The ICG is always keen to support our advertisers and sponsors in whatever way we can. Here, Stewart Lindsay of Babble viewing studio, Solihull, Birmingham, writes about the impact of the pandemic and how his studio has adapted.
Don’t forget that Babble offer ICG members a discount. See their ad with us for more info.
With the Government’s furlough scheme closing its doors at the end of September, it’s now time to fully open the Babble door. We are looking forward to trading in a very different world than the one we knew in March 2020.
Much discussion is being had about what the ‘new world’ looks like, and how the impacts of the past eighteen months will be felt within the research – and in our case the viewing facility – industry, as we move forward, so I thought it would be timely to share our experiences and hopes for the future.
There’s no denying that since restrictions were eased, the return of face to face market research has been hugely affected. Enquiries and bookings are massively down on where they were pre-pandemic, despite the multitude of covid measures that we now have in place, including social distance markers, regular cleaning of all surfaces, screens and masks and hand sanitiser made available to all visitors.
It’s fair to assume that the reasons for this downturn can be attributed to many factors, as opposed to any one in particular. Clients have become used to seeing respondents via Zoom, Teams or other online platforms, and whilst this has worked well from a cost and logistical point of view, the practicalities and outputs from these sessions is up for debate. Certainly the moderators that we have hosted since the return have been a lot happier running their sessions in the same room as opposed to online. Moderators crave the energy lost in online sessions. Our webstreaming means that clients can benefit from watching their sessions at a time and place that suits them. Our webstreaming is free within our studio hire cost. It’s all about flexibility. It’s all about feeling good here at Babble.
Working in the hospitality industry, the absence of seeing and meeting people has been the most difficult aspect of the whole process; we thrive on our ability to welcome visitors to the studio, make them feel at home from the minute they walk in, and cater for their every need until the moment we say goodbye. That has been missing for eighteen months; we want it back.
Now that we are back fully open, we are focussed on making up for lost time and helping to restore life to ‘normal’ as best we can. Measures designed to add reassurance have become the ‘norm’ now, which is a good thing. Spraying, wiping, maskwearing are all completely natural behaviours = beneficial for us and our visitors.
At Babble, we have always hosted market research focus groups. This is our core business and our passion. Borne out by our ‘feelgood’ mantra, which we demonstrate for every single visitor.
As we move into this new post-pandemic era, we are actively seeking to broaden the Babble offering to a wider audience be it those looking for a workspace to use as and when they choose, or a place to meet clients or colleagues without the tie of a fixed office. We want to spread the word about feeling good at Babble.
As we move into this new post-pandemic era, we are actively seeking to broaden the Babble offering to a wider audience be it those looking for a workspace to use as and when they choose, or a place to meet clients or colleagues without the tie of a fixed office. We want to spread the word about feeling good at Babble.
We believe that the workplace of the future will very much be a hybrid of home and shared spaces like here, with flexibility and convenience being the key. Our job is to ensure that, whatever your needs, we can meet them here at Babble – be it a full on focus group, a team meeting or simply you needing a desk. We are here for you when you need us. https://www.babbleresearch.co.uk
Stewart Lindsay
Unit 1a, Stratford Court Cranmore Boulevard Solihull West Midlands B90 4QT