Consumer Behavior

Industry Focus

Playing to the Crowd A look at what’s driving sports marketing research

July 3, 2025 0

In a category fueled by passion and competition, qualitative research plays a pivotal role in unlocking the voice of the fan, player, and stakeholder across the entire sports ecosystem. From optimizing ticket sales and fan engagement to guiding sponsorship decisions and uncovering generational shifts in sports consumption, this deep-dive article explores how qual delivers context, clarity, and connection in an industry like no other. The piece reveals how quallies help teams and brands navigate evolving fandom, balance star power with team loyalty, and reimagine both live experiences and recreational participation. It’s a must-read for researchers and brand managers who want to understand how sports are transforming—and how to meet that moment with insight. Whether you’re courtside, on the field, or in the boardroom, the game has changed—and research is driving the next play. […]

Global

From Focus Groups to Roblox: The Evolution of Digital Immersive Research Methodologies

July 3, 2025 0

Immersive research is moving beyond gimmicks and into the mainstream, transforming how we engage participants and uncover deeper insights. This article explores how custom-built virtual environments—ranging from a futuristic Roblox retail world to gamified sustainability labs—create psychological safety, heighten engagement, and spark more authentic responses than traditional methods. From testing AI beauty assistants to exploring Gen Z’s vision for retail, immersive research is delivering scalable, cost-effective, and emotionally rich insights. If you’re a marketer or researcher looking to future-proof your approach, this is a must-read on where qualitative research is heading next. […]

Business Matters

Dynamic Systems in Marketing Research: Cracking the Nut of Habitual Behavior

July 2, 2025 0

If you’ve ever struggled to understand or shift entrenched consumer or professional behaviors, this article offers a fresh and deeply insightful perspective. The author—originally a cognitive developmental psychologist—introduces dynamic systems theory to explain how habits form, stabilize, and resist change over time. Using real-world examples from healthcare and consumer behavior, the piece explores how marketers and qualitative researchers can uncover the early influences and unconscious motivators behind resistant behaviors—and how to effectively disrupt them. This isn’t just theory—it’s a call to rethink how we frame questions, design studies, and unlock behavior change. A must-read for any insight pro looking to solve sticky behavior problems with new thinking. […]

Global

Against the Odds: The Battle-Hardened Spirit of Latin Americans

June 12, 2024 0

Olivia Tykocki, a researcher with Latin American roots, shows Latin Americans not merely as survivors in the face of ongoing economic and political upheavals, but as masters of adaptation. Based on insightful research and first-hand experiences, Tykocki uncovers how enduring cultural values intersect with adaptive responses to shape consumer behavior and inspire innovation in the LatAm market. […]

Schools of Thought

So Big They Are Almost Invisible: 4 Roles of Brand Rituals and What They Mean for Researchers

June 14, 2023 0

The profound impact of rituals makes them a rich opportunity for marketers. This article discusses the “invisible” power of ritual on people’s lives and some of the ways brands capitalize on these behaviors. Discover how brands tap into the human affinity for ritual through cookies, sports jerseys, beer, and flight attendant safety speeches. The authors close with suggestions for how qualitative researchers can adopt a ritual lens to develop a deeper understanding of consumer behavior. […]

Schools of Thought

Morality: Looking through the Lens of Virtue

July 11, 2022 0

We live in an increasingly divided world; people are unable to find common ground on simple issues, conversations are fraught with tension and conflict. As conversations are a qualitative researcher’s stock-in-trade, it’s important to realize that at the root of this division lies morality, our sense of right and wrong. […]