Major appliance manufacturer reduces risk from new product category launch
The Challenge
A major appliance manufacturer was preparing to enter the connected cooking category with a significant platform investment. The team needed to understand whether connected cooking features would provide durable value to consumers or fade after initial novelty, and how their approach compared to competitors already in market.
AnswerLab’s Approach
AnswerLab designed a three-phase longitudinal study combining comparative product evaluation, in-home diary studies, and follow-up interviews to measure real-world adoption patterns and value durability over time.
Comparative evaluation
Three connected cooking platforms tested side-by-side to identify differentiation opportunities.
Longitudinal in-home research
Two-week diary studies captured real cooking behaviors and adoption patterns over time.
Value durability measurement
Follow-up interviews assessed whether initial enthusiasm translated into sustained usage.
Key Insights & Results
Novelty fades but utility endures
Features tied to daily cooking workflows showed sustained engagement while novelty features saw rapid dropoff.
Integration trumps innovation
Consumers valued seamless integration with existing kitchen routines over technically impressive but disruptive features.
Business Impact
De-risked investment decision
Research findings directly informed the go/no-go decision on a multi-million dollar platform investment.
Focused feature roadmap
The team redirected development resources toward high-durability features, avoiding costly investment in novelty-only capabilities.
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