Tech giants Tesla, Tata now aim to improve your snacking experience

Ashish Kulshrestha | The Clear Picture

An interesting cross section of technology giants and FMCG companies is being witnessed since the past decade as the latter looks to accentuate the appeal and efficacy of its humble products such as potato and chocolate chips and biscuits.

Technology-led global design agencies such as Tata Elxsi, involved in high-end automation work such as designing autonomous vehicles are also refining the curve of ITC’s Sunfeast Mom's Magic and Britannia biscuits. Electric vehicle and fine tequila maker Tesla, led by the 'Technoking of Tesla' Elon Musk too is redefining your chocolate chip experience.

According to a 2020 Economic Times report, "The new chip was developed after careful consideration of melting points and mouthfeel, indicating it's crunch time for the commercial teardrop shape that merely optimised the production process rather than the taste for 80 years."

The reengineered faceted chip that looks like a cross between a pyramid and the Stealth Bomber may not dislodge the older design from the cookie altogether, but the concept certainly takes the biscuit, the report added.

Similarly, Tata Elxsi led the redesigning of Sunfeast Mom's Magic to accentuate the biscuit's design to communicate its goodness and richness, it said in its 2021 annual report. Popular chips Pringles have been designed in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid to prevent them on the bottom of the can from cracking under the pressure of all the Pringles on top of them. The shape also helps give Pringles their characteristic crunch.

This move could possibly be due to the fact that brands feel revamping the designing of their product or packaging from a technological lens will play a key role in improving performance metrics including customer satisfaction. “We want the brand's core philosophy— happiness and optimism — to be reflected in its identity. So, we integrated a smile on the logo," said Ali Harris, former Marketing Director of Britannia in a 2015 Economic Times report.

"We also got the smile motif and curved those straight lines on the cookie. For packaging overhaul and biscuit design, Britannia partnered design firm Innovations Kitchen and Tata Elxsi based out of San Francisco and Bengaluru respectively. "We screened 30 designs before finalising this one," Harris added.

This technological intersection for a company’s offerings is beyond the usual digital transformation of organizations offered by giants such as Wipro, TCS, Infosys and Tech Mahindra among others. These mainly pertains to digitisation of customer experience, supply chain optimisation and transition to cloud.