Case Study

Case Study: Salty Snacks Brand Consumer Insights & Brand Funnel Analysis

Context:
A salty snacks company wanted to deepen its understanding of consumer perceptions and behaviors regarding one of its brands, especially in relation to key competitors. The company sought insights into how it was performing across the brand funnel—awareness, engagement, repeat purchases—and to identify key attributes that influenced consumer decision-making. Additionally, the company wanted to explore operational strategies informed by expert feedback within the category to sharpen its competitive edge.

Engagement:
Strop was engaged for a two-part research project. The first phase focused on conducting an Attitude and Usage (A&U) study to evaluate brand health and consumer behaviors, while the second phase incorporated expert interviews with industry professionals. The combined approach aimed to provide a holistic view of consumer perceptions and operational insights to inform brand management decisions.

Methodology:
Strop designed a comprehensive consumer insights study that included a quantitative survey of both current customers and those of competitive brands. The study analyzed brand funnel metrics (awareness, engagement, purchase, repeat purchase) and evaluated both hard attributes (e.g., product taste, quality) and soft attributes (e.g., “a brand I’d like to serve guests,” “for someone like me”).

Additionally, Strop compared the brand’s performance on these attributes against its primary competitors to pinpoint strengths and liabilities. To add further depth, Strop conducted expert interviews with a select group of industry professionals in the salty snacks category. These interviews provided strategic insights and operational recommendations, contextualizing the quantitative data with industry expertise.

Result:
The study revealed critical insights into the brand’s positioning. The A&U study showed strong awareness and repeat purchase rates, highlighting the brand’s solid reputation for taste and quality. However, the brand was underperforming on softer attributes compared to its competitors, particularly on perceptions related to serving the product to others (e.g., social occasions or guests). This insight suggested an opportunity for the brand to strengthen its association with more personal and communal consumption moments.

The expert interviews provided actionable recommendations on product innovation, packaging strategies, and marketing approaches that could enhance brand differentiation, with a focus on improving the brand’s connection to social occasions and elevating its appeal as a shareable snack.

Impact:
The findings equipped the brand’s management team with a clear understanding of where the brand excelled and where it faced competitive challenges. By addressing the soft attribute weaknesses through targeted marketing efforts and product innovation, the company was able to adjust its brand positioning to better align with consumer expectations. The operational insights from the expert interviews also spurred strategic discussions about product reformulation and packaging design, leading to broader changes in the company’s strategy.