27
Aug

America’s New Malls: Have You Been ‘Experienced?’

Posted by: Tom Daly in: advertising , culture No Comments on America’s New Malls: Have You Been ‘Experienced?’

Growing up, the mall was that “third place” where people went to shop, eat, go to the movies, stroll, and just be out and about. Nowadays, we hear of the end of retail as we know it due to mass adoption of online shopping; ‘clicks’ over ‘’bricks.’ Many malls didn’t make it and closed, some still linger, while others are transforming themselves.

Malls successfully transforming themselves are redefining their composition. Taking the place of traditional anchor stores, experiential brands are entering these spaces with entertainment, health and wellness centers, and new types of restaurants more prone to seating than food courts―all tenants that can’t easily be displaced by an online option.

At the same time, bespoke brands are entering malls, something they would never have done in the past. An acute case in point is 3DEN―an urban oasis where one can relax, recharge, and even shower―at the brand new, one million square foot Hudson Yards, arguably the most expensive and fanciest mall in the world, which recently opened in New York City.

Hudson Yards is an interesting retail phenomenon in today’s world. Located in what was some of the dankest land in Manhattan for decades―across from the NYPD Tow Pound, the Subway Yards, and the entrance to the forever-clogged Hudson Tunnel―speculators have dug in their heels to build the world’s swankiest live/work mega-mall in a city where traditional retail is on its last legs, with vacancies aplenty across pricey Manhattan commercial real estate.

While Hudson Yards is largely a real estate project with high-priced condos and apartments for New York’s Masters of the Universe, its mall is critical to its vitality as a nexus “third place” for residents, citizens, and beyond―an incubator for understanding what will, and will not, work in the 2020s. Its discerning clientele will be quick to screen out what isn’t working, and its high stakes will quickly weed out the unsuccessful. Laissez-faire capitalism will provide an unforgiving taskmaster amid its gleaming glass and metal gates.

One interesting theme is dedicating 77,000 square feet of retail space to e-retailers. The thought is that by providing an environment beyond an electronic screen, these brands will have a chance to present themselves to consumers in a new and different manner―with the “e” in e-retailing now standing for “experience.”

Hudson Yards isn’t the only new player in the transformation of today’s American mall experience. Just outside Manhattan sits Hudson Yards suburban cousin, American Dream Meadowlands, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Owned by the folks who brought us the infamous Mall of America outside of Minneapolis, American Dream also plans to redefine the mall experience, albeit from a less cosmopolitan perspective―keeping with its suburban roots, unlike Hudson Yards, there will be no work or live options, only retail and entertainment.

A Meadowlands complex has been on the drawing board, in various forms, for 25 years. Safe to say, the project has had its ups and downs, but is planned to finally open this fall. And while Hudson Yards will always be its Uptown blueblood cousin, American Dream will simply dwarf Hudson Yards in size―450 retail shops to 100 of Hudson’s; an indoor theme and water park, as well as an indoor ski slope; two mini-golf courses; a bowling alley, aquarium, and rock climbing; the list goes on and on. Did I mention a huge water fountain that turns into a catwalk for retail fashion shows and the occasional American Idol strutting their stuff?

What’s most telling about American Dream is that overall rentable square footage will be 55% to 45% entertainment over retail space, adding up to one mega-gonzo “experience.” This may give American Dream the edge over Hudson Yards when it comes to a full spectrum of offerings―more things for more types of people gives it an opportunity to tweak its model; whereas Hudson Yards is squarely aimed at Manhattan’s millionaires (and those who love them), and just may be a bit ‘too’ cast in one mold, given the shifting sands of the demimonde, i.e., uptown, then downtown, now midtown. But then, Hudson Yards will always have its live and work spaces, the true backbone to the project, whereas American Dream is one big building, shaped like a Star Wars battleship hangar, anchored in the New Jersey wetlands.

Each project is a high-stake bet, doing their best to foster a sense of belonging and participation in the communities they represent. That’s what the mall has always been: an of-the-moment interactive museum of modern consumerism, reflecting the tastes, habits, and practices of those who frequent their spaces. Time changes, yet people still need somewhere to gather, experience, and choose from a bevvy of options, and malls are ideal spaces to provide these needs.

Today’s malls will be less transactional and more experiential. Consumers can buy things anywhere, but as they lead increasingly insulated, regulated lives malls are still a defined physical space in which to provide sensory stimulation and overall experiences.

So, while there will be bumps in the road, the road to happiness is still just around the corner!

21
Aug

SPOTLIGHT: IDENTIFYING AND OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO ENROLLMENT

Posted by: John Capps in: market research , study No Comments on SPOTLIGHT: IDENTIFYING AND OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO ENROLLMENT

As folks return from summer vacations, we wanted to take a moment to share some of the interesting work going on at W5. This case study highlights W5’s role in assisting a post-secondary education institution identify and overcome barriers to enrollment.

CLIENT ASK

A leading provider of post-secondary education was concerned their core audience was no longer reachable through traditional methods that had worked well in the past. With enrollment flat and awareness low, the client needed insight to inform next-generation marketing and communication.

APPROACH

W5 designed a custom approach leveraging both qualitative and quantitative methods to ensure representation across core audiences and emerging enrollee opportunities. W5 conducted focus group research with current students, rejecters, and high school students. The qualitative research explored awareness and perceptions, information preferences and needs, and drivers and barriers to engagement. Simultaneously, W5 conducted a quantitative online survey with key audiences focused on awareness and consideration, media behaviors, path to enrollment, perceptions of schools or programs, and advertising strategies.

RESULTS

Insights informed marketing and communications strategies and the quantitative metrics provided a benchmark for brand awareness and brand health to be tracked in future waves of research. The research provided foundational insights that broadened messaging channels, refined content strategies, and attracted both core and new audiences.

14
Aug

Good Works in the Age of Capitalism

Posted by: Kathy Justice in: Blog , culture , market research 2 Comments on Good Works in the Age of Capitalism

This year I’ve been hanging out with a new crowd, a group of people who are interested in getting to know strangers, loving people for who they are rather than what they buy, and getting rid of excess stuff to make room for deeper connections. It’s been a positive change. Ironically, while these folks have opened their inner circle to me, they sometimes cast a skeptical eye when I share bits of my work experience. In their minds, marketing research is a shady enterprise. They often ask, ‘aren’t you tricking people to buy things?’ Oh, what a pickle. To me, marketing research is deeper than that – it gives me a chance to understand humans, what’s important to them and how they think and behave. Although that answer doesn’t quite satisfy skeptics, I like to take a moment to turn their attention to the good deed done by retailers (some of which I get to take part in!).

With back-to-school around the corner, local kids are really lamenting leaving the pool for the stuffy enclosure of the classroom. Not to mention that long, tedious shopping trip to collect a litany of supplies. But while some suffer from these inconveniences, others face bigger challenges: food insecurity. It’s estimated that more than 12 million kids live in food insecure homes and may not have enough to eat, creating a crisis in their educational growth. Empty bellies result in less focus, causing less retention of knowledge.

One local charity and grocery are working together to fight that. Weaver Street Market, a Chapel Hill and Hillsborough food coop, and Table are working with local shoppers to round up their receipt totals to help feed hungry kids locally. This summer the program helped feed nearly 500 hungry kids over ten weeks of summer, making sure that kids who may rely on reduced price breakfast and lunch at school didn’t go hungry while at home. This fall their backpack program aims to continue getting food into the hands of the neediest kids in my area, providing free after school snacks so hunger is one less obstacle to face. Without the loyalty of shoppers and local volunteers, loyalty built through delivering the products, services, and values shoppers crave, this program could have fallen flat.

So sure, it’s easy to stick a negative label on an industry but sometimes, just sometimes, we should stop to celebrate the good works and partnerships that come from the retailer-customer relationship. Feel free to read here about Weaver Street’s food partnership. 

Do you have a story of good works to share? Please post about it in the comments!

08
Aug

Soda Quest

Posted by: Jonathan Morris in: branding , knowledge , market research No Comments on Soda Quest

If you’ve ever had an “itch” for a Mountain Dew Baja Blast you probably found that craving took you to one place and one place alone: Taco Bell. The popular Mexican fast food chain has an exclusive distribution deal allowing them to be the only restaurant with this exquisite (in my opinion), very special flavor of Mountain Dew.

The brand and flavor of soda served may not seem like an important issue when selecting a restaurant, but for a quick service or fast-casual restaurant where customers often opt to skip alcohol, soda is an easy way to be differentiated from competitors and increase revenues.

For instance, my favorite burger place in Durham offers Puck’s Sodas, a craft soda brand from New Jersey made with cane sugar. People love it; friends that normally wouldn’t touch a soda are going back for refills.

But if you think it’s just artisanal sodas bringing people into restaurants, you’re wrong. Most fast food chains offer a special or unique flavor of soda: Chick-fil-A has its’ heralded lemonade, Wendy’s serves up a proprietary line of carbonated beverages called Dave’s Cream Sodas, McDonald’s ushered in MIX by Sprite Tropic Berry last year, and both Moe’s Southwest Grill and PDQ feature Coca-Cola Freestyle machines with limited edition flavors, infusions, and combinations.

As both a soda lover and a market researcher, I’ve had my eye on these soda offerings and contemplated their value. For the most, part fast food restaurants provide similar offerings: a cheeseburger with all the toppings, a fried chicken sandwich, an amalgamation of Mexican ingredients packaged as the newest promotional item…and the list goes on. But in a world of same vs. same, exclusive soda brands and flavors are a point of differentiation.

Now, including an artisanal beverage in your restaurant’s product portfolio may not be a revolutionary strategy, but it is a small step toward building consumer preference and loyalty in a saturated or mature market.  So the next time you’re having a soda don’t just savor its sweetness and carbonation. Ask yourself, what can be my company or brand’s Baja Blast?  

06
Aug

AdAge Small Agency Conference At-a-Glance

Posted by: Amy Castelda in: advertising , branding , Conference , knowledge , Media , quotes No Comments on AdAge Small Agency Conference At-a-Glance

Last week AdAge hosted the 10th Annual Small Agency Conference, taking it back to where it all began ten years ago, New Orleans. As defined by AdAge, a “small” agency is defined as 150 employees or fewer. But, don’t let the word small fool you. These agencies are landing the biggest brands, pumping millions in revenue, and producing the industry’s most groundbreaking creative and experiential campaigns. The conference offers a platform for peer agencies to come together and discuss advantages and challenges small agencies face, while the Small Agency Awards offers a stage to recognize these game-changer agencies and the work they produce.

In the session Win More by Offering Options, Allen & Gerritsen President, Andrew Graff, discussed how implementing a pricing structure based on options has led to 16 new pieces of business in 2019 alone. Graff continues by calling out the elephant in the room … the idea that we need to move away from hour-based work as a community. He reminds us hours does not equal value and we need to think about scope management, not time management (#ElimateTimeSheets). His advice for implementing a pricing-option strategy at your agency is (1) determine your success metrics, (2) test and learn, (3) communicate what’s not working, and (4) stay committed.

Over the course of two days, attendees were inspired by talks from leaders like PJ Pereira, Founder of Pereira O’Dell, and his perspective on what’s changed in the past ten years since his agency took home the first Small Agency of the Year Award in 2019. Heavy hitter David Droga also graced the stage reflecting on Droga5’s upbringing as a ‘small’ agency and discussed his perspective on the Accenture Interactive deal. We also heard from a powerhouse panel featuring leaders from Circus Maximus, Verb, Third Ear, and Walrus, who addressed the new generation of small shops and how to build a durable agency.

The conference wrapped with the Small Agency Awards where Patrick Kiss, President of BSSP and 2018 Small Agency of the Year, gave a few words of advice to 2019 Small Agency of the Year JohnXHannes and presented a hilarious video. It spoofed Nike’s celebrated “Jogger” ad from 2012’s “Find Your Greatness” campaign, reworking the idea to highlight the noble struggles of small indie shops to “Find Your Smallness.” Find the list of all the 2019 Small Agency Winners here.

As an independent, small research firm, the conference was invigorating and reminds us of the advantages small shops provide clients. In the words of Founder Ryan Kutscher of Circus Maximus, “Small is the sales pitch for us.”

02
Aug

Where we fit: The Gig Economy

Posted by: Ian McDiarmid in: Blog , branding , culture , emerging technology , market research , Uncategorized No Comments on Where we fit: The Gig Economy

In “Where we fit” we explore the shifting role of people in the marketplace. In this post we discuss how assumptions about gig workers can drive decisions that do not represent real workers’ experiences.

The “gig worker” in our imagination

The explosion of the gig economy, from Uber to Door Dash to TaskRabbit, has solidified in people’s minds the idea of a “gig worker”—an intrepid entrepreneur with grit, hustle, and a car. Gig workers love the flexibility of setting their own hours and being their own bosses. Gig workers fit this part-time gig work in on the side—a “side-hustle”—and use their leftover time to pursue their dreams of whatever their real career will turn out to be. We have heard a lot about the gig worker.

The main problem with the “gig worker” concept is that in practice it serves more as a convenient employer category than as an actual lived experience. The statements about “setting your own schedule” or “being your own boss” align almost exactly with the legal conditions required to be classified an “independent contractor,” but they do not match with what many of these workers say they want.

What do gig workers say?

We recently conducted research with workers for a service company that uses the gig model to recruit and place workers in homes. They hypothesized that messaging leaning into the traditional gig economy themes would resonate with their current workers and help attract potential new workers. When we talked to workers, however, we found something very different.

Though we expected to hear about flexibility and independence, instead we heard about the challenges of relying on gig work as stable employment. We heard about unpredictability and insecurity around missing work. We heard about the need to be able to take a paid day off every now and then. We heard about healthcare. In short, we heard about all the benefits offered to “employees” at a traditional “nine to five” that are absent when it comes to “independent contractors.”

A gig is a step towards a career, not away.

Even if gig work is a side hustle for some, for others it is the most accessible way to quickly get an entry-level job. This can be especially true of jobs that demand a high level of professionalism, such as a long-term in-home service. These workers are not interested in flexibility as much as sustainability. They want to see themselves as professionals with skills, not workers with gigs.

Concepts like “gig worker” can provide colorful imagery but cannot be taken for granted when it comes to understanding what real people want and experience. Only by talking to people can we identify and challenge ideas that do not match reality and develop ideas that authentically represent people’s experiences.

31
Jul

Killing Tired Questions

Posted by: Martin Molloy in: culture , knowledge , market research No Comments on Killing Tired Questions

As a qualitative researcher, it’s always interesting to see how people ask and answer questions. One tired question you often hear in a variety of settings is: “Which three people, living or dead, would you most want to attend a dinner party you’re throwing?” Yes, it’s a wide open question, inviting a variety of response. Supposedly, the question provides insight into the mind of the respondent. Take a second and I’m sure you can predict the top answers you or any of your friends might give.

Chuck Klosterman, however, recently killed the question for good. In the July 18, 2019 New York Times Book Review, he gives possibly the greatest and most well thought out answer to this question ever.

Specifically, he brings up the idea of any dead person being more interesting than any living person since they can answer questions surrounding the mysteries of the universe no one else could know and talks about the problems with living writers at any dinner and contemplates the issues of someone from another time freaking out at the advances of modern life.

“The only problem is that dead people might not understand what was going on, why they were suddenly alive, or why they were being forced to make conversation with some bozo at a weird dinner party. They might just sit there and scream for two hours.”

New York Times Book Review – July 18, 2019

His response exposes the problem with asking tired questions we’ve all heard before. Think about how many times a tired question gets, well, a tired answer. Ultimately, unless you’re able to answer like Mr. Klosterman, what does anyone really learn from the question or the answer?

29
Jul

Makes Stuff Good (MSG)?

Posted by: Tom Daly in: culture No Comments on Makes Stuff Good (MSG)?

Sure, we all want to eat well; we want our food free of artificial ingredients. At the same time, we want things tasty, so we cheat a bit. Nothing wrong with that, everyone does. Yet sometimes we’re not sure what we’re doing when it comes to the inclusion or exclusion of food additives―we mean well, but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. 

A case in point is the realm on monosodium glutamate, more commonly known as “MSG.” Less commonly known outside the food industry, MSG stands for “makes stuff good,” an easy way to amp taste.

Founded over a century ago by the Ajinomoto Company of Tokyo, “Ajinomoto” in Japanese translates to “the origin of flavor.” Also founded around the same time in Japan, the term “umami” was coined to represent the sensation of ‘savory’ taste when a Japanese chemist sought to isolate and duplicate the taste of an edible seaweed. Up until then, tastes were categorized as ‘sweet,’ ‘sour,’ ‘bitter,’ or ‘salty’―umami added a fifth unique dimension to our taste palate. Safe to say, umami added a more complex dimension, as ‘savory’ is not that easy to describe, coming off as more a ‘blended,’ or layered, taste sensation.

Such is the claim of Ajinomoto, who states that nowadays MSG is found in everyday foods such as potato chips, ranch dressing, and chicken noodle soup, as well as naturally in foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese―delivering a textured taste for today’s discriminating palates. Personally, I find it interesting that what initially appeared to be an unrelated set of foods actually do share a similar umami taste profile! I understand what Ajinomoto is getting at when they argue that MSG serves to bring a umami taste profile forward, thereby lending a unifying foundation to a complex taste sensation.

People are often up in arms about MSG, yet unbeknownst to them it’s been there all along. For as long as I can remember, there’s been this cultural myth surrounding the nature of MSG, i.e., headaches, joint pain, sweating, to name a few of the more common complaints. According to a recent poll, four in 10 Americans say they actively avoid MSG. At the same time, the FDA states the average American consumes about half a gram of MSG daily, whether they realize it, or not.

Another case in point of the complexities of pre-existing attitudes and subsequent consumer behavior―for regardless how people think, or think they think, it’s how they behave that’s proof in the pudding. Eat up!

19
Jul

State-of-the-Brand Tracking Research

Posted by: Amy Castelda in: branding 1 Comment on State-of-the-Brand Tracking Research

Strategic tracking of brand health and perceptions over time helps companies understand which marketing initiatives are successful and where future efforts may be focused to improve market positioning.

With 2018 on the horizon, many companies and brands take this time of year to consider their strategic tracking initiatives. Some may be initiating a brand health and tracking research study for the first time – establishing benchmarks and getting the initial brand pulse. Others are looking at a dinosaur tracker and ways to make it more respondent-friendly, mobile-optimized, and strategic.

At W5, we often hear clients ask “How can I make my brand tracker strategic and more insightful wave-over-wave?” We get the question so often in fact, it was featured in the December Quirk’s Ask the Expert series.

We understand as times change, so do the methods and best practices of strategically tracking brands, which is why we evolved our white paper on the subject, W5 on Strategic Tracking. Learn about our approach, research objectives tracking can answer, considerations for mobile-optimized trackers, how to leverage qualitative research, and various reporting strategies.

Whether you are looking to launch a new tracking initiative in 2018, or discuss ways to better leverage your current brand tracking research, we encourage you to reach out to W5. We are keenly aware of the importance of consistency and planning to bridge the transition between tracking methodologies and partners, and have successfully transitioned tracking surveys for several clients―each presenting unique challenges and opportunities.

Happy tracking!

21
Jun

May I Ask You A Question?

Posted by: w5admin in: Blog , market research , Media , podcast No Comments on May I Ask You A Question?

Two of the podcasts I listen to every week are “FiveThirtyEight Politics” and “The Pollsters”. They diverge from my typical true crime and comedy genres, but are dream podcasts for a news junkie-market researcher.

Beyond analyzing polls about politics and other topics, both shows assess and highlight potential issues with research design, including how the survey was conducted, methodologies used and even appropriate placement and wording of questions. As someone who writes questionnaires and wants to ensure I’m getting unbiased and complete answers, I’ve recently found topics about survey design and execution particularly interesting.

On an episode of “FiveThirtyEight Politics”, the host analyzed Emerson College’s Democratic Presidential nominee polling process and its impact on nominee, Pete Buttigieg. As reported, Buttigieg received zero percent support in the January 2019 poll, but then tracked up in late March, when he received 11 percent of the vote in Iowa and a third-place rank. The podcast considered how the poll, conducted both by phone and online, used different methodologies and possible impact on results. As reported by “FiveThirtyEight Politics”, over half of the respondents took the poll by phone, where unlike the online version, the list of candidates was not randomized. Buttigieg was always the first option read over the phone, which could have led to a greater number of respondents picking his name and ultimately leading to his jump in popularity, although he did appear to have similar support from online respondents.

Regardless of this example, it’s interesting to ponder whether a poll, given its general respectability and press coverage, can begin rolling a snowball down a hill and change perceptions and future polling/outcomes. Once Buttigieg became third in the Iowa polls, he received additional media attention. The way Emerson College conducted this survey—its order of response options, a smaller sample size and a larger margin of error—are all possible factors aiding in increasing voters’ awareness and Buttigieg’s newfound popularity. Or, he could have found other coverage naturally, leading to the same results.

In “The Pollsters”, a theoretical discussion around questionnaire design captured my attention. The subject was Pew Research’s new probe on the accuracy versus efficiency in the “check all the apply” question format in surveys. According to Pew Research’s findings, data is more likely to be accurate if there are forced-choice answers, yet, respondents can tire through surveys and begin to click-through or drop out if there are too many questions. Knowing this leads to a conflict in survey design: Is it better to include the “check all that apply” instruction despite risking too many answers being selected or ask fewer, but pointed questions, limiting the number of topics broached?

These topics are all a matter of details and decisions, ultimately, but the crux of the matter is being aware of how these choices may impact results. Although presenting how surveys are conducted is not typically front-page news, it can be fascinating to deconstruct them and consider all aspects of survey design and how seemingly minor changes might have a bigger impact than anticipated.

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