It’s not easy to stand out in the crowded plant-based food industry. It’s even harder to create products that balance nutrition and taste.

The study was a close collaboration with Haystack Consulting and commissioned by IKEA Belgium, CAW and AMA.

Haystack Consulting is thrilled to unveil a game-changing partnership with Nexxt Intelligence that brings a new dimension to research – Inca Smartprobe.

Few industries change as rapidly as the world of food and beverages. To stay ahead of the game, you need to innovate at the speed of light.

For all those times when sustainable plans don't work out as intended, we developed the Fail versus Nail Matrix.

The health products market is growing fast and changing even faster. Despite economic turmoil and the price-centric shopping market, people are still actively searching for ingredients that positively influence their health.

In written responses, it's challenging to truly express your feelings. By using voice, respondents can add subtle nuances and express their emotions more freely, adding great value to the survey.

Analyzing the codes, signs, and symbols used in packaging and other forms of communication to convey the values and benefits of vegan products.

Haystack Consulting has been exploring the immense potential of AI tools on product and packaging development during consumer feedback moments.

Retailers have become adept at not wasting a good crisis. After each crisis, they come out as winners, besting A-brands with higher shares. The game is on for A-brands, especially for A-brands that don’t act.

How do you conduct market research when your business is only getting started? With a low budget and little knowledge about the market, many young companies face the same challenge.

As a qualitative strategic researcher at Haystack, Geertrui Vannoppen keenly observes people and patterns, and uses those findings to draw tangible conclusions for brands.

There’s something wrong with the food we consume today. All too often, our food chain is focused on sensory pleasure. This not only affects our health; the environment is hurting too. Packaging waste, withering natural resources and pollution have a major impact on our planet.

In a ‘post’-pandemic society, concerns about the environment intensify. Brand and retailers are expected to demonstrate sustainable initiatives and a proactive approach to sustainability by, for example, demonstrating green initiatives along the whole supply chain. Consumers conduct more research on what brands are doing to address the issues of climate change.

The flexitarian trend continues to grow across the globe. More people are looking to moderate from animal products for health, sustainability, and/or ethical purposes. Consumers try to have a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. This is an important demand driving brands to produce more green and clean products.

Nowadays, consumers are progressively looking for food products that boost a healthy lifestyle. These food products should include at least one health benefit like: boosting the immune system or improve digestive health. The range of food components that can help with this, is wide. Besides that, the pandemic has accelerated the consumer’s desire to boost their physical and mental performances

You’ve seen them all. The ‘zero’ versions. The vegetarian or plant-based alternatives. The organic options. The products that claim to be better for the body, the environment, or both.

In these times of relentless digitalisation, is there still room for the five senses? Does that still make sense? Or should the Brandr just focus on the visual aspect?

Speed and agility are crucial in today’s business, after all there is a continuing demand for faster development and innovation.

We find evidence in every case that optimising all sensory elements has a significant positive impact on the customer experience. But why?

In recent years, the focus on customer experience has increased enormously. Entire business units have been set up for the improvement of CX - and customer journeys. And that is not surprising. A positive experience makes customers return more quickly. But what is left of the role of the brand?

Do you remember the times where the entire world was in lockdown and our lives flipped on their head? We had to adapt and change our (consumption) behaviour drastically. Basically buying less but potentially better.

Haystack Consulting is again delighted to be featured in this year’s GRIT Report - GreenBook Research Industry Trends Report – listing the most innovative market research companies.

In need of some pointers for content that will perk up your ears? Here’s what we’ll be listening to by the pool!

How do we innovate? What does ‘accelerating innovation’ mean, exactly? And how do we create value when we’re forced to adapt in the blink of an eye? For the third edition of Ceci n’est pas un webinar, we welcomed industry experts Dr Dag Piper and Niels Cransberg to discuss innovation, weak signals, and the exquisite joys of failing.

We often cannot live without plastics and specifically single use plastics (SUP). In order to reduce production, consumption and the eventual negative impact on our ecosystem, the European Parliament adopted the Single Use Plastics Directive in 2019 whereupon all EU countries must incorporate it into their national legislation by July 3, 2021.

We need to come up with a framework to facilitate faster turnarounds. A way to launch, innovate, and communicate at the speed of light. Fail harder and fix faster—until we get it right. So why not gather and brainstorm with industry experts and peers? 

We are proud to announce that Haystack Consulting has been granted a Research Tax Credit for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 from the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

In 2021 and beyond, we’ll need to keep changing track, tirelessly honing skills and strengthening capabilities, while keeping our eyes peeled for ways to move faster and better. Being on our feet at all times! 

As promised, it was a webinar with a difference, with some unexpected laughs - thanks to our visiting laughter coach - and some inspiring and unexpected take outs. Read more about it here!

We are all missing moments of togetherness and the usual opportunities to chat with colleagues and peers. And there’s so much to catch up on!

We are so delighted to debut in this year’s GRIT Report - GreenBook Research Industry Trends Report – listing the Top 50 most innovative market research companies.

Fellow industry experts shared their midnight muses and nocturnal notions – and told us how they were managing to get some sleep during today's COVID-19 crisis.

How to turn your online business into a sticky brand experience?

It is once again possible to perform Central Location Tests from this moment onwards

Let crisis be a catalyst for success, and let’s get through this together! Drive consumer participation to accelerate your long-term business plan amid the global crisis.

A blueprint for how any legacy manufacturer can refresh their NPD cycle to create more targeted products at startup-speed.

Commodities are fungible, goods are tangible, services are intangible, but experiences are memorable. How to create experiences that truly touch the hearts and minds of your consumers? Sensory marketing makes great sense!

Looking back, with our Account Architect Cédric De Smedt on the BAM Marketing Congress 2019 with two main takeaways.

Haystack Consulting opened a brand new office location in Antwerp. Discover why we believe Haystack Consulting matches this vibrant city.

It’s not only about a new name, logo and website…it’s about keeping on making sense(s) to your business.

Maaike joined the board of SMART, an organization for Starting Marketing And Research Talent.

Identify strategic growth buckets to tap into in order to create sustainable growth for your company.

The European Sensory Network ESN has conducted a research program to evaluate the role of virtual and immersive reality in sensory testing.

Haystack has renewed its membership of ‘Stichting Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Commerciële Communicatie’ (SWOCC).

Before people used social media to highlight great moments in their life, to demonstrate their special connection with certain products, to unravel their opinions or to showcase their creative DIY outbursts; as market researchers we just ‘simply’ had to ask them about all of it.