Consumer Insights
News, culture & fun stuff
Is it Really the Cheesiest? Our Thoughts on the Kraft Mac & Cheese Redesign
- Alex Gormann
Brands engage in a packaging redesign for a number of reasons. Factors like shifting trends, stagnant sales, or brand repositioning can impact the timing on when to hit the refresh button. New packaging launches receive accolades from the design community, only to receive stagnant sales – what went wrong? According to the DemandGen Report, 94% […]
Millennial Moms Are Not An Audience
- Skidmore Studio
Back when the main marketing channel was television, advertisers had the luxury of their messages landing on the eyes and ears of captive audiences. Now in a world dominated by media—with the average consumer encountering up to 10,000 ads per day—creating messages with mass appeal means paying money just to
Staying relevant with strategic product innovation
- Skidmore Studio
More and more, food brands are growing or pivoting their product offerings to meet new consumer trends (we hear mushrooms are all the rage). With a new product, you walk a fine line of maintaining the brand quality and values your current customers know and love AND delivering products new
What consumers are craving in 2022
- Skidmore Studio
The right meal can make you feel peace at the end of a stressful day. It can make you feel loved when you’re far from home. It can make you feel inspired and delighted when your mind is completely drained. And in a world where being healthy feels unattainable in
How grocery retailers are thriving in a cookieless world
- Skidmore Studio
Marketers everywhere are scrambling to adjust their consumer targeting strategies ahead of the death of the cookie. Big brands are exploring D2C models, niche brands are opening proprietary pop-ups, and new retail media networks are being launched every month. Retailers like Kroger and Walmart have long been players in the
Emerging brands gain ground on old faithfuls
- Skidmore Studio
2021 saw almost a third of consumers more likely to try new products over the year prior, and 2022 promises more of the same. From supply chain woes to social justice movements to family budget constraints, staple brands are now fighting with their emergent counterparts for coveted space in kitchens
The omnichannel shopper is everyone
- Skidmore Studio
If you’ve felt like your marketing communications in the last two years just aren’t landing like they used to, you’re not alone. Like it or not, the pandemic has had a permanent influence on how and where shoppers are purchasing the products they need to make it through the week.
Impulse buying: When they can’t resist
- Skidmore Studio
Over 50% of all purchases are made spur of the moment, with no prior planning. It's a huge opportunity for emerging brands to capture those impulse purchases, but first, we need to understand what emotions trigger impulse buyers. The beverage category in particular is a great case study of the impulse moment. Research
The opportunity in product innovation
- Alyssa Smith
While product innovation has always been a way to stir up interest, the last 18 months has seen an even greater demand for variety from food and beverage brands. 80% of consumers state they are craving something new from their favorite products, with millennials in particular looking to nostalgic brands
Shopping list marketing belongs in your 2022 marketing strategy
- Alyssa Smith
With all the recent changes in tracking consumer data, the conversation around marketing and advertising has changed drastically. While email and SMS are now considered table-stakes for any strategy, we believe the most effective direct marketing happens where and when people shop—and for food and beverage brands, this means shopping
Win Your Own Backyard
- Skidmore Studio
Here’s the thing very few brokers or growth consultants will tell you: Scaling your distribution too fast can quickly ruin your entire brand. While the opportunity for growth is exciting, if you can’t advocate for good placement or stocking full product lines, your brand runs a high risk of being
Food tribes: Fighting the good (food) fight
- Skidmore Studio
Think about the last time you went out to eat with friends, or the last time you invited someone to your home to share a meal. If there were more than three people in your group, I’ll bet one of them had a dietary restriction or food regimen that limited
Loyalty programs worth the love
- Skidmore Studio
Loyalty programs have been around forever, as has the question of whether we, as marketers, are making the most of this opportunity to retain our customers. The answer: Usually not. This week we take a look at restaurant loyalty programs with an eye on improving the customer experience and program
Food promotions that really deliver
- Skidmore Studio
We explore the world of food promotions in this week’s episode of Branding Bites! Stay tuned as Shawn and Kacha share strategies for creating successful stunts, ads, and unexpected extras. Click play for their answers to questions including: What types of promotions drive the most sales for QSR, fast casual,
On McDonald's, Gilmore Girls & more
- Skidmore Studio
In this episode of Branding Bites, our strategy director, Kacha Azema, and our design director, Shawn McConnell, sat down to share their insights on what's happening in restaurant marketing this week. Tune in to see Kacha and Shawn answer topical questions including: Is McDonald’s goal of 5,000 pieces of content
Be like Nike: How Nike is winning millennials
- Skidmore Studio
As millennials have become America's largest consumer group, everything about marketing has changed. The only thing that has remained constant is the success of Nike. Year after year, Nike ranks as a favorite brand among millennials.1 Like its customers, Nike’s marketing strategy has evolved. If you're a marketer clinging to
Super Bowl Ad Survey: Would YOU buy a beer from a puppy?
- Skidmore Studio
The Super Bowl has always been a main event for advertisers and consumers. Sometimes there’s a love match, sometimes there’s not. This year we surveyed a group of consumers to understand what people really thought of the ads. While some recognize that other things happen during this time (apparently a sport is