Sunflower Demo

Objective and context

6Seeds commissioned a qualitative demonstration of US Sunflower to understand everyday cooking usage, drivers and barriers, and the most effective levers to grow trial and repeat. In a seven-person Canadian sample, respondents consistently positioned sunflower oil as a pragmatic utility oil rather than a default pantry staple-used when neutral flavour, reliable heat performance, and low aroma are required.

What we learned (question-level evidence)

• Neutral flavour for defined jobs: Sunflower shines in sheet‑pan roasting, neutral baking, mayo, popcorn, and light stir‑frying. As Rachel Gagnon put it: “Sheet‑pan chicken and potatoes at 425, stovetop popcorn for movie night, muffins… homemade mayo once in a blue moon.”
• Price- and promotion-driven switching: Shoppers swap in sunflower when unit price beats canola. Megan Carter: “If sunflower drops on sale, I’ll swap it in for the week… Canola usually wins by a buck or two per litre.” One outlier (Emily Carter) did per‑tablespoon math ($0.05 canola vs $0.11 sunflower), underscoring the need for price-pack strategy.
• Freshness and package-size anxiety: Perceived rancidity risk pushes buyers to smaller formats. Rachel Singh: “I don’t buy the giant jugs… If it smells like crayons, it is done.”
• Label clarity matters to a subset: Technically minded cooks seek high‑oleic/refined cues for heat stability. Maya Wabano: “I try to grab a high‑oleic one-it smokes less and feels sturdier under heat.”
• Small‑space logistics and smell: Condo dwellers reject large jugs and lingering fryer aromas. Jasmine Reyes: “I’m not wasting money on a bottle that sits half‑used while the condo smells like a fryer.”
• Practical performance > online “seed‑oil panic”: Most dismiss internet alarmism and focus on taste, smoke behavior, and how fast the bottle will be used. Emily Porter: “Sunflower’s nice when I want neutral taste and don’t want the house smelling like anything while the kids are circling for snacks.”

Persona correlations and nuances

• Caregivers/young families (e.g., Emily Porter, Rachel Gagnon): Prioritize low smell, neutral taste, and quick wins; want smaller, safer formats and freshness reassurance.
• Small‑space/condo dwellers (e.g., Jasmine Reyes, Rachel Singh): Avoid bulk; seek odor‑minimizing, resealable “no‑drip” bottles that fit limited storage.
• Price‑sensitive shoppers (e.g., Megan Carter, Emily Carter): Highly elastic to promotions and unit price; loyalty requires value architecture and promo cadence.
• Attribute‑seeking professionals (e.g., Maya Wabano, Emily Carter): Respond to explicit High‑Oleic, refined, origin, and smoke‑range claims backed by evidence.
• Culturally influenced cooks (e.g., Maya Wabano, Jasmine Reyes, Rachel Singh): Use oils by role; sunflower fits “neutral frying/baking” within a broader fat toolkit.

Recommendations

Position US Sunflower as the kitchen’s neutral utility oil for sheet‑pan roasting at 425°F, neutral baking, mayo, and popcorn. Remove three adoption barriers: label ambiguity (make High‑Oleic/refined explicit), freshness anxiety (small formats, storage guidance), and small‑space logistics (no‑drip caps, low‑smell performance).

• Quick wins: Front‑of‑pack badge “High‑Oleic | Refined for High Heat”; on‑pack freshness cues (“Use within 60 days,” storage tips, “Opened on:” box); shelf talkers “Popcorn • Mayo • Sheet‑pan at 425°F”; promo parity weeks vs canola; QR to 60‑sec how‑to on storage, smoke, and 3 quick uses.
• Initiatives: Launch 500 mL Condo Pack with dark bottle and no‑drip flip cap; label clarity program (High‑Oleic, refinement, origin, smoke range); value architecture and promo cadence (500 mL entry, 1 L core, HO premium); cross‑merch with popcorn, baking, and sheet‑pan kits; performance validation vs canola to craft defensible claims.

Risks and guardrails

• Sustained price gap vs canola → Engineer small‑format costs, schedule parity promos, add cross‑merch value.
• High‑oleic supply/cost volatility → Multi‑source contracts, safety stock, flexible specs within performance guardrails.
• Claims compliance → Base on validated kitchen/lab tests; stick to performance claims.
• Retail space constraints → Pilot endcaps and cross‑merch to prove velocity before asking for permanent slots.
• Small‑pack margin erosion → Price‑pack architecture with HO premium; cap promo depth on 500 mL.

Next steps and measurement

1. 0–30 days: Deploy FOP badges, freshness cues, shelf talkers; schedule parity promos; launch QR content; finalize testing protocol.
2. 31–90 days: Execute first parity promos and cross‑merch pilots; complete performance testing; approve label reprint and supplier contracts.
3. 90–180 days: Pilot 500 mL Condo Pack in select banners; refine pricing/messaging; scale winning displays.
4. 6–12 months: Nationalize successful SKUs and promo cadence; monitor repeat and complaint rates; optimize mix toward High‑Oleic.

• KPIs: Trial rate ≥12% in pilot (8 weeks); Repeat within 60 days ≥35%; Velocity (≤1 L): 500 mL ≥7, 1 L ≥10 UPSPW by week 8; High‑Oleic mix ≥40% by month 6; Promo lift ≥+60% with ≥+10% post‑promo hold.