Posts by Alter Agents
We write for Quirk’s about Brand Narcissism and Shopper Promiscuity
We know that the way people shop has changed for good, but market research practices haven’t kept up. By focusing on narcissistic brand metrics, instead of on the consumer, we’re failing to understand today’s consumer. We write about this, including an excerpt from Chapter 12 of our new book, in our latest article for Quirk’s,…
Read MoreThe Future of Shopping Has Arrived, and it’s Augmented Reality
In a new post for their business blog, Alter Agents client Snapchat announced new research finding that “augmented reality (AR) is the perfect medium for brands to provide a seamless shopping experience.” We’re excited to present some of the findings from our study with the platform and partner Publicis Media on how brands and marketers…
Read MoreFour Key Tips For Reaching In-Store Shoppers: Our Latest from Total Retail
Reaching target shoppers can be a challenge for many brands. Between heightened competition, economic pressures, and supply chain issues, there are several obstacles between you and winning over consumers. This calls for strategic, targeted marketing informed by solid research. And while the rise of ecommerce and the much-hyped “retail apocalypse” reflect shifting consumer behavior away…
Read MoreWhy Your Shoppers’ Values Should Matter to Your Brand
As individuals, we each have a “story” that defines us as a person, guides our decision-making and helps us navigate our lives. Stories are also powerful, important tools for brands. They help define their role with their constituents and customers, determine their place in the greater marketplace, and guide the way they present themselves to…
Read MoreSteps Your Brand Can Take to Win Over Competitors’ Customers
Expanding your brand’s market share isn’t easy. If you’re trying to win new customers while keeping your own, you need customized marketing strategies for different shopper personas to be effective. At Alter Agents, we start to sort consumers in a given category using the Shopper DIAL: Defectors – start with a brand in mind but…
Read MoreFour Things You Need to Know About Your Customers
Recently, our CEO and Founder Rebecca Brooks joined the “Getting to Aha!” podcast with Darshan Mehta to discuss “Why Customers Act the Way They Do.” During the episode, they discussed our new book, Influencing Shopper Decisions: Unleash the Power of Your Brand to Win Customers, and some of the themes that we’ve uncovered that have…
Read MoreWhy Brand Narcissism is a Threat to Your Business
The most reliable consumer insights that propel a business forward are those based on rigorous, well-planned market research. It makes sense: In order to get reliable results, your research needs to be conducted with a reliable methodology. There’s a lot that goes into that, and there are a lot of pitfalls that can lead otherwise…
Read MoreNew Book from Alter Agents Gives Brands a Powerful New Approach to Understanding and Winning Customers
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new book, Influencing Shopper Decisions: Unleash the Power of Your Brand to Win Customers! In it, our Founder & CEO Rebecca Brooks and CSO Devora Rogers tackle the trends affecting shoppers and brands today, charting the course to how we can revolutionize consumer research to help clients…
Read MoreWhere Should Social Media Fit in Your Brand’s Marketing Strategy?
Marketers have a wide range of options to choose from when trying to figure out which channels to include in their brand’s marketing strategy. Each organization should develop a customized mix and assign each channel a specific use. But how can marketers determine what that mix is, and how should they leverage it? And are…
Read MoreWhy Your Brand Needs to Constantly Innovate to Win Customers
Shopper Promiscuity is a defining characteristic of the shopping landscape, and one of the driving factors behind it is that today’s shoppers expect brands to constantly innovate. Your customers are trained to believe that there will always be something new, so they’re naturally always on the hunt for something better than what they bought last…
Read MoreBalancing Personalization & Privacy for Shoppers on Social Media
Social media platforms have taken a prominent place in the information ecosystem, offering users the benefits of personal connection in exchange for behavioral data and attention for advertising. Our research found that most shoppers also use it to gather information about their potential purchases, so the commodification of the space and its content goes both…
Read MoreWho Uses Social Media on Their Path to Purchase?
Social media’s part in the economic system has accelerated over the past decade, and shoppers are driving the shift. The rise of ecommerce coincided with the rise of social networking platforms, and consumer behavior has married the two to the point where social media isn’t just another place to advertise and integrate storefronts: it’s a…
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