The Impact of Market Research Analytics on Real-World Strategies

Last month, the GNMI and Master of Science in International Business’ students were privileged to witness a workshop on market research analytics presented by two esteemed ESCI-UPF alumni: Júlia Nadal and Pau Ribera.

Pau Ribera, who graduated in 2018 in International Business and Marketing, started the session by shedding light on Paulig, a Finnish family food company established in 1876, renowned for its inception in Helsinki and its initial focus on the coffee business. Ribera detailed the company’s evolution into a seller of high-quality food products across categories such as Tex Mex, Coffee, Spices, and Snacks.

He further shared his experiences working in the private label sector, particularly his role in overseeing Tex Mex & Wraps operations across different countries and clientele as part of the CRG team. During his presentation on the Tex Mex market in Spain, he emphasized intriguing statistics, revealing that nearly half of Spanish households had consumed nachos at least once in the past year, positioning Spain as the second-highest consumer of nachos in Europe in terms of market penetration.

Following Pau Ribera’s presentation, Júlia Nadal, who graduated in 2014 and has later specialized in applied neuromarketing, took the stage. With an illustrious career spanning organizations such as Nestlé, Pepsico, and Gallina Blanca, she currently holds Danone‘s Senior Category Management role. Nadal shared her insights into the challenges faced by her department in introducing Danone’s vegetable drink. She outlined the three main challenges encountered: formula, packaging, and pricing, and provided a detailed account of the strategies employed to overcome them.

Notably, the formulation challenge was addressed through a comprehensive study involving over 150 respondents, encompassing cow’s milk and cow’s and vegetable milk consumers. The results affirmed the success of the formulated product. The packaging dilemma was navigated by considering linguistic preferences, ultimately leading to a bilingual marketing approach combining English and Spanish.

The session provided valuable insights into the diverse facets of the food industry and corporate challenges. Once again, a heartfelt thank you to these esteemed alumni, and I wish them the best wishes for their continued success. Until we meet again!