Lamb Weston
Category Research for Lamb Weston: leading in finger food.
Case Information
Lamb Weston aimed for a leading position in the finger food category, starting with deep consumer insights. This category research revealed crucial needs and consumption moments, enabling you to drive targeted product developments and secure a strong market presence.
The Question
How to position Lamb Weston as a leader in finger food?
Lamb Weston, a global leader in potato products, aimed to pioneer the emerging finger food category. Building a strong brand positioning and a distinctive product assortment requires profound insight into consumer behaviour. How do you define a developing category, and which needs remain unmet? By focusing on category research for food brands, they gained clarity on these questions.
The Challenge
Defining and dominating a new food category.
The finger food category is relatively young and undefined, making it challenging to establish a clear strategy. Lamb Weston faced the task of understanding how consumers perceive this category, which products are consumed when, and which needs are not yet optimally met.
The approach
Community and quantitative research for deep insights.
Blauw combined community research within the Consumer Insights Community with quantitative research, including implicit measurement methods like IAT and KANO. This dual approach yielded a category definition and validated insights with numerical evidence.
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">The result
Concrete tools for a winning category plan.
Consumer behaviour in the finger food category is strongly driven by emotional and functional needs that are not yet optimally fulfilled.
Lamb Weston received concrete tools for their category plan, including insights into key emotional and functional needs, relevant consumption moments, and appealing product directions. This forms the basis for their leading position.
Impact of the result
How insights have led to action.
INFORMED DECISIONS FOR FUTURE GROWTH.
Lamb Weston developed an integrated category vision, incorporating consumer insights and long-term trends. You now have a clear compass for future innovation.
BETTER ALIGNMENT WITH LOCAL MARKET NEEDS.
The vision has been translated into channel- and country-specific strategies that drive innovation, activation, and portfolio renovation. This ensures relevant adjustments per market.
ENTERING NEW MARKETS AND STRENGTHENING EXISTING ONES.
They could identify opportunities for new product innovations closely aligned with consumer needs. This enables you to enter new markets or strengthen existing ones.
Related cases.
What is category research and why is it important for food brands?
Category research maps how consumers perceive and use a product group. For brands like Lamb Weston, this is essential to develop a distinctive positioning, identify innovation opportunities, and establish a leading role in a dynamic market.
How does community research help understand food consumption?
Community research provides in-depth qualitative insight into consumer behaviour and motivations. Through the Consumer Insights Community, Lamb Weston gained a clear definition of the finger food category and valuable storytelling about the ‘who, what, where, and how’ of consumption.
What role does quantitative research play in validating consumer insights?
Quantitative research validates and numerically substantiates insights from qualitative phases. Using methods like IAT and KANO, Lamb Weston gained clarity on the connections between needs and behaviour, leading to concrete tools for their category plan.
WHAT’S BEHIND YOUR NUMBERS?
Add qualitative depth to your next study, or use BlauwTalk on its own to dig deeper into a specific question.
