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.
One of the most memorable early projects I worked on was for a new banana nut flavor SKU for an existing brand. We had three distinct designs we were evaluating: one with a soft yellow color and subtle banana image, one with a bright yellow, and one with a brownish banana nut bread vibe. What…
A merchant said something recently that stuck with me. She felt like her manufacturer suppliers simply weren't bringing enough excellence to the table, and because of that, she'd rather take matters into her own hands. She saw new launches that weren't that innovative or rooted in insight. There was a lack of solving real consumer…
We are living through a unique opportunity for brands to lean into their American heritage and pride, and double dip on the 250th anniversary and the World Cup. Limited-time innovations and packaging have shown up across the food and beverage space. It's been fascinating to watch how brands have chosen to leverage the USA brand,…
The biggest hurdle in innovation isn't coming up with a novel idea. It’s translating that idea for a shopper in the split second they spend at the shelf. Innovation is hard. You have to identify a genuine need, build the product, and solve the logistical puzzle. But none of that matters if the product never…
Life is better with human connection. When we have it, life feels rich and substantial. When we don't, it’s a major driver behind many of the biggest problems in our culture today. We see the same thing playing out in research. Incorporating real human connection into the research process is critical for brand health and…
Introduction Every package—sustainable or not—needs to nail three key functions to be effective: When considering sustainable packaging, if the design doesn’t meet these goals, it doesn’t matter how sustainable the offering is: it’s missed the point entirely. Protect The most sustainable packaging is the one that actually keeps a product intact until it is used. When products…
Think about the products in your home and how you use them. What do you do when those items have no other purpose? Or when you have consumed them? A huge challenge in the sustainability space centers around what happens to a product and its package when it reaches the end of its life cycle. But…
Behind every data point is a person. At REAL Insight, we are committed to providing authenticity and recognize that the data we provide to our clients is only as authentic as the people that we study. Because of this, we put a lot of time and energy into the recruitment process for our clients. REAL…
Ford Motor Company recently announced a 5-year plan to develop and begin mass-producing fully autonomous cars. As someone who has a 25 mile commute each way to work, enjoys a happy hour every now and then, and has 4 future teenage “drivers,” it’s easy to immediately think about the benefits of self-driving cars. Ride-sharing through…
Shoppers paying more attention to what is in their food is not a new revelation; it’s a trend that has been growing in popularity for quite some time and has been influential in any number of products that have been rolled out recently. Target Corp. is taking this want for transparency a step farther in…