Innovation Consumer Research
King's Hawaiian had equity in a beloved product but an open question about where it could grow next. To expand into new categories and consumption occasions, the brand needed to stop relying on intuition and start listening directly to consumers, particularly younger ones who weren't reaching for King's Hawaiian outside of dinner.
NOTE: Out of respect for King's Hawaiian's confidential innovation pipeline, this project page intentionally omits specific product concepts, category strategies, and market data. Available to discuss in more detail in a private conversation.
We ran a multi-phase research initiative to get close to real consumer behavior across a range of occasions and life stages, then synthesized the findings into a clear set of innovation opportunities each grounded in consumer evidence, competitive context, and a realistic path to market for King's Hawaiian.
- Consumer interviews and in-home immersions conducted across Gen Z and Millennial participants
- In-store immersions executed to observe real shopping behavior
- Taste testing of product prototypes conducted with target consumers
- Expert conversations conducted to supplement consumer data with category perspective
- Cross-functional co-working session facilitated to align the team and prioritize opportunities
