Case Study: How Divine Chocolate Used Motives to Validate Their Premium Hot Chocolate Strategy
By Motives
- case study
- Video Analytics
- Video Research
- Innovation Research
- NPD (New Product Development)
- Price Optimisation
- Pack testing
- AI Moderated Interviews
- Conversational Surveys
Divine Chocolate, a Fairtrade company co-owned by Ghanaian cocoa farmers, was preparing to relaunch its hot chocolate as a premium product. The team needed to justify a premium price point to sceptical retailers, test whether packaging communicated both an ethical story and a luxury positioning, and gather feedback on seasonal flavours for 2026. As a lean team, they could not afford the lengthy timelines and high costs associated with traditional research agencies.
Divine Chocolate used Motives, an AI-powered research platform, to conduct a video qualitative study. The Marketing Director used Motives’ AI Research Assistant to design a complete discussion guide in minutes, applying capabilities including a price ladder framework and AI-moderated interviews. Motives recruited 20 premium hot chocolate shoppers as participants. The platform delivered video testimonials, thematic analysis, and strategic recommendations covering price, packaging, sustainability, and flavour within days, all within a single discussion guide.
The research provided price validation that was used directly in retailer presentations, with consumers rating the product as good value at the recommended retail price. Packaging findings prompted a design change to the front of pack after consumers indicated they wanted serving information included. Consumer feedback also provided clear direction on seasonal flavour prioritisation.
“Seeing real people talk about your product gives you an intangible closeness to consumers. In quant, people become numbers, but with the video qual study through Motives, I really feel closer to my consumers!” – Lydia Stubbins, Marketing Director, Divine Chocolate
Read the full version of this case study on the Motives website here.
