Insight into usage and attitude surrounding your product through U&A research

A usage & attitude survey (U&A survey) provides insights into the orientation, purchase, and use of your product (category) among a selected target group. What deserves extra attention in product development or communication to consumers? Where are the opportunities for you as a manufacturer/retailer? Read how the U&A survey is conducted.

This type of research is particularly common in the retail and FMCG sectors. Usage and attitude research is conducted when there is a need to understand how specific products are viewed and evaluated. By investing in a strong relationship with your target group and translating insights into concrete actions, you increase the relevance of your product range and ensure tangible results. In most cases, this involves research into the product category, such as the candy category in the supermarket.

“We engaged with Markteffect to evaluate our marketing strategy, which is a comprehensive assignment. Markteffect brings out the gap between theory and practice for us by investigating the drivers and barriers of Jos Poell customers. The research was specifically tailored to our category and industry. However, the collaboration between Jos Poell and Markteffect is beyond research; thanks to their objective and critical perspective, they were the ideal sparring partner.”
Cyrille Berger, Marketing Manager Jos Poell

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In-depth insight into the customer journey and key drivers and barriers within the target group

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Practical recommendations that can serve as input for (revised) positioning strategies and/or marketing plans

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Can also be combined with additional (digital) shelf research

How is a usage and attitude survey conducted?

A usage and attitude survey provides insight into knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. It is a survey of the general assessment and use of a specific product or product category. It focuses in particular on the product, its use, and shopper segmentation. All relevant information about the product or category is requested.

  • Product: Refers to "what." All relevant information about the product or category is requested.
  • Channel and usage: Refers to "method." How is the product or category purchased and used?
  • Shopper segmentation: Relates to "who." Who is the shopper and who is the user? Can we distinguish differences in attitude and behavior?

Depending on your target group, we will determine together how the research will be conducted. The fieldwork method can vary for each study. This depends mainly on your target group. We mainly conduct consumer research through online surveys, and if your target group consists of business decision-makers, the fieldwork will often take place via telephone surveys or our own target group panels. However, because U&A research often focuses on drivers and barriers, it often has a qualitative component as well. Examples include group discussions or an online community.

We have access to an extensive consumer panel and a large panel of participants from the business community. The large size of the panels ensures that participants can only take part once a year. This keeps your research results relevant and accurate. Of course, we can also conduct usage and attitude research based on your own customer base. We would be happy to discuss the possibilities with you.

Some common topics in a usage and attitude survey:

Competition

How does your brand compare to its main competitors, and what can you learn from these insights?

Behavior

Has the consumer recently purchased a product from you or one of your competitors? What did the customer journey look like?

Customer journey

What does the purchasing behavior of your target group look like? Who makes the decisions and on what basis?

Drivers and barriers

Understanding the drivers and barriers that influence whether or not to buy your product

How does Markteffect make U&A research unique?

Both quantitative and qualitative research are suitable research methods for usage and attitude research. Quantitative research (online) offers the possibility to test consumer behavior and perception among a large sample, whereby research results can be highlighted both at the overall level and within different (shopper) segments. Qualitative research, for example through group discussions or in-depth interviews, offers the opportunity to gain even deeper insight into consumer motives and usage.

In addition, we also offer the possibility to zoom in more deeply on the 'where' and 'why' of purchases. As experts in conducting research in the food and FMCG market, we have already carried out many U&A studies for various product categories. We know our way around this sector and therefore know exactly what to look out for.

In addition, a Markteffect Next Step Session (interactive workshop) can help you interpret and implement the results correctly. This session is literally intended for the 'next steps' and ensures that the report can be used as effectively as possible, rather than ending up in a desk drawer.

What are the benefits of a usage and attitude survey?

We will consult with you to determine which aspects to focus on and which research method best suits your objectives and prior knowledge from previous studies. Using the hard figures revealed by the research, the report will serve as a guide to help your organization reach the next level. We ensure that you can make decisions based on the best and most relevant insights. The report is therefore an underlying document with advice and recommendations that reveal areas for improvement.

Ultimately, the report provides a concrete picture of your target group's level of knowledge, attitude, and behavior with regard to your product category and your brand in particular.

See what Markteffect can do for you:

Research methods

Curious about the methods available to answer your research question? Then you've come to the right place. View an overview of all our research methods here.

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Customer journey

What does the (current) customer journey look like? In a customer journey study, we map out the journey that a prospect or consumer takes to become a customer or...

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Food & FMCG

Markteffect built up extensive expertise in the Food & FMCG sector and has been conducting a wide variety of research projects for many years. Both rapid and standardized...

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Shelf research

A physical shelf study is a study into the perception and visibility of a product (category). The purpose of a shelf study is to gain insight into...

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Shopping segmentation

A usage and attitude survey (U&A survey) provides insights into the orientation, purchase, and use of your product (category) among a selected ...

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Business to consumer research (B2C)

Everyone is a consumer. So there is a good chance that your organization targets consumers. However, every consumer is different and every consumer has different...

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Similar cases

To give you a good idea of how a usage & attitude survey works in practice and what it can deliver for you in the end, we have put together a few interesting case studies for you. You may recognize some of the issues, because you have encountered them within your own organization, for example. 

Usage & Attitude survey:
Jos Poell

Product concept test:
Kalfire E-one electric fireplace

Taste test: Bavaria 0.0%

Frequently asked questions

What is a usage and attitude survey?

A usage & attitude survey (U&A survey) provides insights into the orientation, purchase, and use of your product (category) among a selected target group. What deserves extra attention in product development or communication to consumers? Where are the opportunities for you as a manufacturer/retailer?

This type of research is particularly common in the FMCG sector. A usage & attitude survey is conducted when there is a need to understand how people view specific products and how they are evaluated. In most cases, this involves research into product categories, such as the confectionery category in supermarkets. A U&A survey provides insight into consumers' knowledge of the category.

How is a usage and attitude survey conducted?

A usage and attitude survey, also known as a knowledge, attitude, and behavior survey, is a survey that examines the general assessment and use of a specific product or product category. It focuses primarily on the product, its use, and shopper segmentation. All relevant information about the product or category is requested.

  • Product: Refers to "what." All relevant information about the product or category is requested.
  • Channel and usage: Refers to "method." How is the product or category purchased and used?
  • Shopper segmentation: Relates to "who." Who is the shopper and who is the user? Can we distinguish differences in attitude and behavior?

Depending on your target group, we will determine together how the research will be conducted. The fieldwork method can vary for each study. This depends mainly on your target group. We mainly conduct consumer research through online surveys, and if your target group consists of business decision-makers, the fieldwork will often take place via telephone surveys or our own target group panels.

What are the benefits of a usage and attitude survey?

In consultation with you, we determine which aspects to focus on and which research method best suits your objectives and prior knowledge from previous studies. Using the hard figures revealed by the research, the report will serve as a guide to help your organization reach the next level. We ensure that you can make decisions based on the best and most relevant insights. The report is therefore an underlying document with advice and recommendations that reveal areas for improvement.

Who is Markteffect?

Markteffect is a strategic market research agency that serves as a one-stop shop for its clients. From our offices in the center of Eindhoven and on Herengracht in Amsterdam, our team of over 120 professionals works daily to uncover the most relevant data and insights for a wide range of clients.

We are part of The Relevance Group. The Relevance Group consists of several international agencies, each with its own specializations in market research, data science, marketing technology, and AI.

Read more here

How do I choose a market research agency?

A market research agency must be a good fit for your needs, but also for your company. We have a checklist of the important variables you should pay attention to.

Click here to download it.

<p>Patrick <span>Evers</span></p>

Patrick Evers

Client Consultant

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