Kenwood kCook Multi-Smart
Case Study
Kenwood enjoys a €200 price uplift by entering the smart appliance market with its first connected product powered by Fresco: the kCook Multi-Smart.
The demand for kitchen appliances that make cooking easier and empower consumers to make better food has never been greater. Kenwood, as one of the leading pioneers in kitchen innovation, recognized this opportunity early, partnering with Fresco to release their first connected appliance–the kCook Multi Smart.
The Challenge.
In 2016, Kenwood added a non-connected cooking food processor to their line of products the kCook Multi, which sold out rapidly. The accelerated success of this product, coupled with an internal study on IoT, encouraged Kenwood to explore the idea of a connected version. Kenwood knew that to remain a leader in the world of food preparation, they not only had to create the best appliances but also to incorporate innovative technologies that made cooking easier.
However, Kenwood faced many roadblocks including;
- Regulatory differences from country to country
- Cybersecurity concerns
- Outdated WiFi routers and other equipment
- How to demonstrate the benefits of a connected product to a skeptical audience
- Excelled at innovating appliances but lacked the experience to marry their hardware to the cloud, software, and mobile apps
The Solution.
In July 2016, Kenwood partnered with Fresco whose deep expertise in IoT, enabled Kenwood to overcome many of these barriers and create a connected version of the food processor, the kCook Multi Smart–an all-in-one wifi-connected countertop appliance.
Why it worked
- Fresco’s KitchenOS platform is optimized for connected appliances, with firmware that is integrated with the Fresco cloud, preventing third-party security breaches.
- Fresco’s full-stack solution shortened Kenwood’s time to market and reduced the need to incur the cost of engineering an IoT appliance from scratch.
- With in-country demonstrations by Kenwood’s parent company and real-time feedback through Fresco’s customer support channels, the product was built to be intuitive and user-friendly from the start.
- By plugging into the KitchenOS platform, Kenwood had access to an unparalleled smart recipe library where recipes are paired specifically to the capabilities of the kCook Multi Smart appliance.
- The Fresco KitchenOS platform is built to scale, allowing appliances to release with localized apps, regional and seasonal recipe content, and more.
Kenwood introduced the kCook Multi Smart in 2018 at a price point 200 euros higher than the non-connected version and experienced instant success. Based on Fresco’s KitchenOS platform and IoT expertise, this premium appliance incorporated the power of insightful, live data and diagnostics with remote control access, resulting in an industry-leading product that simplified the cooking experience and made the features of the appliance more accessible.
The Results.
Beyond creating an innovative appliance and putting its unique capabilities front and center, the kCook Multi Smart rapidly went from a niche product to a core product, providing consistent results for home cooks and compelling data insights about consumers for Kenwood.
- In the first year alone, the connected kCook outsold the non-connected version and ultimately became the only version on the market.
- In 2018, the Kenwood kCook Multi Smart received the Bronze prize of the Grand Prix for Innovation at the 2018 Foire de Paris, which annually rewards the most remarkable innovations in household appliances.
- The connected appliance commanded a €200 price uplift versus the non-connected version.
- 44% of Kenwood kCook Multi Smart owners use the appliance with the app three times or more per week.
- 89% of users still use the appliance with the Fresco app.
About Kenwood
Founded in 1947, Kenwood is the number one brand for kitchen machines in Europe*. Kenwood inspires consumers, with a passion for cooking and baking, the freedom to create great food anywhere, anytime.