A Competitive Landscape Demanding Deeper Insight
In 2019, Beyond Burger’s mighty campaign drove massive awareness for their plant-based patties, but competition from Impossible and others was fierce. Both brands were working to expand beyond vegan consumers to anyone seeking healthier, more sustainable options. Traditional hedonic measures showed similar liking scores across competing products, offering little actionable differentiation. Beyond Meat needed a clearer picture — one that revealed not just whether consumers liked the product, but how the real-life experience would actually shift purchasing behavior.
Behavioral Metrics in Real-Life Moments
Our behavioral experts designed an in-context benchmarking study rooted in real consumer moments. One hundred plant-based burger consumers purchased both their usual brand and Beyond Burger, then prepared and consumed each on separate occasions during typical mealtime scenarios. As they experienced each product in context, they completed evaluations using our patented Implicit/Explicit Test™ alongside sensory profiling and choice-based metrics.
This in-the-moment approach uncovered insights traditional surveys simply cannot. Beyond Burger’s strongest implicit benefit associations — “tastes like meat” and “looks like real meat” — outperformed the category average by 39% and 37%, respectively. The emotional analysis revealed Beyond Burger excelled at delivering happiness, excitement, and energy — emotions tied to grilling-out-with-friends moments rather than quiet family dinners. Meanwhile, “High Protein” connected implicitly with 74% of consumers, identifying a powerful on-pack claim to nudge selection at the shelf.
From Insights to Strategic Action
The behavioral benchmarking delivered a comprehensive SWOT with clear strategic direction. Beyond Burger achieved a remarkable 46% positive category LIFT after trial — revealing that the brand’s primary challenge was getting consumers to try the product, not improving the product itself. This single insight shifted investment priorities from product renovation toward awareness and trial-driving activities.
The study also identified key opportunities: lean into healthiness messaging, enhance the beef-like flavor profile, and improve shelf visibility by leveraging the product’s strong cooked appearance. These insights directly informed Beyond Burger’s packaging evolution — from early packaging that was hard to find on shelf to designs highlighting appearance, healthiness, and the grilling moment, ultimately improving findability and reinforcing the brand’s core strengths.
