Case Studies

Our case studies focus on brands and products that provide lessons from real challenges and opportunities which you can use to inform business strategy. They are packed with detail including brand portfolio, pricing, and communications and marketing strategy, merchandising and distribution, and come with a check list of key lessons learned.

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Published: December 2023

Case study: PopCorners

With a revenue of $311 million, PopCorners is the third biggest corn snack brand in the US and has succeeded mostly thanks to a focus on the ever-important taste and texture. 

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Published: December 2023

Case study: Yakult (2023 update)

Yakult is one of the world’s oldest and most successful health brands. It has demonstrated the benefits of a highly-focused strategy and there are 4 important lessons from this extraordinary success story.

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Published: November 2023

Case study: Wipala

This Ecuadorian brand started as a university project and has evolved into a growing snacking business that connects to many of the most important market trends and proves the value of transparency. 

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Published: November 2023

Case study: Zrou

This Chinese maker of plant-based meat alternatives has created success by connecting the product to professional chefs and by constantly bringing out new products, thereby appealing to the Chinese consumer's ever-changing tastes and interests. 

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Published: November 2023

Case study: Graze (2023 update)

The Unilever-owned snacking company continues to struggle to get its sales back to pre-Covid and pre-acquisition levels. The brand started to lose money in 2019 and has not made a profit since. It’s a reminder that the snacking category has seen so many new brands and products over the last 15 years that it is now over-crowded and fiercely competitive.

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Published: October 2023

Case study: Laird Superfood (2023 update)

This maker of functional plant-based creamers and coffee saw impressive growth in its first seven years on the market, but has now stalled. Laird Superfood illustrates the value of a personal brand, and the vulnerability of basing your value proposition on ingredients.

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Published: October 2023

Case study: Morinaga Lactoferrin yoghurt

Morinaga’s lactoferrin yoghurt is one of the few functional yoghurts to succeed in Japan without FFC (Foods with Function Claims). Driven by research and consumer education the product has managed to establish itself in the market, but will need to increase its differentiation to survive in the coming years.

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Published: October 2023

Case study: Rest by Hy

Rest is a result of Yakult's Korean subsidiary Hy diversifying its portfolio to include a broader range functional dairy products. Launched in 2023, the Rest range offers a sleep care and a stress management product - both of which have been successful from the start.

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Published: September 2023

Case study: Celsius

Thanks to its positioning as something sporty and ‘cool’, Celsius has been a major fuel for the energy drinks market in many regions. The brand recently hit the $1bn revenue mark and saw a sales increase of 108% between 2021 and 2022.

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Published: September 2023

Case study: John West

The market leader in the British tinned fish market has shown many signs of clever innovation in its attempts to reinvent an uneventful staple category as a modern health food.

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