Nestlé is reshaping its approach to consumer research by integrating AI moderators into qualitative studies, significantly reducing project timelines while reinforcing the essential role of human expertise.
When Orgain, a Nestlé Health Science brand specializing in clean and plant based nutrition, needed to redesign its packaging for the Australian and Japanese markets, the company used AI to conduct and moderate consumer interviews. The cross market qualitative study, which typically requires long lead times and higher budgets, was completed in seven days. However, project partners noted that the initiative would not have succeeded without human interpretation and strategic input.
At the recent ESOMAR Congress, an AI voiced persona explained that AI can organize, summarize and detect patterns, but interpretation, prioritization and strategy remain human responsibilities. AI provides speed and scale, while human researchers convert findings into actionable insight.
How the Experiment Worked
To validate cultural and emotional nuances in Japan and Australia, Orgain deployed AI moderators trained with two localized personas. Each moderator guided 30 participants per market through a conversation under 30 minutes. The interviews explored consumer associations with the terms clean and health, collected first impressions of the packaging concepts and assessed emotional and rational reactions along with appeal, relevance and trust.
The project team described the collaboration using a kitchen metaphor with AI acting as the sous chef responsible for the fieldwork and human researchers serving as head chefs responsible for direction, briefing and final interpretation.
Read more: 10 Essential Market Research Tools for Brand Success in 2025
Petra Langen, Managing Director of Lifesights and a partner on the project, emphasized the importance of properly briefing AI moderators. She explained that the AI must understand the research objective and know where to explore in depth and where to remain high level. She clarified that the briefing process required human intelligence, while the AI handled execution.
Interview Experience and Outcomes
Participants reported a positive experience and said they appreciated the freedom to express themselves without fear of judgment. Nestlé and Lifesights have used AI moderators for three years and continue to see strong and consistent results.
Read more: Popular Footwear Brands in Bangladesh (Update)
The project generated a topline report within 48 hours, summarizing key themes by market. A full synthesis combining AI generated outputs with human interpretation was delivered within one week.
Best Practices for Using AI Moderators
- Calibrate AI personas for local language and cultural nuance
- Keep interviews short and conversational
- Use structured prompts while allowing space for spontaneous responses
- Always include human led synthesis to create meaningful insights
- Treat AI output as a starting point rather than a final conclusion
Read more: Popular Tiles and Ceramics companies in Bangladesh (Updated)
Nestlé’s initiative shows that AI can greatly accelerate consumer research while confirming that the depth of insight still depends on human judgment and strategic thinking.
