Developing New Products & Services: New Product Positioning for Consumer Packaged Food

The Challenge

Launching a new product within the consumer packaged food (CPG) industry requires a great product and the right positioning to resonate with the target audience. One leading organic food company approached SIVO with this exact challenge. They had developed a new product idea and needed to ensure it would stand out on the shelf, effectively communicate its benefits, and drive purchase interest..

Specifically, the company wanted to understand what positioning for their new product would most motivate their target consumers. They also needed to identify the perceived benefits and reasons to believe (RTBs) that would resonate most strongly with consumers, helping differentiate the product in a crowded and competitive market.

Launching an organic food product presents unique challenges. Organic consumers tend to be highly discerning and value-driven, often paying close attention to ingredients, sourcing, sustainability, and health benefits. The stakes were high for the CPG company; they needed a thorough understanding of how their target audience perceived the product and which messages would most effectively convert interest into sales.

This is where SIVO’s expertise in consumer insights and quantitative research came in. The company turned to SIVO to guide its decision-making and ensure a clear, data-driven understanding of its market before launching the product.

SIVO’s Approach

To provide the necessary insights, SIVO implemented a multi-phase, qualitative exploration and  quantitative validation research plan. The goal was to uncover what elements of the product’s positioning, perceived benefits, and RTBs would most motivate the target consumers and ultimately measure consumers’ purchase intent.

Phase 1: Virtual In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)

SIVO began the project by conducting ten virtual in-depth interviews (IDIs) with a carefully selected group of consumers who aligned with the brand’s target market. These interviews provided detailed, qualitative insights into how potential buyers perceived the new product. This research phase explored consumers’ attitudes, values, and expectations for organic food products, as well as their thoughts on the brand’s new product concept.

The in-depth interviews allowed SIVO to dive deep into consumers’ emotional and rational motivations, uncovering the underlying factors that influenced their buying decisions. This qualitative phase was crucial in shaping the direction of the subsequent survey by helping to pinpoint key themes and language that would resonate with the broader target market.

Phase 2: Online Survey

Armed with the insights from the IDIs, SIVO moved to the next phase: quantitative validation through an online survey. This phase involved a larger sample size, with 150 respondents representing the company’s target demographic. The survey was designed to test various product positioning statements, perceived benefits, and packaging claims, gathering critical data on which elements resonate most with consumers.

Participants were asked to evaluate different versions of the product’s positioning, assessing which ones they found most motivating and persuasive. They also provided feedback on specific RTBs, including ingredients, health benefits, and product sustainability. This feedback allowed SIVO to quantify consumer preferences and identify which messages would most effectively drive purchase intent and differentiation from competitors.

Through this comprehensive process, SIVO provided the company with clear, actionable data on which positioning and messaging would best resonate with its target market.

The Impact

The research conducted by SIVO significantly impacted the company’s product launch strategy. The insights gathered during the IDIs and online survey allowed the company to refine its messaging, ensuring that its product would appeal directly to the motivations and preferences of its target audience.

The CPG company was able to:

• Identify the most compelling product positioning based on emotional and rational consumer insights.
• Modify their reasons to believe (RTBs) and packaging claims to enhance the product’s differentiation from competitors and maximize purchase interest.

These insights gave the company the confidence to move forward with their product launch, knowing they had a solid understanding of what would motivate their target consumers. By refining their positioning and messaging, the company was better equipped to make their product stand out in a crowded market and achieve strong sales performance from launch.

Conclusion

SIVO’s qualitative exploration and quantitative validation approach helps companies like this one make informed decisions when launching new products. By combining qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with robust quantitative data from larger surveys, SIVO enables brands to refine their messaging and positioning to drive purchase interest and differentiate their products in the marketplace.

At SIVO, we recognize the high stakes in launching new products, especially in competitive industries like consumer packaged food. Our tailored research solutions provide the insights you need to confidently position your products and effectively engage your target consumers.

Contact SIVO today to learn how we can help you develop and validate the perfect positioning strategy for your next product launch. Let our expertise guide you to success with actionable, data-driven insights that fuel your brand’s growth.