Fresh Cravings
Research Study Exploring Packaging Opportunities
My Role:
Developed research methodology
Created screener and questionnaire
Fielded participants and respondents for shop-along and survey
Recorded, aggregated, and analyzed raw data to form insights
Created and presented pitch deck to clients with recommended considerations and next steps
The Team
Rachel Talley
Jack Ziegler
The Ask:
As Lakeview Farms approached launching its Fresh Cravings hummus line into a new grocery store, there were concerns that the similarities between Fresh Craving’s packaging and one of the store brands could create confusion among consumers or diminish the brand’s visibility on the shelves. They came to us to provide research exploring consumers’ perceptions of Fresh Cravings packaging, especially compared to other name-brand and store-brand hummuses.
How do hummus consumers perceive Fresh Cravings’s brand, memorability, visual appeal, and distinctiveness rate amongst competitor brands, including the store brand, on the shelf?
How does packaging affect purchase intent, product differentiation, and brand memorability?
Does the placement of the products in the cooler impact the consumer’s interaction with the product or their decision-making process when choosing a hummus?
The Objectives:
The Methodology:
To capture strong feedback and insights from targeted consumers and participants, we conducted a two-stage study:
We developed an online survey that included a virtual shelf set rendering, targeting hummus eaters who shop at a variety of stores to gauge brand recognition and recall, visual appeal and distinctiveness of packaging, purchase intent based on packaging alone, and a comparison between the grocery store brand and Fresh Cravings
We constructed a mock hummus cooler to simulate a physical in-store experience for participants and conducted short shop-alongs to observe the impact of shelf placement on brand recognition and recall, see the physical interaction with products, and listen to the decision-making process and verbalized thoughts of participants when choosing a hummus to purchase in a physical setting
After aggregating and analyzing the data collected from the survey and shop-alongs, we drew out four key insights:
Unique packaging elements captivated shoppers at first glance
Beyond branding, bold flavor offerings also drove consumer consideration
The black lid created brand confusion and blended in on the shelf
Placement at eye level or lower, so the top label was in view, enhanced brand notability
The Findings:
The Implications:
Because shelf placement played a large role in visibility and brand recognition, our recommendations to the Fresh Cravings team depended on where the brand would be placed in the hummus cooler, wcih was still and unknown factor.
For a higher shelf placement, we recommended adjusting the side label for better readability.
For a lower shelf placement, where the top label is visible, we recommended Fresh Cravings continue to lean into the fun and colorful brand elements featured on the packaging.
Additional considerations involved adding distinctive branded elements to the lid to help the brand stand out among competitors on the shelf.
