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.

13
Jun

Selecting the Right Research Partner

Posted by: w5admin in: Blog , infographics , knowledge , market research , Uncategorized No Comments on Selecting the Right Research Partner

As the saying goes there are plenty of fish in the sea. Same is true for marketing research firms. With over 40 thousand marketing research firms in the US alone, it is easy for brands to get lost in the endless swarm claiming to have answers to every marketing mystery known to man.

From Fortune 500s to agencies to everything in between W5 has guided countless brands alongside their insights journey for almost two decades. During this time, we’ve come to understand our clients’ journey normally begins before or shortly after drafting the RFP. They are forced to ask: “Who can I trust to conduct this research?”

The process of selecting a research partner is never easy. It requires time, patience, and a thorough evaluation of one’s research needs. Just to be clear research vendors and research partners are not synonymous. Research vendors are merely sellers of research and can be intermittently interchanged as new research needs emerge. Research partners are steadfast throughout the insights journey—acting as an extension of your team. Below are just a few benefits of the partner route:

  • Increase Efficiency and Save Time: By establishing rapport with a dedicated firm, you bypass the learning curve that comes with continuously meeting new vendors with each new engagement.
  • Feel Secure: Partnerships are the result of mutually beneficial working relationships. Leveraging this history, you can feel confident in your partner’s ability to provide the right insights.
  • Build You Brand’s Story: Understand your brand’s insight is an evolving and constantly changing endeavor. A research partner supports the continuation of your brand’s story—providing guidance beyond the final report.

So, how does one go about selecting a research partner? Most importantly, how does one select the right research partner? See our latest infographic below, detailing tips and best practice recommendations.

31
May

Celebrating 17: The Privilege of Independence

Posted by: Amy Castelda in: Uncategorized No Comments on Celebrating 17: The Privilege of Independence

Tomorrow, June 1 marks our seventeenth year since opening the doors of W5 at our first office in Charleston, SC. We’ve since moved to our current headquarters in Durham, NC, watched the economy go up…then down…then up again, worked with hundreds of brands and agencies, and hired the brightest minds in our industry. Through all this the one element that has remained consistent, in addition to our name, is our independence.

Influenced by the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders, W5 prides itself on our ability to grow on our own terms. Independence keeps W5 agile, flexible, and able to adapt quickly to changing business environments. Our lack of corporate hierarchy is advantageous for us, and our clients, allowing W5 to put efforts towards solving clients’ needs as opposed to appeasing shareholders.

Independence means we can do all this while remaining 100% true to ourselves.

Clients who work with W5 understand this unique advantage and see the value of our independence in the work we deliver. As stated by Managing Partner Jeremy Crisp of independent agency NAIL Communications, “being independent makes for better work, happier staff, and repeat business from clients whose trust is critical to our growth.”

Perhaps most importantly is the people fiercely independent companies attract, often those who value empowerment, accountability, and entrepreneurism. It brings together a tight-knit group of brilliant individuals bound by a common curiosity to understand human behavior and what makes people tick. Basically, the profile of any W5er.

Thank you to our clients, partners, employees, and vendors who enabled us to chart our own path and maintain autonomy for the past seventeen years. We are excited to see what the next seventeen years have in store…

Cheers!

22
May

Where’s the Non-Beef?

Posted by: Grace Brown in: Blog , culture , Data Visualization Infographics , infographics , internet , knowledge , links No Comments on Where’s the Non-Beef?

“Beef, its what’s for dinner”- The Beef Industry Council and Leo Burnett, “Where’s the beef?”- Wendy’s and Dancer Fitzgerald Sample, “Got milk?” – California Milk Processor Board and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. American consumers of any age can recognize and recall one if not all of these iconic meaty campaigns and are likely purchasers of meat and dairy products. However, meat and dairy have new players to contend with for table space, and its plant-based meat.

‘Veggie-might’ is taking on a whole new meaning, with a projected growth of over 24% from 2018, the US plant-based meat market expected to reach values of up to $3 billion by 2024. Companies like Beyond Meat, recently the first vegan plant-based company to go public with initial shares priced at $25, MoringStar Farms, and Impossible Foods are capitalizing on this trend and providing consumers with more plant-based meat options than ever before.

These companies aren’t only providing in-store options but are catching the eyes of legacy brands looking for their seat at the newly emerging plant-based table. With offerings like Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger, made with beets to give the ‘bloody’ sensation of real meat, chains Del Taco, Bareburger, and Carl’s Jr all now feature the brand and plant-based alternatives on their menus. Not to be outdone, Taco Bell is working on a full vegetarian menu despite offering more than 8 million current vegetarian combinations.

Fast-food royalty Burger King is testing the plant-based waters and recently launched the Impossible Whopper made from Impossible Foods’ plant- based patty, and is taking a promotional Impossible Whopper Tour across the U.S. to give consumers the chance to try the burger even if their local chains don’t offer the limited-time menu option.

Impossible Foods also recently announced a new partnership with Pizza giant Little Caesars, who will soon offer a Supreme pizza topped with Impossible Sausage. After listening to this recent NPR Morning Edition episode detailing an in-depth taste test comparison of plant-based burger options, it’s easy to see why these offerings are becoming more common.

The recent spike and interest in plant-based options begs the question: Are there now more vegans and vegetarians walking amongst us than before? Carnivores can rest easy because as the saying goes “correlation does not imply causation.” In fact a 2018 Gallup poll found that only 5% of Americans say they are vegetarians, a number unchanged from 2012, and only 3% of Americans say they are vegans, a small change from 2% in 2012. Interestingly, the same poll found that roughly one in 10 Americans who consider themselves liberals (11%) say they are vegetarians, and 5% say they are vegans. Not surprisingly that number differs from the 2% of Americans who consider themselves conservatives who say they are either vegetarian or vegan.

While the plant-based revolution may not yet have an iconic slogan or campaign, as a non-meat eater seeing the rise in plant-based menus and in-store offerings, it’s exciting and feels great to finally have more options available outside of the standard tofu or beans route.

Infographic credit: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/08/06/who-are-americas-vegans-and-vegetarians-infographic/#3738731e211c

Photocredit:
https://www.instagram.com/beyondmeat/

https://www.instagram.com/impossible_foods/

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