Food and drink market research for product, brand and category growth
Brandspeak’s food and beverage market research helps brands develop, test, launch and grow food and drink products, across both consumer and B2B markets, from retail to foodservice.
Food and beverage market research describes the qualitative, quantitative and sensory research used to develop new food and drink products and to manage existing ones successfully. It helps brands understand their consumers, competitors and category; refine existing propositions; test new product and packaging ideas; and improve how a product looks, smells and tastes across every eating and drinking occasion, from the supermarket shelf to the restaurant table.
In doing so, it gives food and drink businesses the evidence they need to make better decisions at every stage of a product’s life, from the first idea to an established brand
Research identifies unmet needs and category opportunities early, so development focuses on the concepts with the strongest potential. It then pinpoints the recipe, format and packaging refinements needed to make a new product competitive and ready for launch.
Tastes, expectations and trends change, and research shows where an established brand needs to change with them. It guides recipe development, packaging updates and communications, helping established brands stay relevant against both premium newcomers and fast-moving challengers.
Before a brand moves into an adjacent category, research establishes whether the move is credible to consumers, which proposition is most compelling, and which product attributes and claims carry the most weight.
Research reveals how people choose, buy and consume food and drink across retail, hospitality and in-home occasions, and where they become frustrated or switch to another brand. Those insights inform product, pricing, messaging and experience improvements that make a brand stand out and build long-term preference.
Brandspeak uses qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic, sensory and desk-based methods, choosing whichever best fits the question being asked. Some projects need a single approach, while others call for a combination.
Ethnographic research observes how people actually shop, cook, eat and drink, at home, in store, in restaurants and on the go. What people do often differs from what they say they do, and observation reveals habits and rituals they would rarely think to mention.
Online surveys measure food and drink attitudes, purchase habits and product preferences across a representative sample. They show how widespread a need or behaviour is, which consumer groups matter most, and how strongly a new idea appeals.
Desk research draws together category, competitor and food trends data to show where your market is heading and where the opportunities for food innovation lie.
Consumers and brand teams work together in co-creation workshops to develop new product, flavour and packaging ideas in real time. They are a fast way to generate ideas grounded in what consumers genuinely want, before resource is committed to development.
Focus groups and in-depth interviews explore taste perceptions, consumption occasions, attitudes to the category and packaging in rich qualitative detail. They show why people choose one product over another and what would persuade them to try something new.
Brandspeak’s food and drink market research services support new and established products alike, from early concept development through to launch and beyond.
As a full service market research agency we support research in 40+ global markets, working with native-speaking moderators and trusted in-market partners to ensure cultural accuracy and insight quality. Wherever your audience is, we can reach them and deliver insight that drives better decisions.
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As one of the UK's most experienced market research agencies, Brandspeak brings scale, consistency, and depth to every project.
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Brandspeak is proud to be a member of both The Association for Qualitative Research (AQR) and The Market Research Society (MRS) — demonstrating our commitment to quality, ethical practice and industry-leading research standards.
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We worked with Brandspeak on a brand awareness project and we were extremely pleased with the quality of service and the process. They understood the complexity of the briefs and asked plenty of questions to make sure they fully understand the objectives. They interacted with all levels of people in our business and understood the differences within the market and suggested ways to tie the research together so it was still comparable. The results were delivered with easy to digest summaries that could be used across the business. We would highly recommend using them.
Lauren Williams
With offices in London, Bristol, and Birmingham – and partners across the world – we provide global reach with local expertise. Our team is ready to discuss your business challenge and show you what's possible with the right insights.
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