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.
As the year we could never have anticipated, imagined or even dreamed up is almost over; we’re taking a moment to look back at some of the highlights we’ve experienced amidst this crazy and often confounding time in captivity.
Dog parents are facing a plethora of new challenges and choices as they strive to keep their pets healthy and happy amid the ongoing crisis. We interviewed over 500 dog owners across the US, Canada and UK to explore those challenges and in particular, the shifting attitudes and behaviours towards trialling different foods and diets.
What if talking about climate change didn’t have to be so hopeless and divisive? What if being part of the solution didn’t mean having to become an “eco warrior”? Turns out, more of us are better at doing things to help solve climate change than we might think—and we have the research to prove it.
Plant-based foods are skyrocketing in demand, even more so now during COVID-19. The Sound dives into the consumer motivations, trends, and brand strategy behind the category’s massive growth. From the eco-friendly trendsetters, to the health-motivated newbies, the motivations behind trying plant-based foods are as diverse as the products available on shelves right now.
