Blog
 
      
      New Webinar Announced
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.
 
      
      Refine Your KPIs Using Qualitative Data
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.
 
      
      Food R&D: Are Consumer Insights the Missing Ingredient?
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.
 
      
      Our Top 5 of 2024
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.
 
      
      New Year, New Insights: 5 Steps to Building an Effective Consumer Research Strategy
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.
 
      
      Join Our Webinar: Choosing the Right Research at the Right Time
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!
 
      
      Holiday Research Is a Terrible Idea—Except When It Isn’t
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.
 
      
      Want to Win 2025? Invest in Consumer Research Now
It’s already Q4 and many marketers are staring down their remaining budgets for the year, trying to determine how to spend it all in a way that’s going to set themselves up for success next year. Well, here’s a hot take from an insights firm: If you’re serious about crushing it in 2025, now’s the time to double down on consumer research.
 
      
      How to Elevate Employee Engagement Using Brand Strategy
In the ever-evolving landscape of brand strategy, insights professionals know that brand success isn't just about consumer perception—it's also about how a company engages its employees. The growing intersection of employer and consumer brands reveals that the techniques used to engage consumers externally can also be highly effective with employees.
 
      
      Why Talking to People Who Don’t Buy Your Brand Could Be the Best Move You’re Not Making
We’re talking about flipping the script and spending some quality time with the people who walk past your store, scroll past your ads, and choose your competitors over you. Here’s why understanding the ones who say “no” can be just as powerful as knowing those who say “yes.”
 
      
      Who Has the Most to Gain from Insights: Innovation, Brand or Marketing Teams?
Our clients share a passion for insights but often sit in different parts of their organizations. Whether you're leading an innovation project, developing a brand strategy, or crafting marketing campaigns, integrating customer insights can result in huge strategic unlocks for your team.
 
      
      You Asked Consumers What They Think, But What About Your Employees?
Successful brands are always thinking about things through the eyes of their target audience. They want to know what these consumers want and need, how they feel, and what will motivate them to move from customers to brand advocates. Unfortunately, these same brands are not always giving their employees the same consideration.
 
      
      Struggling with Brand Voice? Four Ways to Find Yours
It’s never been more important to create an authentic and ownable brand identity. The ubiquity of social media has shone a spotlight on brands that have done the work to create and consistently execute a recognizable brand, while indistinguishable brands struggle to stay afloat in the vast oceans of social feeds.
 
      
      Is Gender Still Relevant in Brand Research?
It’s well-recognized these days that gender is more complex and multifaceted than the binary (male/female) construct most of us were taught as children. 1.2 Million adults in the U.S. identify as non-binary. Yet the concept of gender in research has been slower to evolve.
 
      
      Retail Insights: 5 Trends and How Research Can Help You Take Action
Innovation is exciting but it can also be overwhelming! Commissioning a research project is a practical, manageable first step to explore how significant the trend is for your business.
 
      
      Marketing Data: The Illusion of Precision
In the quest for insights and success, many marketing teams have become adept at analyzing quantitative metrics to guide their strategies. But let's take a moment to acknowledge the illusion of precision that often accompanies these numbers.
 
      
      Exploring Your Audience vs. Simply Having Customer Data
Quantitative data provides incredibly useful information about customers but has its limits. Audience exploration through qualitative research enriches your understanding by delving into the intricacies of human behavior.
 
      
      3 Brand Evaluation Mistakes You Should Fix Immediately
DIY brand evaluation attempts often produce less-than-reliable results. Here are the three most common mistakes and how to remedy them.
 
      
      Consumer Research + UX = The Best Customer Experiences
In the fast-paced world of digital product development, User Experience (UX) testing is often seen as the ultimate litmus test for product success. The UX field has exploded over the past 20 years, with a specialized focus on understanding users' interactions with digital products and services in order to optimize the user experience.
 
      
      Strategic Serenade: What Taylor Swift Can Teach Us About Branding
Hot off her record-setting Grammy win and with Super-Swift-Bowl Weekend upon us, we thought it would be fun to take a look at what we can learn from Taylor Swift about branding.
