Case Study
Industry: Petcare
Type of study: HUT
Location: UK
The Challenge
A leading pet food brand wanted to optimise their product offering by testing new recipes for their cat food range. Their objectives were to assess how much cats enjoyed their food in comparison to competitor products, and to identify key strengths and areas for improvement within their own recipes.
The Solution
We designed and delivered a 3-day sequential monadic home usage test (HUT), allowing cat owners to test two different products at home – one from the client’s brand and one from a competitor. Participants were assigned to cells based on protein type (fish or chicken) to ensure a fair comparison within the same flavour profile. Each product was trialled in isolation over consecutive days, and participants were asked to observe and report their cat’s reactions, behaviours, and preferences after each feeding.
The Result
All product samples were successfully delivered to participants’ homes, and fieldwork was completed on time with high engagement and strong completion rates. The client received clear, comparative data on product appeal, highlighting where their new recipes outperformed the competition and where refinements could enhance palatability. The in-home context provided naturalistic, behaviour-led insights that couldn’t be captured in a lab setting – giving the client greater confidence in the direction of future product development.
