How Hormel Applies Cultural Anthropology to Fuel Inclusive Innovation

When you think of cultural anthropologists, do you picture them working for a food company?It makes perfect sense once you meet Tanya Rodriguez of Hormel Foods. Tanya, whose official title is Senior Human Experience Research Manager, uses ethnography and storytelling to uncover diverse consumer insights. By identifying product pain points and uncovering consumer's desires, she guides Hormel teams on renovating existing products or creating new ones to improve consumer food experiences. As a former social worker, Tanya is also a fierce advocate for food equity and food sovereignty.We invited Tanya to speak about the nature of her role and how learning directly from consumers impacts Hormel’s food while ensuring products reflect equity and representation.Listen for insights on how a cultural anthropologist:Evokes understanding of and improves equity to lower-income consumersInspires product innovation that drives inclusionAdvocates for the emerging needs of consumersResources + Links:Hormel Foods’ “This is Our Food Journey” videoThe Language of Food interview with Tanya Rodriguez (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360 (00:13) - Hormel (01:37) - Meet Tanya Rodriguez (04:06) - Hormel's History (05:50) - Our Food Journey (07:52) - Skippy (09:13) - A Day in the Life (10:41) - Driving Authenticity Forward (14:30) - De-Colonizing Food (16:03) - Equity (18:34) - Examples (19:43) - Future Goals (20:57) - Advice for Young People (23:02) - Food Deserts (23:49) - Global (24:50) - Publicly Held (25:40) - Cultivating Unicorns (28:23) - Last Word (29:18) - Wrap Up