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Three steps to inspire insight action with insight activation

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:37:30 GMT

Too often, research projects end with a polished debrief that feels like a full stop. But if we want insight to drive genuine change, we need to turn that single dot into three…

Like the lifecycle of a butterfly, the beauty of market research becomes more obvious in its final stage. And without the metamorphosis into a butterfly, the life of insight might be short-lived, just like that of the caterpillar.

For insight to truly spread its wings, we need to think about activation. We need to make sure findings don’t just sit on a shelf waiting to be noticed, but fly through the business, sparking interesting conversations, and fuelling informed decisions.

At Boxclever, we see activation as a journey with three essential steps: bringing stakeholders with you, telling the story strategically, and translating recommendations into action.

01. BRING STAKEHOLDERS ON THE JOURNEY

Waiting until insights are fully formed before involving stakeholders can backfire.

It risks leaving them as passive listeners rather than active champions.

Instead, invite people in early and often. That could mean asking them to share their own hypotheses, experience live research moments together, or co-create the commercial story. Every time someone feels they are part of the process, the insight becomes theirs and with ownership comes momentum.

Of course, not everyone helps to move things forward. Some stakeholders are builders, pushing insight onto the agenda and connecting it to wider initiatives; others can be blockers, slowing things down (often unintentionally). The key is to plan for both — champion the builders and anticipate the blockers — so the journey continues.

02. USE STRATEGIC STORYTELLING

Storytelling has become a buzzword in research, but telling a neat story isn’t enough. In a world overloaded with content and data, we need strategic storytelling.

That starts by clarifying the higher purpose of the research. What’s the one strategic question every other question ladders up to? With this goal front and centre, you can filter the noise, focusing only on insights that truly matter.

From there, it’s about analysis with empathy — asking not just “so what?” but “so, what next?” — and delivering recommendations that are sharp, disruptive, and commercial. The aim isn’t to say more; it’s to say what will make a difference.

03. TRANSLATE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO ACTION

Insight doesn’t create change on its own. Once you’ve defined the so what and the now what, the next step is helping teams turn those recommendations into strategies and actions they can own.

That’s why we run activation workshops, collaborative sessions where stakeholders don’t just hear insight, but use it. Together, we translate findings into concrete plans, embed them into existing initiatives, and design behaviours that last.

It’s here that insight stops being a deliverable and starts becoming a driver of business change.

By bringing stakeholders along for the journey, telling your story strategically, and working together to translate recommendations into action, you create insight that sticks, spreads, and sparks real impact.

That’s what insight activation is all about.

Get in touch to find out more about our award-winning storytelling and activation solutions

How to disrupt the 'insight feed' with strategic storytelling

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:42:22 GMT

The insight activation journey is brave and disruptive. And it needs to be. As consumers we’re overwhelmed with content, and as insight professionals we’re inundated with data. How can you filter out the noise to cherry pick consumer insights that will have an impact on your organisation? How can you ensure that the insights you uncover will also disrupt the feeds of your colleagues and your C-suite?

PLAN FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE

Strategic storytelling requires deep consultation between agency and client to understand the strategic goal of the project. Ask: what is the ultimate question that all other questions ladder up to? It is only when you can identify and isolate this goal, that your research methodology, questions and approach can be crafted strategically.

Whilst most agencies offer storytelling as a tool to help land key messages, we insist on strategic storytelling to cut through with commercial impact.

Storytelling in market research is not a new concept. The ability to turn numbers into a narrative, to pinpoint the arc in your analysis, is undoubtedly a skill. However, storytelling has become mainstream in a way that has diluted its power. Asking ‘so what?’ of your insight is commonly the end point of a project, delivered in a neatly packaged and well-presented debrief. A professional and polite way to say the end. Except that it isn’t the end. Not even close.

To reach the real ending, we must return to the beginning. Let’s start-over.

When we think about storytelling, it’s important to think strategically. Strategic storytelling requires a considered, critical, and commercial approach from the outset and at each stage of the research project.

ANALYSE WITH EMPATHY

Take a step back to take in the bigger picture. Extend your ‘so what?’ to ‘so, what next?’ Have empathy with the findings but remain critical – if the insight doesn’t help to answer the strategic question, move it aside. Identify the key consumer insight(s) and craft with care: what is the habit/belief/attitude that is stopping the behaviour we want to unlock in pursuit of the strategic goal?

DELIVER LESS, NOT MORE

With the strategic goal front-and-centre, deliver recommendations that are packed with commerciality. Remember to disrupt the feed, don’t just add to it. Aim to say the right thing, not everything. Pair your strategic story with tailored insight activation for maximum impact.

The difference between storytelling and strategic storytelling is you, the client. Your commercial and contextual knowledge is the key to unlocking strategic thinking. So, next time you want to disrupt your own insight feed, or that of your stakeholders, step into the role of protagonist, not just narrator.

The end.

Or is it?

To hone your skills in strategic storytelling and learn to deliver impactful insight, get in touch with us today for bespoke training with our award-winning experts.

Activation; it starts with you.

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 09:58:54 GMT

Insight activation isn’t something that happens at the end of a research project, it’s shaped right from the start. Of course you know this, you’ve heard it all before. But have you heard that successful insight activation isn’t about timing alone, it’s about people? Specifically, it’s about you . Your mindset, your actions, and your willingness to plan for the end at the very beginning will determine whether insight simply lands… or truly lives on. Let’s explore how you can start the journey towards successful insight activation right now by adapting your mindset, actions and plan.

YOUR MINDSET: ACCEPTING THAT ACTIVATION STARTS EARLY

YOUR STAKEHOLDERS: BRINGING STAKEHOLDERS ALONG FOR THE RIDE

It’s scary to share our work when it doesn’t feel quite ready for public viewing. You want to create the perfect presentation for senior execs, backed by a thorough comms plan, but there’s a big risk in waiting too long to share. So, if you can accept that activation starts early, you can also accept that stakeholder engagement starts early as well.

When you involve stakeholders early and often, you transform them from passive recipients into active champions. That might mean inviting them to share their hypotheses, experience live moments with consumers, or shape the commercial story.

Every time you bring someone in, you make the insight theirs. That sense of ownership is what helps it move through the business and fuel real action.

Of course, not everyone will move in the same direction. On every project, there are people who create momentum and those who slow it down. As a builder, you help shape the journey and push it forward. You share ideas for how to bring the insight to life. You connect it to other initiatives. You make sure it stays on the agenda.

A blocker, on the other hand, delays, derails, or drains energy - often unintentionally - by introducing unnecessary hurdles or hesitating to involve others.

Your goal is to be a builder who is well aware of the blockers and how to handle them. So, let’s make a plan to do just that.

Activation relies on more than a strong methodology or a great set of deliverables. It relies on you, and your mindset.

This is the biggest challenge that most insight professionals face. You’ve been told that activation happens at the end of the project, that activation is an output, and that activation is an optional extra. In truth, the most successful activation journeys occur when you accept the opposite.

From the outset, you need to stop thinking, “What will we learn from the insight at the end of the project?” and start thinking, “How will I make sure the insight learnings are shared, embedded, and used to drive change along the way?”

And beyond how you think about activation, your mindset should reflect your:

Willingness to build: you want to shape the activation plan and actively spot opportunities to involve others in meaningful ways
Reluctance to block: you want to keep things moving by finding solutions rather than stopping for obstacles that don’t need to be there
Openness: you are ready to hear what the research tells you, even if it challenges your assumptions
Curiosity: you are ready to ask questions, explore connections, and look for new ways to embed insight in everyday work.

When you accept that activation starts early, your thoughts turn into actions. You don’t just receive insight; you help it to take root and grow.

YOUR PLAN: CREATING A ROAD MAP FOR SUCCESS

Activation isn’t something a single output can deliver, it’s a thread that runs from start to finish. By planning for the end at the very beginning, you:

Identify the right moments to bring the right people into the journey. Take time to understand the builders and blockers in your organisation, and how you will bring each along for the journey without going too far off-course.
Help choose deliverables that can be shared in the right way, at the right time. Understand the impact that different content formats have on different audiences. Decide what information is needed, when it is needed, and what actions you want to inspire by sharing it.
Ensure the insight doesn’t just make an impact on the day it’s shared but that it travels, sparks ideas, and drives change long after the project ends. Think about where the insight fits into corporate strategy and how it might help stakeholders throughout the organisation.

LET'S CIRCLE BACK TO YOU

Every project has a starting point and an end date. But the life of the insight is determined by what happens in between — and that’s where you come in.

When you plan for activation early, involve the right people, act as a builder, and show up with the right mindset, you give the insight its best chance to spread, inspire, and create change.

Insight on its own changes nothing. But insight in the hands of people who are ready to use it? That’s where the magic happens.

So, if you’re about to start a new piece of research, remember activation doesn’t start with a presentation, or a video, or a report.

It starts with you.

Connection isn’t a KPI. It’s a human need.

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:00:41 GMT

We talk a lot about connection in branding and marketing. But what does it really mean?

Lots of studies have proven that craving connection is hard-wired into us. It’s fundamental to our happiness. And yet, when it comes to branding, this is easy to overlook - and ‘connection’ is often reduced to a metric to chart, track, and optimise. Social media followers, or loyalty scheme members.

True connection is becoming increasingly difficult to earn. In a world where consumers are bombarded with messages, where attention is fragmented, and trust is fragile, brands are under pressure to do more than just show up at the right place and time. To show up and create a real sensation of connection , brands need to understand not just what people do, but why they do it, what they care about, what they need - practically, emotionally and socially.

Successful brands aren’t just selling products anymore. They’re platforms where people can belong, build relationships and share experiences - they’re part of the fabric of people’s lives.

Here’s how…

Some people want a long-term relationship with your brand. Others are just getting to know you. Some want utility. Others want inspiration. And some want both.

CONNECTION ISN'T ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL

Understanding these differences, and designing for them, is what separates good brands from great ones.

Think of the brand not as a logo or a campaign, but as a space. A community where people can feel seen. Where they can belong. Where they can connect - with you, and with each other.

THE BRAND AS A SPACE TO CONNECT

That’s a big ask. And it’s not something you can fake.

To get there, you need to understand the deeper motivations that drive connection. Not just what people say they want, but what they actually need . And how that changes depending on who they are, where they are in their journey, and what’s going on in their lives.

It’s not just about whether people say they feel connected. It’s about how, when, and why. And that’s where brand and comms research can be transformative.

It’s complex. But it is measurable - if you’re asking the right questions.

TRACKING WHAT REALLY MATTERS

Traditional brand tracking has its place. Awareness, consideration, image statements - they’re all useful. But they’re not the whole story.

Does your brand feel more authentic, more human?
Are you showing up when it matters most, and making their life easier or better?
Are you enabling consumers to connect with others, not just with you?

To really understand connection, brands need a tracking solution that is developed using deep, foundational understanding so it measures the relevant metrics:

These are some examples of key pillars of meaningful connection. And yes, they can be tracked. But only if your research is designed to capture nuance, emotion, and context - not just claimed recall.

Our Branding & Comms Centre of Excellence is built around this belief: that real connection isn’t a KPI - it’s a human need. And that fully understanding the people your brand serves it is the first step to earning it.

Reclaiming connection: harnessing the power of physical space

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 10:00:46 GMT

We owe a lot to the internet. It’s been the great connector of our time—sparking friendships, building romantic relationships, nurturing niche communities, and letting us reach further and wider than ever before. During the pandemic, it served as a lifeline, helping millions stay tethered to loved ones amid isolation.

But beneath the surface of constant connectivity, a new sentiment is quietly taking root. A recent study by BSI revealed a striking insight: nearly half of young people wish they lived in a world without the internet.

That’s right, the first generation raised fully online, is dreaming of disconnection. At first glance, this might sound like youthful contrarianism or run of the mill nostalgia. But as researchers, we’re attuned to the emotional temperature of consumer culture, and this isn’t just a longing for the past. It’s a reaction to a present that feels overwhelmingly digital and increasingly, disconnected from real life.

DREAMING OF DISCONNECTION

From algorithm-driven anxiety to influencer fatigue, and the ever-present unease about AI’s impact on their futures, young people are starting to pull the emergency brake on the digital world.

Retailers are transforming their spaces to host events, workshops, and social gatherings. Others are beginning to understand that a store visit is more than just a transaction, it’s a chance to connect. From the supermarkets launching "chat lanes" for customers who want to take a moment to talk, to cafes inside department stores seeing a resurgence, turning once-transactional spaces into warm communal hubs -physical spaces are being reimagined.

REIMAGINING RETAIL

Even disruption can be a chance to stop and recalibrate. When M&S suffered a cyberattack that disabled online orders, it was forced to redirect customers to its physical stores. A logistical nightmare and financial hit, yes, but also a rare opportunity. Shoppers browsing aisles, chatting with staff, and lingering in cafés and changing rooms may just have left with a deeper, more emotional brand connection, one that simply doesn’t happen through a screen.

What’s striking is the direction their nostalgia takes . Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t wistfully remembering their own golden years, they’re longing for eras they never lived through. Instant and digital cameras, physical magazines, vinyl records and early-2000s fashion trends have all made a comeback. So have ‘dumb phones’, an antidote to the smart phone that functions with minimal features and internet access. Phone free social nights (like the offline club ) are emerging in our cities, and gym memberships and social sports like padel are booming, offering not just exercise but in-person community.

As digital platforms continue to dominate retail strategy, driven by efficiency and convenience, it’s critical that we don’t overlook the growing emotional value of real-world experiences . Yes, respondents will still tell us they want quick, frictionless experiences, but by looking a little more closely at subconscious cultural shifts we can see a different picture emerge; now more than ever, consumers are looking for places to be seen, to be heard, and to be with others.

But here’s the catch: our physical infrastructure for connection is crumbling. Third spaces - those vital venues outside of work and home, like pubs, community centres, swimming pools, and nightclubs - are vanishing at an alarming rate. In their place? High-end coffee shops and exclusive gyms, accessible only to those with disposable income. Meanwhile, self-checkouts, click-and-collect services, and shuttered retail stores are stripping away the small, human moments that once defined everyday interactions.

And yet, brands that are listening—really listening—are starting to respond.

In a world that’s always online, the brands that also invest in offline intimacy, that create welcoming, inclusive third spaces, may just be the ones that forge the strongest future connections.

The illusion of connection

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 08:54:40 GMT

In the digital age, the concept of connections has been revolutionised and often misconstrued. Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have cultivated a culture where the number of followers someone has is seen as a measure of influence and association. However, this perceived connectivity is often superficial.

Similarly, brands with large numbers of customers or members in their loyalty schemes may mistakenly believe these individuals are deeply engaged brand advocates. In reality, both scenarios reflect an illusion of connectedness rather than the real thing.

Social media followers are frequently equated with real-life connections. The higher the follower count, the more influential (or well-liked) the person is perceived to be. Yet, having thousands of followers does not necessarily mean that all, or even most, of these individuals are genuinely engaged. Many followers might be passive observers or ‘lurkers’, rarely interacting with the content shared. They may follow out of curiosity, for entertainment, or from a fleeting interest that doesn’t translate to long-term loyalty.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA ILLUSION

Such ’passive engagement’ is a common phenomenon on social media. Users may like a post or follow an account but never delve deeper into the content or engage in conversations. These actions can often be superficial ‘vanity metrics’, driven by algorithms that promote quick and easy interactions. A user might double-tap to like a photo without any real investment in the person behind the account. This creates an illusion of connection, where the numbers don’t reflect the reality of disengaged and indifferent followers.

Brands, much like individuals on social media, often fall into the trap of equating numbers with loyalty. A large customer base or an extensive loyalty scheme membership may well be impressive. However, these figures can be misleading. High numbers do not necessarily indicate that customers are deeply engaged with the brand or its products. With brand interactions increasingly taking place online, rather than on the high street, there are even fewer opportunities to foster personal, human experiences.

BRANDS AND SUPERFICIAL LOYALTY

Loyalty schemes are designed to reward repeat customers and foster a sense of belonging and advocacy. Yet, membership numbers alone do not reflect true loyalty. Many customers might join a loyalty scheme for the immediate benefits, such as discounts or exclusive offers, without any real attachment to the brand itself. They might switch to competitors if better deals arise.

NUDGING CUSTOMERS TOWARDS MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

At Boxclever we’ve developed a suite of methodologies to identify exactly how engaged customers are with your brand. Critically, we understand that engagement isn’t a binary yes/no principle, so we map these points on a scale of engagement to show how far away from engagement they may be, and how difficult it’s going to be to foster a deeper level of connection. Our use of the Behaviour Change Model, for example, shows the psychological shift that must take place in a consumer’s perception of a brand, before any behavioural shift in engagement can take place.

It’s very easy to fool ourselves into an overly positive view of our customers’ engagement. At Boxclever we’re using rigorous, psychologically sensitive measurement tools to understand the true underlying nature of customer engagement, and overlaying a practical, action-focused framework to help our clients to foster deeper, more meaningful customer relationships.

We typically use the Behaviour Change Model in conjunction with a ‘nudge theory’-based measurement framework, such as the EAST model, which tracks how Easy, Appealing, Social and Timely a nudge must be in order to impact on customer engagement.

For individuals, this illusion of connection can be disheartening. It might lead to equating self-worth with follower count, fostering a dependence on external validation. People may feel isolated despite having a large online following, as the depth of interaction and genuine connection they crave remains elusive. The number of followers might inflate one’s sense of popularity, but it’s no substitute for the meaningful relationships built through true engagement.

True engagement is measured by the interaction quality rather than quantity. For brands, this means looking beyond just the number of loyalty scheme members or followers. Critically, brands must understand exactly how engaged (or disengaged) their customers currently are, in order to have a realistic view of the job to be done.

The power of 'connection' in a digital age

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:54:45 GMT

Human connections have always been at the heart of society. Whether we’re talking about personal relationships, customer experiences, or brand loyalty, our need to connect and relate to others is key to our happiness. But with technology being ever present in our lives, the way we connect is evolving. Rapidly. The challenge for businesses is not only to form and foster connections, but to fast-forward them in a way that remains authentic and genuine.

The tech landscape in 2025 needs very little introduction. From apps to AI, devices to data, technology underpins virtually every interaction we have with other people, and with brands. While there are undeniable benefits to technology, especially in bringing people together all over the world, it has also created a sense of distance between us. Endless emails, automated replies, virtual conferences and voice notes, all leave us feeling disconnected from the person behind the screen. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

Over the coming months, we’ll explore in detail how businesses can use technology to enhance, rather than hinder, connections; how creating inclusive and engaging customer experiences can facilitate these relationships; and how brands can build authentic bonds with their audiences, both on- and offline. Today we’ll introduce this theme to help you to start thinking about the power your brand has in forming, fostering and fast-forwarding connections.

HOW CAN YOUR BRAND HARNESS TECHNOLOGY TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS WITH CONSUMERS?

Businesses can use technology – as can we all – to bring people closer together. One way to form a connection faster is through greater personalisation. Generic messages and one-size-fits-all solutions create a disconnect from the start, as nobody wants to feel part of the crowd or like they are just another data point. Brands have the tools and technology to close that gap through personalised communications and offers, forming a connection from the very first interaction or encounter. Brands that make a person feel seen, valued and understood as an individual, will form a connection that can be nurtured for life.

Perhaps more challenging to understand and respond to than the tech landscape, is the growing need for inclusive spaces and experiences. Inclusivity – be it language options, physical accessibility, or cultural relevance and respect – is no longer optional. Accessibility for all should be table stakes for brands, whether that means providing screen readers at checkout, voice navigation in aisles, or mobility ramps as standard, every customer should feel welcome.

HOW CAN YOUR BRAND FOSTER CONNECTIONS THROUGH INCLUSIVE AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCES?

But more than this, brands can foster connections by making environments, experiences and interactions culturally sensitive. This goes beyond physical spaces that are fit for purpose for all, and includes recognising differences in communication styles, values, and expectations. From personalising messages to tailoring products, brands that can meet the needs of diverse groups, will foster stronger emotional connections, and be well on the way to a lifelong bond.

HOW CAN YOUR BRAND FAST-FORWARD A CONNECTION WITHOUT LOSING AUTHENTICITY?

The goal of most consumer-brand connections is to sell, and sell fast. There is a growing sense of urgency today that nudges us to click, scroll, and swipe our way through the world as quickly as possible. But while we’re all complicit in this high-speed consumption cycle, consumers won’t tolerate transactional relationships. They want authenticity. They want to feel a connection with brands that reflect their values. So, how do brands navigate the slow burn as well as the need for speed?

As technology continues to shape our lives, the importance of connection remains as strong as ever. As discussed in this article, brands have an opportunity to help form, foster and fast-forward connections, both physical and psychological, with their consumers. But with 43% of Brits finding it difficult to meet new people ( Opinium, 2025 ), there is an even bigger opportunity for brands to become the facilitators of connection between people. It is this lens that we will explore further in future blog posts, highlighting brands like M&S, Costa, and Specsavers, that have successfully facilitated connections with and between consumers.

The key is to fast-forward existing human connections whilst remaining authentic. In fact, authenticity, transparency and shared values will help to fast-forward the bond. Storytelling with purpose is a great way to communicate not just what your brand does, but why you do it. Sharing a brand’s purpose and values openly helps consumers to feel like they are part of something bigger than a transaction. The alignment of values, the respect for transparency, and the building of trust through this type of human-to-human communication, fast-forwards the connection to one of trusted transactions and long-term loyalty.

How to run workshops that drive action

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:29:38 GMT

Do your workshop objectives sometimes turn into obstacles? Do your findings feel flat the moment the session ends? Does the experience result in ticking boxes rather than taking action? Well, you're not alone and help is here!

A workshop is only as good as the people in it. Make sure you invite a cross-functional mix of attendees who can contribute to the objective. Don’t just default to the usual team tackling this challenge day in, day out. Less experienced participants can bring fresh perspectives, so don’t overlook them. In terms of numbers, we recommend 12 to 20 people. This keeps discussions manageable while allowing for effective breakout groups. Throughout the workshop, mix up teams to encourage new dynamics, collaboration and fresh thinking.

The environment plays a crucial role in setting the tone. Whether on-site or off-site, certain elements are non-negotiable: plenty of natural light, a spacious and flexible layout, and ample wall space for all those Post-its. If budget allows, an off-site venue can provide a fresh perspective and boost energy. But even if you’re staying in-house, small changes can make a big impact. Rearrange the room, introduce unexpected elements, and use stimulus like posters, videos, or rummage boxes to bring the insights to life.

As an Insight Activation Partner for some of the UK's biggest brands, we know the secrets to ensure you align, immerse, ideate, and activate through successful workshops. And while your objectives and challenges are unique, the recipe for success is not. Impactful workshops don't happen by accident, they're crafted to succeed from the outset.

TIP #1: PREPARATION IS KEY

GATHER THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

Here are my top tips for running workshops that don't just tick boxes but drive real engagement and action.

SET THE SCENE WITH INVITATIONS AND PRE-TASKS

Once you’ve aligned on the right team and space, give them plenty of notice and make the invite impossible to ignore. Think beyond the standard Outlook request. What’s the most memorable invitation you’ve ever received? Maybe it was printed, beautifully designed, or even included a scannable QR code unlocking more information. Set the tone early and build anticipation before they walk through the door.

We often hear concerns that attendees won’t have time to complete a pre-task. But we’ve seen huge value in setting a short activity beforehand. A pre-task kick-starts thinking, helps gather stimulus for discussion and can even spark a bit of competitive energy before the session. Keep it simple, engaging and relevant to the workshop’s objective.

At the start of the session, clearly outline the roadmap so participants understand the journey. Setting expectations upfront helps maintain engagement and ensures everyone is aligned on the objectives and process.

Workshops shouldn’t feel like an agency presenting to a passive audience. Collaboration is key — engage attendees as early as possible to ensure they feel ownership of the session. This could be through presenting back their pre-task, small-group discussions, or interactive exercises that bring the challenge to life. The best workshops shift perspectives, and the right tools make that happen. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so choose techniques that encourage new ways of looking at the problem. Whether it’s creative prompts, structured frameworks, or lateral thinking exercises, tailor your approach to the challenge at hand. But remember simplicity wins. Frameworks and models should be easy to understand and apply, if it’s too complex, it won’t stick.

Nothing grounds a workshop like real customer perspectives. If possible, bring real consumers into the room. It’s a powerful way to build empathy and connection. If that’s not feasible, video clips, audio soundscapes, or engaging insight summaries can help ensure customer voices are remembered and acted upon. Keep insights digestible and impactful so they don’t get lost in the process.

TIP #2: ENGAGEMENT MATTERS

REMEMBER THE THREE C'S: CLARIFY, COLLABORATE, AND CONNECT

FUEL THE BODY AND THE MIND

People will remember the food. Always. It’s worth investing in a mix of healthy, brain-fuelling food alongside those sugary snacks (yes, the mini Haribo packs are non-negotiable). A well-fed team is an engaged team!

TIP #3: THE END IS NOT THE END

END WITH CLEAR OWNERSHIP AND NEXT STEPS

Workshops can be full of energy but what happens after matters just as much. Make sure every participant leaves knowing what’s next. Ask them to write a personal pledge on what they’ll take back to their role or involve them in creating a roadmap for their business function. The momentum shouldn’t end when the workshop does. Workshops should translate what we know into what we do.

Workshops aren’t just meetings with sticky notes. They’re opportunities to create real change. By designing them with purpose, energy, and clear next steps, you can ensure they don’t just feel productive in the moment but drive impact long after the room is cleared.

Written by Alice Langthorne

Playing the long game of life

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 17:28:15 GMT

Highlighted in our latest consumer trend report, Health and Wellness Trends to Watch in 2025, is the trend ‘Focus on Longevity’. It describes how and why consumers are focused on long-term youth and vitality, causing them to search for ways to extend not just their lifespan, but also their ‘health span’. The goal is to live healthier for longer, and brands can help.

The Oura Ring gives consumers a discreet way to monitor health metrics like sleep, exercise, stress and their heart. They also provide data on a person’s metabolic age and heart age so consumers can work on reducing them.

NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, plays a vital role in skin health and overall health. NAD+ supplements are also increasingly being regarded for their claims to have a role in extending lifespan.

Consumers continue to reduce alcohol consumption in pursuit of long-term health benefits. The alcohol-free market is set to grow by 7% in volume by 2027 (IWSR, 2024). Botivo is an alcohol-free alternative that promises the depth of flavour.

Absolute Collagen offers multifunctional anti-ageing ingredients such as collagen and Vitamin C, proven anti-ageing skin ingredients, as well as benefitting bone density, muscle health mass and heart health, particularly important for women as they enter midlife.

There is a growing shift in the mindset of consumers towards preservation, with many wishing to take control of their own health. As the NHS continues to struggle and food companies come under fire for ultra-processed foods, this sentiment of individual responsibility is, in fact, likely to persist beyond 2025.

Empowered by this outlook, individuals are taking steps to safeguard their well-being, mindful of what they’re putting into their bodies as well as actively seeking preventative measures to maintain their mental and physical health.

‘Focus on Longevity’ is one of five trends in our consumer trend report, Health and Wellness Trends to Watch in 2025. To explore the remaining four trends, download the report for free today!

Brands should align with consumers’ aspirations for healthier, longer lives by sharing knowledge and positioning themselves as trusted partners. This is a great opportunity to foster consumer loyalty through engagement and a shared sense of purpose, with a huge potential to unlock new audiences – from the ageing population seeking health maintenance to health-conscious younger consumers who are already focused on proactive health management.

IN A NUTSHELL

BRAND EXAMPLES

OPPORTUNITY SPACE

 Written by Karla Rendle

Ensuring insight inspires and delights

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 17:28:14 GMT

Many clients still aren’t entirely sure what activation really means or how it can transform their projects. Like many agencies, we historically focused on activation as the final element of a project — creating impactful ways to take insight into organisations and ensure it punches hard, resonates loudly, and drives real change. But in recent months, we’ve recognised that activation isn’t just a concluding event — it's a mindset that spans the entire research process. Every touchpoint along the project lifecycle offers an opportunity to rally, engage, and inspire insight teams and stakeholders.

That’s why it’s critical to start crafting the activation strategy before the questionnaire or discussion guide is written — not after analysis begins. Activation doesn’t end when the debrief is delivered. In fact, the debrief should be the starting point for embedding insights, sparking change, and creating lasting impact. Successful activation allows insights to live on, evolve, and drive actionable value within the business.

Written by Alice Langthorne

WHAT IS ACTIVATION?

My hope is to have a transformative effect on everyone at Boxclever, ensuring that we carefully consider how we’re going to deliver insight from the outset, working closely with our clients to embed this philosophy and focus throughout each stage of the project. By not just thinking about ‘the deliverable’ in traditional terms, it helps to create more momentum around the insight from day one. The end result is insights that don’t just inform, they inspire, helping to drive change and empower businesses to act on what they’ve learned.

For some projects, a traditional PowerPoint report may suffice. But for most, activation can elevate the value of insights, ensuring they don’t sit on a shelf but inspire tangible action and cultural shifts. Our approach focuses on designing activation plans that meet the unique needs of the project, the stakeholders, the business challenge, and of course, the budget. It’s about being strategic, creative, and outcome-oriented from the outset.

WHY DOES ACTIVATION MATTER?

WHAT DOES AN ACTIVATION MANAGER DO?

My role, as Activation Manager at Boxclever and a non-researcher, is to approach activation with fresh eyes — not constrained by research methods but instead focused primarily on how the insights generated by the project will live and breathe within the organisation. My goal is to work with our Insight Directors and client teams to ensure that:

activation is not an afterthought at the end of a project – and instead is the golden thread woven through every phase,
we deliver insights not information, deliver stories not stats and deliver memories, as well messages.

TELL ME MORE

So we’re also on an Activation journey and have developed a flexible toolkit of techniques to ensure every project makes a real impact and a tangible difference to our clients. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach (because every activation approach needs to be fully tailored to the project objectives, internal culture etc), here are just some of the ways we help to bring insights to life and embed them:

• Human storytelling through video: Creating emotional, human-centred narratives that build empathy and drive action.

• Data dashboarding and visualisation: Delivering succinct, impactful, and emotive data stories that are easy to share and reuse across the organisation.

• Interactive microsites and bespoke playbooks: Developing engaging platforms that combine multimedia content to tell a cohesive story and provide on-demand access to insights.

• Immersion workshops: Delivering immersive, multisensory experiences that bring insights to life and make them memorable, taking clients on a journey that drives understanding and action.

THIS SOUNDS GREAT...AND EXPENSIVE

It really doesn’t have to be. We can ultimately adapt and tailor our activation approaches to suit any budget. The key thing is really all about the mindset. Activation is about having a true partnership between us and you.

THE SUCCESS OF ACTIVATION DOESN'T REST SOLELY ON TOOLS OR STRATEGIES - IT NEEDS PASSIONATE INSIGHT CHAMPIONS WITHIN THE CLIENT ORGANISATION, TO WORK ALONGSIDE US, RALLY COLLEAGUES, AND EMBED INSIGHTS WHEREVER RELEVANT.

One of the biggest challenges in the insight world is getting stakeholders to actively engage with research and work through what actions they should take off the back of it. Even with a super sharp debrief delivered by an all-time great presenter, it’s unfortunately all too easy for stakeholders to switch off during that session and for genuinely great research to end up gathering dust once that final debrief is delivered. While there are various factors that often influence the afterlife of a research study, the way in which that research is activated has a vital role to play.

We’re passionate about moving beyond the traditional paradigm of the classic PowerPoint debrief and have established a dedicated function within Boxclever that focuses specifically on how we activate the insight we deliver.

Why face to face reigns supreme

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 12:31:20 GMT

“A few short years ago it looked unlikely that face to face qual would bounce back significantly. But here I am, back in action. There is just nothing quite like being in person, in a room (with participants, clients, and partner agencies) to get the absolute best out of our research and enhance the depth of insight gained.”

Lucy has been asked by lots of clients about the rationale for in-person qual and sees the following as the key elements that you can’t necessarily get through other digital approaches...

Online qualitative research remains an invaluable approach in our research toolkit and, at times, is absolutely the right tool for the job. That said - the benefits of face to face shouldn't be underestimated.

ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT

Written by Lucy Hobbs

“Being physically present allows for a deeper connection and engagement with participants, leading to richer data collection.”

Sometimes when conducting qual online, respondents and observing clients aren’t necessarily always fully engaged, potentially distracted by things occurring in their environment, or keeping half an eye on the device they were meant to have turned off. From our recent webinar series exploring ‘Stolen Focus’, we know just how big a challenge this can be for people. There’s no risk of this happening in person, ensuring respondents and clients are fully engaged in the subject and paying close attention to what others are saying.

NON-VERBAL CUES

“Observing body language and facial expressions provides additional layers of information that can be missed in online interactions."

There are vibes that people give off and give away with their physical movements and expressions that aren’t always possible to pick up through a screen. This can yield rich insight in and of itself and present opportunities to dive deeper into why people may be reacting in a certain way.

REAL-TIME ADAPTATION

“Face-to-face settings enable immediate adjustments to the discussion flow and stimulus based on participants' reactions and feedback."

It's far easier in person to pick up on what's working and what's maybe in need of adjustment either on the fly or ahead of the next group.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

“Personal interactions strengthen relationships with clients, respondents, and partner agencies, fostering better collaboration and trust.”

That quick coffee beforehand, or chat 'behind the glass' can really help all parties better understand one another's needs. Not only does this help to build rapport, it creates a great environment for sharing ideas and building upon insights as they emerge through fieldwork.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

“Being in the same room allows researchers and stakeholders to be fully immersed int he participants' environment, providing context that enhances understanding.”

There’s nothing quite like going in to respondent’s homes to fully grasp their frame of reference and what makes them tick. The sights, sounds, smells don’t quite translate through a screen in the same way. The other benefit is the wider cultural context that the researcher absorbs from being in different physical spaces, whether that be the respondents shopping environment or the city/town in which they live. This helps to build a fuller more detailed pictures of our respondents worlds and often provides invaluable additional insight in itself.

As Lucy so wonderfully puts it:

“Observing body language, facial expressions, and being completely in the moment (with participants and clients) is where magic happens.”

The added benefit is that the intrepid qualitative explorers out there, our Lucy included, get to indulge their wanderlust. And we get some beautiful pictures in the bargain too.

Though it’s steadily beginning to fade in the rear-view mirror, it’s still only a few years since COVID-19 changed the face of research as we knew it. In many ways the legacy of that period is still around us. While there are some impacts that feel generally positive, like a more tolerant and progressive outlook on flexible working arrangements, other impacts are more subject to debate, like a tendency to default to meetings and debriefs and of course qualitative fieldwork online.

Nowhere was the impact of Covid felt more keenly than in the qual community, where a community historically built on physical in-person interaction and observation suddenly shifted exclusively online. While this brought certain benefits to the end client, from easier to observe fieldwork, to a broader pool of research participants, to cost efficiencies and certainly less travel, you couldn’t help but feel like something quite profound was missing.

Our very own Lucy Hobbs is recently back from living out of her suitcase for a few weeks, jetting off to Stockholm, Amsterdam, London… and even the spa town of Harrogate, all in the pursuit of customer understanding. She’s been reflecting on just this topic and some of the insights it unearths unlike any other approach.

Storytelling and the art of delivery

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:10:17 GMT

TOP OF THE LIST

Storytelling has become one of the top items on the agenda at Boxclever, with our recent strategy day being themed around the topic. As a business we recognise the importance of effective storytelling in insight, but equally recognise it’s not always that easy to execute.

A number of us recently attended the MRS Storytelling conference where we listened to a range of inspiring presentations on examples where storytelling was at the heart of the project, but the presentation that resonated with me the most was not a showcase of a recent study, but a practical guide on how to effectively communicate insight in a story-led approach.

It’s great to see examples of projects executing storytelling, but when it boils down to it, those practical tips and tricks for delivery are gold dust to any insight professional.

I am going to shamelessly tell my own version of that story…

IT'S EASIER TO COMPLICATE, THAN TO SIMPLIFY

Written by Christian Easdown

HAVE A PURPOSE

THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE SOMEONE'S MIND IS TO CONNECT WITH THEM FROM THE HEART

BE WHO YOU ARE AND SAY WHAT YOU FEEL

One of the principles to delivering any story is to keep it simple . That doesn’t mean that the journey you take throughout the project will be simple, but when communicating that insight, simplicity is key. Your audience should be leaving with a clear picture of the story you have told.

It is often the case that we fall trap to cramming everything we can into our work because it’s easier to complicate, than to simplify.

A story should always keep it’s purpose. It can be all too easy to lose sight of the end goal, what you want your listeners to focus on, and ultimately what your key messages are. Keeping the purpose requires a strict mindset. Only reporting on the points that matter can often be the hardest thing.

A good story should feel personal at heart. The importance of putting emotion into your work should never be played down. When you go into a presentation or a debrief session, how do you want people to feel at the end? What emotions do you want to elicit?

People hold onto feelings more than words. By creating those 'mood moments', your stories will be more memorable and impactful.

Finally, and one that particularly spoke to me is, be your authentic self . I am not a naturally extroverted person, I find large groups quite intimidating, but that being said, I relish the opportunity to deliver insight to clients – to hook them in and tell that story. Being shy and introverted is fine, just as long as you own your story. If you have passion about the story you’re telling, you will captivate your audience. People who naturally stand out are those who are being themselves.

These may all seem obvious tips, but I challenge anyone reading this to think whether they have achieved all of the above in your recent projects.

As a sector, we are constantly seeking new ways to visualise our data, but perhaps it is the most simplest techniques in how you tell your story that matters the most.

A recent survey from the Literacy Trust found that 536,223 children aged 5 to 8 do not own a single book of their own at home. To put that into perspective, that equates to almost 1 in every 5 children within that age group in the UK.

In my eyes, and I’m sure in many others, that is a shocking statistic.

One of my favourite things to do every evening is sit down and read a story with my children. I’m not going to pretend bed time is always a calm experience (as I’m sure many parents can relate to..!), but the look on their faces when they are fully captivated in a story is priceless.

But why are stories so important?

In the case of our industry, where data underpins everything that we do, choosing how to deliver that data can be the success or failure of a research project.

As researchers, we typically have all the ingredients we need to shape a story; business context, objectives, stakeholder engagement, research design, data collection – but it’s the synthesis and delivery of those ingredients that sets things apart.

Exploring trends and shopper behaviour in petcare

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:47:53 GMT

A PASSIONATE TEAM OF PET OWNERS

And bring new, fresh solutions to market that align with the ever-growing body of knowledge around pet health and needs.
And it is this focus on health, especially in the diet and pet food space that shows some of the most pronounced growth, not only from the leading brands who dominate this mature category, but from innovative disrupters who are newer to market.

Here at Boxclever, we’re a team of pet lovers. Whether dogs, cats or something more weird and wonderful, it didn’t take a pandemic for us to appreciate what pet ownership can gift our lives. As passionate, experienced researchers, we often have the joy of working with brands that reflect our interests – and we’re delighted that Petcare is one of the industries we get to frequently work with.

Across our work we’ve gained insight into the key trends and shifts in this market and what brands and retailers need to do to drive impact in such a complex, emotive and increasingly competitive space. So, as it’s National Pet Day, we thought we’d focus this week’s blog on one of our favourite topics.

WITH GROWING OWNERSHIP AND INCREASING SPEND, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS TO INNOVATE AROUND PETCARE.

Much like in the consumer market, evolving trends around health, wellness and personalisation has seen a wealth of new products and services come to market. With an increasing focus on ingredients, quality, supplemented foods and even specialised diet plans – the landscape for shopping pet food is increasingly complex and mirrors the ethics, values and preferences of pet owners.

And for those prioritising sustainability in their pet food purchasing, disruptor brand ‘ Grub Club ’ has you covered, offering ‘hypoallergenic insect-based dog food, perfect for sensitive tummies, itchy skin, and the planet’, good for pup and good for your values! But do brands like this really cut through in such a crowded category where shopping is highly habitual? How do newer brands resonate with shoppers?

Part of the challenge with this evolution in products and brand, comes an evolution in the language used; terminology such as ‘human grade’, ‘prescription diet line’, ‘therapeutic diets’ and ‘holistic pet food’ is increasingly present in communications- on pack and beyond. For shoppers whose traditional decision tree around pet food was likely to be comprised of factors as simple as age and then ‘wet or dry’, this shifting landscape creates a whole host of new opportunities for meeting their pet’s needs, but also new challenges for shoppers in making informed decisions at shelf.

CONSUMER TRENDS REFLECTED IN PETCARE

EDUCATION, CLEAR BENEFIT COMMUNICATION, AND CREDIBLE ENDORSEMENTS ARE KEY TO DISRUPTING INGRAINED SHOPPER JOURNEYS IF THESE NEWER OFFERS ARE TO STAND OUT.

We’ve spent many hours in the Petcare aisles of Britain’s leading retailers, exploring everything from navigation, findability, positioning, communication on pack, resonance, appeal… the list goes on. But when deepening our clients understanding of Petcare and specifically pet food, no longer is the physical store alone enough! As shoppers continue to turn online for a more convenient, value led and personalised shopping experience, pet food purchasing is also shifting online. According to Amazon strategists Venture Forge, in the last few years, Amazon’s sales of pet food have grown by 67% and their sales of wider pet supplies by 79%, with dog and cat food now generating £11.5m of revenue per month (£138m/year) on Amazon UK.

Taking this into account, brands and Petcare businesses need to not only understand shopper behaviour at shelf but also online, especially when engaging with an online marketplace like Amazon. And while usual heuristics like brand name may still steer shoppers towards leading brands, the innovation in the petfood market is creating an interesting new set of players.

With the likes of Tails.com, Butternutbox.com and Purepetfood.com coming to market, there are more ways to meet pet’s personal needs while also reflecting core shopper needs in this space with convenience, tailored pricing and discounting to drive value perceptions and encourage trial. And encouraging trial is the key lever here, in nudging shoppers to break out of their repeat behaviours and inspiring them to change.

SHOPPING JOURNEYS ARE SHIFTING

WITH SO MANY YOUNGER PET OWNERS ACTIVE ON THESE PLATFORMS, IT'S A ONE-TO-WATCH SPACE WHEN UNDERSTANDING THE PATH TO PURCHASE OR OPPORTUNITY SPACES FOR PETCARE BRANDS.

It’s also time to think beyond Vets and classic marketing as the only channels through which these main messages can be communicated to pet owners. Like in other sectors, social channels such as TikTok are increasingly playing a role in creating content and nudging inspiration for Petcare, check out #PetsofTikTok to see more.

With content ranging from ‘improving kibble’, ‘preparing raw dog meals’ and ‘perfect good boy treats’ amassing millions of views on the platform, social strategists Made by Extreme claim that it’s not necessarily the brand giants of the pet market that are showing up well on this platform, “it’s actually the ones who are creating bespoke content for the conscious pet parent, delivering informative, educational content and heroes about why their brand and product solves a pet problem that will succeed in communicating their offer”.

With pet health and wellness so top of mind for owners and such an emotional but every changing category, its important to keep up to date with consumer and shopper attitudes and behaviours in this space. With macro factors like digital, social, and wellness trends driving evolution in Petcare, research at both a brand and retail level is key to ensure stand out amongst the noise.

A GROWING MARKET IN SIZE AND SPEND

While the UK has long been a nation of pet lovers, the pandemic amplified levels of pet ownership, particularly in groups historically less inclined to take on the cost and responsibility of caring for an animal. According to the Pet Food manufacturers Association, ( reported via BBC ) “3.2 million households in the UK acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, largely driven by Gen Z and Millennials”.

In total, Statista ( reported via Hepper ) estimates that the UK currently has c.34 million pets and in 2020 alone, pet owners spent nearly £8 billion on their pets and related products. A value double the 10 years prior.

NEW VOICES AND NEW PLATFORMS EMERGE AS EXPERT SOURCES

Written by Claire Boorman

The anxiety, empathy, and art of ethnography

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 07:39:02 GMT

In his insightful session Joe introduced the concept of his own ‘ethno-anxiety’. I took this to mean the self-questioning around who and what makes an ethnographer. What constitutes ‘real’ ethno and how many hours of boots on the ground, and camera on the shoulder in lands near or far is enough to feel you are doing it right? Well, the answer is, there is no answer!

Of course, study and years of experience help – which the speakers and our team here have in spades, but I left reassured that ethnography, like all of the disciplines we touch in research is deemed a ‘lifelong’ practice. With the fundamental learnings and skills acquired through qualitative practice, we all can lean closer into ethnography and sharpen our skills in observation, active listening, and insight.

But there is of course more to being a good ethnographer than practical skill, which leads me to my next learning…

Written by Emma Kirk

Ethnography lends itself to certain project types; it best delivers for clients in discovering the unknowns, in spotting white spaces for innovation and in immersing into communities and cultures beyond our classic research boundaries. But these project types require thinking and feeling beyond the traditional question-answer dynamic.

When truly looking deeper into people’s lives, behaviours and experiences, we need to tap into arguably the most important skill in our research toolkit, our emotions. And, most crucially, our empathy . In my experience qualitative researchers tend to be empathetic creatures when we need to be, but it can be easy when focusing on a clear commercial focus to keep eyes on the end goal, the insights, the recommendations, the output for the client and their stakeholders. But ethnography requires a different mindset and a different process, one with more pauses and patience throughout the research journey itself. While we still need to deliver for our clients, wearing our hats as ‘business anthropologists’ in ethnography.

2. ETHNOGRAPHY IS FUELED BY EMPATHY

WE NEED TO WORK HARDER TO CONNECT THE HUMAN ELEMENTS TO THE BUSINESS STRATEGY.

Ethnography as such requires more time, more silences, more conflicting feelings and experiences for us as researchers to get to the crux of what we are seeing and hearing while building our understanding of how context is shaping people’s stories. This latter point is key, in not only the insights we take from these projects, but how we tell the story. In ethnography, perhaps more so than in other methodologies, we owe it to the people to not only respect them (this is a given) but to represent them with ultimate empathy, with respect to their truths and with recognition that while their lives and experiences might in some cases look very different to ours or our clients’, this showcasing of reality through an empathetic lens is ultimately what makes ethnography special.

Mark Hadfield, founder of ‘Meet The 85%’ built on these concepts shared by Ollie (Ipsos) in his session around a similar theme of representation beyond the cultural norms that generally shape our media. Championing for this type of work, these types of messages and this type of representation to be more present in the world of creative and advertising, Mark is using ethnography as a tool to bring clients closer to the realities of modern Britain outside of the London metropolis. So, while the outcomes of ethnography might not necessarily mirror the lived experiences of those commissioning it, seeing it, sharing it and feeling it is what can drive change and better business outcomes for those brave enough to watch. And this leads me to my final reflection…

THIS LEVEL OF CREATIVITY AROUND THE INPUT CAN LEAD TO BETTER INSIGHTS FOR THE OUTPUT.

When exploring ethnography, definitions vary but these sessions reinforced the notion that this discipline is both a noun and a verb. It’s a methodological research approach that we understand, can propose, can deliver, but it also should be a living creative ‘output’; a piece of ethnography that tells a story, that can be seen, heard and felt by the audience for whom it is intended to create change in some form.

Using a more creative conversation map as the input, (as opposed to a linear ‘guide’) in ethnography allows the space and freedom to be participant led, working towards the core topic of conversation and giving time to get there naturally amongst a wider set of areas that can all be influencing the topic but without directly leading to it. This reflects the journey I alluded to earlier; the fluidity, the empathy, the time investment to explore truths without being as structured as often can be the case in other research approaches.

Of course, for most of our work when it comes to outputs, film is paramount. We were reminded of the importance of capturing everything , keeping the film rolling across all touchpoints and conversations with people and, imperatively, spending as much time, if not more in reviewing and re- the footage afterwards to tease out the truths, the stories and the moments that will best communicate the findings. There is an art to this and we need to be mindful of this to do it well.

Finally, I left inspired to think beyond film alone as a creative medium for capturing and communication ethnographic work; sounds, imagery, photographs and physical items, much like we often use in our Boxclever workshops, were all demonstrated as ways to further bring rich stores and experiences to life, which leaves us with some brilliant inspiration for how we can create memorable moments in delivering these stories.

Overall, this session was a fabulous reminder of why and how ethnography is so special and why we as researchers are lucky to have the opportunity to experience it. If you would like to know more about how we can help you with your challenges around understanding people and culture, get in touch, we’d love to hear more.

SO, WHAT MAKES AN ETHNOGRAPHER?

Most people in the insight industry will have at some point in their career touched on the origins of ethnography and it’s rich history where academics watched, listened, and observed people in their natural environments. I would guess that many of us found the idea of this so compelling we were nudged to explore the research industry as a career, but few of us have had the opportunity to do ‘ethnography’ in the way we thought we might a la Margaret Mead .

3. ETHNOGRAPHY IS AN ART; BOTH IN INPUT AND IN OUTPUT

1. ETHNO-ANXIETY IS REAL

The team here at Boxclever are no strangers to getting out and immersing in people’s lives, whether that be spending time deeply ingrained in family homes for in home ‘cook-a-longs’, spending hours upon hours observing behaviours and social norms in supermarkets, boutique fitness spaces or travelling to the Middle East to immerse in coffee culture and the rituals and routines around it for Costa. Like all bright-eyed researchers who are passionate about understanding people this work inspires us, so I was delighted to recently attend the AQR’s ‘Ethnography Unveiled’ seminar which offered an exploration into ethnography beyond a ‘why, when, where and how’ approach.

Three sessions, brilliantly led by Oli Sweet (Head of Ethnography at Ipsos), Mark Hadfield (Founder of Meet The 85%) and Joe Bonnell (Ethnographer, Qualitative Research and Visual Anthropologist) deepened and stretched my thinking around ethnography and how to be more intentional when working with it.

Here are my three key reflections I took away from the day:

Why consumer psychology is a necessity in the research world

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 08:38:20 GMT

Written by Christina Tarbotton

Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort we feel when holding contradictory beliefs or attitudes. To alleviate this discomfort, we often seek to justify our thoughts and actions to bring them back into alignment. For example, maybe you’re on a health kick and someone brings doughnuts into the office (unfortunately this is quite a common occurrence at our office!)- you might eat a couple and then try to alleviate the guilt/disappointment by telling yourself that it’s not so bad for you, and that you’ll go for a run after work (or play 10 rounds of table tennis with your colleague). This is you trying to shake the discomfort of the intention-action gap that’s been created.

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Researchers should be aware of cognitive dissonance’s influence and design studies that minimize opportunities for participants to experience conflicting thoughts. In qual research, it’s also worth considering that cognitive dissonance can make participants feel quite uncomfortable and defensive, so to tread very lightly when addressing topics that might be sensitive.

The Halo Effect is a cognitive bias where our impression of a product, brand, or service in one area influences our judgment of other specific traits. Simply put, if we perceive something positively in one aspect, we tend to default to viewing it positively in other unrelated aspects as well.

THE HALO EFFECT

WHAT IS IT?

AS SEEN IN THE RESEARCH WORLD

This could manifest as an overly positive or negative evaluation of a product or service – look for consistently high scores across the board, particularly for well-known products, brands or services.

We have a couple of options here to help mitigate the impact of the Halo Effect: employing a blind test methodology will help to eliminate the impact of brand or price (for example). If we have a data set that we suspect is influenced by the Halo Effect, there are different kinds of analysis we can also run to downweight its impact (at Boxclever, we use ‘brand signatures’).

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

WHAT IS IT?

AS SEEN IN THE RESEARCH WORLD

Cognitive dissonance is never that far removed from participants who provide conflicting responses. I was once in a focus group years ago that was split into ex-smokers and current smokers. Both groups were absolutely insistent that health was a priority for them but their opinions on cigarettes were startlingly different (and as you can imagine, made for some very tense interactions).

FRAMING

WHAT IS IT?

Framing refers to how information is presented- the way statements are framed can lead individuals to perceive the same information differently. A medical procedure that has a 90% recovery rate is exactly the same as one that has a 10% mortality rate, but is viewed completely differently in terms of risk.

AS SEEN IN THE RESEARCH WORLD

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Researchers may inadvertently bias their studies by framing questions or information in a way that skews participants’ responses. For example, asking people to fully evaluate a concept before deciding whether they would be interested in purchasing can lead to results that have been overrationalised and so are not representative of the real world.

Carefully consider how questions are framed and the contextual information we give to minimise bias. Using neutral language and exploring multiple frames can provide a more balanced perspective.

OPTION PARALYSIS

WHAT IS IT?

AS SEEN IN THE RESEARCH WORLD

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Option paralysis, also known as choice overload or consumer hyperchoice, occurs when individuals are presented with too many choices, leading to anxiety and difficulty in making decisions.

In research, option paralysis can result in participants struggling to make choices, potentially leading to inconsistent or unreliable responses. Providing long lists for comparison in surveys is incredibly mentally exhausting for respondents and hinders their ability to make solid decisions.

Aim for simplicity in questionnaires- keep lists and options short. Advanced analytics such as max diff and conjoint are also effective for when we want to robustly evaluate a large set of variables without fatiguing participants.

Incorporating an understanding of these psychological principles into your research can both help make sense of human behaviour, and bolster the credibility of your insight to clients. These are a handful of examples amongst hundreds of different concepts- I still come across new principles regularly! As I mentioned, psychology is a particular passion of mine so for anyone who would be interested in learning more, feel free to reach out or check out the following reading recommendations below.

BOOKS

The Illusion of Choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy, Richard Shotton
Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell
Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy, Phil Barden
A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Leon Festinger

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

You taste what you see: Do organic labels bias taste perceptions? (Lee et al, 2013)
Reconstruction of Automobile Destruction (Loftus and Palmer, 1974)
The effect of hyperchoice on the consumer and the moderating effect of the brand: An application in the jewelry market (Larceneux et al, 2007)
When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? (Iyengar and Lepper, 2000)
An introduction to cognitive dissonance theory and an overview of current perspectives on the theory (Harmon-Jones and Mills, 2019)
The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice (Tversky and Kahneman, 1981)

Although I have experience in qual, quant and analytics, I have always been very much a quantie at heart – I love data, scouring for patterns and uncovering insights. However, every so often, I encounter research results that seem to defy expectations: products don’t perform as well as expected; actions deviate from intentions; and data contradicts itself. It’s in these moments that I’m reminded of the invaluable role that a solid grasp of consumer psychology plays in understanding human behaviour and decision-making.

My personal introduction to consumer psychology happened back in university. I was majoring in Marketing with Psychology, but it was when I started my consumer psychology module that things just clicked. Suddenly, I was learning principles that helped connect the dots in behaviour that had previously seemed to defy common sense. In the years since, I have come across many psychological principles that I see appear over and over again in research data. So, if you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head at your research results, I encourage you to review a couple of the below examples and have a think if any of these might hold the key to the insights you’ve been searching for.

Is brand tracking an expensive way to see nothing change?

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 09:11:49 GMT

1. LOOK AGAIN AT WHAT YOU'RE MEASURING

In our rapidly evolving business landscape, flexibility is key. While consistency on KPIs is obviously essential for reliable results, having a flexible section that you can adapt throughout the year can be invaluable. This allows you to respond to any emerging category trends and promptly address burning business questions in an efficient and cost-effective way. It helps to ensure your brand tracker remains relevant, up-to-date and a great source of fresh insight, even in constantly shifting environments.

Written by Charlotte Andrews

2. BE FLEXIBLE AND FRESH

Be focused and specific about what you track. It’s not a competition to monitor as many metrics as possible. Instead, it’s about selecting metrics that truly matter and align with your brand’s objectives. Don’t hesitate to challenge your own and stakeholders’ assumptions. Every brand tracker should be unique, finely tuned to your specific needs. Less can be more on a brand tracker, but don’t track for historical reasons, review regularly and track the things that the business care about!

Create a strategic narrative. We’ve all seen tracking reports that feature slide after slide of what feels like the same chart, cut by every audience. When the data doesn’t really move that much (as is often the case), it’s not exactly all that interesting. The key is to avoid overwhelming with endless charts and figures that leave people wondering, “So what?” Instead the emphasis should always be on crafting a strategic narrative that highlights your brand’s opportunities, key focus areas, and delivers results for hypotheses and communications. Offer your clients fresh, invaluable insights that inspire action.

Linked to the above, while monthly reporting might be the norm, but it’s not always the most suitable choice. If your industry moves slowly or your brand experiences minimal campaign activity or changes, quarterly or even half-yearly dips are often more than sufficient. Avoid the trap of producing monthly reports that reveal minimal changes and waste precious research budgets. Tailor the frequency to individual needs and environments for maximum insight and value.

4. MATCH YOUR BRAND'S HEARTBEAT

While some may appreciate traditional reports filled with charts, our clients want a more exciting and visual experience. Interactive dashboards and engaging infographics are great tools for reviewing and sharing traditional tracking data. These tools empower clients to explore and interact with the data at their own pace, enhancing their understanding and engagement. And it means any deep dive reports can instead focus on being more investigative rather than just playing back the trend lines.

If you’re pondering your brand tracker’s effectiveness or considering starting one, look no further. Boxclever offers a free audit to assess the health of your existing tracker. We are experts at crafting bespoke brand and comms tracking programmes to suit the needs of any business, big or small. Additionally, we can work with your existing tracking data, and even combine with sales and media spend data to provide greater commercially valuable insights to your existing tracking programme. So let us unlock the potential of your brand and keep you on track.

3. DON'T KILL YOUR AUDIENCE WITH A THOUSAND TREND LINES

5. BRING YOUR OWN BRAND BUZZ

How many times have I heard clients say they do brand tracking because that’s what’s expected, it’s what everyone else does? It ticks a box or they have brand trackers but no one ever looks at the results… the most expensive way to watch a line chart flatline or pyramids that never budge!

Well in that case, you’re not doing it properly! It needs to be the heart beat of your market, the pulse of your organisation and you need to make it work hard for your company. A few golden rules to give you so much more than funnels and prompted consideration…

Be brave!

Creating analytical pixie dust

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:18:26 GMT

1. CAPABILITY

It’s rare to find someone who embodies all three traits and finding great analysts is a challenge I’ve wrestled with for most of my career. I can understand why many agencies treat their analytics teams as operational departments, kept safely at arms-length from the client themselves. I’ve witnessed what can happen when a great “statistician” is let loose in the boardroom to wreak havoc on a trusted relationship that has taken months, if not years, to cultivate. I have also seen the blank expressions on the faces of marketeers as an analyst gleefully presents regression coefficients into stunned silence.

However, this tendency that agencies have to treat the analytics team as an operational function, mostly hidden from the client’s view, has serious drawbacks:

Written by Sam Gardner

A breadth and depth of analytics skill and experience is essential – this is the toolkit!

THE PROBLEM WITH SETTLING FOR LESS...

2. CREATIVITY

3. COMMUNICATION

Analytics requires more than the right toolkit, it is about how to apply that toolkit in the right way, bespoke to the challenge at hand. As Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”

This is not just about the ability to communicate results back in a clear and easy to understand manner – although this is undoubtedly vital! It is also about the ability to listen to others, interpret and translate a given problem into an analytical framework and solution.

ONE: STIFLED AND UNCREATIVE APPLICATIONS OF ANALYTICS

TWO: POOR COMMUNICATION OF RESULTS

THREE: A CULTURE OF 'US AND THEM'

Analysts are often excluded from conversations with clients about how their toolkits can help to solve business issues. Often non-technical team members will instruct analysts on what they require. For example: “I need a drivers analysis” or “I need a TURF analysis”. If analysts are included directly in the analysis planning process and working directly with clients, they are empowered to suggest alternative, more creative and powerful approaches and the end result will be a more inspiring and valuable piece of analysis.

A lack of client contact can exacerbate the problem that many analysts face, in terms of being poor communicators of their work. In fact, many analysts don’t feel it is their responsibility to turn their results into a story. If analysts come into contact with clients and have to explain their work on a daily basis, they learn how to do this better. Practice makes perfect!

When an analysts perceives their sole role to be running the statistical analysis, they can develop a tendency to horde their techniques. As a result, boundaries can go up between quantitative researchers and analysts and this can be counter-productive to collaborative working.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE...

We need to challenge the role played by analytics teams. We should aspire to involve analysts at all stages of the projects we deliver, from design through to delivery. We should encourage analysts to tell their own analytical stories and share their statistical secrets with colleagues. In my experience, many colleagues have some grounding in statistics and get a real kick out of running their own statistical analysis.

We need to blur the boundaries between the disciplines of quantitative analysis and advanced analytics and work as one team. This is the environment that creates the analytical pixie dust!

Great analytics is invaluable. An organisation’s ability to use its data better than the competition is often the most powerful competitive advantage – just take Amazon as a case in point! However, too often, analytics teams fail to live up to this potential. Why?

I have had the pleasure of leading analytics teams for two decades and believe the secret to success stems from having a clear understanding of what makes a great analyst and ensuring that the analytics team sits at the heart of the organisation.

Seeking out the wizards of the analytics world…

Great statisticians do not necessarily make great analysts. We often confuse the two and this can lead to issues. Over the years, I have been lucky to work with some of the best analysts in the business and they have all demonstrated three key traits:

The multiple uses of MaxDiff analysis

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 13:09:41 GMT

WHAT IS MAXDIFF?

An ‘anchored MaxDiff’ works the same as the traditional MaxDiff above, but at the end of the exercise each respondent is presented with all of the items in turn and asked to indicate which ones “would definitely motivate them to take action”.

This one additional question frames the exercise by establishing what will and won’t work for the business.

Because we have asked the question to identify those items that are truly motivating, we can differentiate in our hierarchy between those messages that will engage customers and those that won’t. In practical terms it means the analysis draws a line in our results, and anything above the line will result in action from our target market and anything below the line won’t.

Written by Karen Bagshaw

MaxDiff is an analytical approach for obtaining preference/importance scores for multiple items. Sometimes referred to as 'best-worst scaling', it’s essentially a ranking exercise that puts other ranking exercises to shame. It can be used to assess pretty much anything you want a hierarchy for, such as:

WHAT ARE EXPRESS AND BANDIT MAXDIFF?

Brand preference
Flavour preference
Most appealing product features
Best offers and rewards
What is most important when choosing where to shop or live
What is most important when booking a holiday
What messaging will resonate most with customers
What should feature on a menu
What environmental initiatives matter most

Instead of asking people to look at many items and rate each one (everything could end up as equally important), or asking respondents to take a list of 10/15/20 things and put them in order of importance (that’s a very difficult and time-consuming task even for the most dedicated respondent), in a MaxDiff exercise, respondents will simply be presented with a small subset of the items and asked which is the most important or appealing to them and which is the least. For example... Imagine you were <insert context of question> , which of the following <features/benefits/messages/products> would be most <appealing/important> and which would be the least *<appealing/important>*/?

Whilst a traditional MaxDiff can easily deal with 20 items, copes well up to 30 items and has been often been pushed as far as 40 items, the more we put into it the more screens we need each respondent to see, which can be problematic in an already long surveY.

You'd be surprised how many clients come to us needing test 60, 80 or even 100 items!

Both of these techniques allow us to test larger number of items without making our respondents want to cry!

In the case of express MaxDiff , not every respondent sees all of the items, rather just a subset, and the analysis borrows more information from its observations of other respondent’s behaviour in relation to items that overlapped.

And in the case of bandit MaxDiff , the software learns from early respondents and shows preferred items more frequently to subsequent respondents ensuring a robust model at the top end of the hierarchy but a slightly ‘wobblier’ model when it comes to the less important items.

However, both have some practical implications for implementation and some caveats for the use of the results.

Whilst the MaxDiff analysis will clearly identify those products that are most appealing and those that are least appealing, not all potential customers will find the same products/features/messages appealing.

If we simply pick the top 2 or 3 it is likely that they will have a similar essence and will appeal to the same people. As a result our decisions of what to use might not appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach & Frequency) Analysis can be used to identify the optimal combination of 2, 3, 4… products/features/messages that could be adopted in order to maximise the appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

AND FINALLY, SEGMENTATION

Yep! Segmentation too…

In addition to analysing respondent choices to the MaxDiff exercise in the normal manner, we can also use them to identify segments of respondents having similar preferences/needs. To do this we use Latent Class Analysis, a type of analysis particularly effective for use with choice task data.

Because the input is based on respondents' needs and is collected in a manner that forces differentiation in the results from an individual respondent, we find that the solutions are often clearer ones based on other data types (including agree/disagree scales) ultimately giving us more powerful segments to use as a business. Once identified, these needs-based segments can be profiled on the MaxDiff itself as well as all other key questions in the survey.

Furthermore, at Boxclever we have developed a proprietary technique to create a golden question algorithm for our segmentations, ensuring we can profile customers or respondents in other surveys into these groups. In fact, when this technique was tested against more traditional discriminant analysis, we found 15-20%-point improvement in the number of respondents assigned correctly!

In conclusion, one simple question technique can give us loads of awesome outputs!

Did you know that with the same question/data you can also run…

A TURF analysis to identify the optimal mix to market, or
A segmentation to identify core target groups?

That’s right MaxDiff is awesome!

HOW DOES MAXDIFF WORK?

Over the past few years we've run hundreds are MaxDiffs, probably on every topic going.

It's much easier to decide between just four items!

After showing several option screens to respondents (with the items determined by an algorithm), we are able to use statistical modelling (hierarchical Bayes (HB) methodology) to robustly quantify the hierarchy of importance or appeal at an overall level and for each of our respondents.

The way that MaxDiff gets respondents to trade benefits off against each other leads to a much more differentiating measure of importance or appeal than traditional rating scales or rankings.

WHAT IS ANCHORED MAXDIFF?

WHAT ABOUT TURF ANALYSIS?

Enhancing drivers of choice studies

Tue, 14 May 2024 13:36:26 GMT

CHOOSING THE CORRECT VARIABLE TO MEASURE CONSUMER CHOICE

Some studies incorrectly focus on variables such as satisfaction, or likelihood to purchase, however, these models are unlikely to highlight the factors which cause a consumer to choose your brand.

Focusing on variables such as 1st choice brand, most used brand and share of wallet are more closely aligned to the actions which we are trying to encourage.

Consumers do not typically make decisions on where to shop across the entire market (although some price comparison website behaviours are changing this), but are instead likely to make their decisions based on a predefined consideration set of brands.

As consumers tend to make their choice from within this set, we should limit questions to the brands they actually care about and would be likely to choose.

As a final example, we recently worked with a retail client who had determined that their returns policy wasn’t an important driver of choice. We reviewed their modelling approach and identified that the relative competitor performance wasn’t being factored into the design. We re-ran the modelling and found that the returns policy was a top tier driver because it was a major point of differentiation for a few key players.

This point had been entirely missed the first time round and had undoubtedly been a missed opportunity for the business.

Identifying and understanding how consumers choose the brands and products they do is something we frequently look at within market research. Which methodology we use to arrive at drivers of brand and product choice can vary. Many researchers adopt a more simplistic direct line of questioning to explore these issues, but a more subtle, statistically modelled approach is often more reflective of the subconscious decision-making processes consumers exhibit.

When a statistical approach is used, consumers are typically asked to rate brands across a range of factors, and these are then regressed against a dependent variable such as likelihood to shop or satisfaction in order to “uncover” the drivers of brand choice.

However, whilst this approach is fairly commonplace, formulating an analysis plan which takes a slightly more considered view of the forces impacting on consumer behaviour can result in different recommendations which are more impactful for the business.

Below we’ve highlighted a few areas of best practice which should have been given some thought in order to ensure that your approach to identifying the drivers of choice yields the correct results for guiding decision making:

The answer you get from your study will heavily depend on the context of the questions you set for your respondents. For example, if you are trying to understand the differences between top-up and main shop missions across grocery stores you need to ensure that respondents are primed to answer any questions within those specific contexts.

You may be surprised by how much difference the correct framing will make to your end results.

In tandem with the point above, consumers aren’t likely to make decisions at an absolute level – “How does this brand stack up in isolation”, but rather at a relative level -“How does this brand compare relative to my consideration set?”.

This might seem like an obvious point but traditional modeling approaches typically assign importance based on the absolute scale. By transforming the data so that scores are based on the relative performance of a respondent’s consideration set, we can account for this more accurately.

box24001-website-v5

Three steps to inspire insight action with insight activation

01. BRING STAKEHOLDERS ON THE JOURNEY

02. USE STRATEGIC STORYTELLING

03. TRANSLATE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO ACTION

How to disrupt the 'insight feed' with strategic storytelling

PLAN FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE

ANALYSE WITH EMPATHY

DELIVER LESS, NOT MORE

Activation; it starts with you.

YOUR MINDSET: ACCEPTING THAT ACTIVATION STARTS EARLY

YOUR STAKEHOLDERS: BRINGING STAKEHOLDERS ALONG FOR THE RIDE

YOUR PLAN: CREATING A ROAD MAP FOR SUCCESS

LET'S CIRCLE BACK TO YOU

Connection isn’t a KPI. It’s a human need.

CONNECTION ISN'T ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL

THE BRAND AS A SPACE TO CONNECT

TRACKING WHAT REALLY MATTERS

Reclaiming connection: harnessing the power of physical space

DREAMING OF DISCONNECTION

REIMAGINING RETAIL

The illusion of connection

THE SOCIAL MEDIA ILLUSION

BRANDS AND SUPERFICIAL LOYALTY

NUDGING CUSTOMERS TOWARDS MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

The power of 'connection' in a digital age

HOW CAN YOUR BRAND HARNESS TECHNOLOGY TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS WITH CONSUMERS?

HOW CAN YOUR BRAND FOSTER CONNECTIONS THROUGH INCLUSIVE AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCES?

HOW CAN YOUR BRAND FAST-FORWARD A CONNECTION WITHOUT LOSING AUTHENTICITY?

How to run workshops that drive action

TIP #1: PREPARATION IS KEY

GATHER THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

SET THE SCENE WITH INVITATIONS AND PRE-TASKS

TIP #2: ENGAGEMENT MATTERS

REMEMBER THE THREE C'S: CLARIFY, COLLABORATE, AND CONNECT

FUEL THE BODY AND THE MIND

TIP #3: THE END IS NOT THE END

END WITH CLEAR OWNERSHIP AND NEXT STEPS

Playing the long game of life

‘Focus on Longevity’ is one of five trends in our consumer trend report, Health and Wellness Trends to Watch in 2025. To explore the remaining four trends, download the report for free today!

IN A NUTSHELL

BRAND EXAMPLES

OPPORTUNITY SPACE

Ensuring insight inspires and delights

WHAT IS ACTIVATION?

WHY DOES ACTIVATION MATTER?

WHAT DOES AN ACTIVATION MANAGER DO?

TELL ME MORE

THIS SOUNDS GREAT...AND EXPENSIVE

THE SUCCESS OF ACTIVATION DOESN'T REST SOLELY ON TOOLS OR STRATEGIES - IT NEEDS PASSIONATE INSIGHT CHAMPIONS WITHIN THE CLIENT ORGANISATION, TO WORK ALONGSIDE US, RALLY COLLEAGUES, AND EMBED INSIGHTS WHEREVER RELEVANT.

Why face to face reigns supreme

ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT

“Being physically present allows for a deeper connection and engagement with participants, leading to richer data collection.”

NON-VERBAL CUES

“Observing body language and facial expressions provides additional layers of information that can be missed in online interactions."

REAL-TIME ADAPTATION

“Face-to-face settings enable immediate adjustments to the discussion flow and stimulus based on participants' reactions and feedback."

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

“Personal interactions strengthen relationships with clients, respondents, and partner agencies, fostering better collaboration and trust.”

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

“Being in the same room allows researchers and stakeholders to be fully immersed int he participants' environment, providing context that enhances understanding.”

“Observing body language, facial expressions, and being completely in the moment (with participants and clients) is where magic happens.”

﻿

Storytelling and the art of delivery

TOP OF THE LIST

IT'S EASIER TO COMPLICATE, THAN TO SIMPLIFY

HAVE A PURPOSE

THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE SOMEONE'S MIND IS TO CONNECT WITH THEM FROM THE HEART

BE WHO YOU ARE AND SAY WHAT YOU FEEL

Exploring trends and shopper behaviour in petcare

A PASSIONATE TEAM OF PET OWNERS

WITH GROWING OWNERSHIP AND INCREASING SPEND, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS TO INNOVATE AROUND PETCARE.

CONSUMER TRENDS REFLECTED IN PETCARE

EDUCATION, CLEAR BENEFIT COMMUNICATION, AND CREDIBLE ENDORSEMENTS ARE KEY TO DISRUPTING INGRAINED SHOPPER JOURNEYS IF THESE NEWER OFFERS ARE TO STAND OUT.

SHOPPING JOURNEYS ARE SHIFTING

WITH SO MANY YOUNGER PET OWNERS ACTIVE ON THESE PLATFORMS, IT'S A ONE-TO-WATCH SPACE WHEN UNDERSTANDING THE PATH TO PURCHASE OR OPPORTUNITY SPACES FOR PETCARE BRANDS.

A GROWING MARKET IN SIZE AND SPEND

NEW VOICES AND NEW PLATFORMS EMERGE AS EXPERT SOURCES

The anxiety, empathy, and art of ethnography

2. ETHNOGRAPHY IS FUELED BY EMPATHY