Business challenge
A world renown beverage brand wanted to break into the Gen Z market by integrating its drinks into Gen Z snacking habits. To do this, the brand had to understand Gen Z’s attitudes towards food and snacking culture, which is often spontaneous and influenced by online trends, peer recommendations, and a desire for novelty. The ultimate goal was to build an emotional connection with Gen Z and make the brand a natural part of their snacking occasions throughout the day. To meet this challenge, we partnered with the beverage giant to conduct a two-phase research program that combines in-depth qualitative exploration with quantitative validation to enhance the depth and efficiency of findings.
Our approach
In phase 1 of our research, we set out to gain in-depth insights into Gen Z snacking habits – including emotions, occasions, and cultural practices associated with snacking and beverage consumption. Engaging short-term online communities in task-based activities and discussions, we obtained rich qualitative insights into the behaviors and preferences behind respondents’ snacking decisions.
In the second phase, we employed a quantitative survey to validate our findings. The survey focused on uncovering the types of snacks consumed, the motivations behind snacking, and factors influencing beverage choices. Our generative AI-powered probe QProbe enabled us to obtain deeper insights from responses by generating tailored follow-up questions to survey participants whose open-ended responses were vague or insufficient. The probe offered respondents a more conversational experience, which helped improve their engagement and extract more meaningful insights.
Managing the large volumes of data provided by QProbe would have been a challenge if it wasn’t for SmartCloud, our AI-powered open-end analysis tool designed to extract greater value from open-ended responses. Leveraging sentiment coding and theme extraction, SmartCloud offers deeper insights than traditional word clouds: it captures nuances in responses and generates meaningful themes in real-time, providing a deeper understanding of respondents’ thoughts, feelings, and the true meaning behind their answers.
Results
Deep diving into Gen Z’s snacking culture revealed how the demographic views snacking: as a form of self-expression and enjoyment that allows them to just be (unlike meal formats which are often bound by time of day and intake control). From favored snacking times throughout the day to motivations behind snacking, we gained insight into the moments that matter most to Gen Z. Tapping into these emotional drivers enabled our client to find powerful ways to create space for integrating its drinks in Gen Z snacking culture.
The use of our AI tools provided significant benefits to phase two of the study – from time and cost savings to improved data analysis and scalability. The personalized follow-up questions provided by QProbe enhanced the survey experience for respondents, which led to a higher response rate and more accurate insights. Moreover, the speed with which SmartCloud assimilated nuanced responses significantly reduced time on data synthesis and processing, allowing researchers to focus more on interpreting the data and drawing meaningful conclusions.
While AI enhanced the research process, human interpretation remained crucial to fully understanding and applying the insights obtained. Leveraging the strengths of both human and artificial intelligence was key to the project’s success. The results from the study will inform our client’s future marketing strategies and set a precedent for how other brands can extract the best of human and artificial intelligence in their research.
