Our Approach
We broke the tests into two segments to represent each of the hard candy varieties.
- Consumers tasted the sample and responded to questions in a focused CLT study.
- In-depth interviews (IDI’s) were conducted to probe further into the mouthfeel, finish, and other sensory components of the existing samples and the new prototypes.
Insights
Consumers were very descriptive about the color, shape, and texture of the new prototypes when compared to the well-known hard candy they know and love.
The differences were noticeable between the sample and the prototype, and the consumers preferred the sample over the new prototype.
Results
Consumer acceptability concerns had surfaced, and it was evident that the new prototype quality was not quite up to par. Noticing these results, the client was able to mitigate risks of changing to a new co-manufacturer without further optimizations, which would alienate current product users.
