In-Home Product Testing

We worked with an Irish Snacks Company to stress test the sensory performance of their product reformulation with consumers during Covid 19.

 

Business Challenge

An Irish snack company had reformulated one of its core products and wished to stress-test its sensory performance with consumers. They wanted to identify consumer preference and understand the key attributes that drove appeal.

 

Project Challenge

We had completed similar projects on behalf of our client, using traditional hall testing. However, this route was no longer an option due to project timings coinciding with an enforced CV-19 lockdown. In order to stay within the product launch timelines, it was imperative that we completed this research.

 

How did we help? Using our In-Home Testing service, we circumnavigated the barrier of face to face research in a central location. Managing our own recruitment, we recruited 100 consumers of the product according to a demographic target, to take part in the research.

 

Ensuring best practice, we packaged up blind samples that were only identifiable by a 3 digit code and these were rotated for consumers. Consumers tasted and assessed the formulations, recording their experiences via the Eolas International mobile app. This intuitive and fluid data collection method allowed us to collate the data in real-time.

What was the impact on the business? The business validated one of the new formulations to take to launch, as a result of clear consumer preference. The level of feedback was richer than previous projects using hall testing as the consumers were completing the test from the comfort of their own home and the consumption moment was more natural. The level of detail really brought to life the sensory results and highlighted the attributes that were similar and those that outperformed the original formulation.