market research ireland

FMCG/Consumer Research

Can market research show us where to go next?  Where are the gaps in the market that our brand is equipped to fill?  How can qualitative research help us to know how and where to fill those gaps?

With the increasing focus on health, sustainability & packaging, animal welfare, ethical trade, the desire for convenience and the force of consumer public opinion, FMCG brands are in a constant state of flux.

Added to this is the growth of e-commerce offset somewhat by nostalgia and desire for human connection, greater disposable income in Asia yet less in Europe, new and improved infrastructures in some markets and the integration of tech into everyday tangible consumer product brands – think Oral B and its recent use of AI and smart mirrors to increase awareness of oral health.

The FMCG category has a constant need for analysis, investigation, and enquiry into new trends and forward thinking approaches to NPD, brand positioning, Communication, Marketing Claims, Packaging and more.

Qualitative Market Research can help you to answer your research objectives in the FMCG sector. Get in touch today for an initial chat around your issues, your objectives and your future plans!

Case Studies

An international ingredients manufacturer wanted to find newer, better solutions for various cake mixes and ingredients across Europe.   We interviewed professional bakers and small to mid-sized manufacturers in Europe by attending morning baking sessions at various bakeries and filming bakers using current ingredients as well as probing on where the gaps were.  The interviews were technical and aimed to uncover minute subconscious need gaps as well as bigger picture ideals.  Following the research, insights were fed into new concept ideas and further research was undertaken with the concepts in order to recycle, refine and push a limited number of new product concepts forward into the 3-5 year plan.

A pet food brand wanted to create some next-generation pet accessories and treats.  They wanted to know which would most appeal to dog owners in the now and potentially in the future.  Following a segmentation study, we conducted focus group discussions and presented the ideas as draft concepts which were then either recycled, refined and adapted or ditched according to feedback and underlying motivations.  The successful refined ideas were then put forwards into quantitative testing and launched as part of a new sub-brand.

An international beverage manufacturer wanted to understand how to reach young professionals living in Uganda and various other African markets with a new plant based spirit, with a view to changing habits around drinking home-made alcohol and beer.  We conducted focus group discussions in 2 cities in Uganda and presented the new spirit.  Respondents gave feedback both verbally and in written form as well as completing drinks diaries for the week leading up to the groups.

UK water bottler wanted to understand how people distinguish between different types of water, if at all.  We conducted focus group discussions whereby we dug deep into flavour notes, textures, scents and other subtle differences between water brands. Respondents were then asked to taste the water to see if the words they had used to describe it felt accurate.  We then created lists of new words to describe different water tastes.

Here are some examples of the brands I have worked on either as QualiProjects, or under the umbrella of another agency, using a range of methodologies including Online Qual, Taste Tests, Focus Group Discussions, Teledepths, IDIs, Expert Interviews, and In-Situ Observations:


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