Haystack Consulting

Haystack Consulting is a global market research and consultancy agency, founded in 1974, headquartered in Heverlee (Leuven), Belgium, with an office in the Netherlands. The company has worked with more than 2 million consumers across 154+ countries, for brands including Coca-Cola, Unilever and JDE.

We blend human curiosity and creativity with hybrid research expertise — sensory, qualitative and quantitative research, and advanced data science — combined with AI-powered technology. This turns complex human understanding — what people say, do, feel and experience — into clear, actionable business direction for brands across FMCG, retail, banking and insurance, worldwide.

Our services:

• Strategy Consulting — We use data, technology and human insight to uncover the logic behind successful innovation, translating it into concrete growth strategies for brands.
• Ideation — We co-create new product ideas and concepts together with AI tools and consumers, aimed at meaningful innovation.
• Product Development & Testing — We test and develop products (including food, non-food and FMCG) through consumer research, blending creativity and data to craft products people love to use.
• Brand & Packaging — We build brands and packaging designs that stand out and connect with how consumers experience them.
• Sensory Research — We conduct sensory research (taste, texture, smell, sound, appearance) to understand how consumers experience a brand or product — including taste panels, central location tests (CLT) and home use tests (HUT).

We work with the latest technologies — AI, video and big data analysis — to uncover patterns others haven't noticed yet, and track brands, products and consumer needs through customized tracking systems.