Quirk’s NYC: Futureproofing Research for Everyone
By Amy Castelda and Emma Eyman
Last week, W5ers Amy Castelda and Emma Eyman joined the rest of the #FacetoFaceMRX crew for the final Quirk’s Event of the year in NYC. From the most educational sessions to creative happy hours and plenty of fabulous giveaways, the Quirk’s team really impressed—not even a blinding torrential downpour could keep conferencegoers from karaoke night, and the show certainly did go on!
We’re thrilled to bring behind-the-scenes recaps of our favorite sessions. Most of our sessions followed a duo theme, pairing inclusivity and futureproofing in our work—from ensuring niche audiences feel seen and understood, to type of influencer partnerships, and strategic ways to connect with consumers deeply invested in the future of tech in their daily lives.
So, take a spin through our favorite highlights together…
The rise of the podfluencer (and why you should care)
There’s a new type of influencer on the scene―the podfluencer. According to Spotify’s latest Trends Tour, 63% say they trust their favorite podcast host more than their favorite social media influencer.
In this session, we explored trends in detail and discussed how marketers can build deeper, more authentic connections with audiences by collaborating with podfluencers.
And while the podfluencer trend is happening across generations, it’s picking up steam with Gen Z with 55% saying if they follow someone on social media and listen to their podcast, they like their podcast content more.
Key takeaways:
Youth and Gen Z aren’t allergic to long-form content (we see that based on their podcast consumption lengths). Instead, they are allergic to bad content.
Be inclusive in the accessibility revolution
With the rapid development of digital tech, inclusivity from an accessibility standpoint can easily be overlooked in the rush to make the next latest and greatest tool. Keri Hughes with Voya Financial and Tamman's Steve Levine and Kristen Witucki underscored how simple changes can make research more accessible for people with disabilities, a crucial initiative given that 15% of individuals with disabilities report never going online due to accessibility barriers.
Despite the growing digital accessibility market (projected to reach $893.7 million by 2031), less than 4% of the top one million websites are fully accessible. For us, this can start with practical modifications (think design principles in screener questions, surveys, reporting formats) to ensure all voices are heard. In the end, inclusivity leads to more accurate and representative research outcomes, benefiting the entire industry.
Key takeaways:
Recognizing inclusivity as both a moral and business imperative is essential for achieving accurate and representative results. It goes beyond legal compliance to truly make the research process more inclusive and welcoming for all.
To learn more about advocating for inclusivity and improving our research practices, check out the Accessible Insights Consortium.
B is for Business
Angie Liang, director of research, and Nicole Zeng, senior manager of research at Robinhood, gave us an inside look at how Robinhood uses consumer insights to stay ahead of changing tides and drive informed business decisions.
They reminded us that our job as researchers is to ‘bring in the oxygen,’ meaning give your stakeholders data, research, and insight to inhale so they can exhale solutions (code, programming, products parentheses). And in a world of AI, bots, and cryptocurrencies, it’s important to keep pace with your internal clients and deliver the work even when it is B grade (because no one has time to wait around for A+).
Key takeaways:
It’s about influencing business decisions. And often that can be solved with a solid B grade.
The marriage of behavioral economics and qualitative research
McDonald’s discussed how qualitative research and behavioral economics can complement (not compete with) each other, especially when communication challenges contain significant mindset change hurdles.
For example, in this instance, qualitative research uncovered and articulated implicit biases held by the skeptic target, thus adding more specificity to the behavioral economics framework. The result was a campaign that significantly shifted the McDonald’s endorsement score for “good quality food” among the 55+ demographic.
Key takeaways:
Consideration of messengers and their ability to generate an approach motivation will reap rewards in many types of creative development challenges.
Neurodiversity: The largest target audience you’ve never considered
Did you know nearly 70 million Americans learn and think differently due to ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and language disorders? This “invisible” yet sizable audience is often overlooked across industries, including marketing research.
Understood.org researchers talked about the importance of the learning and thinking differently population (size and buying power) and how we can better serve them in a research capacity. Understood and reminded to take “neurodiversity” from buzzword to action.
Key takeaways:
If you’re not sure if you’re talking to this audience in your research, simply add a question or two to capture this information. Not sure the right way to ask, reach out to Understood.org.
Today’s strategy for tomorrow’s consumers (embracing your brand’s Gen AI era)
Gen AI is shaking up consumer behavior and creating exciting new possibilities for businesses every day. With so much of B2C research about understanding people’s daily lives and where a product/service fits in, exposing the preferences and patterns of how these early adopters shop and spend their money can revolutionize the way brands connect with them.
Visa's Director of Global Insights, Michael Nevski, looked at why they embrace it in the first place, how shopping habits vary across different industries, and even preferences for tech-based interactions over engaging in person. All three examples can uncover unique leveraging opportunities, providing actionable insights on where to strategically direct your efforts.
Key takeaways:
Staying ahead of the curve will not only meet the needs of this forward-thinking set but also anticipate and shape the future of Gen AI integration within the consumer journey.
Quirk’s 2024 may be over, but the incredible experience and education have us excited for the 2025 season already. Now that we’re home, let’s enjoy the rest of the summer, put what we’ve learned into action, and get ready to see each other again in sunny L.A. next February! (Or before then…it’s airline status crunch time, after all.)