Developing the next generation or DIY products for the prosumer market

The Challenge

A global manufacturer of maintenance chemicals for the professional, trade and construction sectors was shifting its focus from ta purely B2B market standpoint, to start addressing the needs of different markets and customers. Unexpected sales of one of its engineering lubricant products to the prosumer sector raised questions within the business as to which direction their brand should take and whether there was potential to expand the business by targeting DIY enthusiasts via specialist retail channels

Research was needed to help build a deeper understanding of the target audience, their needs and the customer journey for multipurpose lubricants

Our Approach

Bryer undertook a three stage study

1. Online quantitative survey to profile the ‘prosumer’ market and understand their buyer behaviours – Who they are, where they shop, what brands they use, and what motivates them to use them.

2. Qualitative depth interviews with prosumers of the client's product to provide a deeper understanding of the target audience, and build knowledge about how users came to the product, and their experiences of using it

3. In depth interviews with retailers of the client's and competitor brand products to build a fuller understanding of how and why the client's product had started to expand and reach a wider audience.

The Outcome

The research helped to size and profile the target audience of prosumers, clearly identifying which brand and product attributes they prefer. This allowed the client to tailor their future communications to the right channels and highlight the key values of their brand product in a way that would meaningfully connect with the target audience

The study also highlighted the challenges faced by the brand in a relatively low engagement and habitual category. This led the brand to engage in a new campaign focused on raising brand awareness and developing new retail strategies in partnership with sales advisors to promote their product line

Further more the research identified key influence groups and the role older consumers play in educating younger consumers about the product category. This gave the client a clear bullseye target audience to focus on who in turn would influence a wider audience and drive further consideration and sales