The product, called a quesarito, is currently being tested in Oklahoma City and the company expects to release it more widely later this year. Engage Research says that while consumer insight has a vital role to play in creating and developing a product proposition, it also has a pivotal role to play in launch strategy.
“Much of the consumer insight agenda is focused on the creation of the physical product itself,” said Engage Research director, Marie Sutton. “But consumer insight should also be used pre-launch to ensure all elements of the product mix are optimised, including price, the name, the packaging and, as many fail to do, any potential negatives that could be directed towards the product from the media.”
Sutton believes that, often, brands are so driven by the consumer reaction among the target demographic for the product that they fail to plan early for any adverse reaction to the new product, which could impact on their reputation.
“In this instance, for example, the quesarito could be viewed as a seriously unhealthy snack,” she said. “While this may not bother the customers who will purchase it, there is potential that the media, driven by an anti-obesity agenda, could target the product, and therefore the brand, for criticism. If you’re testing ideas and concepts that could attract adverse publicity, we always advise testing the potential impact of negative press messaging before you launch.”
Engage Research has experience of assessing such likely implications for brands in the drinks industry: “We undertook a project some time ago for a beer producer who was planning to introduce a reduced-alcohol content product,” said Sutton. “Part of the process involved testing potential media stories about the product’s flavour, about the alcohol being reduced in an effort to militate against the product’s perceived bad-boy image, and even its introduction being positioned as a way of helping to address the issue of anti-social behaviour and binge drinking. Doing this homework first and planning based on the insights can avoid a number of unwanted surprises down the line.”
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