03
Apr

Inbox Love in the Time of Corona

Posted by: Kathy Justice in: Uncategorized No Comments on Inbox Love in the Time of Corona

I am diligent about keeping my inbox at zero. It’s a personal accomplishment of mine, one that brings me a sense of joy. I love looking at the blank screen with all my email folders lined up nicely on the side, quietly awaiting the next incoming blitz of messages. If I were to describe the feeling of Zen it brings in mere words, it would go something like this: The noise has ceased, I have accomplished all my tasks, I am up to date.

Imagine my surprise when the world recently upended itself over COVID-19 and my email inbox was flooded with emails from all the food, clothing, furniture, bedding, makeup, pet supply, carpet cleaner, technology, and home appliance brand from which I’ve ever purchased a product (and this list I’ve shared is by far incomplete, it stretches on and on and on).

Brand emails run the gamut from reactionary to informational to comforting during the Corona virus outbreak.

Did it feel comforting to have my favorite bedding company check in on me to let me know they’ll be there for me over these long weeks of social distancing? Hmm, maybe, a nap did sound good as stress over the state of the world mounted. What about that Australian-based company I purchased pool floaties from a few years ago? Did I care that they cared? I must admit, it felt good to know my health and wellbeing was on top of their radar too, even from half a world away. Did seeing all these emails increase my anxiety? Not at all, my anxiety was already through the roof. Was I annoyed at the deluge of messages? Since I regularly “Marie Kondo” my inbox, then honestly, yes. But that’s when I decided to look deeper and ask: What exactly were the ultimate intentions of these emails? What did they hope to accomplish?

Luckily I was not the only one mesmerized by the litany of “we care” communications and curious to dig into their language, message, and meaning. A “Moneybox” article over at Slate tackled the issue with a funny round up of relevant tweets about the email blitz. Adweek also got into the game by analyzing the language used in these emails. They even delivered a delightful word cloud demonstrating the most frequently used terms.

Overall, industry experts felt it important to look at the timeline of these emails to understand their full intent. Initial rounds were from a reactionary place, addressing the sense of financial disruption everyone feared and wanted to prevent. Next up was a vital informational angle: Here is what we are doing to make sure you are safe. These emails were perhaps most important, especially for small businesses who hope to keep their customer base around with curbside pickup and extra careful sanitation of their retail space.

Most recently, emails and advertising have shifted to a more heartfelt “we care” tone that feels like a warm cup of coffee on a cold day or a hug from a friend. As the impact of COVID-19 continues to evolve, brand communications will have to shift and alter in many ways. It’s important to remember that no matter what the circumstances, we exist in an age where consumers are demanding more from brands—especially as we have ample time to sit and think about what the company represents, what they offer, and their role in our lives. A noted trend among Gen-Z (who now make up 40% of consumers) is a desire to see real people with real problems. In other words, now more than ever transparency and authenticity are key for brands seeking to maintain a relationship with consumers and even go the extra mile to offer support.

What do you think about the deluge of COVID-19 communications from brands? Share your reaction with W5 in the comments below.

31
Mar

Qualitative Research in the Current Crisis

Posted by: Tristan Shook in: culture , market research No Comments on Qualitative Research in the Current Crisis

We’re in the midst of an unprecedented economic and social disruption that has left many in the industry grappling with understanding what research looks like in this environment. Qualitative research is particularly in limbo as approaches have to adjust to the current era of social distancing.

But research and the need for consumer understanding has not halted and in fact many clients are finding it more urgent than ever. There are still opportunities for insight and learning provided you do it right. Respondents too are still engaged. People are eager for ways to connect and be heard. Research provides an outlet for otherwise cloistered lives.

For now, in-person research is out of the question. Never mind the widespread stay-at-home orders, there is a communal and ethical imperative that we do not endanger the health of respondents, their families, or their communities.

But this isn’t to say in-person research is going away. There will be a return to normalcy and a demand for qualitative, in-person research that digs deep into how consumer sentiment has evolved over this period.

In the meantime, online methodologies are your friend. There are a host of technologies that can capture direct consumer response from online discussion techniques, virtual focus groups and interviews, and innovative chat platforms. While it’s changed how we observe behavior, moving research online does not remove the ability to observe individuals as they conduct routine activities and shopping. W5 is able to leverage tech to observe people shopping online, capture video and photographic response, and talk to people in their homes. All of this will allow brands to observe current and changing attitudes and behaviors as consumers navigate through new paradigms and ways of doing things.

Despite the convenience and flexibility of online tools, it can still be a challenge understanding consumer sentiment, but here are some tips and tricks that can help you do it right:

  • Groups vs. Individuals: In highly uncertain times, conversations can be emotional and some topics can be potentially challenging to discuss in a group. Consider whether the answers you’re seeking might be better discussed individually or in groups.
  • Past, present, and future: How questions are framed is important. When seeking to understand consumer behavior, it’s important to capture not only their behaviors now, but how this differs from how they did things in the past and anticipate doing them in the future.
  • Respondent connectivity: Ensure that built into the screening process is a check for reliable internet connections, device compatibility, and the tech savvy to use various online platforms.
  • Engage respondents’ creativity: Respondents can be understandably pre-occupied with the daily news. Leveraging creative activities and exercises can be a useful technique for tapping deeply held opinions and avoiding conversations that redound to current events.
  • Recruiting time: Allow more time for recruiting online methodologies. The massive shift to online research has limited recruiting resources and consumers themselves are still adjusting to new routines.

Keeping these tips in mind can make qualitative research successful and insightful both now and once the cloud of the current crisis has lifted. Be well everyone.

24
Mar

DISSECTING THE ART OF NOTE TAKING

Posted by: Andrew Willard in: knowledge , market research No Comments on DISSECTING THE ART OF NOTE TAKING

“Writing and learning and thinking are the same process.” – William Zinsser

Boiled down to its essence, I view my primary goal as a marketing research professional as helping others understand something I have learned.

I try to ask thoughtful questions, listen attentively, and then effectively translate ideas for the benefit of others. This is a capital-P Process for learning and communications. However, it is not always linear, and my methods for asking, listening, learning, and communicating are varied.

Over the past 15+ years of working professionally with data and language, I have learned (the hard way – through mistakes; and over and over again) that I personally learn best through writing by hand. I use my PC, laptop, and phone for many things, but despite the ease and convenience of these technologies, when I want to absorb information, retain it, refer to it later, and ultimately translate it for others, I grab a pen and notebook. I like to physically spell it all out and scrawl across the page, leaving a record I can refer back to (and re-interpret) later.

It’s not really pretty, but it works for me…
I realize that I am just one information worker among many, however, and others have very different habits, practices, and preferences.

We recently conducted a brief, statistically reliable (N=1000) nationwide survey via Piplsay, powered by Market Cube to gain insight into how people take notes at work and the benefits they seek in making related decisions. Here is some information we gained on the subject:



Data Source for W5 Poll: Piplsay, Powered by Market Cube, September 2019

These are all valid techniques for taking notes and sharing ideas at work, of course. The prevalence of different habits and preferences is interesting. It is clear people learn and communicate differently and a combination of methods can be effective (and is most typical).

I was a little surprised at how many people take notes by typing, and that only 57% do so by writing. Personal preference and bias aside, in light of psychological science reflecting the value of handwritten notation for comprehension, I thought this percentage may have been even higher. It does, however, seem to make sense that typing is a preferred method for sharing information later – which for many people, may be a reason to take notes in the first place.

I was amused at some respondents’ confidence in relying on memory (though they, somewhat humorously, seem to admit it’s not the best way to record information to tell someone later).

Ultimately, it’s not about the tools or techniques. The key is to maintain focus on sharp questioning, open-minded listening, and efficient communication, using whatever methods aid you through the learning (capital-P) Process.


10
Mar

Vend It To Me!

Posted by: Tom Daly in: branding , packaging No Comments on Vend It To Me!

While you can still get a sugary soda, bag of processed salty stuff, or a congealed glazed doughnut in the vending machine downstairs in the W5 building, the future of vending is changing―finally.

Like other forms of convenient food delivery, vending is shaking up its offerings. Sure, availability at arm’s length is appealing, but the impulse of a vending purchase increasingly must offer intrinsic value beyond ease. Trading quality for accessibility will soon be disappearing from the category―food inherently good for you will also be readily available, whenever.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal noted a few emerging companies that are successfully dispensing fresh, healthy food. It’s true, vending machines being fresh and healthy are no longer an oxymoron!

Not since the long-gone golden age of Horn & Hardart has fresh, good tasting food been readily available in this way. Chicago-based Farmer’s Fridge, now also available in a half-dozen other states, and growing, has a temping menu for those on the go: breakfast items, salads, bowls, sandwiches, snacks, and even drinks―many vegetarian or vegan. Fresh Bowl, a more recent entry to the category from New York City, offers busy Manhattanites just what its name says: healthy bowls of greens, grains, and protein combos in resealable (and reusable) glass jars.

The key to success today is the ability of these nascent vending companies to harness technology to deliver compelling offerings to consumers. Up-to-the-minute sales data is supplied to headquarters, so just-in-time items that need to be replenished, or removed, can be done so on a daily basis―no day-old turkey salad sitting in the machine or on the shelf of the delivery van. Technology also allows for temperature control, so food offerings are continuously stored at optimum levels. They can even alert you, via an app, when a seasonal item is stocked, and its nearest location.

The food industry has also become adept at cooking food at centralized “ghost kitchens,” where it is prepared daily by food staffs whose sole function is delivery to secondary locations, i.e., this isn’t a take-out business or part-time vending route, it is their sole core business function.

Obviously, the industry is evolving and snafus can be expected along the way, but consumer expectations regarding convenience and food consumption have quickly changed over the past few years. There are many models that will serve people’s needs and stationary interactive machines are most definitely part of that equation―there’s a lot less “moving parts” than restaurants or dubious delivery drivers (one recent study states 28% of food is ‘tasted’ by delivery drivers). Soon, these machines will likely be in your office so you can grab something on the way home, in your apartment building so you can run down while watching your favorite show, and on the street corner when you’ve decided last minute you’re not up for cooking, or going out―just walk up, choose, click, and eat!

24
Feb

MEASURING AND TRACKING BRAND HUMANIZATION

Posted by: Andrew Willard in: advertising , branding , culture , knowledge , market research , study No Comments on MEASURING AND TRACKING BRAND HUMANIZATION

Businesses are run by people and it is important for consumers to know they engage with real people when they purchase products or services from a chosen brand.

Brand Humanization focuses on the relationship between brands and consumers, comprised of various aspects of Brand Trust and Brand Empathy.

W5 recently conducted a custom, strategically-focused quantitative market research survey to establish benchmarks for consumers’ perceptions of a client’s brand on aspects of Brand Humanization. For this particular client, and category, we focused on the following aspects of Brand Humanization:

The below case study highlights application of W5’s Brand Humanization research for a Fortune 500 brand.

CLIENT ASK
A long-established American agribusiness and food company sought to reposition its brand to align with values that matter to modern consumers, including, but not limited to, Millennials. Understanding the relevance of Brand Humanization (i.e., comprised of Brand Trust and Brand Empathy values and perceptions) informed strategic market positioning, tactics, and communications focus.

APPROACH
W5 developed a custom survey to understand if Brand Humanization matters to target consumers regarding their category purchase decisions. In addition to standard survey questions, client logos, category and product imagery, and emoticons were incorporated to stylize and gamify survey design to elicit engaged, humanistic response. W5 quantified how well consumers felt the company delivered on attributes including brand purpose, business conduct, social responsibility, customer value, and employee appeal, mapped to a Brand Humanization framework. Future tracking research will assess the extent of the company’s success in positioning and marketing to consumers over time.

RESULTS
W5 confirmed Brand Humanization is valued, especially among Millennials, and informs purchase decisions in the client’s category creating opportunities for immediate positioning and marketing. Specifically, the client gained actionable direction for messaging and imagery to feature on its website, in advertising, and other marketing communications, ensuring resonance with current and future audiences.

To learn more about W5’s Strategic Tracking Services, download our company white paper.

11
Feb

LOVE HURTS [YOUR WALLET]

Posted by: John Capps in: Data Visualization , Data Visualization Infographics , market research No Comments on LOVE HURTS [YOUR WALLET]

Valentine’s Day is this week, so I hope everyone has been saving up for the big day. According to WalletHub, shoppers will likely spend over $27.4 billion on Valentine’s gifts in 2020, making Valentine’s Day the second most expensive holiday among U.S. consumers.

However, we should be careful not to overextend ourselves financially in the name of love. According to WalletHub’s 2020 Valentine’s Day Spending Survey, 4 in 10 people agree irresponsible spending is a bigger turn-off than bad breath and over one-half would not marry someone with bad credit. So, while chocolate, flowers, and fancy gifts are great, it appears financial responsibility is a bigger turn-on. We hope everyone is prepared for Valentine’s Day this year, but before you deplete your bank account, remember, the greatest gift is love (at least according to 86% of those surveyed).

29
Jan

A Glance at the Past to Inspire the Future

Posted by: Amy Castelda in: knowledge , market research No Comments on A Glance at the Past to Inspire the Future

A new year and new decade is upon us! Classic Blue 19-4052 is the Pantone color of the year (just look around), a deep shade that “represents the sky at dusk and what’s ahead.” For the Chinese, it’s the Year of the Rat, representing “the beginning of a new day.”

For W5, it’s a new decade and a time of anticipation―further exploring the world, providing understanding to the intricacies and nuance in human behavior. Given this, we thought we’d take a moment to look back at some 2019 highlights before forging into 2020:

  • One of America’s storied QSR restaurant brands engaged W5 to inform and guide a path forward into the world of plant-based protein options. W5 conducted exploratory qualitative research through a series of dinner discussions groups. These semi-structured, peer-to-peer discussions provided directional consumer insights to expand their menu for customers seeking non-meat options.

  • Partnering with a leading coffee producer available at retail and their advertising agency, W5 developed a quantitative behavioral segmentation identifying audience drivers, behaviors, and opportunities for understanding and communicating with the diverse spectrum of consumers in their product portfolio.

  • A legacy CPG brand and their advertising agency sought to consolidate and unify brand measurement to provide holistic periodic overview of their brand’s health to inform strategic positioning and marketing investment. W5 developed a customized, humanistic brand health initiative, encompassing quantitative metrics and qualitative interactive “Brand Humanity” exercises, that elicited instinctive emotional responses toward brand affiliation.

  • A global Fortune 100 CPG client was interested in designing an agile ideation process to kick start innovation for the cereal category. W5 leveraged a three-phased approach: an innovation workshop, followed by illustrated refinement of generated concepts, then collaboration with consumers to capture reactions and further refine concepts for future product development.

  • A premier luxury gift retailer sought to explore shopper attitudes and behaviors to understand their emotional need states and subsequent considerations when deciding on gifts―be it a satisfying or challenging experience. W5 developed a multi-modal qualitative, quantitative, and secondary research plan to capture considerations that shape decision making around gifting within the brand’s retail environments, both in-store and online.

We hope our noteworthy work in 2019 will inspire new ideas for you in 2020!

21
Jan

Volunteer’s Value

Posted by: Jonathan Morris in: Blog , culture , infographics No Comments on Volunteer’s Value

I recently joined the W5 culture committee―an employee committee tasked with building strong relationships within W5 and the community. This year the W5 team set the goal of increasing our commitment to serving and volunteering in Durham.

Which begs the question―why is it important that businesses play an active role in our communities? Research from United Health Group shows that not only is volunteering great for personal health, but it can be an incredible catalyst for building teams and learning new skills.

W5 believes not only can we be an agent of good in our community, but those around us can have a positive impact on our business as well. Our culture committee is on the lookout for fun, creative ways to get involved in 2020, so please reach out if you have any ideas you’re especially excited about. We always love new ideas!

08
Jan

The Big Picture in High-Tech

Posted by: Tom Daly in: knowledge , technology No Comments on The Big Picture in High-Tech

I am a BIG fan of macroeconomics. Macroeconomics tells the whole story of an economy, without getting caught up in the nuance of in-the-moment events or irrelevant small instances that cloud perception around the truth of human behavior. Trying to sift through today’s opinions and daily rumblings, I find relying on macroeconomics comforting.

Macroeconomic theory, as you know, focuses on the behavior and subsequent performance of society as a whole; macroeconomics doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Rather, it assesses aggregate changes in the economy such as unemployment, inflation, GDP, etc. – the things that really matter.

A great case in point is a macroeconomic factoid I came across regarding high-tech. We read about how high-tech is changing our lives every day in ways we never imagined. We also read how high-tech is transforming cities and towns, large and small. Cities like Austin and Raleigh/Durham are often written about as “new tech hubs for today’s Millennials.” At the same time New York City is being penned as an East Coast hub for the likes of Facebook, Alphabet, and even Amazon. I’m sure you have your own story to add to this list.

Unfortunately, macroeconomics has shown that high-tech only really matters to our economy if you live in one of five U.S. cities: Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, or Seattle. No where else. It may be personally relevant to you, or make a good story, but if you live anywhere other than these five cities high-tech is not a game-changer.

Why? Because macroeconomics, as outlined in a recent Wall Street Journal article, cites that according to research conducted by The Brookings Institution and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, that 90% of all high-tech job growth over the past decade has occurred solely in these five cites. That’s it! Everything else you read is fluff. The truth of macroeconomics has spoken – an ever-increasing concentration of high-tech resources has occurred in but five U.S. cities. Cities such as Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia are made irrelevant, i.e., with a net loss of high-tech jobs this past decade.  All the other cities, combined, account for only ten percent of high-tech job growth. Divide this ten percent across the nation’s other 377 metro areas and the growth per metro is negligible, at best.

What does this mean? It means these five cities will likely emerge as our centers of excellence as the century progresses. These are the five places where innovation and talent will commingle to change today’s world. New ways of living, working, consuming, and generally behaving will emerge from these five cities. The others will, in varying degrees, ape them and follow along. Some, such as Washington D.C. may catch up due to the new Amazon HQ2 set to soon open, as well as all the spiraling government space/defense-tech resources that spill over the Potomac. New York City is tough to bet against, yet the city seems at odds with itself with chronic congestion. The others?

It’s a sobering statistic and I still have trouble getting my head around it, given all the hype I read about other places. But this goes to show the power of the pen, digital or otherwise, to persuade. Plan accordingly!

10
Dec

Podcast Recs from W5

Posted by: Amy Castelda in: advertising , branding , culture , market research , study No Comments on Podcast Recs from W5

Today there are more than 115,000 English-language podcasts available on the internet. Not only are podcasts a great source for learning and entertainment, companies and brands see the untapped value of expanding into podcasting. Building recognition for certain SEO keywords, appealing to people who like to listen instead of read and offering a weekly reason for listeners to come back and engage with the brands are just a few.

With the holidays upon us and road trips, airport lounging and long flights on the horizon, we wanted to share a list of our favorite podcasts here at W5, along with a few others.

The Unconventionals is PJA’s award-winning podcast tells the stories of brands and business leaders doing business the other way

Radiolab is a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.

99% Invisible with Roman Mars is a Tiny Radio Show about design, architecture and the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world. Check out Mars’ recent Ted Talk, too: Why City Flags May Be the Worst Designed Thing You’ve Ever Noticed.

Undisclosed is a listening experience that reframes, enhances or otherwise shifts everything you’ve come to know about the State of Maryland’s case against Adnan Syed, especially as you’ve come to know it through listening to Serial. (Highly recommend listening to Serial Season 1 first.)

Hidden Brain by NPR’s social scientist correspondent is a conversation about life’s unseen patterns

Stuff Mom Never Told You is the podcast from HowStuffWorks that gets down to the business of being women from every imaginable angle. Fueled by boundless curiosity and rigorous research, gender experts Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin skillfully decode the biology, psychology and sociology of ladies and gents.

You Must Remember This is a podcast created, hosted and produced by Karina Longworth, exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of 20th Century Hollywood.

Pop Rocket is a high-octane weekly discussion of the culture we all love to love. Join host Guy Branum and the Pop Rocket team to keep up-to-date on what’s most exciting in pop culture this week.

WTF with comedian Marc Maron who tackles the most complex philosophical question of our day – WTF? He’ll get to the bottom of it with help from comedian friends.

And, because this is a blog about the “art to the science of market research,” here are the top five podcasts recommend for our clients: market researchers and strategist/planners:

  1. HBR IdeaCast: The Harvard Business Review has long been regarded as the leading resource for business research, and their Podcast doesn’t miss a beat on this. You can’t go wrong when some of its guests include Google CEO Eric Schmidt, as well as a slew of Harvard business professors and Wall Street exemplars.
  2. Data Gurus Podcast: Hosted by Sima Vasa, co-founder of Paradigm Sample and Infinity Squared Ventures, Sima brings a real-life perspective on what’s happening in the research industry and how successful companies and individuals in this niche navigate through the sea of change.
  3. Insightrix Podcast: Hosted by Duncan McGregor, the Insightrix Podcast shares informative stories and entertaining narratives within the field of market research. They interview international research and business leaders on B2B issues of interest to market research and marketing firms, marketers, business leaders, social scientists, public policy makers, business and academic researchers and more.
  4. Son of a Pitch: Two young strategists unpack the world of advertising, with the industries best planners and creatives. Expect interesting problems, lots of advice, and a whole lotta fun.
  5. Sweatheads: How do you get good at strategy? With over 300,000 listens, Sweathead tries to answer this question. Each episode helps thinkers realize they’re not alone and that thinking takes practice.

What’s in store for podcasting in 2020? Check out 20 Podcast Predictions for 2020 from Top Industry Leaders by Pacific Content to find out.

Happy listening!

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