Product Principles for On-the-Go Snacking

MARCH 2019

Goal Identify innovation opportunities for the ideal on-the-go snack for a leading food manufacturer

Role Strategy and Research Lead

Client Multinational food manufacturer

Scope 3 months, $300K, 2-person team

In-context research with customers included shop-alongs, moderated in-home interviews. We also conducted a one-week diary study before interviews.

In-context research with customers included shop-alongs, moderated in-home interviews. We also conducted a one-week diary study before interviews.

 

Business Challenge

Understand and envision the components of a new and compelling on-the-go snack that can compete in an emerging category threatening client’s traditional stronghold.

Project Goals

Understand the needs and motivations of current and future multiple segment snackers.

Establish foundational Jobs to be Done (JTBD) for On the Go Snacking (OTG) category to inform new product opportunities while refining existing concepts in the pipeline.

Research Approach: Qualitative Methods

In-context interview or shop-alongs where we interviewed snackers while they shopped.

In-context interview or shop-alongs where we interviewed snackers while they shopped.

In-home moderated interviews with designed stimuli and kitchen, pantry tours.

In-home moderated interviews with designed stimuli and kitchen, pantry tours.

 

Research Structure and Rationale

DISCOVER AND LEARN

Understand current on-the-go snacking experience through longitudinal snacking diary fielding, moderated 1:1 interviews, and shop-alongs in multiple regions.

ANALYZE AND DISTILL

Identify future customer requirements into Jobs to be Done (JTBD) and provide positioning where client can succeed if not win in category.

Synthesis of Themes into Jobs to be Done

Debriefs captured field research

Debriefs captured field research

 
 

Findings to Product Development

People snack to not snack.

Snackers don’t want to use their time snacking all day. They want satisfying snacks so that they can stop eating and get on with their tasks.

‘Better’ eating burdens the already busy and overcommitted.

Snackers feel they are sacrificing goodness (and often tastiness as well) for themselves and their families for convenience.

Closer to home and nature, out of home.

Snackers would like what they enjoy at home (multi-dimensional items together, whole/real foods) out of home and on the go.

Outcomes

Mapping product opportunity

Mapping product opportunity

 
 

Impact

Client took project work to larger scale quant testing and co-creation sessions with internal innovation team for later half of 2019.

Deliverables:

  • Key Contexts for JTBD

  • 3 Core JTBD for on-the-go snacking

  • Opportunity Area to pursue to succeed and win in category

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