In Defense of Boston: Why I love that dirty water

Devon J.

Is it just me or has Boston been getting a pretty bad rap lately? I really should start with the caveat that I am a born and raised Bostonian; from the Pru to the Pats to the Public Gardens, I love it all. So this post is almost (not almost) 100% influenced by that. But all bias aside, someone needed to step up for Beantown … and I’m going to be the one to do it.
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4 Steps to Engaging Mobile Consumers

Chris O.

As mobile devices are embraced by a wider audience of consumers, a new mobile class has emerged.

The freedom and control that connected consumers get from their smartphones and tablets carries new sets of challenges and opportunities for brands and retailers trying to keep in step with consumers’ needs and expectations and for market researchers …MORE…

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Webinar: 4 ways MROCs reveal your customers’ mindsets

Julie W.S.

In the field of marketing research, there is a simmering debate between those who believe neuroscience-based tools will make self-reporting obsolete, and those who have kept faith with humans’ ability to consciously understand and explain their own actions. But I say: Why choose?MORE…

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Discussing Children’s Screen Time: Benefits and Consequences

Manila A.

Last week I presented our research study, Tech Fast Forward: Plug in to See the Brighter Side of Life, to a select audience attending the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (which drew over 150,000 people—a new record!). I spoke on one of the Kids@Play panels with Carly Shuler of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center.MORE…

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Best Buy’s Retail Seasonality Discovery: It’s all about consumer behavior

Kassandra D.

This has been a peculiar winter in New England—on Saturday it was 59 degrees. Despite the unseasonably warm weather, all I wanted to do was stay close to home, make soup and look into what sort of marathon television opportunity Bravo had on offer. My own behavior in large part mirrors what Best Buy validated via an innovative research program in their Communispace community—seasonality in retail is largely about behavior and not about weather, location or calendar anchors. Customer behavior should then drive the retail calendar of marketing plans and offers.MORE…

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Listen to Me: A primer on active listening with social media monitoring tools

Nick I.

When having a face-to-face conversation with someone, we’ve been conditioned to maintain eye contact or to ask relevant questions to demonstrate that we’re really engaged—this is called “active listening.” While having a conversation online may add a layer of complexity, active listening online is still possible.MORE…

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Relationship-building in China: Do you know what “guanxi” means?

Steve L.

With the growth of business opportunities in China, foreign companies have taken the plunge and jumped right into the China market – without always looking where they leap. As with any business, success depends on many factors and building relationships is just one of them. This is where “guanxi” comes into play.MORE…

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An Aussie Christmas

Anne M.

Let me begin by saying that I love Christmas. I am not particularly religious but I am attracted as a lot of people are by the sense of occasion, its opt-in seasonal faith, its proud, shameless indulgence and the opportunity it gives to pause and take stock at the end of the year.MORE…

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