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Metcalfe Skinny FMCG Case Study Vision One

Metcalfe’s Skinny Brand Research Study

The Challenge

Metcalfe’s Skinny Popcorn, founded by Julian Metcalfe and later acquired by Kettle Chips, operates in an increasingly competitive, evolving healthy-snacking market. With a growing range of flavours and pack formats, the brand needed a robust way to understand and track its performance over time.

The challenge was to establish a clear baseline of brand health, monitor shifts in awareness, perception and consideration, and understand how Metcalfe’s Skinny was performing relative to competitors as the popcorn category continued to develop.

Metcalfe's Skinny Popcorn Brand Research Study

Research Objectives

The brand research was designed to provide Metcalfe’s Skinny with an ongoing, strategic view of brand performance. The key objectives were to:

  • Establish baseline brand health metrics within the popcorn category
  • Track awareness, consideration and perception over time
  • Understand Metcalfe’s Skinny’s position relative to key competitors
  • Identify emerging trends within the healthy snacking and popcorn markets
  • Provide actionable insight to support timely brand and marketing decisions

Together, these objectives aimed to give the brand confidence and clarity in a fast-moving category.

Research Approach

Vision One implemented a longitudinal brand tracking programme using repeated online consumer surveys. The approach included:

  • Eight waves of online quantitative research
  • Consistent measurement of key brand health KPIs
  • Tracking of changes in perception and performance over time
  • Analysis of category development alongside brand performance
  • Comparative benchmarking against competitor brands

This approach enabled Metcalfe’s Skinny to understand not just where the brand stood, but how and why it was shifting within the market.

Findings

Across eight waves of research, Vision One delivered a clear picture of Metcalfe’s Skinny’s evolving market position. The findings highlighted how brand perceptions shifted over time, where the brand was gaining or losing momentum, and how it compared with competitors in the popcorn category.

This longitudinal insight revealed both opportunities and risks, allowing the brand to understand the impact of market trends, competitive activity and internal decisions on brand health and consumer perception.

Action & Recommendations

The ongoing tracking programme gave Metcalfe’s Skinny an unparalleled understanding of its consumers, category trends and brand perceptions year on year. Armed with this insight, the brand was able to act quickly and confidently, ensuring decisions were evidence-led and that Metcalfe’s Skinny maintained a strong grip on its position within the healthy snacking market.

Snacking Research specialist - Vision One
Kendra Furey, Head of Brands (Vision One)

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