Judging Process
Cambridge Market Research
The consumer research is conducted by Cambridge Market Research, an independent market research company with more than 25 years experience in testing food and drink products. The company has a database of 12,000+ standardised new product evaluations conducted through its Fast Foodfax® Market Intelligence service covering more than 100 product categories, which is updated every 6 months.
STAGE 1 CONSUMER SCREENING OF INTEREST IN THE PRODUCT:
An on-line consumer assessment of each entrant in the context of the way they might browse and consider buying at their usual shop or supermarket:
- Each entry will be evaluated monadically (on its own)
- They will be shown an image of the product, together with details of its price, weight of pack, ingredient and nutritional information.
- It will be rated by a minimum of 100 consumers who are a mix of regular and occasional buyers into the category, from a spread of UK locations.
- Each entry will be scored on key measures of interest and acceptance, including the brand appeal and presentation.
- Scores are weighted by the importance of the advantages and features of the product as defined by the consumer, together with potential purchase intention. These would be aggregated into an overall rating out of 50 for each entry.
- Key responses are evaluated against the average scores from the Fast Foodfax and existing The Grocer Food and Drink Awards databases where available.
Entries progressed to the stage 2 product evaluation by an expert panel will be selected on their overall rating, plus the strength and importance of the features valued by the consumer.
STAGE 2 PRODUCT EVALUATION BY AN EXPERT PANEL:
Entries going forward to the 2nd stage expert panel judging will be evaluated by an expert panel of judges drawn from a range of disciplines including retail, manufacturing and marketing as well as those in food development and the media.
They will evaluate each successful entrant on its pack and presentation and its product qualities, covering 3 key areas:
1. Innovation - is it bringing something new and different to the category?
2. Packaging and Presentation - format, sustainability, design, on-pack communication, etc.
3. Product Performance - delivery on appearance, taste, texture, etc, as well against consumer expectations of the brand.
A summary report for every entrant
A one-page report is prepared for each entry incorporating these ratings and a written analysis - including illustrative verbatim consumer feedback - complete with a summary consumer verdict. This is reviewed and used as the basis for defining which products go forward to the stage 2 product evaluation by an expert panel of judges.
After the winners have been announced, all entrants are provided with a copy of this report. Cambridge Market Research is happy to interpret these findings with each entrant, exploring any diagnostic feedback that may help in future product development and optimisation.
