The announcement by the World Health Organisation that we should halve the amount of sugar in our diets will reopen the debate over healthy food labelling and whether this is the only way to encourage healthier eating.
Brands will not only need to consider the implications of the WHO guidance that our recommended sugar intake stay at below 10% of total calorie intake a day, with 5% the target, but also other factors that influence our shopping and consumption choices. The suggested limits apply to all sugars added to food, as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.
The WHO announcement follows the introduction last year of a traffic-light system for packaging showing consumers a combination of guideline daily amounts, colour coding and "high, medium or low" wording to show how much fat, salt and sugar and how many calories are in each product.
The government argued that the scheme would help people choose healthier food options and make more sensible decisions about what to buy. Research published in 2012 by DEFRA showed that 80 per cent of people rated health as the most important factor affecting their buying decisions.
Most shoppers – 82% - said they actively sought to buy healthy foods. The figures also indicated, though, that people’s preferences don’t always match what they ultimately buy, with price being a major factor in many people’s buying decisions, especially in the current climate. In practise, though, anecdotally it would seem to be further down our list of priorities. Too much research focuses on one issue - such as labelling - in isolation, rather than at the issue as a whole.
At this point I cite the story of a colleague who undertook research among housewives, where each was asked to compare their last supermarket shop.
With all of the produce on the table, they discussed what they had bought and why. They became quite competitive and in their efforts to win their impromptu 'supermum' competition, they became strong advocates for their products. Health was rarely part of the argument. Price, offers, quantity, shelf-life, convenience came first.
On the demand side, it may be harder than expected for consumers to change their taste preferences. Taste preference can change with age, but if as an adult you have a sweet tooth it may be difficult to let go physiologically or even emotionally. This may provide an opportunity for alternative sweeteners like stevia and agave nectar, which may be seen as preferential to more processed ones like aspartame.
Even when health is considered, the consumer’s understanding of health is still poorly defined. In separate research undertaken by Engage, mum spent far more time than you would think possible trying to decide whether potatoes counted as one of your five a day. Milk - vital for child health - is too often restricted because it is seen as a high fat food (even though full fat milk is still only 4% fat). Most of them end up aiming for a balanced plate and call it a day.
It is going to be important to ensure that the consumer is educated to understand the information behind the headline WHO announcement. A knee-jerk reaction to a product with a red label on it could be counter-productive. The word ‘fat’ on a product could turn off the consumer, even though some fat in a diet is essential. Similarly, most products will contain an element of sugar, but some from natural sources like tomatoes rather than synthetic additives.
Brands are going to have to adopt a more holistic approach to health; stating the % of ingredients may not be enough. Brands and retailers may have to work together to create a well-being experience, which may involve the in-store experience - display, promotion, training and product presentation – as well as the brand itself.
The WHO announcement shows that this issue is not going to be quickly resolved. It’s time for brands to look at the wider context of healthy eating and be able to demonstrate to consumers that you can buy and eat healthy, tasty, products on a budget.
Ends.
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Monday, 3 March 2014
Detailed consumer testing essential for products to pass the dunking test
The announcement that United Biscuits is to revert to a former recipe for its digestive biscuits because some consumers had missed, what the company called, the ‘taste, texture and dunkability’ of the original recipe, highlights the importance of undertaking detailed and repeated consumer research before fundamental changes to favourite products are made.
Preparation for any change in recipe, though, should include detailed and repeated consumer testing to ensure that the new product meets the same consumer expectations.
A lot of the time research will need to consider the motivation for the reformulation.It is important to generate the right expectations so that you get an accurate reflection of how consumers will react in the real world. This is why some testing is undertaken blind and some branded. Sometimes, though, the questions will also be dictated by whether the reformulation is being driven by internal factors, such as a need to reduce cost, or an external motivation such as reduced fat or salt in response to a pressure to be healthier.
History is littered with examples of new formulations of favourite products being withdrawn in favour of the original. Most notable among these is New Coke, the reformulation of Coca-Cola introduced in 1985 to replace the original Coca-Cola. Public reaction to the change was less than favourable leading to the subsequent reintroduction of Coke's original formula.
It’s essential to get your research positioning right.If you tell me the product is ‘light’ I may have different reactions or expectations than if you don't. If everyone around you is reducing salt levels in their products you may be able to reduce salt at a faster rate than if you are alone in doing it, as other products will affect people's taste tolerances. But you are likely to be testing products several months ahead of when they hit the shelves so research needs to take this into account.
With a reformulation, we would have identified early on that either this change in recipe would not work or we would have worked out how to position it and communicate it so that it did work. Rather than testing once, making changes suggested by the research and then hoping for the best, we would re-test each iteration of the product qualitatively, so that the optimal version is put forward for quantitative research, which again saves wastage.
Preparation for any change in recipe, though, should include detailed and repeated consumer testing to ensure that the new product meets the same consumer expectations.
A lot of the time research will need to consider the motivation for the reformulation.It is important to generate the right expectations so that you get an accurate reflection of how consumers will react in the real world. This is why some testing is undertaken blind and some branded. Sometimes, though, the questions will also be dictated by whether the reformulation is being driven by internal factors, such as a need to reduce cost, or an external motivation such as reduced fat or salt in response to a pressure to be healthier.
History is littered with examples of new formulations of favourite products being withdrawn in favour of the original. Most notable among these is New Coke, the reformulation of Coca-Cola introduced in 1985 to replace the original Coca-Cola. Public reaction to the change was less than favourable leading to the subsequent reintroduction of Coke's original formula.
It’s essential to get your research positioning right.If you tell me the product is ‘light’ I may have different reactions or expectations than if you don't. If everyone around you is reducing salt levels in their products you may be able to reduce salt at a faster rate than if you are alone in doing it, as other products will affect people's taste tolerances. But you are likely to be testing products several months ahead of when they hit the shelves so research needs to take this into account.
With a reformulation, we would have identified early on that either this change in recipe would not work or we would have worked out how to position it and communicate it so that it did work. Rather than testing once, making changes suggested by the research and then hoping for the best, we would re-test each iteration of the product qualitatively, so that the optimal version is put forward for quantitative research, which again saves wastage.
More brand collaboration could maximise consumer potential
Brand collaborations could be used more to encourage consumers to try new brands as well as helping retailers maximise the potential that meal and snack time opportunities present.
Bread brand Kingsmill and cheese brand Cathedral City have recently announced a new collaboration, which will include in-store cross merchandising tools to help independent retailers maximise basket spend opportunities and drive lunchtime purchasing. This will include POS material for both bread and chiller sections.
Usually you see brand collaborations intended to help consumers who need inspiration to 'make' products work together, for example, we have seen this with bagels and cream cheese. In this case, though, bread and cheese buyers may not require inspiration but in crowded categories up against other branded and own label products, a collaboration with another well known product can help push these two brands to the fore.
Brand collaborations are nothing new and, as a result, consumers are increasingly receptive to a collaborative approach. Take the fashion industry as a case in point where collaborations have been the norm for some time with, for example, Versace creating a range specifically for retailer H&M.
Although collaborations can be successful, the challenge of asking separate companies to collaborate on messaging and communications could be one reason why they don’t occur as much as they might. However, giving the collaboration the best chance of success remains important and we advocate combined online qualitative and quantitative research to facilitate client-consumer interaction to gain insights on how to maximise the positives of both client brands. But the link does not necessarily need to be formal.
We have seen how certain products, for example prawns and smoked salmon, sometimes don’t do as well as they might because consumers struggle to find occasions to serve them and perhaps only know one or two recipes for using them. In these situations retailers and brands can collaborate effectively to provide 'inspiration' and prompt purchase. Frequency of purchase can be supported in other ways through in-store signage, perhaps showing an occasion or a delicious meal involving the products, recipe cards and placing other category products, perhaps sauces, alongside so that an easy meal is signalled.
If the nature of the collaboration is not as obvious as bread and cheese, brands will want to consider some element of research before committing completely. Many will consider using focus groups which, for many years, has enabled them to access sources of potentially rich qualitative data about their brand and their products. They remain a staple for marketers to determine what a group of customers may feel about an existing or potential product or service, enabling them to secure insights in an informal and flexible way.
Though just because they remain a staple, doesn’t mean they cannot be improved or that developments to the focus group concept can’t be made to deliver higher quality insights. Work that we have undertaken has shown how turning classic focus group research into an “experiential event” can create a more engaging experience for both brand and consumer, yielding significantly enhanced results as a consequence.
We advocate research, which brings brands and consumers together in a way which facilitates co-creation. The brand team can explain their ideas and listen more effectively working with consumers, without the barrier of the mirror; just as consumers respect the work and try harder to develop ideas. The key is the direct interaction between client teams and consumers – great for client teams because they get to ask questions immediately, observe people up close and personal and also answer questions to move the process along; great for consumers because they feel valued and included and their curiosity about who is behind their favourite products is satisfied.
When we conducted our first “experiential” sessions, our original hypothesis - that the experience of being brought to the heart of a business enhances consumer engagement and produces a better level of insight than would otherwise be obtained from more classic research techniques - was proven. And now we do it all the time and find quite clearly that respondents 'respond' to a heightened level of experience.
Bread brand Kingsmill and cheese brand Cathedral City have recently announced a new collaboration, which will include in-store cross merchandising tools to help independent retailers maximise basket spend opportunities and drive lunchtime purchasing. This will include POS material for both bread and chiller sections.
Usually you see brand collaborations intended to help consumers who need inspiration to 'make' products work together, for example, we have seen this with bagels and cream cheese. In this case, though, bread and cheese buyers may not require inspiration but in crowded categories up against other branded and own label products, a collaboration with another well known product can help push these two brands to the fore.
Brand collaborations are nothing new and, as a result, consumers are increasingly receptive to a collaborative approach. Take the fashion industry as a case in point where collaborations have been the norm for some time with, for example, Versace creating a range specifically for retailer H&M.
Although collaborations can be successful, the challenge of asking separate companies to collaborate on messaging and communications could be one reason why they don’t occur as much as they might. However, giving the collaboration the best chance of success remains important and we advocate combined online qualitative and quantitative research to facilitate client-consumer interaction to gain insights on how to maximise the positives of both client brands. But the link does not necessarily need to be formal.
We have seen how certain products, for example prawns and smoked salmon, sometimes don’t do as well as they might because consumers struggle to find occasions to serve them and perhaps only know one or two recipes for using them. In these situations retailers and brands can collaborate effectively to provide 'inspiration' and prompt purchase. Frequency of purchase can be supported in other ways through in-store signage, perhaps showing an occasion or a delicious meal involving the products, recipe cards and placing other category products, perhaps sauces, alongside so that an easy meal is signalled.
If the nature of the collaboration is not as obvious as bread and cheese, brands will want to consider some element of research before committing completely. Many will consider using focus groups which, for many years, has enabled them to access sources of potentially rich qualitative data about their brand and their products. They remain a staple for marketers to determine what a group of customers may feel about an existing or potential product or service, enabling them to secure insights in an informal and flexible way.
Though just because they remain a staple, doesn’t mean they cannot be improved or that developments to the focus group concept can’t be made to deliver higher quality insights. Work that we have undertaken has shown how turning classic focus group research into an “experiential event” can create a more engaging experience for both brand and consumer, yielding significantly enhanced results as a consequence.
We advocate research, which brings brands and consumers together in a way which facilitates co-creation. The brand team can explain their ideas and listen more effectively working with consumers, without the barrier of the mirror; just as consumers respect the work and try harder to develop ideas. The key is the direct interaction between client teams and consumers – great for client teams because they get to ask questions immediately, observe people up close and personal and also answer questions to move the process along; great for consumers because they feel valued and included and their curiosity about who is behind their favourite products is satisfied.
When we conducted our first “experiential” sessions, our original hypothesis - that the experience of being brought to the heart of a business enhances consumer engagement and produces a better level of insight than would otherwise be obtained from more classic research techniques - was proven. And now we do it all the time and find quite clearly that respondents 'respond' to a heightened level of experience.
Monday, 13 January 2014
KIDS’ CEREAL BRANDS - USE QUAL MORE EFFECTIVELY OR RISK BECOMING TOAST!
With sales of children’s breakfast cereals under threat from both new product formats and from those who claim they contribute to childhood obesity, brands should use research to better understand the key messages on which marketing and communications should focus if they are to resonate more successfully with potential consumers.
Many brands undertake research but still fail to extract the insights from the data needed to make the exercise commercially valuable. And this at a time when figures suggest that last year in the UK, the second-largest cereal market in the world, volumes were up just 1%.* The boxed cereal category for children has traditionally been particularly successful. According to Euromonitor they account for £1.64bn in sales in the UK alone in 2011.
If you look, for example, at children’s breakfast cereal brands, ask yourself what a product in this category needs to say about itself in order to maximise its chances of success?
Cereal manufacturers know that mums worry about nutrition, and that kids want taste, you don't need research to tell you that. It is much more complicated. Often, for example, mums just want something kids will eat first and foremost, and, some just pay lip service to nutrition as long as they get something the children will eat quickly and without complaining so they can get them off to school as fast and easily as possible.
Some mothers do place nutrition higher up their scale of priorities but understand so little about it that just putting 'no added sugar' or similar on a pack may be enough to convince them. Emotionally, many do need health reassurances.
It is thought, however, that concerns over the nutritional content of children’s cereals will continue to impact on demand. With some health campaigners claiming they are high in sugar and salt and low in nutrients, brands must be able to demonstrate that their product does not fit this profile. In addition, there is growth in other areas of the breakfast category - cereal bars, breakfast biscuits and instant porridge - that give consumers options to move away from conventional boxed cereals.
Mums are juggling a myriad of different and often conflicting needs. Research needs to do more than just identify these needs, it must also help indicate how to balance them all. By weaving qualitative techniques into research, it is possible to deliver greater respondent engagement and involvement to produce a fresh, deeper consumer perspective. Ends.
Many brands undertake research but still fail to extract the insights from the data needed to make the exercise commercially valuable. And this at a time when figures suggest that last year in the UK, the second-largest cereal market in the world, volumes were up just 1%.* The boxed cereal category for children has traditionally been particularly successful. According to Euromonitor they account for £1.64bn in sales in the UK alone in 2011.
If you look, for example, at children’s breakfast cereal brands, ask yourself what a product in this category needs to say about itself in order to maximise its chances of success?
Cereal manufacturers know that mums worry about nutrition, and that kids want taste, you don't need research to tell you that. It is much more complicated. Often, for example, mums just want something kids will eat first and foremost, and, some just pay lip service to nutrition as long as they get something the children will eat quickly and without complaining so they can get them off to school as fast and easily as possible.
Some mothers do place nutrition higher up their scale of priorities but understand so little about it that just putting 'no added sugar' or similar on a pack may be enough to convince them. Emotionally, many do need health reassurances.
It is thought, however, that concerns over the nutritional content of children’s cereals will continue to impact on demand. With some health campaigners claiming they are high in sugar and salt and low in nutrients, brands must be able to demonstrate that their product does not fit this profile. In addition, there is growth in other areas of the breakfast category - cereal bars, breakfast biscuits and instant porridge - that give consumers options to move away from conventional boxed cereals.
Mums are juggling a myriad of different and often conflicting needs. Research needs to do more than just identify these needs, it must also help indicate how to balance them all. By weaving qualitative techniques into research, it is possible to deliver greater respondent engagement and involvement to produce a fresh, deeper consumer perspective. Ends.
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Brand collaborations could be used more to encourage consumers to try new brands
Bread brand Kingsmill and cheese brand Cathedral City have recently announced a new collaboration, which will include in-store cross-merchandising tools to help independent retailers maximise basket spend opportunities and drive lunchtime purchasing. This will include POS material for bread and chiller sections.
Usually, you see brand collaborations intended to help consumers who need inspiration to 'make' products work together. For example, we have seen this with bagels and cream cheese. In this case, though, bread and cheese buyers may not require inspiration, but in crowded categories up against other branded and own label products, a collaboration with another well known product can help push these two brands to the fore.
Brand collaborations are nothing new, and as a result, consumers are increasingly receptive to a collaborative approach. Take the fashion industry as a case in point, where collaborations have been the norm for some time, with for example Versace creating a range specifically for retailer H&M.
Although collaborations can be successful, the challenge of asking separate companies to collaborate on messaging and communications could be one reason why they don't occur as much as they might. However, giving the collaboration the best chance of success remains important and we advocate combined online qualitative and quantitative research to facilitate client-consumer interaction to gain insights on how to maximise the positives of both client brands. But the link does not necessarily need to be formal.
We have seen how certain products, for example prawns and smoked salmon, sometimes don't do as well as they might because consumers struggle to find occasions to serve them and perhaps only know one or two recipes for using them. In these situations, retailers and brands can collaborate effectively to provide 'inspiration' and prompt purchase.
Frequency of purchase can be supported in other ways through in-store signage, perhaps showing an occasion or a delicious meal involving the products, recipe cards and placing other category products, perhaps sauces, alongside so that an easy meal is signalled.
Usually, you see brand collaborations intended to help consumers who need inspiration to 'make' products work together. For example, we have seen this with bagels and cream cheese. In this case, though, bread and cheese buyers may not require inspiration, but in crowded categories up against other branded and own label products, a collaboration with another well known product can help push these two brands to the fore.
Brand collaborations are nothing new, and as a result, consumers are increasingly receptive to a collaborative approach. Take the fashion industry as a case in point, where collaborations have been the norm for some time, with for example Versace creating a range specifically for retailer H&M.
Although collaborations can be successful, the challenge of asking separate companies to collaborate on messaging and communications could be one reason why they don't occur as much as they might. However, giving the collaboration the best chance of success remains important and we advocate combined online qualitative and quantitative research to facilitate client-consumer interaction to gain insights on how to maximise the positives of both client brands. But the link does not necessarily need to be formal.
We have seen how certain products, for example prawns and smoked salmon, sometimes don't do as well as they might because consumers struggle to find occasions to serve them and perhaps only know one or two recipes for using them. In these situations, retailers and brands can collaborate effectively to provide 'inspiration' and prompt purchase.
Frequency of purchase can be supported in other ways through in-store signage, perhaps showing an occasion or a delicious meal involving the products, recipe cards and placing other category products, perhaps sauces, alongside so that an easy meal is signalled.
Friday, 1 November 2013
Tesco’s charity meals move should prompt brands to tap into ethical consumers
Tesco’s announcement that it is to provide the equivalent of seven million meals a year to more than 1,000 charities across the UK could tap into consumers’ growing support for ethical brands and retailers.
Customer insight agency Engage Research says that with growing evidence that consumers will spend more with brands and retailers they regard as socially responsible, it is any area that both FMCG suppliers and the multiples should use as a way of getting closer to their consumers and understanding what motivates them.
Engage Research director Deborah Sleep cites a recent Nielsen Global Corporate Citizenship Survey which found that 46% of global consumers were willing to pay extra for products and services from companies that had programmes in place to give back to society. In terms of demographics, just over half of consumers between 15 and 39 years old said they were willing to pay extra for such items, compared with 37% of those over 40.
“We are not suggesting that Tesco is doing this for anything other than altruistic reasons but having a fundamental understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviour is what underpins most successful strategies for both brands and retailers,” explains Sleep.
For brands and retailers to connect most naturally with ethical consumers, they themselves must be authentically ethical.
“Ethics needs to be an inherent part of brand behaviour,” adds Sleep. “It can’t be skin deep. A brand can't major on being green yet have unethical production methods going on in the background. Brands need to live and breathe these ethics to be plausible. For example Tesco’s decision earlier this week to end multi-buy promotions for large bags of salad and develop mix-and-match offers for small bags with the aim of cutting food waste shows a holistic approach to ethical behaviour.”
A lot of time and money is spent on consumer marketing and activation programmes yet attitudinal research remains an area that is generally underexploited, continues Sleep.
“Brands should recognise the value of investing time beyond factors usually associated with research: becoming fully immersed in consumer attitudes to a whole range of social issues that may affect their brand and their products so that it can be used to develop a clear analytic path going forward.”
Sleep adds that, when seeking consumer insights, brands need to also be aware that what people say isn’t always what they actually do, especially in this kind of area. Brands are advised, therefore, to consider the use of qualitative research to observe consumer behaviour both in the home and in-store to gain a first hand understanding of what products are actually purchased and why.
Tesco will provide the food via the charity FareShare, which now supplies food to more than 1,000 charities across the UK - a 15 per cent increase in just six months. More than 50,000 people a day are being fed through these charities. Tesco will be diverting all surplus fresh food from its distribution centres and online grocery centres to support FareShare.
Customer insight agency Engage Research says that with growing evidence that consumers will spend more with brands and retailers they regard as socially responsible, it is any area that both FMCG suppliers and the multiples should use as a way of getting closer to their consumers and understanding what motivates them.
Engage Research director Deborah Sleep cites a recent Nielsen Global Corporate Citizenship Survey which found that 46% of global consumers were willing to pay extra for products and services from companies that had programmes in place to give back to society. In terms of demographics, just over half of consumers between 15 and 39 years old said they were willing to pay extra for such items, compared with 37% of those over 40.
“We are not suggesting that Tesco is doing this for anything other than altruistic reasons but having a fundamental understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviour is what underpins most successful strategies for both brands and retailers,” explains Sleep.
For brands and retailers to connect most naturally with ethical consumers, they themselves must be authentically ethical.
“Ethics needs to be an inherent part of brand behaviour,” adds Sleep. “It can’t be skin deep. A brand can't major on being green yet have unethical production methods going on in the background. Brands need to live and breathe these ethics to be plausible. For example Tesco’s decision earlier this week to end multi-buy promotions for large bags of salad and develop mix-and-match offers for small bags with the aim of cutting food waste shows a holistic approach to ethical behaviour.”
A lot of time and money is spent on consumer marketing and activation programmes yet attitudinal research remains an area that is generally underexploited, continues Sleep.
“Brands should recognise the value of investing time beyond factors usually associated with research: becoming fully immersed in consumer attitudes to a whole range of social issues that may affect their brand and their products so that it can be used to develop a clear analytic path going forward.”
Sleep adds that, when seeking consumer insights, brands need to also be aware that what people say isn’t always what they actually do, especially in this kind of area. Brands are advised, therefore, to consider the use of qualitative research to observe consumer behaviour both in the home and in-store to gain a first hand understanding of what products are actually purchased and why.
Tesco will provide the food via the charity FareShare, which now supplies food to more than 1,000 charities across the UK - a 15 per cent increase in just six months. More than 50,000 people a day are being fed through these charities. Tesco will be diverting all surplus fresh food from its distribution centres and online grocery centres to support FareShare.
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Increase in families reducing food waste to save money should have brands looking for a way to get up close and personal
Brands need to gain and act upon a more detailed understanding of the way we are living our lives today, after new research from the consumer organisation Which? found that consumers are making greater efforts to waste less food.
Customer insight agency Engage Research says the survey, which says around 14 million people are reducing food waste by cooking with leftovers, making smaller portions and freezing more to save money, should have brands working hard to gain a more detailed understanding of the challenges their consumers are facing.
“This is a very revealing study,” explains Engage Research qualitative director Hetta Bramley. “Brands not only need to be aware that 78% are worried about rising food prices and 45% spending a larger proportion of our income on food compared to a year ago, they need to consider what they as a brand can do to support consumers at this time and, in so doing, create a sustainable brand/consumer relationship.” The Which? report also detailed how 47% of shoppers said they freeze food or cook with leftovers to avoid waste, whilst 39% said they cook smaller portions, so there is less chance of meals going to waste. A third (35%) are buying less food and a quarter (26%) are doing more frequent top-up shops rather than one main food shop.
This, says Bramley, is one of the reason more brands are turning to webnographic research techniques to understand more accurately how people are living their lives. Webnography – an ethnographic style of research that leverages current social media behaviour and smartphone usage to create respondent-driven content - involves consumers providing information about their ordinary everyday activities from within their naturally occurring settings. This allows for a more personal and in-depth view of the participants and their behaviour and choices and will provide valuable insights about how, why and when customers might choose brands or new products and the role that these will play within the consumer’s life.
“Because people can tweet what they are doing, post images, record short videos and so on easily from their smartphones, webnographic research can help brands really get under the skins of their customers. It gives us a window on them as they chat, shop, and get on with the tasks that make up their everyday lives. Thanks to social media, people are increasingly wanting to broadcast their activities and opinions. Our techniques build on this willingness, often adding an additional element of fun via gamification, so that the consumers do most of the work for us – blogging, keeping diaries and sharing photos and video footage online. This all keeps the costs down whilst still giving brands an accurate and holistic view of the consumers’ lives.”
In terms of food research, a webnographic approach enables researchers to observe and monitor anything from preparation rituals to the food storage habits of consumers; which products are given priority position at the front of the cupboard and which are pushed to the back and which products only make it as far as the “back up” store cupboard? It can also reveal how packaging performs in real life - how does it stand up to the journey home, how easy is it to store, how easy is it to prepare and so on - these are all aspects of pack performance that will impact on future purchase & yet so often performance at fixture is the sole focus of pack testing. Webnography also involves monitoring eating occasions, and frequently videoing family eating occasions to look at how, why and when certain foods are included.
Engage Research is a customer insight agency working largely, but not exclusively, in the food, drink and media sectors. Its emphasis is on delivering knowledge and understanding that adds value to a client’s business without breaking their budget. Engage’s innovative approaches to research, already proven in the field, are handled by a team of senior directors with enviable experience and track record; intelligent practitioners delivering intelligent insights which support NPD and help underpin marketing, branding and communications strategies.
Customer insight agency Engage Research says the survey, which says around 14 million people are reducing food waste by cooking with leftovers, making smaller portions and freezing more to save money, should have brands working hard to gain a more detailed understanding of the challenges their consumers are facing.
“This is a very revealing study,” explains Engage Research qualitative director Hetta Bramley. “Brands not only need to be aware that 78% are worried about rising food prices and 45% spending a larger proportion of our income on food compared to a year ago, they need to consider what they as a brand can do to support consumers at this time and, in so doing, create a sustainable brand/consumer relationship.” The Which? report also detailed how 47% of shoppers said they freeze food or cook with leftovers to avoid waste, whilst 39% said they cook smaller portions, so there is less chance of meals going to waste. A third (35%) are buying less food and a quarter (26%) are doing more frequent top-up shops rather than one main food shop.
This, says Bramley, is one of the reason more brands are turning to webnographic research techniques to understand more accurately how people are living their lives. Webnography – an ethnographic style of research that leverages current social media behaviour and smartphone usage to create respondent-driven content - involves consumers providing information about their ordinary everyday activities from within their naturally occurring settings. This allows for a more personal and in-depth view of the participants and their behaviour and choices and will provide valuable insights about how, why and when customers might choose brands or new products and the role that these will play within the consumer’s life.
“Because people can tweet what they are doing, post images, record short videos and so on easily from their smartphones, webnographic research can help brands really get under the skins of their customers. It gives us a window on them as they chat, shop, and get on with the tasks that make up their everyday lives. Thanks to social media, people are increasingly wanting to broadcast their activities and opinions. Our techniques build on this willingness, often adding an additional element of fun via gamification, so that the consumers do most of the work for us – blogging, keeping diaries and sharing photos and video footage online. This all keeps the costs down whilst still giving brands an accurate and holistic view of the consumers’ lives.”
In terms of food research, a webnographic approach enables researchers to observe and monitor anything from preparation rituals to the food storage habits of consumers; which products are given priority position at the front of the cupboard and which are pushed to the back and which products only make it as far as the “back up” store cupboard? It can also reveal how packaging performs in real life - how does it stand up to the journey home, how easy is it to store, how easy is it to prepare and so on - these are all aspects of pack performance that will impact on future purchase & yet so often performance at fixture is the sole focus of pack testing. Webnography also involves monitoring eating occasions, and frequently videoing family eating occasions to look at how, why and when certain foods are included.
Engage Research is a customer insight agency working largely, but not exclusively, in the food, drink and media sectors. Its emphasis is on delivering knowledge and understanding that adds value to a client’s business without breaking their budget. Engage’s innovative approaches to research, already proven in the field, are handled by a team of senior directors with enviable experience and track record; intelligent practitioners delivering intelligent insights which support NPD and help underpin marketing, branding and communications strategies.
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