A category growth blueprint that moved McCormick from defending share to defining occasions that gave time-pressed cooks a reason to reach for rice again.
McCormick competed in the fast-growing retorted shelf-stable rice category, yet its portfolio kept losing share to more convenient entrants claiming occasions its brands should have owned. To stake its claim, McCormick partnered with THRIVE to redefine the retorted rice opportunity—mapping the triggers and occasions that could drive adoption and capture its fair share of the rice and grains category.
To ground McCormick’s rice innovation efforts in consumer behavior, we synthesized existing consumer research and socio-cultural trends to define retort rice eating occasions and the triggers and cues that prompt convenient rice consumption. Translating insight into a repeatable innovation pipeline across four opportunity platforms — Spice It Up, Maximize Health, Couture Convenience, and Effortless Engagement.
Advanced McCormick’s retort rice portfolio from near-zero in 2019 to 10–15% of Consumer segment revenue in 2025, reframing a legacy spice business around ready-to-eat and convenience formats, including a premium Chef’s Collection of global fusion flavors. This pivot turned a mature category into an innovation-driven growth engine, driving strong revenue growth and margin expansion, and enabling premium pricing for retort rice.
