Market research and consumer research for food, feed & cosmetics
Understanding the market and consumer expectations is essential for any company aiming to succeed.
Does my product truly meet a concrete consumer need? What drives the decision to buy? How does my product performs compared to competitors? These are just some of the key questions that require expert guidance. With the right information, you can better understand your market and, most importantly, your customers.
Market research is essential to a company's success, especially for the launch or improvement of products and services. It involves systematically collecting and analyzing data on customer segments, competitors and market environment in order to identify opportunities and threats.
Consumer research offers insights into trends, preferences and behaviors, helping companies refine their offerings, position themselves effectively and anticipate shifts in demand. By investing in these studies, companies drive sustainable growth by delivering products and services tailored to consumer needs.
Research methodologies in the field of food, feed and cosmetics are divided into three main categories: quantitative, qualitative and sensory studies. Each approach offers distinct methods and benefits, allowing companies to explore various aspects of consumer motivations, preferences, purchasing behaviors and perceptions.
We'll focus here on our quantitative and qualitative studies. To explore our sensory approaches, find an overview about sensory testing methods here.
Analyzing consumer needs through market research and consumer research
As a market research and consumer research expert, Techni'Sens - A Tentamus Company, provides tailored support at every project stage. By adapting our approach to the unique objectives and challenges of each industry, we deliver customized insights across sectors such as cosmetics, food and pet food, while continuously expanding into new markets to meet evolving consumer needs.
To guarantee customized support at each stage of your project, we adjust our market research approach and consumer research methodology to the specifics of your objective and the challenges of your market. Our methods complement and interact with each other, offering a wide range of possibilities:
- Exploration and idea generation: understand usage and attitudes, identify opportunities and insights
- Concept validation: test and prioritize ideas to ensure their relevance
- Product development: optimize the marketing mix and refine the offering
- Product renovation: evaluate changes and measure consumer perception
Understanding consumer expectations, behaviors and needs may require market and consumer research approaches that combining both qualitative and quantitative methods
Qualitative studies vs. quantitative studies
In market research and consumer research, a distinction is made between these two fundamentally different approaches. Our experts use qualitative and quantitative methods depending on the respective business objectives. Here is how we use these methods:
Qualitative research to better understand consumer behavior
Why do consumers choose one product over another? How do consumers specifically perceive a brand or product? Which message are consumers most sensitive to?
By exploring the "why" behind customer actions and preferences, qualitative methods provide a valuable understanding of consumer motivations, perceptions and experiences in market research and consumer research.
Beyond analysis, qualitative research also plays a key role in the co-creation of products with consumers. This iterative process allows companies to integrate essential considerations such as usability, convenience and real-life applications, ensuring that the final product is not only desirable, but also truly meets consumer needs.
Performed using a variety of methods detailed below, these studies can be implemented with small sample sizes, exploring the thoughts and feelings of participants, underpinning customer segmentation strategies and leading to branding innovations. Ultimately, the qualitative approach improves decision-making and enhances marketing effectiveness.
We offer ad hoc qualitative research services to address all our customers' needs:
- Focus Groups & interviews: analyze consumer expectations and perceptions
- Online solutions: gather insights via digital platforms
- Ethno-marketing: observe in situ behavior
- Co-creation: setup collaborative workshops to innovate with consumers
Quantitative research through consumer testing for data-driven decision making
Quantitative studies require administering and deploying survey questionnaires to a large and representative sample of the population. They aim to analyze consumer behavior, validate assumptions and identify the factors affecting demand. Through consumer testing, these studies provide valuable insights into preferences and trends, enhancing understanding of the market dynamics.
Consumer testing methods like Central Location Tests (CLT) and Home Use Tests (HUT) provide insights in different settings. CLTs ensure controlled, calibrated conditions, while HUTs capture real-life usage.
Our innovation and renovation services help companies validate their products through a comprehensive quantitative approach. Our 360° evaluation engages all five senses, providing a holistic view of consumer perceptions whether focusing on intrinsic product properties or the broader product mix.
These quantitative methodologies ensure robust product validation, leading to informed decisions that enhance market readiness and consumer acceptance.
Quantitative research delivers statistically reliable data to guide business strategies. Our services include:
- Pre-development: validate the potential of ideas and concepts
- Optimization and construction: refine marketing mix (product, price place, promotion)
- Packaging validation: perform impact and ergonomics tests in real-life conditions
- Product validation: evaluate acceptability, organoleptic properties and satisfaction in real-life use
Each research category offers a variety of questioning methods (direct, indirect, implicit or projective), enabling us to explore consumer perceptions from multiple angles and address your issues.
Our qualitative methods
To generate deep and actionable insights, we conduct ad hoc qualitative research tailored to each client’s needs, drawing on a variety of methods to capture the voice of the consumer in all its richness, such as:
- In-depth consumer individual interviews (face-to-face, video conferencing, telephone)
- Mini-groups in-person or online (3 to 5 participants)
- Focus groups in-person or online (6 to 8 participants)
- Ethnographic interviews (in consumers' own environments)
- Mobile ethnography (videos or photos sent by participants in real time)
- Written diaries
- Co-creation workshops
- Projective workshops (drawing, collage, role-playing)
- Online qualitative communities (private forums, multi-day/week discussion platforms)
- Qualitative sensory methods (product testing followed by face to face interviews)
Our quantitative methods
Quantitative research delivers statistically robust insights to support each stage of product and marketing development. To reach a large and reliable sample of consumers, we implement targeted recruitment such as:
- Online surveys (CAWI – Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing)
- Face-to-face consumer interviews with tablets in-situ such as restaurants, shops… (CAPI – Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing)
- Self-administered surveys (CAWI)
- In-store surveys (mall intercept)
- SMS or mobile notification surveys
- Consumer panels (our own Consumers Database or External Access Panels)
- Client CRM Database
Market Research & Consumer Research
with Tentamus
For over 18 years, Techni'Sens has been dedicated to helping clients understand their markets and consumers more effectively through an approved research approach.
Our expertise is backed by hundreds of customer references across France and internationally.
Techni'Sens operates from two offices in France, located in La Rochelle and Bordeaux. Our resolute in-house team of specialists is highly skilled in managing projects, fostering effective collaboration and delivering consistent results. All data and results can be accessed via a tool dedicated to your study.
Techni’Sens is committed to delivering tailor-made ad hoc market research and consumer research studies, combining expertise, analysis, and a client-centric approach for personalized support.
At the core of our methodology lies customer centricity, ensuring bespoke solutions that address each specific challenge. Our approach integrates precise analysis to provide data-driven insights, as well as agility and relevance in every project. Partnering with us means choosing an agile and targeted strategy, designed to meet your needs with precision.