How multi-territory insight gave this cat food brand the confidence to go bold
TL;DR
When a challenger cat food brand was preparing to develop and launch their new brand, they faced a decision that would define their identity: play it safe, or commit to something genuinely different. Customer iQ’s multi-territory research revealed that the bold route wasn’t just viable – it was the right call.
About the client
Our client was a creative agency developing the brand strategy and identity for a new entrant in the highly competitive cat food market. With established players commanding strong category loyalty, a new brand needed a sharp, distinctive identity to cut through – particularly one targeting a new generation of cat parents who think deeply about what they feed their pets.
The agency had developed two creative directions for their client’s launch: one bold and unconventional, one more accessible and familiar. Getting this right wasn’t just an aesthetic decision – it was about staking out a long-term brand position in a market where first impressions count for a lot.
The challenge we accepted
The agency was at a fork in the road. One creative direction felt safe and broadly appealing; the other was deliberately bold – the kind of brand that turns heads but carries real risk if it lands wrong. Committing to full creative development before validating either direction would mean significant investment on uncertain ground.
But beyond the practical risk, there was a deeper question: would cat parents – particularly the passionate, opinionated kind who care intensely about their pets – actually respond well to something this daring? The timeline was tight, the client needed confidence, and gut instinct alone wasn’t going to be enough.
How Customer iQ partnered with the client
We designed a research approach that could capture both rational and emotional responses to the two creative directions – because brand reactions rarely live in one dimension. Rather than a simple head-to-head vote, we wanted to understand the texture of how cat parents responded: what excited them, what gave them pause, and crucially, whether hesitation around the bolder route was genuine rejection or just unfamiliarity.
We combined an online survey with an online qualitative community, giving us the scale to identify clear patterns and the depth to understand the why behind them. Participants were cat parents across the UK and US – people with a genuine stake in the category and real opinions about brands that speak to them and their cats.
Research Methods Used
- Online survey (quantitative)
- Online qualitative community
Timeline Over a short number of weeks, we ran both workstreams in parallel across the UK and US, delivering findings efficiently within the agency’s launch timeline.
What we discovered
The crowd preferred the familiar – but didn’t reject the bold. At the aggregate level, the more accessible direction won out. But the headline number told only part of the story. Digging beneath it revealed something more interesting: the bolder direction wasn’t being rejected – it simply needed the right audience to land with full force.
Cat parents aren’t one type. Our qualitative community surfaced distinct attitudes and orientations among cat parents, and these mapped meaningfully onto creative preferences. Certain profiles – particularly those most engaged with the category – were significantly more receptive to the bold direction than the overall average suggested.
The bold route had real, untapped potential. Crucially, the research showed that the daring creative direction had genuine appeal among the audiences the brand most wanted to reach. It just required refinement in specific areas to maximise that appeal. This reframed the decision entirely: it was no longer about which route was “better” – it was about which route had the right kind of potential.
What happened next?
Immediate Actions
- The client and agency committed to the bolder creative direction, using research findings to justify the decision with confidence
- They refined specific elements of the bold proposition based on feedback from different cat parent profiles
- They developed the final brand identity with a clearer understanding of which audiences to prioritise in launch communications
- They entered full creative production with a shared strategic rationale – not just creative preference – behind the direction
Cultural Impact The research shifted how the creative team framed bold decisions – away from “which option wins” and toward “which option has the right kind of potential, and for whom.” That reframe shaped not just this project but the way they approach using audience insight to validate creative risk going forward.
Why this partnership worked
This engagement worked because we didn’t let research flatten nuance into a simple popularity contest. By pairing quantitative breadth with qualitative depth, we could show not just what cat owners preferred, but why – and what that meant for a brand with real ambition. Sometimes the most valuable thing research can do is give creative people the evidence they need to back their instincts.
Facing a creative decision that needs more than gut instinct? Let’s talk about what’s possible.
Ready to unlock YOUR potential?
Are you facing a similar challenge with understanding your market opportunity or customer potential?
Whether you’re preparing for expansion, seeking funding, or planning your next growth phase, customer intelligence can transform uncertainty into confident action.
Let’s talk about what’s possible for your brand.
