Client Story

How a Point of Emotion® survey exposed LaCroix’s 22-point findability gap

LaCroix is a top brand in a category the research calls extremely crowded. In-aisle intercepts asked sparkling water drinkers to photograph the shelf they were standing at, and found a 22-point findability gap between light and heavy users.

A woman in a sun hat and sunglasses outdoors, drinking sparkling water from a clear cup garnished with a slice of watermelon

At a glance

Client: LaCroix
About LaCroix: A top brand in the health-conscious sparkling water category, competing in a category the story describes as extremely crowded.
Solution: Point of Emotion® survey, Surveys On The Go®
Challenge: Push back against an increasingly competitive marketplace, and gain more sales.
Method: In-aisle intercepts triggered to sparkling water drinkers standing in the category, asked to photograph LaCroix and the options beside it.
Result: A 22-point findability gap between light and heavy sparkling water users, and a differentiation case built on it.

The goal

Pure, crisp taste and a fresh, juicy slice of watermelon.

Sparkling water is delicious. And LaCroix is a top brand in this health-conscious category. But, this popular brand was also facing a problem. Why? Their category is extremely crowded.

So, how will LaCroix push back against an increasingly competitive marketplace—and gain more sales?

Research was required

This is the time for a Point of Emotion® survey.

Simple. Talk to shoppers while they’re still in the aisles. Ask them to take pictures of LaCroix and other available options.

That’s how you find out about the competition—and their consumers—so you can continue to differentiate the brand.

To see exactly what shoppers want—and influence them to buy your brand.

Our approach

We used Surveys On The Go® (SOTG).

As the nation’s largest, highest-rated consumer panel, SOTG locates consumers in real-time. Here, the app looked for sparkling water drinkers inside of stores. They walked over to the category and SOTG triggered a survey to their phones.

And, because it’s an app, the client got:

In-store insights

SOTG intercepted shoppers in the store.

Behavior data

Was collected in-the-moment from shoppers.

Accurate data

Panelists targeted & validated via the SOTG app.

The results

Three readings of one crowded shelf.

Sparkling water lovers tend to drink multiple brands. To further differentiate, LaCroix can look into new packaging that stays true to core values and clearly stands out in the product category.

44%

of LaCroix buyers purchase Pellegrino.

43%

of LaCroix buyers also purchase Bubly.

38%

of LaCroix buyers also purchase Perrier.

Heavy sparkling water users see LaCroix in a great light. The work here is to find ways to connect with less engaged consumers and to bring them into the brands as well.

55%

say LaCroix offers better flavors compared to other brands.

45%

say LaCroix is unique compared to other sparkling water brands.

29%

of light sparkling users think LaCroix is unique—a 16-point difference.

Product findability is easiest for heavy users, who like the brand—and are under 35. As more brands hit the shelves, findability will decrease. So, a strong differentiation strategy will help here too.

54%

of 35+ were able to find LaCroix: 14-points behind ages 18-34.

51%

who didn’t identify LaCroix as their favorite were able to find it: 20-points behind loyalists.

49%

of light users were able to find LaCroix: 22-points behind the heavy sparkling water users.

About LaCroix

LaCroix is a top brand in the health-conscious sparkling water category — a category the research describes as extremely crowded, with buyers who routinely drink several brands rather than one.

About MFour

MFour solves the issues of data fraud and commoditization in research using validated consumer data and a groundbreaking end-to-end insights platform. Utilizing the 4.5 star rated iOS & Android Surveys On The Go® app, MFour collects validated consumer behaviors + surveys to gain deep insights into consumer journeys.

Find out what shoppers see when they reach your shelf.

Point of Emotion® surveys reach category buyers while they are standing in the aisle — not hours later, from memory.

Talk to an insights strategist