In her regular column for Forbes, our CEO and Founder Rebecca Brooks wrote about how using multimodal approaches to research can help us understand consumer behavior in a landscape that is evolving rapidly. She writes about the surge in demand she’s seen from clients for insights that go beyond surface-level statistics. “Our clients need more than a shiny, PR-worthy statistic, they need to deeply understand where their target audiences are spending time, when they are most engaged, and how to best reach them.”

To illustrate her point, she covers a couple of recent client projects that underscored the importance of adopting a multimodal approach to deliver actionable audience insights. In one project with Audacy, we delved into consumer sentiment surrounding podcasts, a medium experiencing exponential growth. For this, we employed interviews with industry experts, followed by a comprehensive survey of listeners. Similarly, in collaboration with Snap, we explored consumer engagement across various social media platforms. By embedding in-context testing in a 10,000-person study across eight countries, we examined how positive emotions associated with platforms like Snapchat influenced brand reception. 

She also provides advice for those looking to gain more holistic insights through multi-modal techniques, including: 

• Complementing quantitative data with qualitative insights to uncover the “why” behind consumer actions.
• Avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach by aligning research methods with the unique goals and context of each project.
• Acknowledging the complexity of the consumer landscape and embracing customized, layered research approaches to capture it effectively.

She concludes the article with: “A customized, layered approach to market research can help brands continue to find ways to build audience understanding, make well-informed decisions, and create meaningful brand connections. Approach research with the mindset of a student – there is always new information to uncover, new data to explore, and new discoveries about human behavior just around the corner.” Read the whole article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2024/01/26/tailored-market-research-approaches-mean-better-audience-understanding/?sh=1c3f7b0d166c

Are you seeking better ways to understand your audience? We can help. Just reach out today.