Our client had an ambitious goal: to strengthen their position in the Italian food market by entering the "Wellness" sector. The idea? To explore a new product line, focusing on fresh beverages, to offer Italian consumers—who are increasingly mindful of their food choices—a unique and distinctive proposition. The objective was to create a value proposition that would be a true unique selling proposition (USP), capable of standing out in the market and capturing the attention of a conscious audience.

We chose an innovative and flexible approach: the cross-process methodology, perfect to understand the potential of each individual element of a new product, without being dependent on other aspects of the mix. We divided the sample into two groups, each following a mirrored research design, but from different starting points.

Half of the participants followed a traditional design, starting with the concept and moving on to the product. After an in-person group session where we explored their experiences with fresh beverages and current trends, participants were introduced to the concept, the packaging and finally tasted the product at home. For three days, they documented their experiences on a consumption diary, describing their impressions and feelings during the tasting of the prototype.

The other half of the sample followed an opposite design, starting directly with the product tasting. After the home tasting and consumption diary entries, testers participated in an in-person group session to discuss the packaging and concept, to share their impressions of the new proposal.

Thanks to this integrated approach, we realised that for the launch of alternative food products, which fall outside our typical eating habits, a communication strategy is essential to educate consumers on the benefits and overcome the barriers and preconceptions that Italians may have.