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Pushing Boundaries: 3 Creative Uses of Mobile Video Surveys

Pushing Boundaries: 3 Creative Uses of Mobile Video Surveys

We often say that the limits of mobile video ethnography coincide with the limits of your imagination. At mindswarms, our clients are continually discovering new options to capture customer truths. Here are three creative uses of mobile video ethnography that prove the limits are truly endless. Check out the video here.

Mobile video ethnography has redefined qualitative research, providing an effective and credible methodology for gleaning rich consumer insights and creating empathy with customers. For more than 20 years, mindswarms founder Tom Bassett has worked in this field with clients across many industries, from software to tech to retail. He’s discovered creative ways that mobile video surveys can reach deeper into the minds and hearts of consumers; it’s market research that simply can’t be captured any other way. Here are 3 creative uses of mobile qual that show the limits are endless.

 1. Need Finding

Mobile video qualitative research is enabling entirely new methodologies that were previously unavailable, pushing through previous boundaries of what research design can consider. And it’s working across many different industries. For example, when Skullcandy needed to test new packaging for their famous line of headphones, their aim was understand 1-on-1 how their target audience felt about prototype packaging, because headphones are not a group buying decision or an occasion where consumers seek sales assistance on the retail floor. By embedding photos of the proposed packaging side by side and in a retail environment, Skullcandy was able to recreate the purchasing decision in the minds of their targets, providing real, unbiased feedback on packaging design and messaging.

In addition, when DINE needed to make a snap decision on whether to introduce a B2B food service brand to consumers, they turned to mobile video surveys. The learning DINE was able to glean from the videos — from consumers’ facial expressions to their comments on the taste profile of the product — provided just what they needed to make the changes necessary to launch their new product successfully.

 2. Package Testing

As a packaging feedback mechanism, mobile video surveys can help clients test packaging in several ways: (1) Consumers can react to PDFs of design concepts (2) They can share what works or doesn’t work about current packaging (3) Products can be shipped to consumers, who then share thoughts as they unbox the product. Not only do mobile video surveys easily allow consumers to invite us into their homes, but they also enable your team to accompany the consumer to the store on a shop-a-long, or anywhere else.

Prompting consumers to head to the store, we had them show us the dental hygiene aisle from their P.O.V. while talking us through what packaging stood out most to them, and why. It wasn’t just their words that had an impact, it was their facial expressions and other nonverbal cues. The results? Using this data, the client was able to make effective packaging changes to ensure they were effectively reaching their target audience.

 3. Comms Testing

Mobile video surveys can enable reactions to PDFs, images, videos, and links to web sites. Consumers open file (option to password protect it), view the concepts, and provide reactions by recorded video on their mobile device. You can glean insights as to whether your key message is resonating with your target demographic, or what consumers believe is the overall brand perception. An added benefit of comms testing with mobile video surveys is that consumers are engaged in a one-on-none environment, most closely mirroring how consumers would experience marketing and advertising in actuality — alone. When outside influences are minimized, consumers tend to respond more authentically to your stimulus, and that authenticity is evidenced by their body language, facial expressions and context. Not only does this facilitate the authenticity, it also captures it.

By Tom Bassett
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How Mobile Video Surveys Helped DINE Launch a New Product

How Mobile Video Surveys Helped DINE Launch a New Product

When food innovation company DINE needed to make a snap decision about whether to introduce a new product to consumers, they turned to mindswarms. The feedback they got was invaluable, and quick. (The consumers’ facial expressions alone speak volumes.)

Much has been written about the benefits of using mobile video surveys to glean consumer insights. This method empowers respondents to speak freely, and captures human emotions through first-person accounts in an environment that is familiar to them. Also, it’s quicker than field research.

That’s why when DINE needed to make a fast decision about whether to launch a new product, they chose to use mobile video surveys. The process was so efficient. They sent packages of the new product to 30 households around the U.S., and consumers recorded their reactions using their web cams as they opened the package, cooked the food and tasted it for the first time.

DINE was struck by how much insightful information they got, not only from the respondents’ words, but by seeing their facial expressions and physical environment. The qualitative data was rich and shaped their next steps: Despite serious initial apprehension about how the product looked, the consumers all agreed that the product tasted great. DINE knew exactly what they need to do to overcome this and make the launch successful. The product was green-lit.

By Tom Bassett
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How to Maximize the Impact of Your Mobile Video Ethnography

How to Maximize the Impact of Your Mobile Video Ethnography

In This guide, gleaned from 20+ years of experience with world-class brands like Nike, Sonos and Google, Tom Bassett shares his tips for making the most of your mobile video surveys, offering best practices for pattern finding, bucketing results, identifying the overarching story, and sharing results in a captivating way.

At mindswarms, we’ve ofen trumpeted the many applications of mobile video surveys. Whether you’re at an agency, testing creative before a pitch, or you’re on an R&D team conducting need-finding research, mobile video surveys provide you with insight you can hang your hat on. With mobile video surveys the consumer, uninhibited by the influence of contrasting opinions in a focus group or by the watchful eye of a moderator, gladly unload their honest, nuanced opinions in digestible slices of recorded video. But, how exactly do you get those golden nuggets of insight? And after you’ve collected all the responses, how do you organize and digest the data in order to inform your team to make the best possible decisions?

In this guide, we define the best practices when creating a mobile video survey; from ideal question length to how long each response should be, you’ll leave knowing the specifics of how to create a winning survey that nets you the highest quality consumer insight. Then, we highlight the best methods of how to organize all the videos and opinions, extracting the overarching story that informs the best course of action for your company.

Craft the Perfect Survey

You have your research objective, the target demographic/ geographic locations you want to research, and the methodology you’re using (mobile video surveys).

Write a Screener

Keep it simple. Especially engaging consumers over mobile device, you’ll want them to be able to complete the screener without a great deal of scrolling or you run the risk of losing them or skewing their responses. All respondents have a 1 minute profile video, so when we/you are reviewing applicants and aren’t sure which respondent to accept or reject, watching the profile video can help raise confidence levels that the applicant being accepted is the best possible choice.

How Many Questions?

Our platform allows up to 10 questions per respondent. Each answer is limited to 60 seconds. So a 15 person study would yield 150 x one minute video clips and accompanying transcripts. The logic to the one minute answer is that in our experience, if someone doesn’t answer the question in the first minute, they will likely not answer it period. Similarly, by way of comparison, in a mindswarms study, each respondent provides up to 10 minutes of content; in a focus group containing 8 people for 90 minute, you will be lucky to get 10 minutes of dedicated content from each participant (based on a moderator who is militant about controlling the conversation….and those moderators are few and far between). Lastly, one minute packets of video move seamlessly across the web, and are quick/easy to review and digest.

Transcripts

Either by using a service like mindswarms or going through the videos yourself and taking notes, it is important to keep a written record of what consumers are saying in all of their responses. This will be very helpful when organizing and sharing your research. Having the text opens you up to culling the data with keyword searches, word clouds, and the like.

Review Your Results

Identify the Patterns and Themes

Pinpoint what people are identifying with. What are the recurring problems, what are the issues they are having with the brand or the experience? Keep thinking about these themes in terms of how they relate to your brand. Focus in on five to ten patterns or themes; more than that can prove unwieldy when sharing your results across a company.

Recognize the Original Insights

Within every mobile video survey, there’s always an opinion or takeaway that you didn’t expect or anticipate. Maybe a consumer has outlined a novel way to use your product. Maybe they have a unique insight about a commercial you shared with them. Whatever it is, these insights are valuable and are just as capable of lending credence to your ultimate strategy.

Organize Your Results

Organizing your patterns and themes into two buckets keeps everything neat.

Problems

Presenting problems is a relevant way to share your insights back within an organization. There are occasions when the organization itself is an obstacle, especially if there’s a strong belief that the target or product is already 100% percent understood. After your mobile video survey, when you come back and say, “Here are some real issues and problems,” combining that with videos of your target consumer backing you up, organizations tend to become very engaged.

Opportunities

You’ve locked down your problem set. Now, focus on the opportunities your research yielded. Is there an opportunity for brand extension? Can you refine an existing idea? Develop a new idea? Listen carefully to your consumers. Developing an empathy for their perspective will ofen open your eyes to new avenues you may have not explored yet.

Identify the Story

The third thing you should do, and probably the most important and difficult, is to identify the overarching story of your research. Without the story, your problems and opportunities have no focal point, no frame of reference from which to engender action. Look through everything you’ve collected to this point, and articulate the story in one sentence. Once you’ve nailed down the story, figure out what the chapters are; what are the building blocks that bring that story to life? What insights – what consumer quotes – shape each chapter? Figure out how those chapters lead to the punctuation point of the entire story, and you have arrived at what you’re trying to teach people.

Write a Paper Edit

You could walk into your next meeting with all of this insight and share it verbally, but that would defeat the purpose and beauty of using mobile video surveys. Working off of the transcripts of each respondent, extract quotes and lay them out in a “paper edit.” This refers to the written outline of your story, which serves as a blueprint for creating a final curated video. Make sure the story logic flows before handing it off to your editing team. Be mindful that every quote you’re using tells your research’s story in a compelling and genuine way.

STORY: Millennial’s loyalty is fleeting and transactional; they switch from brand to brand, and they expect more incentives to maintain their loyalty.

Sharing Results

Edit a Video

A two- to three- minute video comprised of the footage of your consumers giving their unfiltered opinions will bring your story to life, and deeply support your proposed strategy. Stakeholders in an organization will relish the opportunity to see their actual consumer in her environment or out on location, explaining how she sees something, how she uses something, what the problems and issues are, what the areas for opportunity are. She might open a package, demonstrate how she uses her laptop, or show what she has in her closet. This footage makes the whole story so much more visceral and real for the people with whom you’re sharing the story. Whether or not you have a team of editors, there are some tricks to creating an engaging video. Avoid long clips within your video. Anything over ten seconds is a long time for a cut. Don’t use thirty-second clips, or you run the risk of your audience falling asleep. Adding production elements like title cards and B-roll (secondary footage that plays over a consumer quote) will only make your story more engaging.

By Tom Bassett
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Millennial Brand Loyalty: Rewards Over Relationships

Millennial Brand Loyalty: Rewards Over Relationships

Millennials are redefining the concept of brand loyalty; in their eyes, it has changed dramatically from their parents’ version. Whereas their parent’s loyalty is seen to be a dynamic built on personal and emotional long-lasting relationships, theirs swings in an entirely new direction.

Research Objective

To understand how the Millennial generation’s definition of customer loyalty differs from that of their parents.

Target Audience

National US sample
13 states
22 cities
Ages 18 – 34
Approximately even male/ female ratio
Mix of socio-economic backgrounds & ethnicities

We Learned

 1. Loyalty used to be based on personal relationships

    Previous generations were loyal based on the personal relationships they established with companies and brands.

My parents always went in, they went to the same grocery store, they got to know some people there, and so their loyalty would be based on that.

~ Roger, 26, Tennessee

And I think that’s what the difference is from my parents’ generation. They basically stuck with the company through the good, bad, the ugly. Whenever they had another choice, they will stick to choose that company that they’re loyal to.

~ Chiezika, 30, California

 2. The Internet changed everything

    As the defining event of the Millennial generation, the rise of the Internet changed everything for Millennials — including shopping strategies.

My definition of customer loyalty is different than my parents because we just have the internet to basically get the best deals. If you try hard enough you can find the best deal out there.

~ Adam, 25, Oregon

In our case, we shop around and a lot of times, most things are bought on the internet. We don’t even know who we’re buying from.

~ Aimee, 27, Florida

I do a lot of my shopping online, and because of that I’m interacting on a regular basis with companies that have no face, it’s not about the relationship I’m forming, it’s purely about content, it’s purely about the products that I’m receiving.

~ Haley, 22, California

 

3. Millennials diversify their shopping

    While their parents become regulars at local stores, Millennials diversify their shopping and don’t expect to find everything in one location

In my parents’ generation, they would go to a single store, like Sears for example, and they would stick with that store because they knew they could trust the product from those stores. Whereas now, there’s a lot more competition, so I don’t think brand loyalty and customer loyalty are as important.

~ TJ, 25, Kentucky

For my generation I think we always want things tailored to us, so we go to places that have the best prices, or are the most convenient, or tailor items to us – like have the most natural products or whatever we’re looking for.

~ Ana, 33, Texasia

 4. For Millennials, loyalty is transactional

    Millennials expect to receive benefits in exchange for their loyalty.

I’m loyal to a company that can make something that I’m happy with, but my loyalty doesn’t mean that it spans a long amount a time. It just means that I appreciate the products.

~ Kendall, 20, Washington

Our expectations? “We expect to have just as good service – even though we’re not as loyal.

~ Aimee, 27, Florida

We look to see what the store can give us in order for us to be loyal to them and I think that our expectations are so different because it’s easier for us to find another store that’s willing to meet our needs.

~ Alexis, 23, North Carolina

I feel people in my generation tend to focus on places that offer more goods and offer free things or rewards.

~ Zora, 22, Massachusetts

First off, the customer loyalty in my generation really is about quality, how much we pay for things, and not just being loyal for the sake of being loyal.

~ Gabriella, 34, California

Conclusions and Implications

    • Millennials are less swayed than their parents by personal relationships to brands or companies. With a diminished sense of attachment to particular companies, this generation will readily switch brands.
    • Retailer reward programs can win Millennials’ loyalty for a short time, or until a competitor offers a better program.
    • Millennial consumers demand more benefits in exchange for their loyalty. Some benefits, like free shipping and returns for products bought online, go a long way in increasing brand loyalty.
    • Thanks to online shopping, Millenials are accustomed to having a vast number of options at their fingertips, and they make savvy decisions based on price, quality, and convenience.
    • Online reviews carry tremendous weight. When Millenials are making purchase decisions, they seek out customer reviews. When targeting Millennials, retailers must pay attention to the online conversation about their brand.
    • Today’s large companies feel too big for Millennials to build relationships with. They are concerned that the level of customer service is diminishing.
By Tom Bassett
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8 Ways Brands Can Attract and Keep Millennial Customers

8 Ways Brands Can Attract and Keep Millennial Customers

What makes a positive shopping experience for Millennials? We ran a mobile video ethnography study to better understand this, and we learned 8 ways brands can make their consumer experience resonate with Millennials. Hint: Personal connection lives on!

Research Objective

Better understand what makes a positive shopping experience for Millennials.

Target Audience

National US sample
16 states
29 cities
Skew female
Millennials (18-34 yrs old)
Mix of socio-economic background & ethnicities

We Learned

Millennials are actually channel-agnostic when it comes to shopping, and retailers need to maximize each platform to build a lasting relationship with this generation. This report highlights eight things you can do to make your consumer experience resonate with Millennials.

 1. In-store is the ultimate relationship opportunity

    Millennials (perhaps molded by the customization of online shopping) are impressed by personalized service in store. It’s by far the biggest opportunity for retailers to grow relationships and loyalty by going the extra mile. Your reps are everything here.

I was buying a pair of shoes that were rubber Converse shoes; they were very unique shoes. I bought the shoes that day with a salesperson, and I went back a month later and the salesperson remembered me and she said, “Oh, hi Kendall. How did those shoes work out?”?

I was really overwhelmed and completely impressed that she remembered my name, and then also what specific shoes I had purchased a month back.

~kendall A, 21, Washngton

I struck up a conversation with the [Gamestop] employee that was there – very friendly, very down-to-earth – and he approached me more like a friend instead of a customer. Within a few questions he got to know exactly what my interests were. He was really looking to give me the most for my money, for my time.

~ Markos U, 22, Florida

 2. “Oops” is actually an opportunity!

    Acknowledge and fix mistakes immediately, going above and beyond with surprises or bonuses. It’s a great low-cost opportunity to drive loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals, personalize experiences, and build the relationship.

On their website they have a no-return policy. But the customer-service agent was what really impressed me, because she completely understood where I was coming from, and that they want to give me the best product out there.

And so she said, “Listen, I completely understand where you’re coming from. Sorry about that. I hope it never happens again. We’re going to gladly send you a new pair.” That really just blew me away.

~ Zack P, 20, Michigan

I contacted the people [ on Kickstarter] whom I just funded. And they said that my payment went through three times, so they ended up refunding me the first two payments. And they’re going to send a little additional gift to apologize… So I let all my friends know about how reputable the customer service was on Kickstarter.

~ Kristen L, 24, Utah

 3. High touch isn’t too much

    Updates, updates, updates make Millennials feel fulfilled, valued, and part of the process (as long as they can opt out).

“It arrived in two days and I was like, Holy crap.” [The company’s website] kept me updated. It texted me every time. It went from California to Colorado to my home in Orlando.

Every time it landed somewhere, they text with updates saying, “Hey, your package is here. Don’t worry. It’ll be here on these days.” It got there in two days and that was astounding.

~ Ernesto S, 18, Florida

[Modcloth.com] has a thing where it will say ‘coming soon’ on a new item, and you’re able to sign up on an alert list so that when the item becomes available, they email you immediately because a lot of their items sell out pretty quickly on the site.

I got an email and I was able to order it within the first ten minutes of it becoming available, and got it within three days, and it was perfect. I loved it. their service where they alert you when things are ready is a great bonus of the site.

~ Mystie B, 31, California

 4. Earn lifelong relationships today with the wow factor

    Millennials are savvy and sometimes jaded consumers; they’ve seen it all. Stop them in their tracks with something new or unexpected, and loyalty is yours.

I purchased a single-serve blender on Amazon.com but the item was defective so I returned the item and they sent me a replacement blender. When I tried the replacement blender, it didn’t work either. So, I contacted Amazon.com and they apologized for the defective item, they replaced the item, and on top of that, they allowed me to keep a portion of the defective item.

Since then, I’ve been a loyal customer of Amazon.com. They have excellent service.

~ Lynn V, 22, Ohio

 5. Always-on availability wins

    Millennials think your store is open 24/7 and, thanks to Wikipedia, expect all the info they need instantly. Service in-store and online should match or exceed that expectation, including reps always available for chat.

I was looking at an item online from the Chaco website and it really just impressed me because the people online were super nice.

it was cool that even though customers had bad experiences, Chaco – the website and organization – would actually reply back and say, “Hey, really sorry that happened.Call our number and we can help you.

~ Alisha J, 21, Louisiana

 6. Do them a solid and they’ll WOM you up!

    Millennials reward retailers that “understand them” with immediate, glowing, word-of-mouth (WOM) referrals to their social circles. Retailers should consider this praise priceless, as Millennials are generally skeptical consumers and value highest the opinions of those close to them.

My A.C. went out and, as you can tell, I have a child. It was very hot in the house. It was a company called Associated Heating & Air; I thought they did an excellent job. I’ve told multiple people about them.

They were out here within a couple of hours of us calling them. They were the most reasonably priced company, and they were straightforward with everything.

~ Hannah B, 27, Georgia

 7. Added-value service builds loyalty

    Extra service and expertise beyond the sale builds equity with Millennials through goodwill, and boosts long-term loyalty and those coveted WOM referrals.

It turns out the guy couldn’t fix [my phone], but he gave it back to me and actually didn’t charge me when I was expecting to be charged. It was like $150. But, it was just great. He was helpful and gave me some tips on getting it replaced because I had to get a whole new phone.

But, it was great. I told my family and friends about it, and I will always go back to them for help with that kind of thing.

~ Amanda D, 29, California

I went in [to Micro Center], and the service was amazing. They took me to exactly where I needed to be, didn’t try to force me to buy one of the more expensive [computer cooling pads].

They told me everything I needed to know about what cooling pads can do, and that I didn’t need something super over-the-top for my problem.

~ Christa K, 20, Missouri

 8. Stand for something and Millennials will stand with you

    Cause-marketing builds Millennials’ sense of your brand’s identity, appeals to their inclinations toward social good, and is a big opportunity to broaden engagement. However, your core offering needs to deliver beyond the good deed.

What they are is an organization that works with charities to do what I love to do, and that’s change the world. I found out about them through Twitter – somebody had retweeted a link – and it had a picture of an awesome looking watch.

It was in orange; it looked so cool. I was like, “Man, I’ve got to be a part of this.”

~ Joshua B, 24, Georgia

I just really love Chacos.com, and I tell my friends about it all the time because the product lasts. It’s made in the U.S. which supports local businesses, and that’s what I’m all about, especially when buying products. And they’re just a really great community and are very people-oriented.

~ Alisha J, 21, Louisiana

Conclusions and Implications

don’t necessarily prefer any one channel for shopping, and retailers should take advantage of the unique opportunities that various platforms afford them with this audience to build a multifaceted brand experience. In-store experiences present unique opportunities for personalization, the wow factor, and added-value moments; online experiences provide always-on service possibilities, and hightouch that scales.

By Tom Bassett
Posted on

Why Mobile Ethnography Beats Big Data in Capturing the “Why”

Why Mobile Ethnography Beats Big Data in Capturing the “Why”

In over 20 years of working with some of the world’s most valuable companies and recognized brands, mindswarms founder Tom Bassett has learned that mobile video surveys are the best way to capture a consumer’s emotions and authentic insights into how they make decisions.

The human mind is complex, and when it comes to making key decisions for your organization— whether in launching a new product or crafting messaging for an ad campaign— the goal is to dive deep into the mind of the consumer. Big data can give you the “what,” but it pretty much stops there. It’s important to uncover the “why.” Why do consumers feel a certain way? Why do they make decisions?

This is where mobile video surveys come in. When people record their responses on video, letting you peek into their cabinets, closets, and pantries, you’ll both hear and see the deep layers of “why.” First-person accounts provide the rich qualitative data you need. You’ll see it for yourself; when you go back and watch the videos, gleaning insights and analyzing results, you’ll notice that major cues often lie in the most subtle places.

Plus,video is a great tool for presenting your findings back internally. You’ll get your colleagues’ attention, and it’s an effective way to share the authentic human story, capturing sight, sound, and motion, and fostering empathy with consumers. It’s worth it to take the time to curate a “findings” reel to include with your presentation; it really takes things to the next level.

By Tom Bassett
Posted on

To Embrace or Reject: The Wearable Tech Divide

To Embrace or Reject: The Wearable Tech Divide

Wearable technology like FitBit and FuelBand and have split American consumers into two camps: enthusiasts and rejectors. A recent mindswarms study shows how their opinions differ dramatically on the role fitness tracking wearables should play in their lives.

Research Objective

Americans are united in their desire to connect with their bodies more, but are deeply divided about the role of wearable computing in that quest. We wanted to capture the relationship people have with their wearable fitness devices—including both fans and rejectors of this technology— and compare their attitudes.

Target Audience

National US sample
13 states
23 cities
Ages 18 – 66
Even male/female
ratio Mix of ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds

We Learned

One camp looks to wearables like FitBit or FuelBand as means to motivate themselves, to track their progress, and to heighten their awareness of the present moment.

For Fans

Wearables motivate, track, and heighten awareness of the present moment.

What I really like about my FitBit is that it makes me more aware of what I’m doing during the day, and it keeps me motivated to maybe take the steps over the escalator, or walk instead of take the subway…It makes me think about things a little bit more.

~ Elizabeth, 26, Massachusetts

(Uses Packed app & Moves app) “I never noticed how much I’d walk a day and it was good to see that and to keep aware of, oh -maybe I should walk more. The Packed app helps me to stay focused on my fitness goals.”

~ Caroline, 23, New Jersey

(Uses FitBit) „The more you know, the better you can be about changing things.”

~ Trey J.

For Rejectors

The other camp sees wearables as an unproven distraction, putting a barrier between them and their bodies, and limiting their quest to be more in-tune with themselves. Wearables are an unproven distraction that limit self-awareness.

What I really like about my FitBit is that it makes me more aware of what I’m doing during the day, and it keeps me motivated to maybe take the steps over the escalator, or walk instead of take the subway…It makes me think about things a little bit more.

~ Elizabeth, 26, Massachusetts

I’m not sure if it has real benefits for me. When I am being physically active or exercising (whether I’m by myself or with friends), I want to feel fully present.

I want to feel fully engaged, and I want to feel connected to my body… I think if I was wearinga gadget, I would be distracted.

~ Phoenix, 50, California

One of my biggest criticisms is that it has the potential to undermine your own innate sense of your body and what you need, being able to use your own internal trackers.

~ Alice, 27, San Francisco

I like working out, and to have something that feels like unplugging, off of screen, no gadgets, relaxing, pure nature…

I like to keep it low-tech and away from the computers and gadgets that I spend so much of my life on.

~ Margaret W.

Fans see wearables as a companion in their journey – they refer to them in human terms.

I’m a big girl, but I chose to workout to be there for my daughter… It’s changed my life, because it’s given me numbers plus results… It’s a great assistant.

~ Kimberly P.

I like my FuelBand because I feel like I get a more accurate idea of my strength when I work-out. I feel like I get a better workout…

I push myself knowing that I’m actually being recorded… It’s kind of like having brother watching you.

~ Lisa S.

[My] Nike+ SportWatch GPS is an indispensable tool for keeping all my running goals and activity charted and logged.

What’s great is that it gives me feedback on my running, congratulates me, provides me with words of encouragement.

~ Shawn H.

Conclusions & Implications

    • While based on our study of consumer relationships with fitness-tracking wearables, the conclusions below may be extrapolated to the expanding range of wearable technology.
    • Wearable fans and rejectors share the common goal of wanting to be more connected to their bodies and the moment, yet have polar opposite opinions about the role of computing in that journey.
    • The wearables audience segmentation appears binary at the moment: people are clearly in one camp or the other, with no shades of grey in between.
    • Wearables have the ability to be welcomed into consumers’ personal space. And, surprisingly, in an era of fear of Big Brother, there doesn’t appear to be any fear about the misuse or abuse of that information amongst fans.
    • The fact that wearables are beginning to be described in very human terms may mean people are emotionally ready to accept computers as a genuine relationship partner versus just a pure tech tool.
    • There may be tension building between those who embrace wearables as an extension of the themselves, and those who continue to see wearables as an enemy of human instinct.
By Tom Bassett
Posted on

5 Ways Buying Local Matters (and Doesn’t) to Millennials

5 Ways Buying Local Matters (and Doesn’t) to Millennials

Knowing that attitudes about food quality and the importance of food origin have evolved with time, mindswarms wanted to explore the topic with a new generation of grocery purchasers: Millennials. Their insights were honest, and they weren’t afraid to speak their minds in how their attitudes differ from their parents.

Research Objective

We wanted to understand the role food origin plays in Millennials’ attitudes about food quality and how origin impacts their food purchasing behaviors. Further, we wanted to uncover how they feel their attitudes and behaviors differ from their parents.

Target Audience

National US sample
14 states/22 cities
Ages 18 – 32 All involved in food purchasing decisions
Even male/female ratio
Mix of ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds

We Learned

Millennials are actually channel-agnostic when it comes to shopping, and retailers need to maximize each platform to build a lasting relationship with this generation. This report highlights eight things you can do to make your consumer experience resonate with Millennials.

 1. The majority of Millennials are proud to say they have a very different set of food purchasing priorities versus their parents.

The Parent’s food purchasing properties were defined in a way:

    • Acquire what is “on the list,” with food origin as low priority
    • Traditional grocery store chains = “good enough” standard
    • Keep food expenditures low to get the “biggest bang for the buck”
    • Purchase from wherever is the most convenient

Millennials’ Food Purchasing Priorities were defined this way

    • Acquire local produce and meats that are “good for my body”
    • The majority of grocery stores = inferior standards versus farmer’s markets, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s
    • Support the local farmers and economy through local purchases
    • Purchase locally for the most minimal impact on the environment

 2. Millennials feel that their “buy local” behaviors have many important implications

Origin not only impacts the freshness/ quality of the food, but also the “health” of it.

    • “My” local food purchases can impact my local economy
    • “Buying local” will ultimately help the environment

I try to buy from roadside fruit stands and vegetables stands or organic markets. My parents don’t share the same values. They buy whatever is the most convenient when they want it and I personally don’t feel that’s the best way to go about it.

~ Jessica, 29, FL

I’m definitely different from my parents. My parents go by cost. That’s their primary concern. They just go by what is cheapest.

My veggies come from farmer’s markets and my meats come from Sprouts, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. I always do the research to check where they are from and to make sure they are healthy for my body.

~ Amanda, 28, CA

The way I eat is very different (from my parents.) I grew up in rural Indiana and ate a lot of Baby Boomer factory food. A lot of processed food. A lot of the food that we bought at the grocery store then was this type of factory processed food.

~ Shawna, 29, IL

 3. While Millennials agree that “local” is important to health, the definition of “local” and its specific impact on their health varies. 

    • For some Millennials, “local” means local farmers/farm stands, but for others it is defined as U.S. versus foreign production.
    • A subset of Millennials felt it is very important to purchase food from areas that “specialize” in producing that food – even if that is outside of their region.
    • While all mentioned freshness as a benefit of “local,” some also fear that non-U.S. produced foods equate to disease.
    •  

I like buying food that is as local as possible. If I have the option, I would rather buy fruit from Florida than, say, Mexico or somewhere else. I feel like the closer you are to your home, the fresher it’s going to be, the less preservatives needed to keep the food fresh and ready to eat.

~ Mari, 24, TN

I don’t like buying stuff that is from too far away or from somewhere that doesn’t specialize in what they’re making.

~ Krista, 28, MA

I’m not necessarily a health guru, I eat junk food mainly, but origins do impact behavior. Mainly food that comes from overseas has been linked with disease.

~ Douglas, 20, NC

 4. Millennials feel good about the fact that their individual purchases help their local economy – but recognize there is a cost.

    • Some Millennials see “big food brands” and ”big box” retailers as the enemy of “local” success
    • While most said their parents often buy whatever is cheapest, they recognize that “buying local” usually does come at a premium
    • There was price sensitivity present, even among those in higher household income brackets.

I do try to support the local economy. My mom will buy local too if she can afford it, but if it’s cheaper somewhere else, she’ll do that to get the best bang for the buck.”

~ Trey, 26, TX

I try to always support the local community to help them rise up. My parents try to too, but they will honestly eat anything!

~ Kayla, 25, OR

If I see something is local, I find that to be a good thing, but I would not pay more money for that to be the case.

~ Evan, 25, NY

I generally, wouldn’t buy something that’s overpriced at a farmer’s market, either. But, if it costs not too much more then I wouldn’t mind spending a little extra money on it.

~ Simon, 25, CA

    “Buying local” also allows Millennials to feel like they are helping the environment
    • Millennials are more concerned about their “ecological footprint” than their parents
    • “Local food” benefits the environment because it is sustainable, and consumes lower energy and less fuel

The origins of food have a very large impact on my purchasing decisions. I am very focused on trying to keep a small ecological footprint.

~ Daniel, 23, MT

I like to go to local producers, farmers markets for my fruit and I wouldn’t mind getting organic meats as well, like chicken and beef, generally. That’s mostly, because I feel like it will help the environment a little bit.

There’s a lot of damaging aspects to the big corporate game when you consider what’s happening to our environment, like mass production of methane and too much corn being produced.

~ Simon, 25, CA

 5. Although “local” is often defined differently among Millennials,it does impact their buying behavior.

Their “local purchases” enable them to feel they are having a strong positive impact on their health, their local economy and the environment

 

I believe that purchasing items that are more local like from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are a bit healthier because I know where it (the food) traces back to and I also know that they aren’t going to be any kind of by products or chemicals that I wouldn’t want to have as my daily intake.

~ Ashley, 25, GA

I like to support the local farmers in the area…I feel like the farmers have a higher standard than the stores do because the grocery stores sometimes put out food that is not acceptable.

~ Heather, 28, NY

I think it’s important that we know where our food comes from and so much of the food that we buy in the grocery stores, we have no idea where it was manufactured, processed or anything

~ Zachary, 24, CA

Conclusions & Implications

    • While based on our study of consumer relationships with fitness-tracking wearables, the conclusions below may be extrapolated to the expanding range of wearable technology
    • Wearable fans and rejectors share the common goal of wanting to be more connected to their bodies and the moment, yet have polar opposite opinions about the role of computing in that journey.
    • The wearables audience segmentation appears binary at the moment: people are clearly in one camp or the other, with no shades of grey in between.
    • Wearables have the ability to be welcomed into consumers’ personal space. And, surprisingly, in an era of fear of Big Brother, there doesn’t appear to be any fear about the misuse or abuse of that information amongst fans.
    • The fact that wearables are beginning to be described in very human terms may mean people are emotionally ready to accept computers as a genuine relationship partner versus just a pure tech tool.
    • There may be tension building between those who embrace wearables as an extension of the themselves, and those who continue to see wearables as an enemy of human instinct.
By Tom Bassett
Posted on

Identify core equities of current advertising

ADVERTISING EQUITY

Identify core equities of current advertising

Understand consumer perceptions of the core advertising equities of your brand: platform, key messages, relevance/differentiation, and characteristics including music, visuals, featured characters, tone/personality and more.

How the process works

    • Identify key campaign assets to involve in the study
    • Work with our Research Managers to develop a research protocol to explore advertising equities and relevant campaign elements to test
    • Recruit key segments (usually excluding brand rejectors)
    • Use mindswarms remote video capture to link participants to campaign elements including the platform, headlines, tag line, priority messages as well as individual elements (e.g. music, characters, tone/personality)
    • Synthesize findings into an Ad Equities report

Methods used

    • Unaided reactions to campaign platform
    • Messaging hierarchy understanding
    • Key messaging take-away
    • Emotional associations and reactions
    • Brand impact assessment

Timing and cost

    • Advertising Equity projects can take from one to two weeks or more to complete, depending on study complexity
    • Typical projects involve 20-30 participants
    • Fees including screener development, study management, recruiting, hand-selecting the best candidates, QA of videos, respondent incentives, and transcripts @$500/person for US respondents, and $1,000/person for international markets
    • Fees for optional analysis start at $7,500 for a report on a 15 person study, and $12,500 for a 30 person study
    • Fees for optional edited video start at $5,000 for a 90-120 second highlight reel with title cards and music (B roll and motion graphics are extra)

Deliverable

25 participants each answer 10 questions using the video on their smartphone or laptop. That produces 250 x 1 minute video clips and corresponding transcripts (both Google Speech, and a parallel service that includes a human pass to capture important nuances).

All delivered via a cloud-based link that is shareable, and assets that can be downloaded (videos in MP4 format) to be used to bring the insights to life for presentations, and highly engage audiences

By Tom Bassett