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McBride NPD Case Study Vision One

McBride Product Development Research Story

The Challenge

McBride plc is a leading British-based manufacturing business and Europe’s largest producer of own-label household and professional cleaning products. To strengthen its portfolio, McBride developed a series of new product concepts across three categories: automatic dishwash, laundry and water softeners.

The challenge was to evaluate these concepts across three key European markets. the UK, France and Germany, and identify which ideas offered the greatest consumer appeal. McBride needed clear, comparative insight to prioritise development and tailor marketing opportunities by market and category.

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Research Objectives

The research was designed to assess the strength and potential of multiple new product concepts across categories and markets. The key objectives were to:

  • Evaluate consumer appeal of new concepts in laundry, automatic dishwashers, and water softeners
  • Identify which concepts delivered the strongest performance on key KPIs
  • Understand perceived uniqueness and unmet need by category
  • Compare concept performance across the UK, France and Germany
  • Provide clear guidance on which concepts should progress to development

Together, these objectives aimed to support confident, evidence-led new product prioritisation.

Research Approach

Vision One implemented a quantitative, multi-market concept testing programme using its proprietary IdeaProbe approach. The methodology included:

  • An online survey conducted across the UK, France and Germany
  • Targeting female primary shoppers aged 25–45
  • Each respondent evaluating up to three product concepts
  • Consistent KPI measurement across appeal, uniqueness and relevance
  • Cross-market comparison to identify local and international opportunities

This approach enabled robust prioritisation across categories and geographies.

Findings

The research delivered clear, category-specific insight. In laundry, a probiotic formula performed strongly on perceived uniqueness, suggesting potential for a niche proposition. In automatic dishwash, a 5-in-1 complete care concept outperformed all alternatives across key measures, highlighting a clear unmet need in the market.

Water softener results varied significantly by country, with the concept perceived as particularly unique in France. These findings demonstrated the importance of market-specific interpretation alongside overall concept strength.

Action & Recommendations

The insights provided McBride with clear, actionable direction for new product development across all three categories. By identifying which concepts and benefits resonated most strongly in each market, McBride prioritised development efforts and shaped tailored marketing opportunities, reducing risk and improving focus across its European innovation pipeline.

Qualitative Research Agency
Kendra Furey, Head of Brands (Vision One)

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