Consumer & Employee Insights Studio

When you want to understand the ‘whys’ behind something, or you want to dig deeper into underlying emotions that trigger decision behavior, focus groups or interviews are the best tools for in-depth discovery. Qualitative research is much more than a casual conversation but done well, that’s what it feels like to the respondent. While you may be thinking of a room with a two-way mirror or a Zoom call, and we certainly use those, we believe in going where the customers are and doing what is appropriate for the situation. Consequently, we have conducted studies with subjects in a variety of interesting locations:

• Kiddie pool 
• Sports Bar 
• Sitting around a fire pit
• In homes
• Sitting at the family dinner table
• Riding in the car
• On a train, monorail, bus, golf cart

Honesty? These are fancy words for seeing how people behave and react ‘in the moment’ and in the environment. It’s one thing for them to tell you what they would do, it’s another thing to watch and learn what they actually do and why – what drives that behavior? We’re naturally curious and embrace our inner chameleon to blend into the experience with them. This might mean we go into their home, or ride with them in their car, go shopping with them (Shop-along), or out to a restaurant (Dine-along) with them. In the case of cruise lines, we have perfected an onboard approach that allows us to document the ebb and flow of their entire vacation experience from initial booking and planning, all the way through their return home and receipt of final credit card bill.

While qualitative research tells you ‘why’, quantitative tells you ‘how many’ and helps to assess the magnitude of feeling, which is often necessary for critical decision making. Using both in tandem is usually most effective. We are ready to help you with:

• Concept Testing – You have a couple of ideas you think are great, but what about the paying customers? Will they buy it – why or why not? How much would they be willing to pay for it? 
• Market Analysis – How big is your market? Who are you competing with? How do you stack up?
• Customer Satisfaction – Not just ‘are customers happy’, but are they likely to recommend or repeat – what drives those outcomes? Which are most and least satisfied? What triggers can be pulled to improve satisfaction? What are your pain points (WOEs) – and moments of delight (WOWs)? How are problems handled?

Focusing on employee perceptions and attitudes is key to understanding organizational health. We are ready to help you with:

• Employee Engagement – What inspires them to give their best? Do they have what they need to give their best? How do they feel about you as an employer? What do they say about you both as a place to work and the product you deliver? (Never underestimate the marketing power and impact of your employee base.) What do they think the customers want, what makes them happy, what tics them off – employees are often a key source of this kind of information and they feel valued when asked!
• Employee Recruitment and Retention – What attracts them to your business and what are the drivers of their likelihood to ‘stick’? How do you stack up against other employment options?