Haystack Consulting

Human understanding. AI speed.
Creating value that matters.

We are your global strategic research partner


‍By blending human curiosity, inventiveness, hybrid research expertise - sensory, qualitative & quantitative research, advanced data science - and AI-powered capabilities. We bring clarity, confidence and long-term value as we deliver more than just insights. We turn complex human understanding, what people say, do, feel and experience (sense!), into clear, actionable business directives.

Quarterly insights

Our Virtual Audiences learning curve

How we learned, evolved, and unlocked their full potential. At Haystack, our ambition was simple: make qualitative research more agile, more inclusive of underrepresented voices, more scalable, and more accessible. That ambition sparked a journey. Today, that journey has led us to a powerful new capability: Virtual Audiences. But our way of working with Virtual Audiences did not fall into place instantly. It grew through curiosity, experimentation, and a great deal of learning. In this article, we take you along that learning curve, showing how our approach evolved, what we discovered along the way, and how Virtual Audiences now support us in faster and more flexible decision-making.

November 26, 2025
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Quarterly insights

From snapshots to journeys: Why temporal sensory methods matter more than ever

Consumers don’t experience products in a single moment. They experience them over time. From the first bite or sip to the lingering aftertaste, sensory perception is dynamic. Increasingly, our clients recognize this reality and ask deeper questions: How does flavour develop? When does bitterness peak? What happens after repeated consumption? This growing interest in dynamic measurements marks a shift in sensory thinking, recognising that static measurements alone no longer capture how product experience evolves over time. To truly understand how products perform in real life, temporal sensory methods are becoming essential.

February 25, 2026
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Quarterly insights

From hype to health — what’s really behind the growing curiosity for weight-loss medication?

Interest in weight-loss medication is growing. From medical professionals to social media influencers, we hear about it more and more. But where does public opinion stand in Belgium and The Netherlands?

October 30, 2025
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We know what your customers want

Sharing our expertise

Passenger Satisfaction Research at Brussels Airport​

Continuously improving products, services, and operations at Brussels Airport to meet passenger demands.

Haystack Consulting’s sensory consultancy services​

Haystack Consulting helps companies build and manage efficient sensory departments by providing setup, training, and ongoing support to ensure reliable insights and sustained success.

A strategic exploration of quality acceptance and perception in fruit retail

Identifying areas of improvement, devising effective marketing strategies, and ensuring a successful market launch.

Dreamfarm: spreading health & sustainability - reinventing plant-based spreads​

Reformulating recipes to achieve a Nutri-Score A without compromising on taste or consumer liking.

M Museum​

Combining senses and art to create multi-sensory exhibitions that enrich experiences and evoke emotions.

From MVP to sensory congruent energy drink​

Defining sensory attributes, using competitors as stimuli, and developing and optimizing the concept, pack designs, and recipes to launch Heineken's entrance to the market of energy drinks.

IKEA – Furnishing the future of single households​

A study to improve housing access for vulnerable single-parent families.

Online beverage consumption tracker

Helping companies unveil their blind spots. A case on understanding away-from-home beverage consumption.

Treasure Hunt

Our game challenges teams to look further, dig deeper, and be creative.

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We tested with more than
‍2 million customers

We tested with more than 2 million customers

Whether you are a local, national, or international company, we understand where your audience is. Knowing people is our key to perfection. Let's make your brands and innovations a big success.

154+

Countries visited

200k+

Hectoliters beer tasted

1000+

Chocolate bars cheered

13+

Deep-dived industries

Don’t just take our word for it

"Great team to work with. Always innovating research agency for sensorial research!"

"Haystack brainstorms with us as a partner to create challenging, innovative, and custom-made projects."

"We have great professional experience with Haystack! They are reliable, dynamic, pleasant and highly flexible. They are specialised in sensory research among others."

"Haystack has a critical approach embedded in their company culture and methodologies. That is why we prefer to work with Haystack."

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Spirited since ’74

We are an insights and consultancy agency working around the world with offices in Belgium and The Netherlands. We are where brands go to become sensational.

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The latest buzz empowered with our marketing, data, and research insights

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May 27, 2026

Digital twins in sensory research

Keeping insight moving when reality gets in the way. Expert sensory panels are one of the most valuable sources of product intelligence in market research. They help companies understand how products perform, how formulations differ, and where innovation or quality improvements are needed.
May 27, 2026

Future-focused research to navigate change

What happens when an entire retail channel is forced to rethink its role for the future? What changes need to be made to retain relevant for future customer journeys (future shopping behaviour)?
May 27, 2026

What works, what doesn’t and why?

On June 11, Stefan Peters will take the stage at NIMA Marketing Day with a session built around one key question for marketers: How do you know faster what really works?
April 29, 2026

Why consumer closeness can’t wait

In a world overflowing with dashboards, sales data, AI and trend reports, one thing is still surprisingly rare: real human understanding. In my experience brands can know a great deal about consumers on paper, yet still miss what truly drives choice, relevance and growth in everyday life. That is why a consumer closeness program matters so much. It helps teams move beyond assumptions and reconnect with the people behind the numbers.
April 29, 2026

Ultrafast top-of-the-bill OOH billboards? The right mix of human & AI delivers.

By using predictive eye tracking, synthetic human in-depth interviews, and the expertise and creativity of our consultants, we are able to make highly targeted recommendations for the best choices and optimizations for OOH billboards in terms of visual simplicity, distinctive brand impact, and creative hierarchy. And we do so faster and more cost-efficiently. You will read exactly how this works later!
April 29, 2026

When traditional tracking isn’t enough: Using Virtual Audiences to understand the FMCG shopper

Recent reports show FMCG growth has been driven mainly by price increases, while real consumption remains weak. As inflation stabilizes, this dynamic is fading, and future growth will depend on increased usage, purchase frequency, and stronger category relevance. Meanwhile, consumer behaviour has shifted: shoppers are downtrading, buying smaller baskets, and adopting lasting value-seeking habits. Private labels and discounters continue to gain ground, reinforcing price-driven competition. For brands, this means growth can no longer rely on pricing alone but must come from genuine demand creation and better alignment with today’s shopping habits. Imagine that your brand tracker would show situational drivers of behaviour.
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