Case study – INNOVATION – IFF
Identifying innovation opportunities for IFF
International creator of flavours, fragrances and ingredients, IFF, supports flavour development for a leading US sports drink brand. Looking to launch a new product, they needed to understand what hydration really means to consumers before committing to a direction, with particular focus on two important and distinct groups: female athletes and Hispanic consumers.
The challenge: A category with more emotional depth than it first appears
Hydration is easy to read as a purely functional need. IFF needed to understand the full range of emotional and practical jobs it does for different people, test how existing products were perceived, and identify where genuine opportunities for innovation existed.
What we did: We asked people to show us their relationship with hydration
Consumers completed word associations, video diaries, mood boards, and their own product-development exercises as part of a digital task force. Follow-up discussion groups then explored the territories that had emerged, testing brand perceptions and mapping products against the hydration landscape participants had defined for themselves.
What we found: Hydration means something different to everyone
A rich and varied picture emerged. For some consumers, hydration was about performance and recovery; for others, it was ritual, comfort or cultural connection. Understanding these distinct territories and mapping existing products across them gave IFF a clear view of where the market was well served and where consumers’ needs were going unmet, particularly among target groups.
The impact: A confident foundation for new product development
The research gave IFF’s product development team an in-depth understanding of what hydration means across different consumer communities, clear market positioning for their existing products, and actionable recommendations for innovation. The insight has opened powerful conversations with multiple clients globally, resulting in new product launches outside the intended initial client.
“The Magenta team clearly understood our research objectives and helped ensure a consumer-centric approach. The quality of the research, analysis and report definitely laid a foundation for future opportunities to collaborate.”
Product Experience and Human Science Leader, IFF
If you are looking to better understand your category before committing to innovation, let’s talk.