Understanding the past, present and future of coffee machine segments across multiple markets and languages

Our client is a major manufacturer of coffee machines – from fully automatic to entirely manual machines, from $200 entry level machines to $3300 machines. The business wanted to understand how individuals journeys evolved over their lifetime, the drivers / barriers thereof, with a view to informing the next range of machines. Unique in approach, this was less about ‘marketing’ and more about informing design of machine.

A dual qualitative and quantitative approach was undertaken, involving exploration across Australia, Germany and America. The study investigated their first machine, previous, current, and anticipated future machine, needs and drivers to unpack journeys.

The research used Sankey diagrams (or alluvial diagrams) to understand the most common journeys undertaken (between types of machine, value, and brand), revealing the drivers that might encourage one to move through. Critically, the research, while potentially incredibly complex given the layers of machine type, value, brand, need, persona and market, was distilled to clear guidance on direction of informing the next wave of developing machines.