Case Study: Building a Flavour Innovation Platform for an APAC FMCG company

An international FMCG company needed to decode APAC’s rapidly evolving beverage landscape. They were looking to identify emerging flavour trends and shifting consumer preferences to guide product innovation and sharpen market positioning, helping them stay ahead of changing tastes in an increasingly competitive market.

Research Objectives: Key Questions We Answered

• Flavour Landscape Mapping: What does the region’s current and emerging flavour landscape look like, and which trends are gaining momentum?
  
• Consumer Perception Analysis: How do consumers emotionally connect with different flavours, and which flavour categories offer the strongest fit for new product development?
  
• Global Benchmarking: How do local flavour trends compare against evolved global markets, and what can be learned from international success patterns?
  
• Trend Prioritisation: Which high-potential flavour trends should be prioritised for local market entry?

Our Approach: AI-Powered Social Listening and Generative AI Analysis

We collected over 10.7 million social media mentions related to beverages across TikTok, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, forums, and blogs- capturing 24 months of conversation data from both APAC and North America for global benchmarking.

Using Signals GenAI – our system of validated, insight-based prompts – we prompted around flavour trends, emotional needs, ingredient innovations, on-market offerings and more. This efficient process, combined with the further local expertise of our regional insight teams, quickly provided a powerful categorisation of flavour trends and consumer sentiment.

Key Findings and Business Impact

The program uncovered a significant shift towards culturally inspired, health-focused flavours, revealing an opportunity for the company to innovate with traditional local ingredients in modern formats.

Our research created a comprehensive 3-year flavour platform pipeline, providing major savings in research costs and reducing market entry time by 6 months. The recommendation to develop modern beverages with a local twist positioned the client as trendsetters attuned to evolving consumer preferences.

To discover how Ipsos Synthesio can develop a customised flavour innovation framework for your team.