In-home use test forWicky 

Wicky is one of the brands of the Refresco Group, the world's largest independent bottler of soft drinks and fruit juices, and has been producing fruit-flavored juices such as orange, strawberry, and apple since 1977. For years, they have produced the most popular juice box in the Netherlands. The small beverage packages (200 ml) have always included a straw. In the context of Corporate Social Responsibility and environmental protection, packaging with plastic straws has been prohibited since July 3, 2021. Consequently, Wicky also had to transition to paper, environmentally friendly straws. But which straw is most suitable for this purpose? Through an in-home use test, Markteffect assists Wicky in choosing among various manufacturers.

“We asked Markteffect to conduct research into the straw that consumers rated most positively. Naturally, we invest significant time and effort into creating the most delicious beverages, and the right straw plays a crucial role in this. We had both parents and their children try several straws, which provided us with a very useful research report. Furthermore, we selected a different straw than we initially had in mind.”
Moniek van Rooij – van Dijk, Marketing & Innovation Manager 

The optimal product for the customer

Wicky was looking for the optimal product for the customer. Which paper straw feels best in the mouth? Which one crumbles the least and which one alters the taste the least? Wicky could choose the most luxurious and expensive straw or, for cost reasons, the cheapest one, but ultimately it's about which straw the consumer likes best.

In order to influence the respondents as little as possible in their choice, an in-home use test was chosen. For the in-home use test, we recruited approximately 300 households from our own consumer panel to test the straws in their own familiar environment for quality, use, convenience, and mouthfeel. Wicky is considering three potential suppliers. Sequential monadic testing was used, so four packs per straw were sent to all participating families. After testing the straw, the respondent completed a short online questionnaire about their findings.

An in-home use test is a common type of research in the FMCG and food market. It is ideal for having consumers test a product under natural conditions and gaining insight into their assessment of a number of predetermined aspects. The nice thing about this research is that we had both parents and children taste the product and also looked at the differences in their assessments. We are pleased that we were able to advise Refresco on the choice of their straws based on reliable research!"
Michael Petit, FMCG Consultant

The strongest straw

The results show that consumers are generally positive about paper straws and that the majority of parents are willing to pay extra for paper straws. Respondents appear to be most critical of the mouthfeel and sturdiness of the straw. Opinions on these points are therefore the most diverse. Two of the three straws came out positively in the test, and Wicky used the research to select the straw that consumers found to be the most pleasant. Moreover, this was not the straw that was initially intended. Read more about the taste test research here .