We are all consumers – we consume through action, not through our heads. At least according to Dr. Oskar Korkman, Insights Creation Director at Nokia.   At The Market Research Event 2011, Korkman discussed how consumer practice acts as the true foundation for innovation. In other words, to watch and listen to a consumer as he or she interacts with a product or reacts to a brand’s messaging is much more valuable to the innovation process than having a consumer tell you how he or she Read more »

Whether we recognize it or not, images have a powerful impact on our brain. They bring things to life, engage us, and, according to a new study, trick us into thinking we were a part of them. A recent study by Priyali Rajagopal and Nicole Montgomery found that a commercial’s imagery has a greater impact on our lives than we ever imagined. It found that commercials can trick our memory into believing that a scene from television actually happened in real life – in our Read more »

Since 2004, the Globalpark Annual Market Research Software Survey has predicted the Web to be the fastest growing methodology year over year. In 2010, however, the survey predicted for the first time a change in directions for the industry: the Web would not be the fastest growing methodology in 2011, but rather self-directed interviews using mobile devices.   With over 70 percent of the world using some sort of mobile device today, the above findings are not that surprising. Today’s population is more mobilized than Read more »

Who doesn’t love a good picture book? They bring to life the characters, setting, and story line through vivid pictures that pull readers in. They are easier to understand because you can see the story unfolding right before your eyes. And they keep you engaged with their colors, shadows, and fine details. A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives to capture and hold your attention in a way that traditional story books cannot. While originally intended for small children with short attention spans, adults Read more »

According to Merriam-Webster, innovation is defined as “the introduction of something new,” or “a new idea, method, or device.” While some dismiss it as simply a buzz word, innovation can be the key to a business’s success.   With a plethora of websites, search engines, and advertisements at their disposal, consumers today are constantly inundated with different products and services – making the pressure for businesses to stand out greater than ever. From sliced bread to tablets, it may seem like all the good ideas Read more »

If we know consumers today (and we think we do), convenience is king. Today’s digitally savvy consumers constantly engage in online platforms from the comfort of their home or on the go.  From blogs and community forums to webcams and video diaries, they now navigate their lives via their mobile devices 24/7. Consequently, researchers must adapt to the evolving consumer if they want to stay afloat – meaning, it’s time to leverage consumers’ new sense of empowerment and advance to the new age of digital Read more »

As consumers, we know what we like and don’t like, and no one can change that.  Or can they?   We like to believe that we are immune to outside influences, but studies find that our surroundings play a key role in the decisions we make.  One of the most telling studies done on peer pressure was conducted in the 1950s by Social Psychologist Solomon Asch.  In the experiment, participants were shown a line and then asked to choose which line (out of three) matched Read more »

Everyone knows that the Internet has fundamentally changed consumers’ buying behavior by giving them more choices and more information through more devices.  Some studies show that consumers will look at up to eleven sources of information before buying, whether it’s through their laptop at home or their smartphone in the store aisle.   So instead of predictably following the traditional route of a company driving consumer awareness through a first Moment of Truth to lead the consumer to choose a product, consumers instead are looking Read more »