Case Study – Pringles

Methodology: Hall Tests

Since 2005 Warwick Equest has been helping P&G extend and develop their famous Pringles snack ranges through extensive consumer testing of new flavours, production methods and ingredients.

New Pringles variants are exposed to the consumer in a series of hall tests where they are evaluated for over 30 different variables such as taste, colour, shape, texture, saltiness, crunchiness, aftertaste and greasiness.

By comparative testing of the different variants P&G are able to identify and refine the most appealing new products prior to production and launch.

Typically the recruitment criteria for Pringles hall tests are very wide – generally males or females aged between 18 -55 who are regular consumers of chips, crisps and snacks. As such it is common for each day’s hall testing to capture the opinions of over 100 respondents at a time.
 

Case Study – Thule

Methodology: Online Survey

When Boston Consulting Group were asked by their client Thule to develop brand stretch options we helped them assess the consumer reaction to their new concepts.

Online research with over 1,700 car owners was conducted in the UK, France, Germany and US. The fieldwork was completed within 14 days and the research not only helped BCG underpin their proposals, but provided valuable knowledge about the consumers’ awareness of Thule and competitor brands.

Case Study – RoDO

Methodology: Postal Survey

RoDO, a leading manufacturer of equipment, supplies and sundries for the professional decorator wanted to understand their customers’ attitudes to different brands, equipment design, product usage and the influence of price on their choice of equipment.

Because of the specialised nature of the market we first identified and built a database of professional decorators and tradesmen from specialist directory listings and trade associations. From this we were able to mail out a 2,000 strong postal survey, using a prize draw as an incentive to participation.

From the research results RoDO were able to identify design, packaging and branding issues that influence purchase decisions, gain an understanding of the positioning of their brands against those of competitors, and establish a trade research panel for future projects.

Postal/Email Surveys

Postal and Email surveys usually involve mailing self-completion questionnaires to a targeted group of people, such as a client’s customers or people living in a certain area. The main advantages of this type of survey are that large numbers of questionnaires can be sent out at relatively low cost. The questionnaires can include visual prompts and trial products, and can be useful for eliciting more in depth and considered responses.

Because the respondent fills out the survey in their own time the actual design of the questionnaire is of prime importance and it must be clear, concise, easy to follow and engaging in order to generate a considered response.

Hall Tests

Hall Tests utilise a central, easily accessible venue which offers a controlled and neutral environment, ensuring all respondents evaluate the test product under the same conditions.  Target consumers are carefully screened before being brought into the venue to undertake the test and complete an interview. This method is very cost effective and can generate up to 100 respondents per day depending upon location, target audience and the length and complexity of the test.

In Home Placements

In-Home Placements allows respondents to test the product under real circumstances in their own homes, recording their experiences and opinions in the form of a self-completion questionnaire, diary or during a face-to-face follow up interview.

Products are typically placed with respondents for a week or longer, during which time they will use them under normal household conditions.

In-Depth Interviews

In-depth interviews are generally one to one discussions with key stakeholders or decision makers either face-to-face or by telephone.

Interviews tend to be semi-structured and free-flowing with the interviewer using a discussion guide or list of topics to prompt answers and ensure all the research objectives are met. These interviews are generally wide ranging and, as the name suggest, very detailed and can take upwards of 30 minutes per respondent.