Herta: finding the friction points no survey could see

The challenge: understand what surveys can't capture

Surveys and focus groups kept returning vague answers. Consumers were frustrated but couldn't say exactly why. We needed to see real behaviour, not reported behaviour, which meant going into people's kitchens.

My approach: ethnographic observation, then rapid fixes

1. Watch, don't ask. I designed in-home observations: real consumers preparing Herta products in their own kitchens, without prompts.
2. Spot the moments of failure. Observation revealed three specific moments, small handling errors with the packaging that led straight to frustration and waste. No survey had picked them up.
3. Turn insight into quick prototypes. Workshops with R&D and Marketing translated the findings into simple packaging and instruction changes, fast to implement, with no reformulation.

“The most expensive consumer insight is the one you skip. When people stop buying your product, they rarely call to explain why. Real, messy, in-home observation is how you find out.”Amandine Devergies