Qualitative Iterative Development and Optimization Culinary Research Center

2 2 What is QIDO ? Product innovation & optimization guided by customer insights, perceptions and senses. An efficient and effective research method used to validate and optimize food products and marketing. Combination of Concept, Appearance and Sensory testing to ensure products meet or exceed expectations. A better, faster, lower cost method to reduce cycle time and get new food products to market.

3 3 Benefits of QIDO Increase time & cost efficiencies from kitchen to restaurants. Iterative sessions allow for incremental refinements of concept, communications, appearance and recipe formulation over a short timeline during study. Qualitative insights into Why and How to optimize concept, product and marketing development. Actionable information put to use in real-time during study. Promotes culinary and marketing synergies during study. Incorporates best practices of research and culinary to ensure confidence in decisions.

4 4 Traditional Process Ideation Concept Focus Groups Concept Sort Survey R&D Product Development Qualitative Focus Groups (feedback against initial prototypes) R&D Formulation Revisions Field Test Central Location Testing (for validation) Marketing Focus Groups Example: Development in a traditional process usually occurs between research phases Concept positioning and marketing research conducted independent of product development

5 5 QIDO Process Ideation Concept Sort Survey R&D Product Development Field Test Central Location Testing (for validation) QIDO TM Concepts Menu Description Appearance Tasting/Sensory Marketing/Communications Development and optimization occurs during research The food, concept, positioning and marketing collateral are experienced as an integrated branded product.

6 6 QIDO Study Design Multiple product attributes, preference ranked by consumers. Winning concepts move forward to next round. Pre-determine food attribute variables and communications options for each concept version. Tightly controlled protocol development to track versions and ground respondents.

7 7 ideation Time Line Comparison Concept Sort Survey R&D Product Development Qualitative Focus Groups R&D Formulation Revisions Central Location Test Typical Traditional Development Process (for validation) Marketing Focus Groups Field Test Often times a 3 month or longer process ideationConcept Sort Survey R&D Product Development QIDO TM Concepts Menu Description Appearance Tasting/Sensory Marketing/Communications Central Location Test (for validation) QIDO TM Process 3 days per market of intense integrated development Field Test QIDO TM replaces and/or combines several steps in a typical development process accomplishing in three days what may otherwise take months

8 8 How QIDO Works: Session Process Respondents anchor position, preferences and suggested improvements using written exercise booklet Concept Preview Menu Description Product/Show Plate Appearance Tasting Comparison test of 2-3 versions of product and concepts during group Determine best and worst attributes for each version and how to improve the flavor profile, appearance and/or description. Determine most compelling marketing communications to take forward in next group. Incorporate Changes Culinary team adjusts prototypes based on input from one group to test in next group, and so on through successive groups. Clients Track Versions Track changes of each version in viewing room using a detailed tracking sheet. Name, Concept, Description, Appearance, Recipe Formulation, and concept preferences.

9 9 QIDO Is An Appropriate Process When You Want To: Improve Effectiveness Take out the guesswork in product innovation and optimization. Customers tell us what to improve and how Balance marketing expectation with sensory experience. Food product and marketing message are credible, consistent and integrated Incorporate marketing, consumer insight and culinary teams in product innovation to ensure successful product launches. Improve Efficiency Save time – development time to market dramatically reduced Save money – Integrated marketing and food research highly cost effective.