Consumer research
insight into behavior and choices
In our consumer research, Food Pioneers explores how people think about food and which choices they make. These insights help us develop interventions, communication and products that better match people’s everyday lives. Our approach is closely linked to the experiments within our Food Labs.
Better insight,
better offerings
Why this matters
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Consumers – the eaters themselves – are a crucial link in the food system transition.
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With methods such as contextmapping, we uncover unconscious drivers and barriers and translate them into opportunities for better products and communication.
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We set up follow-up studies, such as experiments that encourage wholegrain choices and connect to ongoing shifts in consumer behaviour.
Our approach
We combine design and behavioral methods with real-world research. Three steps are central:
Research
We map behaviour, motivations and context: who chooses what, when, why and with whom? For this, we use both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Innovation
Based on these insights, we develop concepts that make desired behaviour more attractive. One example is Bean Food Pairing: recipes, combinations and shelf solutions that lower the threshold for using pulses.
Intervention
We test and implement solutions in supermarkets, schools and community centres, and measure their impact. What works is scaled up together with partners in retail, foodservice, education and government. The lessons feed into our Food Programs to strengthen knowledge and entrepreneurship.
Context mapping
Contextmapping is a method we use to make the world behind people’s choices visible: routines, emotions and unconscious assumptions that shape what and how people eat. Instead of only asking what someone does, we explore why, when and with whom choices are made. This leads to products, communication and interventions that truly fit people’s lives.
Consumer behavior in practice
In Almere, we don’t design solutions from behind a desk. We test them directly in people’s living environment. Food Pioneers develops and evaluates interventions together with citizens, businesses and educational institutions. Think supermarkets, schools and community centres: places where change becomes visible and tangible right away. This approach is part of our Living Lab, where experimentation and policy reinforce one another.
Who is this relevant for?
Retail & foodservice
Interventions and shelf communication that nudge towards healthy, sustainable choices, with attention to recipe inspiration, product range and in-store routing.
Producers & product developers
Products, packaging and propositions that align with real-life usage moments and behavioural goals.
Education & government
Evidence-based insights for curricula and policies that shape the food environment. See our
'For whom' page for an overview of target groups.
Collaboration
Interested in observing, joining or testing an intervention? Get in touch our team.