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.

Why do public services use research?

Both local and central government bodies are increasingly using market research to help with policy development, stakeholder consultation, and community feedback. The increased performance assessment pressures faced by the public sector have led to a greater demand for more accountable, accurate and strategic research. This research must be totally robust and able to withstand public, political and media scrutiny.

What is quantitative research?

Quantitative research involves the use of structured questionnaires in which the response options have been predetermined and a large number of respondents are involved.

It is research conducted for the purpose of obtaining empirical evaluations of attitudes, behaviour or performance to produce results that are both descriptive and inferential. This enables results to be projected from a small, representative sample across a much greater general population.

The numbers of people included in a quantitative survey can vary from around a hundred up to thousands. In determining the sample frame an important factor is the overall size of the larger population. Who the sample is made up of is also a key consideration to ensure representation of the total population, (the same characteristics in roughly the same proportions.)

The most common types of quantitative research methodology used are surveys, conducted either face to face, on the telephone, by postal questionnaire or on the Internet.

What is face to face interviewing?

Face to face interviews can be conducted in the respondent’s home or workplace, or in locations such as shopping malls or on the street. Such interviews allow for the use of stimulus material - for example, showing an advertisement, pictures of different packaging, playing a radio ad or video clip or prompting responses with a brand list. This research is usually conducted in a few selected locations which are believed to be representative of the region as a whole.