It means they have to give consumers clear reasons to pay that bit extra for their products. How?
By being even smarter about highlighting their quality credentials on pack
By offering the most eye-catching, practical and ethically sound packaging
By being at the very forefront of innovation in food and drink
Consumers are typically cautious about committing to buying a product they haven’t tasted before. It’s basically a bigger risk and it is inevitably the more adventurous who are the most likely to take the plunge. In the recently completed Grocer New Product Awards, the lowest scorers often contained more challenging ingredients such as Kombucha and Kefir or were at the cutting edge of the Vegan or Free From market. But this is a two-stage test and those that showed signs of appeal amongst early adopters went through to the second stage of testing. The more pioneer lines generally perform better when tested with a panel of expert judges. Foodfax products don’t have that benefit but we look to draw out any potential winners through a deep dive analysis of the results, including a new rating by Fans (regular category buyers), which has provided some interesting insight.
For example Bird’s Eye’s Hake & Tomato Mini Fishcakes polarised opinions (overall score 37) but regular buyers of this type of fish product could hardly wait to stock up their freezer (47) and Initial Appeal was significantly higher amongst Quorn Fans when presented with Quorn Thai Style Wonder Grains. Of course, the best products are those that appeal to new customers as well as Fans. Heck’s trendy Bollywood Burgers are a case in point: awarded an average score overall (34), but a real hit with Fans (42) and showing potential as a fun and ‘healthy’ summer BBQ alternative for less regular buyers due to their "surprisingly good taste“.
