THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

The latest industry insights and trends.

Get a fresh perspective on your world as we continually experiment with new methods, innovate new tools and explore contemporary topics.

 

Storytelling in Uncertain Times: The Questions That Really Matter for Your Business to Succeed
Market Research, Consumer Insights, Storytelling John Sularz, Insights Director Market Research, Consumer Insights, Storytelling John Sularz, Insights Director

Storytelling in Uncertain Times: The Questions That Really Matter for Your Business to Succeed

Although the market responded positively to the recent news that the Fed signaled a slowdown on interest rates, by the time you read this, other news may send markets downward. A series of major events have rocked our globe over the past several years—each with devastating human consequences: the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation at a 40-year high. Knowing your customer in times of crisis is critical to safeguarding your business. It provides a roadmap to re-align your strategy to weather the storm. Today, Insights Director John Sularz reveals the essential step you need to take to ensure organizational resiliency during unstable times.

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The Imperfect Journey of Online Shopping... And What Brick and Mortar Stores Must Do About It

The Imperfect Journey of Online Shopping... And What Brick and Mortar Stores Must Do About It

Online shopping is projected to grow 27% of overall retail sales by 2023, and brick and mortar retailers are scrambling to figure out their next moves. But there is hope. CEO Lisa Osborne explains how these traditional merchants can get unstuck, be creative and find success by leveraging the flaws of online shopping to their own advantage.

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Getting Customers to Spend More

Getting Customers to Spend More

In his book, Dollars and Sense, behavioral economist Dan Ariely talks about the irrational ways we spend money. As marketers, it can be useful to use those same “irrational” mechanisms to get customers to spend more. How do your customers make the decision to spend? Expert researcher and strategist, Jay Zaltzman, explains what you need to know plus 3 critical takeaways to get the most out of your consumer spending research!

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10 Reasons You and Your Organization Should be Doing Accessibility Research

10 Reasons You and Your Organization Should be Doing Accessibility Research

According to the CDC, one in 4 U.S. adults – 61 million Americans – have a disability that impacts major life activities. Accessibility research is an important and growing space. Today we break down exactly why understanding accessibility matters for you and your business - and how to make it happen.

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How Consumer Insourcing is Impacting You and Your Business (and 3 Steps to Deal with It)

How Consumer Insourcing is Impacting You and Your Business (and 3 Steps to Deal with It)

A funny thing happened as life started to open up in summer 2021. People weren’t finding the value and benefit they used to out of their away-from-home experiences. It was more satisfying and rewarding to “insource” and do it themselves. What’s behind this phenomenon and what can your business do about it? Navigating to a New Normal respondents share their experiences.

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The Most Exciting, and Terrifying, Time to Be in Consumer Insights

The Most Exciting, and Terrifying, Time to Be in Consumer Insights

We asked 3 of the brightest client-side insights leaders we know to participate in a roundtable discussion about a range of issues facing the industry today.

Elizabeth Oates, Sr. Director, Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty, Humayun Rashid, Director, Microsoft 365 Research & Insights, and Marlene Straszewski, former Senior Director, Consumer Insights at General Mills each shared insight and perspective on the evolving role of the consumer, what research methods will be in demand in the future as society opens up again, the power and importance of listening as well as what’s needed from insights agency partners today.

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Our #1 system for creating successful stories

Our #1 system for creating successful stories

You are often swimming in data, reports, and information. You don’t have the time on your weekly priority list to think deeply, you only have time to think about what to get done NOW. But without that Big Idea and story, you won’t know what matters most, what is at stake, and what to do next. You need a system!

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3 Easy Steps to Get People to Care about Environmental Efforts

3 Easy Steps to Get People to Care about Environmental Efforts

In the past year of pandemic-induced reflection, trips to outdoor spaces grew in popularity. With that outdoor time, we have been more exposed to the effects of pollution and climate change and the impact of our actions. As part of Ignite 360’s Navigating to a New Normal study (and in celebration of Earth Day) we asked our respondents about challenges facing the environment and if they feel their efforts are having any meaningful impact. CEO Rob Volpe shares the story and reveals 3 Steps companies can use to remove barriers and motivate consumer behavior towards positive change.

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Are You Delivering Couch Potato Insights? Activation Workshops Can Help
Consumer Insights, Market Research Ignite 360 Consumer Insights, Market Research Ignite 360

Are You Delivering Couch Potato Insights? Activation Workshops Can Help

Whether woven into a project from beginning to end or a stand-alone project, Insights Activations have become a popular tool we utilize to help our clients move their Insights Agendas forward in their organizations. Senior VP, Marie Becker explains how the key to successfully activating on insights (and getting them “off the couch”) hinges largely on our ability to get key stakeholders immersed in the project early on.

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Design Forums: The Key to Post-Pandemic Success

Design Forums: The Key to Post-Pandemic Success

Leading change can feel Sisyphean – it’s slow work, with a lot of undeveloped ideas, missing expertise, and lack of consensus. It requires you to have a clear understanding of your audience, the support of key teams, and a BIG creative idea around which to rally. Easy to say on paper, harder to accomplish in real life. Design forums make change a natural process by removing the hurdles.

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Consumer Journeys in Flux: The Change You Cannot Wait to Discover Is Happening Right Now

Consumer Journeys in Flux: The Change You Cannot Wait to Discover Is Happening Right Now

We have entered a “Waiting” period. People waiting to get a vaccine, parents waiting for schools to re-open – and businesses waiting for consumers to embark upon their post-pandemic shopper journeys. But for business, now is not the time to wait. Now is the time to prepare the space for consumers. To inspire you to action – COO Lisa Osborne shares a story of a world-renowned coffee company that went all-in, armed with data and insights to disrupt the stale supermarket coffee aisle – and built a case for innovation.

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When Your Ship Doesn’t Come In – 3 Considerations for Post-Pandemic Recovery
Navigating to a New Normal, Market Research, Consumer Insights Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Navigating to a New Normal, Market Research, Consumer Insights Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

When Your Ship Doesn’t Come In – 3 Considerations for Post-Pandemic Recovery

Our upside-down pandemic existence has dramatically shifted consumer shopping habits and behaviors – causing shipping nightmares and eroding the health of our finely tuned supply chain forecasts. Whether or not your product is facing a price increase due to shipping or other COGs challenges, your consumer is going to be dealing with price increases on multiple fronts. Here are 3 things your business needs to consider when navigating these new waters.

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Chapter 7: 72% of Adults Seek Change Post-pandemic, is Your Business Ready?
Navigating to a New Normal, Consumer Insights, Market Research Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Navigating to a New Normal, Consumer Insights, Market Research Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Chapter 7: 72% of Adults Seek Change Post-pandemic, is Your Business Ready?

An overwhelming number, 72%, of Navigating to a New Normal respondents want some degree of change in their life when the events of 2020 come to a close. In case you missed out on our Chapter 7, 3-part story – here are ALL the insights behind what people value and want to achieve when given a choice – and how your company can prepare for this new future.

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Where Do We Go From Here? Re-uniting as Americans</a>.
Navigating to a New Normal, Market Research, Consumer Insights Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Navigating to a New Normal, Market Research, Consumer Insights Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Where Do We Go From Here? Re-uniting as Americans.

“What can you do after the election to bring unity and help make the other side successful?” The initial reactions of discomfort and uncertainty from the 16 Navigating to a New Normal participants betrayed a long-standing American Conundrum: we are more comfortable pointing out the problem than being part of the solution. Check out the 5 Key Actions that came out of a conversation around unity.

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Gratitude: Changing the Future [part 3 of 3]
Navigating to a New Normal, Market Research, Consumer Insights Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Navigating to a New Normal, Market Research, Consumer Insights Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Gratitude: Changing the Future [part 3 of 3]

An overwhelming number, 72%, of Navigating to a New Normal respondents want some degree of change in their life when the events of 2020 come to a close. People are more present in this moment of their lives than in the past. There is a thirst for long-term, sizable change both in society and the individual. In part 3 of our 3-part story, we share the insights behind what people value and want to achieve when given a choice – and how your company can prepare for this new future.

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Gratitude: Changes in Action [part 2 of 3]
Navigating to a New Normal, Consumer Insights, Market Research Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Navigating to a New Normal, Consumer Insights, Market Research Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Gratitude: Changes in Action [part 2 of 3]

Navigating to a New Normal, common themes have emerged that will redefine the frameworks that insights, marketing, and strategy professionals rely on. Needs, jobs to be done, decision journeys, opportunity maps and dig sites will all need to be re-evaluated based on the future state we are rapidly moving toward.

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Gratitude: The Change People Really Want [part 1 of 3]
Navigating to a New Normal, Consumer Insights, Market Research Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Navigating to a New Normal, Consumer Insights, Market Research Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Gratitude: The Change People Really Want [part 1 of 3]

Americans are hungry for change. Not the kind of change promised by politicians - spiritual change. In Chapter 7 of our ongoing longitudinal study, Navigating to a New Normal, we identified the new macro trend that could shape our lives for a generation - Gratitude - and the far-reaching implications for your business.

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Getting to Yes… On a Dress
Empathy Training, Consumer Insights, Customer Experience Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Empathy Training, Consumer Insights, Customer Experience Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Getting to Yes… On a Dress

Ignite 360 CEO, Rob Volpe assumed women had it easy finding something stylish and flattering for any occasion. And if it was easy for women, how hard would it be for a man who is used to much fewer choices and therefore less discerning. Today, Rob shares his first-hand experience in dress empathy.

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