Kellanova partnered with Reach3 Insights to leverage Rival Technologies mobile-first conversational research platform. Unlike traditional market research which had a certain rigidity to the line of questioning, Rival’s AI-empowered research platform could adapt to represent a tone and survey style which was more in line with Cheez-It’s brand tone and identity.
Additionally, Reach3 designed the survey to gather both quantitative metrics—such as traditional innovation testing KPIs—as well as media-rich qualitative inputs such as photo and video uploads. The Rival platform allowed Reach3 to seamlessly blend these quant and qual inputs into one cohesive and modern research touchpoint for participants.
What’s more, the platform's easy, on-demand SMS recontact feature enabled additional probing and follow-up, a crucial capability for the project as consumer-led optimization was central to Kellanova’s launch strategy. Reach3 then transformed the gathered insights into clear, actionable recommendations, which Kellanova relied on for informed decision-making.
The combination of qualitative and quantitative insights, paired with a mobile-first conversational approach, led to increased engagement from Gen Z and a 700% boost in the length of verbatim responses.
Kellanova was impressed not only by the depth of insights from the qual components of the research design, but also by the fact that they did not have to give up any of the study’s rigor! They relied on the quantitative analyses to narrow their list of territories down, but ultimately, it was the nuances within the qualitative data that helped them pick the one territory to fully pursue for their 2025 launch.
Had it not been for the ability to gather quant and qual together and engage with their target audience in a modern and meaningful way, it’s possible that Kellanova would be launching an entirely different product next year! Instead, they had a winning territory they felt confident about, which you’ll see on shelves soon.
Request a call from one of our experts
