Exploring tomorrow’s innovations today

A ‘what’ without a ‘why’ is for me like data without a soul. After all, understanding what matters is far less useful without also understanding why it matters.

In the context of chatbots, we have found that ‘what’ and ‘why’ can happily meet in conversation. And the art of conversation is not purely about listening. It is also about asking the right questions – in a way that encourages people – like you and me – to share their experiences, their expectations, their motivations, their fears. And when we do this right, when we fuse the art of conversational design with the AI levers that help us steer probing, it is not only possible to directly align every probing opportunity in support of the client’s research objectives and business needs, but we can do so in a way where consumer’s stories unfold authentically, in their own words, bringing us data with a soul.

Watch the interview with Ansie Collier, Global Innovation Director, MMR Nova, to dive deeper into ways of fostering empathy and deeper insights

In the realm of AI-driven sensory and consumer research, we were excited to share more with our clients about the three key areas where we are leveraging advanced in technology to revolutionise our AI-fuelled sensory research innovation.

• At the front-end, AI liberates sensory evaluation from traditional labs, enabling real-world assessments akin to consumer experiences. Our Sensory chatbot, trained with extensive expertise, promises innovative approaches for deconstructing product experiences.
• Midpoint advancements include rapid data capture and agile sensory solutions, significantly reducing timelines with insights from AI expert Jonathan Sands, PhD.

• Meanwhile, back-end efforts focus on predictive modelling and data integration, elevating our understanding of sensory experiences.

Join us in shaping the future of sensory research by chatting with our bot to share evolving needs and fuel future innovation.

Synthetic data and personas have captured the attention of the insights community, igniting a mix of excitement and apprehension among professionals. The synthetic space might sound complicated, but it's really about three areas: synthetic personas, synthetic data (quant) and predictive capabilities of product performance. We have been exploring all of these but in this edition of our newsletter, would like to update you on synthetic personas.

Think of synthetic personas as digital profiles that mimic different groups of consumers. These aren't just random creations; they're advanced AI-generated profiles built on real data that bring out the depth of consumer segments.

We've even taken a step further by creating a dialogue-based tool to allow an interactive conversation with each segment to gain real depth of understanding and probe for additional information.

Recently, we teamed up with a leading CPG company to test these synthetic personas in action. During a workshop, that followed a Usage and Attitudes study, they used this innovative approach to dive into their consumer data like never before. They discovered unique, segment-specific ideas for product communication, directly inspired by consumer-driven insights. What's even more exciting is the potential to use these AI personas to gauge reactions to new concepts or products, even those not covered in your initial research.

Would you like to find out more about what Synthetic personas can do for your future segmentation study or flavour and ingredients pipeline?

Are you going to IIEX Europe '24? Catch our presentation on synthetic personas in collaboration with GOSH! Or let us know if you’d like an exclusive rerun of the session for your team after the event.

At the heart of our journey to consumer closeness, our narrative around AI has struck a chord with clients. It's about leveraging AI to enhance our connection with consumers, optimising both efficiency and impact. The philosophy is simple yet profound: treat AI not as a mere tool but as an integral team member. We are mindful of its strengths and its weaknesses, as we would be with any team member and therefore apply it appropriately.

Our strategy is underpinned by four foundational pillars that guide our AI development:

• Create: Generate new ideas, concepts, and designs for our products
• Visualize: Create engaging and realistic visualisations of ideas, products and packs
• Connect: Unlock the voice of consumers in a more natural and engaging ways
• Synthesize: Rapidly analyze and synthesize data

This framework is tailored to enhance your existing strategies and elevate the depth of product and sensory insights, leveraging AI's capabilities to meet your specific needs.

Listen to snippet recording of NOVA’s Alexandra Kuzmina interviewing Walter Pasquarelli, a globally recognised expert on generative AI strategy. The discussion is around balancing immediate needs with future goals, common challenges in AI adoption, and fostering a culture of innovation, especially in the CPG industry.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to consumer engagement in research. NOVA has been experimenting with synthetic AI avatars in Europe and Asia to understand how they can help increase survey engagement and boost data quality. Read Alexandra Kuzmina's reflections on cultural sensitivity when adopting these avatars in consumer research in this Research Live.