In our December webinar, Justin Coates of Eastman Chemical Company and Taylor Doolittle of Bellomy gave a presentation on how Eastman uses an online community to gain a deeper understanding of sustainably-minded consumers. The presentation highlighted Eastman’s ability to position itself as a strategic thought partner to its clients due to their use of an online research community.

What do fingerprints, snowflakes, Social Security numbers and your customers have in common? No two are the same. Marketing strategies that target your entire customer base may be effective from time-to-time, but it's also impossible for a business with hundreds of thousands of customers to properly market to each individual. So, where’s the sweet spot?

You are walking down the wine aisle at your local grocer. As bottle after bottle, red after white, cross through your periphery, a sense of overwhelming choice begins to flood your brain. But something else catches your eye — it’s a tablet attached to the shelf.

Arguably the largest barrier to user-research-based design is the difficulty and time associated with identifying, recruiting, and communicating with these users throughout the development cycle. This is where an online panel can save the day.

It might seem like you are hearing the word “agile” every time you turn around these days, but it's time to set the record straight on agile market research. Online panels and communities provide a solid foundation for faster and more affordable market research.

I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days attending the 49th annual Society of Insurance Research Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here are four big takeaways I gleaned from the conversations and presentations I attended. 

If you have ever researched a potential purchase online, you might be familiar with the never-ending rabbit hole of consumer reviews and online discussion boards. However, access to relevant peer feedback was not always the norm it is today. Consumers longed to hear from each other about what works and why. Almost overnight the online community of sharing was born.

Social media apps are making it easier to buy products in-app. Consumers are connecting with brands on social media through influencers. These and other factors are shifting buying habits in 2019.

Sustainability efforts used to be optional for large companies. In Q1 2019 it was the new competitive landscapes for retail companies with high shipping volume. Many businesses are attempting to offset their carbon footprint and are beginning to realize the stakes for brand equity.