bar category nearly 30 years ago, the Trailblazers Incubator is built to consistently deliver our bold innovation agenda and accelerate our growth plan,” Hamdallah said. “In addition to a rapid, data-driven product development and go-to-market strategy, what makes our approach different is extending the loyalty of the Clif brand. By introducing Clif Pet, we will bring energy to the whole family.”
 
Clif Bar reports that it has set the goal to eventually double the size of the company. The decision to begin with pet snacks was informed by a dramatic increase in pet ownership seen recently, coupled with the demand for pet food made with human-grade ingredients.
 
“With more than 11 million U.S. households bringing a pet home during the last 18 months of COVID, the category is exploding and ripe for new offerings,” Lok said. “What makes this launch unique is the combination of speed and discipline to bring an innovative, relevant product to market during a global pandemic. We are truly blazing new trails by applying best practices from tech start-ups to our expertise in consumers insights and packaged goods – it’s a winning combination.”