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.

Possible pitfalls

One of the greatest pitfalls for any business or organisation is not bothering to conduct any kind of research, but failing that actually investing time and resources into doing research that fails to deliver value will come a very close second.

The best way to avoid the latter situation is to spend the time to develop and agree a detailed brief before embarking on any research activities. The most important element of this brief will be the research objectives and the more specific this is the easier it will be to identify how it can best be addressed. The brief should also include:

• A discussion of the product of service / market to be researched, its relevant history, and its current status

• Details of what is already known about the brand or product of interest, and who its current customers are

• As much detail as possible about what it is you actually want to know 

• Why this information is needed, and how it will be used

• Any relevant information available from previous research

• Ideally, the scope of the project, with an indication of the available budget, and a realistic deadline for results

Where the project is not being conducted in-house, a reputable research agency should be used, ideally one that has done similar work or with some experience in a related market sector. Many agencies can actually help you to develop the initial project brief and this can be useful in identifying what is practical given your needs, budget and timescale.

When looking for an agency to work with it is advisable to secure a number of quotes, and the better defined your initial brief is the easier it will be to directly compare prices. Different agencies may recommend different methodologies for your project so you need to work with them to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the process they’re recommending and choose the one that is likely to be most effective for you.

Any agency that is used should be affiliated with the Market Research Society and all the work they do should comply with the MRS Code of Conduct. This is the best mark of quality available to protect you when conducting research and should ensure you are dealing with a qualified and professional organisation.