The NOVA Partnership Quarterly Newsletter March 2025

BRIEF

To inspire their product innovation strategy, a large global beverage client wanted to explore the emerging functional coffee category, with a focus on a deeper understanding of the consumer context.

APPROACH

We deployed an AI-driven exploratory chatbot conversation, engaging 300 consumers across 2 markets. This conversation was designed to take a step closer to the true motivations, frustrations, and expectations that shape the decisions consumer make in the category today.

OUTCOME

Our research revealed that there is no one-size fits all functional coffee. Taste expectations and preferences vary greatly, and new functional ingredients introduce different sensory experiences. In turn, this challenges brands to choose between designing for the familiarity and safety of a traditional coffee experience or to push the flavor boundaries where there is more room for innovation and a new sensory profile. Our research guided our client to towards a clear action plan to take advantage of the opportunities this challenge presents.

BRIEF

A global snacking company wanted to understand how consumers perceive and buy a key brand in World Travel Retail (WTR) within Heathrow Airport, and how the brand compares to other chocolates in terms of visibility, accessibility, and attractiveness. The key challenge was location as security restrictions would not allow a moderator on site.

APPROACH

We pre-recruited a global cohort of participants who would be passing through Heathrow and set up our AI powered virtual moderator to conduct individual, in-the-moment, at-fixture interviews. Using their smartphones, participants shared their experiences with Q.Bot via text and photos. The approach uses advanced Natural Language Processing to support a responsive experience with relevant probing for greater depth.

OUTCOME

We blended AI-enabled analysis with human qualitative expertise to deliver compelling and actionable insights and recommendations to inform the client’s WTR strategy for their key brand. This research approach is now being rolled out with this snacking company to capture similar learnings in other airports globally.

BRIEF

A global alcoholic beverages company wanted to understand how consumers experience their newly created paper packaging and how they perceive it from a sustainability perspective. The client wanted to understand this on both a quantitative and qualitative level.

APPROACH

Over 300 music festival attendees in Barcelona were given an alcoholic beverage to try, along with a QR code, inviting them to participate in a Q.Bot conversation while trying the beverage. More than 10% of those who participated in this way where then asked to discuss their experience, with a specific focus on the packaging, in more detail.

OUTCOME

Through this hybrid approach, we were able to deliver a contextually sensitive understanding of the product experience, along with consumer perspectives on sustainability and what it means to them. We were also able to differentiate between those elements of the paper packaging product experience that underpin appeal and those that limit it.