With over 30 years of experience, REAL Insight has led projects across a variety of industries that successfully identified consumer behavior and expectations, helping CPG companies, retailers, and other clients understand how consumers act in a variety of contexts.
As a company specializing in in-context research, the lack of authenticity tied with traditional facility studies has often made them a less-than-ideal methodology. Especially now, as Millennials become the favorite targeted audience, the synthetic rapport of old-fashioned focus groups can be a barrier to truly understanding this target consumer. They are harder to find, less…
Margarine is good. Margarine is bad. Diet soda is the key to weight loss. Diet soda will give you cancer. Fat free is the way to be. Fat is your friend. No sugar. Yes sugar, no high fructose corn syrup. Hooray for cane sugar! Exhausted yet? When it comes to defining what is “healthy,” the…
The consumer call for organic food has been heard. Grocery chains throughout metropolitan areas are ramping up their organic offerings, though some rural areas have been left wanting. New Prague, Minnesota is a town of about 7500 that sits 45 miles southeast of Minneapolis, and is one of those locations whose organic options were limited.…
If you haven’t heard of it yet, Instacart is an app-based service that allows customers to order groceries from a number of different retailers in their area with just a few taps of the finger. After filling a digital cart, users then arrange for home delivery at a time convenient to them. While available for…
In a surprising announcement, Kraft has revealed that their most loyal customers have been purchasing a new formula of the “Blue Box” macaroni and cheese they’ve loved for decades. The biggest revelation from this announcement? Barely anyone has noticed. History has shown that when a new formula for a favorite product is unveiled, there’s often…
It’s no secret that the bee population is in decline. As the harmful effects of certain pesticides are becoming more and more known in the mainstream, people and companies are starting to pay attention. General Mills Canada announced that they will be removing “Buzz,” the bee mascot we’ve come to love, from the front of…
When you think of baking, more likely than not, Betty Crocker comes to mind. A staple of the baking aisle for nearly 95 years, Betty has been a welcome member of many American homes. But now, in 2016 Betty Crocker is becoming more like a distant relative that visits for the holidays. These days, consumer…
Choices in the beverage category have changed dramatically from Coke or Pepsi. Words like “natural energy,” “cold-pressed,” and “probiotic” are cropping up in every day drink conversation. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that traditional beverages are losing ground to niche concepts. High sugar beverages, such as soda, are on the decline as better for you…
At the beginning of 2016, General Mills announced a new acquisition: EPIC Provisions, based out of Austin, TX. Committed to the tagline, “feed others as you wish to be fed,” EPIC began as a solution to the lack of packaged, animal protein bar options on the market. Founders Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins created their own…
Perimeter shopping is the latest and greatest trend in the grocery game, particularly for millennials. Consumers are eating more fresh produce and meats, and companies that have traditionally dominated the interior of the grocery store are looking for new ways to meet shoppers’ desires. The pace with which this trend has increased is fast and…