Resource Type: Article

  • Diversity and Inclusion over the Last 25 Years: Ethnic Dimension

    Diversity and Inclusion over the Last 25 Years: Ethnic Dimension

    Ethnic Dimension, set up by ICG member Jag Poonia, is 25 years old this month (June) and is still going strong.

    Over the years, this specialist agency has helped ensure racially diverse voices are represented and included in market research, way before Diversity and Inclusion was an explicit focus for clients and the industry.

    It has been talking, listening and understanding the UK’s racially diverse communities for brands, charities and the social sector, helping them to reach and engage in ways that are culturally sensitive. The focus has always been to uncover the nuances among and between these communities that bring them to life for clients.

    Specialists from South Asian, Black Caribbean and Black African heritages have been storytellers on a wide range of important social issues: knife crime, female genital mutilation, mental health, the Covid pandemic, sexual health, obesity, smoking, among other things.

    Throughout the last 25 years we seen societal changes triggered by events that have impacted the lives of people of colour including race equality legislation, the death of Stephen Lawrence and George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement and Covid-19.

    Research has provided a platform for them to express their responses, lived experiences and how these events have coloured their perspectives of the society they live in, organisations and brands that serve them as consumers, and the extent to which they feel public services meet their needs.

    It has been an incredible journey, and there is real gratitude for all of those respondents who have shared their voices with honesty, fortitude and humour.

     

     

     

  • I Tried to Be an Avatar!

    I Tried to Be an Avatar!

    A venture into the parallel realm of the Metaverse, devoid of objectives and lacking a clear sense of self, with the singular aim of transcending the mundane.

    By ICG member Stefania Gogna

     

    I approach the parallel world of the Metaverse, without goals and without a clear sense of self, with the sole objective of being other than the contingency: to transform from what-is-and-may-not-be to what-is, period. Without any limits, can you imagine? It means “wherever one wants,” “whatever one wants,” “with whomever one wants,” following in the footsteps of Leibniz.

    First things first, the choice of attire: pure white, a minimalist suit reflecting a certain purity of intentions and a small dose of inner narcissism, shamelessly saying “I couldn’t be any better than this.” Decidedly, in an inelegant world, I decide to stand out. Upon reflection, the avatar I chose somewhat resembles me: unkempt hair, never “wigged,” of an imprecise auburn color, and I avoid the rest out of boredom. No footwear: I’ve always detested shoes, just as I don’t love bags. I would like sneakers, rebellious and oversized, and a hot pink backpack: I can’t find them in the inventory, and I’m not capable of creating them out of thin air… oh, how far I am from the infinite being! I give up: better nothing.

    Well, after the constructive phase, in which I find myself perfectly comfortable with a me-other-than-me, I begin to explore. I feel a bit embarrassed, a bit idiotic. First stop: g. island. I like it: spacious and luminescent meeting tables and technological equipment for video conferencing. I feel like the Lethe water bubble: there’s no one here anyway. B. island: fantastic! Here, human presence makes me feel less lonely. A big-avatar, with a grand purple dress, is picking flowers… how on earth do you pick fake flowers? And for how long do you do it before deciding that maybe it’s better to go to Trenno Park? True, there are syringes and mosquitoes there. Now what can I do? What else, if not walk in search of omnipotence and indeterminacy? I feel like Siddhartha, actually not finding a useful dimension, an island that suits me.

    “Hi, what are you doing?”

    It takes me a while to realize that whoever’s trying to talk to me is doing so on the left side of the monitor. His name? Jack! I don’t know how to respond; I’m naturally shy, and truth be told, I don’t want to know anyone. Who knows where he’s writing from, and above all, maybe, he’s doing it from an office, and I’m convinced he’ll have relational problems. And then… and then, is it not apparent, from how I dress and where I am, that I don’t want to deal with anyone? No, mistake! Dada, which is me, is truly a projection of the self, but only I know that. Here’s the first limitation! Andrea said;

    “you know, in there, people don’t do what they would really do in real life, they’re not themselves, they’re what they idealize of themselves.”

    But no, Andrea, I feel like myself. I’m leaving, poor Jack. He doesn’t seem worried, nor does he start crying when he sees me fly away. Oh well, I’m flying away. Not bad, huh? Perhaps excessive seriousness kills. So be it!

    I want to go to a glamorous place; I want to see brightly lit shop windows filled with things, where I can be a specialized hyper-consumer: lingerie. The shock of kitsch. Like at the supermarket. Being present itself in three forms, says Rosmini: ideal being, real being, and moral being, but here I experience a fundamental feeling: a generic sense of identity. The second limitation.

    https://theicg.co.uk/member/infostefaniagogna-com/

     

     

  • We Need Communities More than Ever, but in Marketing We’ve Lost Sight of Who They Are

    We Need Communities More than Ever, but in Marketing We’ve Lost Sight of Who They Are

    ICG member Hanna Chalmers, The Culture Studio, conducted some important work for Reach Solutions about communities.

    Research Live covered this really interesting piece of work. See here for a link to the research output (via Reach) as well as an accompanying piece about it.

    Download the research findings from Reach here

    https://theculturestudio.co.uk/

    hanna chalmers

  • Do Your Clients Really Know How to Write a Good Brief?

    Do Your Clients Really Know How to Write a Good Brief?

    By ICG member Alex Blondin, Everything is User Experience

     

    In our experience, it’s a lot harder than clients often think. Are you sure that they’ve communicated everything that your agency needs?

    Find out in our latest ebook, “How to Brief an Agency,” a collaboration between Everything is User Experience and Literal Humans.

    –         Why a brief is the key ingredient for a successful project
    –         Guidance and stories from industry experts
    –         Pointers for building stronger agency partnerships
    –         How to achieve the better creative results
    –         Are you ready for a briefing method that stands out as much as your brand?

    Expect professional insights, a touch of humour, and a surprising appearance from a Feng Shui master — and what we can all learn from him.

    This was mainly written for agency clients but in many cases the agency ends up writing these briefs so this is a guide on how to do it the right way.

     

    Read the White Paper here

     

    You may also find this Round Table Discussion, ‘Your Clients Don’t Think You’re Strategic Enough’ (24 April) interesting. Register here

    https://www.everythingisuserexperience.com/

     

  • What Will 2034 Look Like?

    What Will 2034 Look Like?

    Paper will be presented by ICG member Preriit Souda, Director: Data Science & Strategic Insights, PSA Consultants, at the EPHMRA Conference 2024.


    This presentation will start with a question for the audience: What do you think 2034 will look like? Then after this we will move on to address what the future might look like 10 years from now.

    Preriit will talk about how society might evolve, how work might evolve, and how consumer behaviors might change. Then, the paper will focus on the possible future of market research/insight – what might happen and where the industry might evolve. What might be the possible strengths and possible weaknesses?

    Finally, there will be a discussion on the skills that will be needed and what we can do today to be ready for tomorrow and to succeed in what the coming 10 years might bring.

    SLIDES HERE 

    Preriit will also be running a webinar for the ICG about this on the 16 May.  Registration here 

     

  • Off the Beaten Path: Leaving the Agency World

    Off the Beaten Path: Leaving the Agency World

    Jess Jorgensen, formerly of Bamm and now a freelance insights consultant and ICG member, shares her experience of leaving a full-time career to pursue her mushroom passion. Article first published in Research Live. 

    In 2023, I quit my job to run with mushrooms. For 16 years, I worked in cultural and consumer insights before leaving a director-level agency position to run with a passion project: exploring the culture of mushrooms and psychedelics.

    Leaving the agency world and a full-time salary behind has been terrifying, enlightening, and rewarding. Mushrooms – both my subject matter and matter of admiration – have been key to navigating this new path.

    Colleagues and peers have supported but also questioned this choice, and I’m sure they secretly thought it was mad. Why would one quit a perfectly good job, without an income stream, to explore a weird niche? The decision was driven by three things: wellbeing, morality, and motivation.

    READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE 

     

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessjorgensen/

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/running-with-mushrooms/

     

     

  • As the Next General Election Approaches, Political Lessons from the Last 50 Years

    As the Next General Election Approaches, Political Lessons from the Last 50 Years

    Article from AMSR – Archive of Market and Social Research

    Let’s time travel through politics: In 1974, late swings altered outcomes, mirroring today’s 17% Labour lead. The ’70 and ’74 elections teach us that secure leads can vanish as election day nears, shaped by changing voter mindsets.

    This insightful analysis, courtesy of Phyllis Macfarlane and Peter Bartram, delves into historical data, including NOP Political Bulletins, Robert M Worcester’s ‘Pollsters, the Press and Politics,’ and ‘Britain Speaks Out 1937-87,’ among other AMSR – The Archive of Market and Social Research sources.

    Explore more at AMSR Story: Political Lessons Learnt from last 50years unravelling the dynamic interplay of political shifts over the years. As we gear up for the 2024 general election, understanding historical patterns illuminates the road ahead.

    Noteworthy similarities between 2024 and 1974 include the unpopularity of main party leaders.

    Much like Wilson and Heath in 1973, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer grapple with mixed perceptions per the November 2023 Ipsos poll. Party leaders currently trail behind their parties in public perceptions.

    Now, are we all ready for the cringeworthy pictures over the next few months from various party leaders?

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/amsr-uk/

  • What Does Chinese New Year Smell Like?

    What Does Chinese New Year Smell Like?

    Article by ICG member Felicia Schwartz, China Insight

    Having worked on several olfactory projects in China this year, scent has been on my mind. As we are approaching the Chinese New Year I could not help wondering: what is the scent of the lunar new-year festival? We are quick to associate a host of scents with Christmas, the Western equivalent of China’s seasonal holiday, from cinnamon and clove to gingerbread and the heady scent of mulled wine or hot chocolate. These scents are wafting throughout retail, food venues and are reflected in popular culture (anyone seen Wonka in December?) In fact, notwithstanding local and personal variations, we have established a common virtual scent catalogue for a range of occasions and concepts like “Christmas”, “Freshness”, or “Romance.” These scents are no less powerful than visual symbols or auditory cues.  But they do not necessarily travel across cultures.

    Huang Xuelei’s fascinating talk at SOAS on her book, Scents of China, revealed a complex history of scent. It painted an imperial past, where the upper echelons of society had a very sophisticated scent vocabulary (the 18C novel Dream of the Red Chamber, for example, refers to a burgeoning incense culture including “agarwood crutches”, “red musk wrist-beads” and “spice-aroma incense sachets”.) But the era of turmoil heralding the emergence of a modern China did away with this historical plethora of scent. After a gingerly stab at exploring modern fragrances in 1920’s Shanghai, Chairman Mao positively politicized scent often referring to the stench of (bourgeois) enemies whilst outlawing perfume.  The opening of China in the 1980’s thus found China somewhat scent-free and susceptible to an onslaught of products from the West.

    Fast-forward a few decades to a self-confident China where Gen’Zrs are looking to the past to define their present and future Chinese-ness. The current fragrance trend (worth 2,5 billion USD in 2022, a number forecast by Euromonitor to nearly double by 2025) sees half of GenZ’s wearing scent daily and home fragrance exploding during and after Covid.

    Fragrances are strongly associated with feelings and memories, so I was interested to delve into the imaginary and scent-associations of fellow Chinese experts at this emotionally charged time of the year.

    Author Huang conjured the Chinese daffodil (shuixian 水仙), and the wintersweet, (lamei 腊梅), which blooms in the winter. For her, both these flowers emit a subtle yet sweet scent, carrying the spirit of winter sunshine, warmth, and hope, conjuring memories of home and carefree childhood times. Documentary maker Gu Siyi evokes the sweet aroma of eight treasure rice and associates this period with the lingering after-scent of firecrackers and that of the dry, fresh, invigorating scent of cold air she remembers from the Beijing of her childhood.

    There is no wonder that domestic fragrance brands are especially successful in tapping into this rich well of culture. Chinese beauty brand Pechoin created a special Chinese New Year gift set a few years back featuring cold creams scented respectively to conjure the smell of fireworks, the fragrance of the iconic red envelope (hongbao 红包), and the aromas and flavours of a familial reunion banquet. Current darling fragrance brand To Summer links the scent of citrus and dried tangerine to memories of reunions and sharing mandarins during the Chinese New Year. It builds its brand on a commitment to restoring Eastern botanical scents and taps into the Guochao trend by dishing up Chinese tradition in an ultra-contemporary style.

    Another local star, Scent Library, is known for products dipping into the recent nostalgia for childhood memories. Popular lines include White Rabbit, a collaboration with the ubiquitous Chinese milk candy brand. With young local consumers looking to express their taste and personality, niche brands are flourishing and popular scent directions are ever-evolving.

    The year of the dragon is especially laden in symbolism, with the dragon being the most powerful of the zodiac animals. Insight specialist Wang Ying Ying associates this year with the scents of wood and ambergris which respectively connote strength and power, qualities associated with the Dragon. Huang agrees that this year calls for a bold statement. For her, spicy and citrus notes exude the confidence and strength associated with the dragon’s strong “yang” energy. Interestingly, she sees a ‘gender neutral’ scent, the dragon not being gendered and its positive characteristics being attributable to all genders. This would sit well with a market trend that sees high-end gender-neutral scents as a subcategory with the highest compound annual growth rate (2016-2021, Euromonitor).

    Brands have not missed the opportunity to make an impression. Of course not every brand has the luck of Jo Malone, known as Zu Ma Long (祖马龙) in Chinese, with its last character literally being “dragon”. Yet international and local brands alike feted the year of the dragon with culturally resonating new launches. Jo Malone’s new Dragon-year fragrances contain precious ingredients like myrrh and red hibiscus and are contained in luxurious gold and red bottles.

    Slightly more imaginative, French Fragrance brand Diptyque has teamed up with Chinese calligraphy artist Ao Hei to spruce up its packaging with ink strokes and gold foil. The limited-edition fragrance “Diptyque Paper,” is made with white musk, rice scent, mimosa, and golden woody notes, evoking the delicate scent of ink when it touches paper.

    Meanwhile Swedish fragrance and accessory brand Byredo honours the CNY tradition of gathering and feasting with a limited-edition collection of homewares. Co-designed with Shanghai-based studio KAE, the collectibles are handcrafted in Jingdezhen, China’s ceramic Mecca, and the curvilinear forms pay homage to classical Chinese silhouettes as well as echo Byredo’s iconic perfume bottle.

    Huang summarises that Perfume, as a purely sensory product, needs to cater to the synesthetic nature of our sensory perception and thus creating a successful perfume is a complex endeavour encompassing scent, story, concept, and associated imagery. She underlines that Chinese culture has an especially rich repertoire of such image-scent-story associations anchored in poetry, literature, theatre and the visual arts. This ancient repertoire, as well as a more recent realm of nostalgia created by the rapid change seen in Modern China, have yet to be fully tapped into by the perfume industry and constitute a productive area to explore.

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicia-schwartz-70331b/

    https://www.chinainsight.co.uk/

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • If Mushrooms Can Grow from S**t, So Can Your Insights!

    If Mushrooms Can Grow from S**t, So Can Your Insights!

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  • How to Harness ‘Micro Power’!

    How to Harness ‘Micro Power’!

    ICG member Nick Bonney shares his thoughts about the value smaller businesses can bring.

     

    I have a guilty secret. I love The Repair Shop. I appreciate this means that I’m clearly embracing my 50s and am probably – even more worryingly – only a few episodes away from Cash in the Attic and turning into my dad, but there is something so awe-inspiring about watching experts in their craft at work.

    Why would I be talking about Jay, Dom, Kirsten and the repair crew in a post about market research? For me, it’s probably the best metaphor I’ve found to describe the incredible independent researcher community (ICG) I stepped into just over five years ago.

    My only experience with the ICG, prior to starting out on my own, had been a presentation I’d given as a client many moons ago. Since then, I’ve been blown away by the level of know-how that exists in the group and just how generous people are with their time and advice. Just like The Repair Shop barn, it doesn’t seem to matter how niche the problem is that comes through the door, there is someone who will have come across it before or, more likely than not, be a recognised expert in that subject. And just like the much-loved BBC show, the best work is often created through collaboration and co-operation between these individual experts.

    It was amazing, therefore, to see such widespread recognition for these micro research businesses at the annual MRS Awards at the end of last year. Whilst there is a dedicated award category for independent consultants (massive congrats to Untapped Innovation and PS Research for their win and commendation, respectively)  it was fantastic to see independents popping up on the list of finalists all over the place with Hush Research & Strategy, Field Notes, The Outsiders, House 51 and ourselves, Deep Blue Thinking, picking up awards on the night.

    It was particularly telling that many smaller businesses had entered award categories as a partnership or consortium, reflecting what I’ve seen to be one of the key benefits of this segment of the market; the ability to bring together a dedicated team of experts to meet the precise requirements of a client brief.

    The annual Research Live League Tables published this week showed promising growth for the sector but, in recognition of the increasing importance of the boutique end of the market, it was fantastic that the MRS also took the time to highlight the perspective of small independent researchers. All those interviewed highlighted the benefits of experience, flexibility and personal service that working with an independent can bring.

    Yet, as I know from my two decades the other side of the fence, there are still many client organisations who are nervous about bringing in smaller suppliers. Konrad Collao from Craft referenced the ‘nobody gets fired for using IBM quote’ and corporate procurement policies can reinforced this mindset.

    AURA is to be applauded for promoting smaller vendors through its ‘The Best Agencies You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of’ event but it’s worth remembering the research buyer is often just one cog in the corporate machine. Often it can be other parts of the business that place barriers in the way of working effectively with sole traders or micro businesses.

    Fixed rosters typically encourage larger brands to stick to working with the big guys; after all, if you’re restricted to 8 or 10 vendors on a roster, do you want to allocate one of those to a small, boutique outfit who might not be right for every single brief? This was a persistent challenge during my two decades client-side. The barriers to working with a new smaller vendor were often too challenging to overcome even when we could see there was undoubted expertise we could benefit from.

    It would be all too easy though to place the burden of responsibility with finance or procurement functions. However, if research buyers want to tap into the talent in this part of the market, it’s important they help set the right conditions for success. Acting as an advocate for smaller businesses will ensure they’re able to benefit from a diverse supplier base.

    Championing reasonable payment terms, minimising irrelevant administration forms and ensuring prompt payment are just a few of the things that research buyers can do which mean independents can focus on delivering great work rather than being bogged down in the corporate machine. Sadly, whilst we’ve seen recent high profile announcements from the chancellor on late payments, it remains a persistent issue for most small businesses I speak to and a quick glance at the published data (https://www.gov.uk/check-when-businesses-pay-invoices) reveals some fairly well-known names remain serial offenders for late payment.

    My hope is that we’ll continue to see more smaller businesses coming to the fore with increasingly creative partnerships and consortia coming together to help clients truly access the best the market has to offer. However, as we enter a new year, it’s a great time for research teams to consider how they can advocate for smaller businesses to enable them both to thrive in an effective partnership – after all, there’s a whole wealth of expertise waiting behind the barn door!

    Nick Bonney <nick.bonney@deepbluethinking.co.uk>

    https://www.deepbluethinking.co.uk/

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/deep-blue-thinking/about/