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The Opportunity
Im'peccable Chicken makes sous-vide chicken bites — clean-ingredient, high-protein, ready to eat. After appearing on Shark Tank, the brand scaled fast through direct-to-consumer sales and was preparing for its next phase: retail shelf placement. But the team had open packaging questions they couldn't resolve internally. Should consumers see the actual product through a clear pouch, or would a secondary sleeve with lifestyle imagery perform better? Where should it sit in-store — next to protein bars, in the deli section, or somewhere else entirely? And how should they position the product: as a grab-and-go gym snack or as something different? These decisions would shape retail packaging, shelf strategy, and go-to-market messaging. The team needed direct signal from the consumers they were targeting — busy professionals in metro markets who care about clean eating and convenience — not assumptions from a boardroom.
What Convo Found
Convo ran three AI-moderated sessions with busy professionals across California, New York, and Texas, all regular protein consumers who prioritize clean ingredients. The findings reshaped how Im'peccable Chicken thinks about its product. Clear packaging created a dramatic split across flavors: habanero and teriyaki performed well because consumers wanted to see the seasoning and found it appetizing. The positioning insight was just as sharp. Participants didn't see Im'peccable Chicken as a protein bar competitor or a gym snack. They saw it as a meal prep shortcut — something you toss into a salad, wrap, or rice bowl at your desk or kitchen counter. The natural price anchor wasn't a $2 protein bar; it was an $8–10 rotisserie chicken or deli meat. And when asked where they'd look for it in-store, participants pointed to the prepared salad and deli section — not the protein bar aisle. The study also surfaced that trial was the single biggest unlock: a friend's recommendation or an in-store sample would get them to buy, but a cold shelf encounter alone probably wouldn't.
The Outcome
Im'peccable Chicken walked away from this study with a packaging strategy backed by consumer evidence, not guesswork. Convo delivered a full research readout within 48 hours of the final session — including transcripts, themed analysis, and six prioritized recommendations. The team got a clear directive on packaging: move to a differentiated approach where flavored varieties use clear pouches to showcase seasoning. They got a repositioning framework: lead as a meal prep ingredient for home and office, not a gym-bag snack, and price-anchor against deli and rotisserie — not bars. They got a retail shelf recommendation: prepared foods and deli, where the product's format and price point make intuitive sense to shoppers. And they got a trial strategy: prioritize sampling and social proof over cold-shelf discovery, because this is a product people need to taste before they commit. All of it searchable in their Convo portal, ready to hand to their retail buyer or packaging partner as evidence that these decisions came from the people they're selling to.
