Generative AI is cranking out video ads at a pace that would have stunned creative teams a year ago. According to the IAB’s 2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy report, nearly nine in ten advertisers already use or plan to use the technology, and “GenAI creative will reach 40% of all ads by 2026.” The numbers are impressive, but they leave one big question unanswered: Do AI‑generated ads actually resonate with consumers?

Maybe you saw the recent story in Barron’s, which discusses the trend of more Americans cooking at home, trading down to store brands, and opting for fast-casual instead of fine dining.

This shift is showing up across the consumer landscape — not just in grocery. In beauty, household products, dining, entertainment, and apparel, people are rethinking what’s worth paying for, what feels “good enough,” and where to draw the line between value and experience.

Every news cycle brings something new to process. Economic pressure is building. Trust in institutions is slipping. Consumers are stretched thin, emotionally and financially, and many businesses are feeling it too.

In moments like this, it’s easy to pull back. Delay decisions. Play it safe. Wait for things to settle.

But the brands that will survive these strangely precedented-yet-unprecedented times, are the ones that stay close to the people they serve. The ones that choose empathy over assumption.

We often talk to clients who say their brands feel tired or dated. Maybe the look feels off. Maybe the messaging doesn’t reflect how the business has evolved. Whatever the reason, the instinct is often the same: time for a rebrand.

New colors. New font. New vibe.

But here’s the truth: a brand refresh won’t fix what you don’t understand.

So you've bought into the idea: consumer research isn’t just for validating campaigns—it’s the foundation of a strong, strategic brand. But what does that look like in practice? (Not sure? Read our previous post)

You don’t need a sprawling insights team or a million-dollar budget to get started. The most effective marketing leaders use focused, thoughtful research…

In fast-moving markets, brand is often misunderstood—reduced to color palettes, logos, or lofty vision statements. But brand, at its core, is how consumers perceive your business. And if you're not actively shaping that perception with real consumer input, someone else will.

Every now and then, a new research tool comes along that promises to change everything. Lately we’re hearing more and more about synthetic data: information that’s created by algorithms to look and behave like real consumer responses, without needing to ask actual people anything at all. It’s not science fiction; it’s already being used to model behaviors, predict trends, and simulate feedback in place of real research.

Let’s debunk a myth: you do not need a massive insights department to make smarter business decisions. In fact, some of the most nimble, high-impact research comes from small, focused teams—especially when they know how to ask the right questions.

If you work in marketing or innovation, chances are you've seen it happen: your team commissions a research study, receives a thick report full of charts and quotes, and then…nothing really changes. The insights feel interesting, but they don’t seem actionable.

Sound familiar?

Direct-to-consumer is having a moment. DTC sales accounted for around 1 in 7 e-commerce dollars globally at the start of 2024 (Nielsen).

And sure, the allure of cutting out the middleman is undeniable. Higher margins, total creative control, a direct line to your customers—what’s not to love? But before you pop the champagne and launch your brand’s sleek new e-commerce site, let’s pause for a reality check.

Going direct-to-consumer (DTC) isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. The landscape is littered with brands that assumed customers would flock to their online store, only to be met with…crickets. The brands that succeed start with a deep understanding of their consumers—what they want, how they shop, and whether they actually care about buying directly from you.

So, before you pour millions into a DTC operation, let’s talk about the four critical questions you need to answer first.

Consumer confidence, often a bellwether for economic health, has taken a notable hit. According to the University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index, February saw a seven-month low in consumer confidence. 

Historically, falling consumer confidence signals a shift in purchasing behavior. As economic uncertainty looms, households tend to cut down on discretionary spending, opting instead for essentials. This phenomenon plays out across sectors—luxury goods see declining sales, retailers report increased demand for private-label products, and service industries adjust to changing consumer priorities. The result is a market landscape that is both volatile and difficult to navigate.

Join us on Wednesday, February 12 for a 30-minute webinar where you'll learn how to make a compelling business case for research by addressing common objections like cost, time, and ROI. We’ll share practical knowledge on how research reduces risk, improves marketing efficiency, and drives measurable business growth. 

When we talk about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) these days, we tend to focus on AI and advanced analytics – and those things are great for establishing measurable goals that can be tracked in a spreadsheet. When we talk about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) these days, we tend to focus on AI and advanced analytics – and those things are great for establishing measurable goals that can be tracked in a spreadsheet. However, many business leaders overlook the role that human insights, gathered through qualitative research, can play in refining the way that a brand measures success.

When it comes to food, innovation is crucial for standing out on the shelf and on the menu. But too often, R&D teams rely solely on industry trends or product capabilities, overlooking what their consumers actually want.

We love a year in review as much as anybody, so to celebrate the new year, we’re recapping our top blog posts from 2024. From exploring whether gender is still a relevant datapoint, to dissecting the most common—and costly—brand evaluation mistakes, we aim to provide insightful thought-starters that help you make better decisions.

Picture this: it's the start of a new year, and your team is brimming with ideas for growth. But how do you ensure those ideas align with what your consumers actually want? That’s where a solid annual consumer research strategy comes in. 

This is your chance to learn how research can help you make better decisions, spark creativity, and get closer to your customers. Don’t miss out—register today!

The winter holidays bring a flurry of shopping activity, emotional highs and lows, and unique purchasing behaviors. As a general rule, we in the consumer insights business would tell you that this not the time to launch a major research project. However, there are exceptions to every rule.