Insight-led growth strategy for new market expansion

This is a strong example of how we use deep consumer insight as the foundation for growth strategy, particularly when brands are expanding into new and highly competitive markets.

Challenge

Partner in Pet Food (PPF) is an innovative and trusted leader in the European pet food market, with more than 25 years of experience and a portfolio of high-quality, established brands. With ambitious plans to heavily invest in expanding one of their premium brands into the DACH markets, PPF faced a complex landscape with intense competition, multiple channels, and diverse consumer expectations.

To guide a successful strategy and future innovation, local consumer and market insight was critical.

Approach

Using mobile ethnography, we invited 70 premium pet food owners in Germany, the main market, to share their everyday pet routines, food drivers, and purchase behaviors — both online and in physical retail, captured in the moment during actual purchase situations. Participants also shared real-time product experiences with both competitors and the PPF brand, providing valuable insight into product perception, purchase interest, and potential barriers to growth.

To strengthen and validate the findings, we conducted quantitative research with more than 1,700 pet owners. This allowed us to quantify key opportunities, validate patterns observed in the qualitative phase, and confidently identify a number of strategic opportunity spaces and innovation directions.

From insight to strategy

The project culminated in a full-day co-creation workshop at Tetra Pak’s Innovation Center, bringing together expertise from across the brand and packaging ecosystem — including market specialists, sales, production, packaging, and marketing. The workshop added an additional layer of perspective and feasibility, ensuring insights were translated into actionable strategy.

Outcome

Following the workshop, we delivered a comprehensive report with:

• Clear and prioritized insights
• Strategic input to support international growth decisions
• A set of concrete innovation tracks to explore further

The result: a shared, insight-driven foundation for confident decision-making and growth in new markets.