Research methodologies
Great insights are grounded in understanding what you actually need to know, and choosing the approach most likely to get you there. We combine the right research methodologies with 25+ years of human understanding, backed by in-house data and analytics teams, to make sure the work we do drives real decisions, not just reports that sit on shelves.
Our methodology specialisms
Qualitative research
We reveal real needs, motivations and attitudes that drive behaviour, through a broad qualitative toolkit – from traditional techniques to AI-powered Big Qual. Essential when you need to understand the why behind what people do.
Quantitative research
Robust, scalable, statistically reliable. We use quantitative research to measure, size and validate, turning human behaviour into data your business can act on with confidence.
Conjoint analysis
Key to de-risking propositions, conjoint analysis tells you the benefits and features that are likely to cut through and ultimately drive uptake. Rigorous, commercially-focused, and built for high-stakes decisions, it helps us build, land, and win with confidence.
MaxDiff
MaxDiff forces real choices rather than inflated ratings, giving you a clear hierarchy of what matters most to your audience.
Consumer journalism
Close the gap between what people say and what they actually do through live reactions to experiences, shopping diaries and real-world observation tasks. Consumer journalism captures behaviour as it happens, not as people remember or reconstruct it afterwards.
Focus groups
From in-person to digital sessions, our expert moderators create the conditions for honest, generative conversation. Use groups to deep dive, stress-test ideas and unlock the kind of lateral thinking that only comes from people bouncing off each other.
In-store interviews
Whether accompanied shopping trips or intercept interviews at the fixture, we talk to people at the moment of decision. It’s one of the most direct ways to understand what drives purchase in the ‘moment of truth’ and what’s getting in the way.
Big Qual
Scale and depth, without the trade-off. Our Big Qual approach draws on an in-house panel of over 28,000 people, letting us reach around 200 participants in one go. Video tasks are integrated with AI analysis to turn real-life footage into compelling, actionable stories, all in a matter of days.
Need help choosing the right approach?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?
Qualitative research explores attitudes, emotions and motivations in depth – it tells you why. Quantitative research measures and sizes behaviours and opinions across larger samples – it tells you how many and how much. Both have their place; the best work often uses both.
How do you choose the right research methodology?
We start with the decision your business needs to make, not the method. Once we understand what you’re trying to solve and what you’ll do with the answer, the right approach becomes clear.
What is mixed-methods research?
Mixed-methods research combines qualitative and quantitative approaches within a single programme of work. It’s particularly powerful when you need both exploratory depth and statistical confidence – for example, using ethnographic or qualitative research to generate hypotheses, then quantitative research to test them at scale.