Our Thinking

In case you missed it, we spoke at MRS IMPACT 2021 about the power of motivational theory in consumer research. The Market Research Society (MRS)...

At The Sound, our job is to not only understand what's right in front of us...but to look ahead. What we see is circular economy leaders outperforming rivals.

At The Sound, we like to keep an eye on emerging trends in research methods; always looking for the next big tool to make our...

Covid-19 has shone a light on the massive economic inequalities that exist more than any other recent global development. It’s an issue that affects all of us, and one that we need to address systematically in order to see meaningful change.

The pandemic has been, and continues to be a challenging time for brands and businesses across all categories. Lately, we’ve been thinking about what it means for the future of retail. Does the ramped up shift from in-store to online shopping over the past ten months cue doom and gloom for brick and mortar in the future?

Virtual methodologies existed pre-COVID, but 2020 forced everyone to go all-in with virtual research. While we’ve been surprised by what we can achieve virtually, we realised there are some things that truly thrive in-person. So, what warrants being back in-person, and what can we continue leaning on virtual tools for? Here’s a rundown of some of what we loved and loathed about virtual research, and how we see things playing out in the future!

In this year's Super Bowl #Empathy roundup, let's recognize some of the brands (and agencies!) who incorporated empathy reminders (Kindness, Vulnerability, Unity and Awareness) into their ads and made the effort to deeply understand the people they seek to engage.

The recent rise and staying power of oat milk has shown how we are taking actions toward sustainability, and how these motivations, while they lead to the same place, are very different and worth investigating.

Why do 95% of innovations fail? Of the top barriers to success, there is one that brands have control over, and that The Sound can help to overcome. Driven by human motivations and deep empathy, we approach innovation by designing with people at the forefront. Outcomes-focused. Insight-driven. Strategy-led.

COVID-19 has led to an explosion of new behaviors in home entertainment. What will stick and become a ritual? And how can brands anticipate what's to come so they can shape a proactive plan for the future? The answer lies in understanding the motivations driving our new behaviors, and the shift in what we may value as a result.