When the brand team has to know consumers, not just know about consumers
Most food and drink brands commission consumer immersion reactively rather than continuously. A specific consumer question arises (we need to understand this audience better), a brief gets scoped, an immersion project happens, the team gets re-energised about consumer connection, and then six months pass before the next project. Between projects, the brand team drifts back into category and competitive thinking rather than consumer thinking. The cumulative effect across multiple project cycles is a brand team that knows about consumers more than they know consumers.
The structural problem is that episodic consumer immersion does not deliver continuous consumer connection. Each project resets the consumer understanding for the duration of the project, then the understanding fades as the team moves on to other commercial work. Brands that need sustained consumer connection (because their commercial work depends on consumer-centric decisions across the year rather than just at specific decision points) need a different engagement model: programme-based rather than project-based, sustained rather than episodic, embedded rather than commissioned.
Consumer Closeness Programme is the specialist methodology for sustained consumer connection. The programme runs across the year with regular consumer engagement touchpoints (typically monthly or quarterly depending on engagement intensity), senior food and drink specialists embedded with the client team for ongoing consumer interpretation, and the integration designed for continuous commercial decision-making rather than for project deliverable handover. Output is ongoing consumer connection rather than periodic immersion findings, with the cumulative value compounding as the programme runs and the brand team’s consumer fluency deepens.
It is not the right tool for every brief. If the brief is bespoke consumer immersion scoped against a specific consumer question or innovation work, the project version of Consumer Closeness in Challenge 01 is more proportionate. If the brief is generic ongoing consumer subscription or wave-based tracking, Syndicate Studies covers ongoing context without the embedded engagement layer. If the brief is consumer research without ongoing programme commitment, our broader project-based services are structurally different. Consumer Closeness Programme sits specifically when the brief is sustained ongoing consumer connection embedded in brand operations across the year.
What we do differently
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Programme structure designed for sustained connection, not episodic immersion
The structural difference between the Programme version and the project version of Consumer Closeness. Project Consumer Closeness delivers consumer immersion against specific briefs at defined moments; Programme Consumer Closeness delivers sustained connection across the year through regular engagement touchpoints. The programme structure is what makes continuous consumer connection actually operational rather than aspirational, because the engagement rhythm is built into the brand's commercial operating model rather than commissioned reactively when consumer questions arise.
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Senior food and drink specialists embedded with the client team
The embedded engagement. Generic consumer research provides reports; embedded programme work provides ongoing interpretation alongside the client team's commercial work. Senior food and drink specialists work with the brand team across the year: regular interpretation sessions, ongoing access for consumer-related commercial questions, embedded consumer perspective in commercial decision-making meetings, sustained senior context that compounds over the programme duration. The embedded engagement is what makes consumer connection actually inform commercial work rather than sit alongside it as periodically commissioned evidence.
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Multi-format consumer engagement across the programme
The methodological breadth. Sustained consumer connection requires multiple engagement formats across the programme cycle: in-home immersion sessions, in-context observation, accompanied shopping and consumption work, virtual consumer conversation, ongoing access to specialist consumer panels, consumer participation in commercial planning conversations. The programme integrates multiple formats across the year rather than relying on one methodology, with the format mix scoped against the specific brief and the client team's commercial decision-making rhythm.
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Designed to integrate with project work and broader insight infrastructure
The integration commitment. Consumer Closeness Programme sits naturally alongside project-based Consumer Closeness (for specific consumer questions that warrant deeper bespoke investigation), Syndicate Studies subscription (for ongoing sector context layer), and Needs Landscaping (for category-level needs work that complements consumer-level immersion). The programme provides the continuous consumer foundation that other insight work builds on, with the integration scoped at programme onboarding rather than retrofitted across separate engagements.
Six commercial use cases, written as scenarios a buyer will recognise from their own brief. The aim is for the reader to see their question on this list and self-select.
Embedded consumer perspective for ongoing innovation pipeline work
You have an ongoing innovation pipeline (multiple connected innovation projects across the year) and need embedded consumer perspective informing the pipeline continuously rather than reactively. Consumer Closeness Programme provides the ongoing consumer connection across the pipeline cycle, with the senior team embedded in pipeline conversations and the consumer perspective integrated as the pipeline develops rather than commissioned only at specific innovation gates.
Sustained consumer connection for brand strategy and positioning work
Your brand strategy work depends on sustained consumer understanding rather than episodic insight (positioning evolution, brand expression development, communication strategy, premium positioning work). Consumer Closeness Programme keeps the brand team connected to consumer reality across the strategy cycle, with the senior team embedded in strategic conversations and the consumer perspective integrated as strategy develops rather than added retrospectively to confirm strategic direction already set.
Continuous consumer feedback loop for product and range optimisation
You manage a substantial product portfolio or range that needs ongoing consumer feedback for continuous optimisation rather than only at specific decision points. Consumer Closeness Programme provides the continuous feedback loop: regular consumer engagement on portfolio performance, ongoing consumer perspective on optimisation decisions, embedded senior interpretation throughout the year. Particularly valuable for portfolio brands and brand groups where consumer connection across the portfolio is commercially critical.
Consumer-centric culture building for scale-up brands
You are a scale-up brand wanting to build consumer-centric culture into your operating model rather than commissioning consumer work reactively when questions arise. Consumer Closeness Programme builds the consumer-centric infrastructure alongside the brand growth: embedded consumer perspective in commercial decisions, sustained senior food and drink interpretation, programme structure that scales with the brand. The cultural value compounds across the engagement duration in ways that project-based work cannot deliver.
Ongoing consumer context for senior leadership decision-making
Your senior leadership team needs ongoing consumer context for strategic decision-making (board strategy, investor updates, strategic planning, capability investment decisions, M&A consideration). Consumer Closeness Programme provides the leadership-level consumer context across the year, with senior food and drink specialists embedded in leadership conversations and the consumer perspective scoped specifically for senior decision-making rather than for operational insight work.
Multi-brand consumer programme for brand portfolio insight
You manage a brand portfolio or brand group and need consumer programme work scoped at portfolio rather than individual brand level. Consumer Closeness Programme runs portfolio-level engagement: cross-brand consumer connection, portfolio-level senior interpretation, consumer perspective on portfolio strategy and inter-brand decisions. The portfolio orientation is structurally different from individual brand consumer work and is commercially relevant for groups managing multiple brands with related consumer audiences.
Three programme formats. Scoped against the engagement depth and the brand context.
Consumer Closeness Programme flexes against the engagement depth and the brand context. The three formats below are the typical programme shapes, with the format selected at programme consultation rather than assumed. Focused brand programme for single brand engagement with defined scope; strategic brand programme for single brand with sustained advisory and deeper engagement; portfolio programme for brand portfolio engagement across multiple brands.
Focused brand programme
Single brand engagement with defined programme scope, typically annual engagement with monthly or quarterly consumer engagement touchpoints and embedded senior team integration. Cross-functional team scoped to the focused brief; programme architecture designed against the specific brand context; engagement rhythm aligned to the client team’s commercial operating model. The cleanest entry point for programme Consumer Closeness work and the most common format for brands building continuous consumer connection capability for the first time.
Strategic brand programme
Single brand engagement with sustained advisory and deeper embedded engagement, typically annual or multi-year with multi-format consumer engagement and senior team integration into strategic conversations beyond consumer work specifically. Suited to brands where consumer connection is strategically critical (premium positioning, complex consumer landscapes, strategic transformation contexts) and the sustained advisory adds substantial commercial value beyond the consumer programme delivery alone.
Portfolio programme
Brand portfolio engagement across multiple brands in the portfolio, typically annual or multi-year with portfolio-level consumer engagement, cross-brand senior interpretation, and portfolio-level integration with senior commercial leadership. Suited to brand groups or portfolio brands where consumer connection across the portfolio matters commercially (related consumer audiences, portfolio strategy decisions, inter-brand commercial dynamics). The portfolio orientation is structurally different from individual brand work and warrants the dedicated format.
Food and drink is all we do
We are not a generalist consumer insight provider running food and drink work alongside cross-sector services. Food and drink is the only sector we work in, and our senior team runs Consumer Closeness Programme engagements continuously across food and drink brands. The embedded engagement model depends on sector specialism that compounds over the programme duration: knowing which consumer behaviours predict food and drink commercial performance, knowing how consumer language signals in food and drink commercial reality, knowing where consumer perspective belongs in food and drink commercial decisions. Generic consumer insight providers can deliver embedded engagement; sector specialists can deliver embedded engagement calibrated against the specific commercial reality of food and drink brand operations.
That focus is why we work with 11 of the UK’s top 40 food and drink brands.
View our case studies
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Syndicate Studies
Specialist syndicate research for food and drink brands needing ongoing category and consumer context.
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Needs Landscaping
Structured consumer-needs mapping that surfaces the unmet, under-served and emerging needs worth commercial attention.
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Future Food Pipeline Builder
A structured methodology for building credible, sequenced, executable food and drink innovation pipelines.
Programmes that built sustained consumer connection at scale
Three real Consumer Closeness Programme engagements across different brand contexts and different programme formats.
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Biotiful Gut Health
Biotiful Gut Health needed three potential ambient territories validated before committing development resource. FIS Group investigated and defined each territory, developed concept iterations, ran quantitative consumer testing and built a DVF prioritisation model – giving Biotiful a clear, evidence-based view of where to focus first.
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Geeta's
Geeta's commissioned FIS Group to expand their portfolio into curry pastes and chutneys, building on a successful earlier partnership. We developed three new paste flavours in pouch format and a range of savoury chutney recipes, each rooted in authentic Indian flavour but designed for UK consumers and existing manufacturing capabilities.
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Valeo Foods
Valeo Foods needed to unlock new category opportunities through genuine retailer collaboration rather than conventional supplier presentations. FIS Group facilitated co-creation workshops with Sainsbury's, M&S and Tesco, generating a pipeline of sweet and snacking concepts built inside Valeo's development framework and ready for prototype presentation within months.
FAQs
Engagement structure and commercial purpose. Project Consumer Closeness delivers bespoke consumer immersion scoped against specific consumer questions or innovation briefs at defined moments, with the engagement focused on the specific brief and ending when the brief is delivered. Programme Consumer Closeness delivers sustained consumer connection across the year through regular engagement touchpoints and embedded senior team integration with the client team, with the engagement designed for ongoing commercial decision-making rather than for specific project deliverable handover. Different commercial questions: project work for specific consumer questions, programme work for ongoing consumer connection embedded in brand operations. Many brands commission both: programme work for ongoing connection, project work for specific bespoke depth.
Brand-specific depth versus sector-wide breadth. Syndicate Studies delivers ongoing sector-wide context through subscription wave research scoped at category, channel, occasion or demographic level. Consumer Closeness Programme delivers brand-specific consumer connection through embedded engagement with senior team integration into the client team’s commercial work. Different commercial purposes: Syndicate Studies for ongoing sector context, Programme work for embedded brand-specific consumer connection. The two services often run together for brands building comprehensive continuous insight infrastructure where both sector breadth and brand depth matter commercially.
Multiple specific integration mechanisms across the programme. Senior food and drink specialists join regular commercial decision-making meetings where the consumer perspective is commercially relevant. Senior team is available on ongoing basis for consumer-related commercial questions arising between scheduled engagement touchpoints. Regular interpretation sessions happen with the client team rather than as report handover. Senior team participates in strategic conversations and commercial planning where consumer evidence informs the decisions being made. The embedded engagement is what distinguishes programme work from research subscription, and is what makes consumer connection actually inform commercial work rather than sit alongside it as periodically commissioned evidence.
Multiple integration models depending on the brief. Some Consumer Closeness Programme engagements run with our senior team providing the embedded consumer connection capability that complements internal insight team commercial focus on other commercial decisions. Some run as shared accountability where our team and the internal insight team co-manage the consumer connection work. Some run as capacity augmentation when internal insight is committed elsewhere and external specialist capability is the bridge for sustained consumer programme work. We design the integration model at programme architecture stage based on the internal team context.
Annual programme engagement with the format selected at programme consultation: focused brand programme for single brand engagement with defined scope, strategic brand programme for single brand with sustained advisory and deeper embedded engagement, portfolio programme for brand portfolio engagement across multiple brands. Multi-year engagement available for brands where sustained programme engagement adds compounding commercial value. Engagement structure is scoped at consultation rather than fixed, so we can flex the programme against the brand’s actual operating model rather than against a generic programme template.
Yes, and this is built into the engagement model. Programme subscribers commonly extend programme consumer findings into bespoke project work when specific commercial decisions warrant deeper investigation beyond the programme scope: project Consumer Closeness for deeper bespoke consumer immersion against specific consumer questions, Needs Landscaping for category-level needs work, Future Food Pipeline Builder for strategic pipeline work, other FIS Group bespoke services depending on the specific commercial question. Programme subscribers get preferential terms on bespoke extensions, with the senior team continuity preserving the cumulative consumer context across programme and bespoke engagement.
Ongoing consumer connection embedded in your brand operations rather than periodic research reports. Specifically: regular consumer engagement touchpoints across the programme cycle (monthly or quarterly depending on engagement intensity), senior team integration into commercial decision-making meetings where consumer perspective is commercially relevant, ongoing interpretation sessions with the client team, sustained access to senior food and drink specialists for consumer-related commercial questions, cumulative consumer context that compounds across the programme duration. Documentation accompanies the engagement (session summaries, consumer evidence documentation, interpretation notes) but the deliverable is the sustained consumer connection rather than the documentation.
Programme engagements typically run as annual engagements (twelve months from programme onboarding) with multi-year engagement available for brands committed to sustained programme work. The annual cycle is the minimum meaningful engagement duration because the cumulative consumer connection value depends on sustained engagement rather than short-term bursts. Compressed programme engagements (six-month pilots) are available for brands testing whether programme work fits their operating model before committing to annual engagement, with the pilot designed to demonstrate programme value within the compressed window.
Yes, in markets where we have established sector relationships and consumer engagement infrastructure. UK and European programme engagement runs through our existing relationships and consumer panels. Selective US and UAE programme work for specific briefs where the commercial context warrants. International programme work has higher operational complexity than single-market because the consumer engagement infrastructure, methodology calibration and senior team integration vary materially between markets. We will scope international capability honestly at the programme consultation.
Programme-based, scoped against the format (focused brand, strategic brand, portfolio), the engagement intensity (monthly or quarterly touchpoints), the embedded senior team integration depth, the geographic scope and the engagement duration. Focused single-market UK brand programme is the lowest entry point; multi-market strategic or portfolio programmes are the highest. We give a clear, all-in programme quote at consultation with no hidden extras, and we will tell you straight if your needs would be better served by project Consumer Closeness, Syndicate Studies subscription, or another service combination at proportionate cost.
Got a brand where sustained consumer connection is what protects commercial performance?
Tell us what consumer connection your team needs, the commercial decisions consumer connection has to inform, the integration with your internal insight team, the engagement model you prefer and the timeline. We will tell you whether Consumer Closeness Programme is the right tool, what programme format makes sense and what it will cost. Where project Consumer Closeness, Syndicate Studies subscription or another approach would be better, we will recommend the right alternative honestly.