Unilever: Innovation Insights to Shape Tomorrow's Products
Optimising Innovation Strategies to Future-Proof Product Concepts
Research Challenge
- Unilever needed to test unbranded product concepts among a range of consumers in the USA.
- They were looking to gain rapid feedback from different demographic groups, varying in ethnicity, income, age and gender.
- They wanted to identify any issues early on and determine how these ideas could integrate into their existing brand portfolio.
- All of this had to be achieved within tight time and budget constraints.
Approach and Solution
- Using the stimulus upload feature built into Bolt Intelligence's AI-powered platform, Unilever tested product concepts with a diverse range of consumers.
- The AI-Moderator facilitated a series of in-depth qualitative interviews, exploring user perceptions and identifying key insights around potential product fit and areas for improvement.
- While Bolt Intelligence engaged with respondents, the Unilever team were able to allocate their time to other strategic tasks.
- By engaging with a variety of perspectives quickly and efficiently, Unilever was able to refine its concepts in real time, significantly accelerating the iteration process.
Outcome and Business Impact
- The collaboration with Bolt Intelligence provided Unilever with substantial time and cost savings compared to traditional research methods.
- Unilever was able to make more informed, timely decisions — optimising their innovation strategy and refining product concepts to better meet market needs.
- The accelerated ideation process enabled clearer signals on where to take new product ideas, speeding time-to-market.
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