THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

The latest industry insights and trends.

Get a fresh perspective on your world as we continually experiment with new methods, innovate new tools and explore contemporary topics.

 

Love, not Loss! Spark Brand Passion with These 3 Valentine’s Day Tricks to Combat Customer Churn

Love, not Loss! Spark Brand Passion with These 3 Valentine’s Day Tricks to Combat Customer Churn

It’s time to talk about a different kind of relationship: the bond between brands and customers. In an era of shifting loyalties, it's crucial to keep the flame of brand love alive. In this expert article, we unveil how understanding, empathy, and communication are the trifecta for enduring affection in the marketplace. Learn how to reconnect with your customer base, spark new passions, and how you can keep your customers' hearts beating for your brand.

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Where Do Brands Go From Here? 5 New Considerations for Setting Brand Strategy
Branding and Communication, Customer Experience, Empathy Training Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Branding and Communication, Customer Experience, Empathy Training Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Where Do Brands Go From Here? 5 New Considerations for Setting Brand Strategy

Every day we move closer and closer to the re-stabilization of society. Your consumers and customers are already exhibiting new behaviors for this next era. The challenge for your brand is to meet them where they will be, not where they’ve been. The key to success for 2022? Flexibility.

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The Imperfect Journey of Online Shopping... And What Brick and Mortar Stores Must Do About It

The Imperfect Journey of Online Shopping... And What Brick and Mortar Stores Must Do About It

Online shopping is projected to grow 27% of overall retail sales by 2023, and brick and mortar retailers are scrambling to figure out their next moves. But there is hope. CEO Lisa Osborne explains how these traditional merchants can get unstuck, be creative and find success by leveraging the flaws of online shopping to their own advantage.

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Getting Customers to Spend More

Getting Customers to Spend More

In his book, Dollars and Sense, behavioral economist Dan Ariely talks about the irrational ways we spend money. As marketers, it can be useful to use those same “irrational” mechanisms to get customers to spend more. How do your customers make the decision to spend? Expert researcher and strategist, Jay Zaltzman, explains what you need to know plus 3 critical takeaways to get the most out of your consumer spending research!

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10 Reasons You and Your Organization Should be Doing Accessibility Research

10 Reasons You and Your Organization Should be Doing Accessibility Research

According to the CDC, one in 4 U.S. adults – 61 million Americans – have a disability that impacts major life activities. Accessibility research is an important and growing space. Today we break down exactly why understanding accessibility matters for you and your business - and how to make it happen.

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How Consumer Insourcing is Impacting You and Your Business (and 3 Steps to Deal with It)

How Consumer Insourcing is Impacting You and Your Business (and 3 Steps to Deal with It)

A funny thing happened as life started to open up in summer 2021. People weren’t finding the value and benefit they used to out of their away-from-home experiences. It was more satisfying and rewarding to “insource” and do it themselves. What’s behind this phenomenon and what can your business do about it? Navigating to a New Normal respondents share their experiences.

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The Most Exciting, and Terrifying, Time to Be in Consumer Insights

The Most Exciting, and Terrifying, Time to Be in Consumer Insights

We asked 3 of the brightest client-side insights leaders we know to participate in a roundtable discussion about a range of issues facing the industry today.

Elizabeth Oates, Sr. Director, Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty, Humayun Rashid, Director, Microsoft 365 Research & Insights, and Marlene Straszewski, former Senior Director, Consumer Insights at General Mills each shared insight and perspective on the evolving role of the consumer, what research methods will be in demand in the future as society opens up again, the power and importance of listening as well as what’s needed from insights agency partners today.

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3 Easy Steps to Get People to Care about Environmental Efforts

3 Easy Steps to Get People to Care about Environmental Efforts

In the past year of pandemic-induced reflection, trips to outdoor spaces grew in popularity. With that outdoor time, we have been more exposed to the effects of pollution and climate change and the impact of our actions. As part of Ignite 360’s Navigating to a New Normal study (and in celebration of Earth Day) we asked our respondents about challenges facing the environment and if they feel their efforts are having any meaningful impact. CEO Rob Volpe shares the story and reveals 3 Steps companies can use to remove barriers and motivate consumer behavior towards positive change.

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Design Forums: The Key to Post-Pandemic Success

Design Forums: The Key to Post-Pandemic Success

Leading change can feel Sisyphean – it’s slow work, with a lot of undeveloped ideas, missing expertise, and lack of consensus. It requires you to have a clear understanding of your audience, the support of key teams, and a BIG creative idea around which to rally. Easy to say on paper, harder to accomplish in real life. Design forums make change a natural process by removing the hurdles.

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Consumer Journeys in Flux: The Change You Cannot Wait to Discover Is Happening Right Now

Consumer Journeys in Flux: The Change You Cannot Wait to Discover Is Happening Right Now

We have entered a “Waiting” period. People waiting to get a vaccine, parents waiting for schools to re-open – and businesses waiting for consumers to embark upon their post-pandemic shopper journeys. But for business, now is not the time to wait. Now is the time to prepare the space for consumers. To inspire you to action – COO Lisa Osborne shares a story of a world-renowned coffee company that went all-in, armed with data and insights to disrupt the stale supermarket coffee aisle – and built a case for innovation.

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Chapter 2: How to Guide Your Consumer Through the Uncanny Valley [White Paper]
Navigating to a New Normal, Customer Experience, N2NN Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Navigating to a New Normal, Customer Experience, N2NN Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Chapter 2: How to Guide Your Consumer Through the Uncanny Valley [White Paper]

Explore how your company can deliver products, services, and messages that acknowledge and could help alleviate consumer anxiety and discomfort. This free white paper examines the emotional impact of the pandemic and the divide that’s forming in our society between the employed and the recently unemployed.

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Getting to Yes… On a Dress
Empathy Training, Consumer Insights, Customer Experience Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder Empathy Training, Consumer Insights, Customer Experience Rob Volpe, CEO/Chairman/Founder

Getting to Yes… On a Dress

Ignite 360 CEO, Rob Volpe assumed women had it easy finding something stylish and flattering for any occasion. And if it was easy for women, how hard would it be for a man who is used to much fewer choices and therefore less discerning. Today, Rob shares his first-hand experience in dress empathy.

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Four Ways to Ride the Wave of Amazon’s Retail Disruption

Four Ways to Ride the Wave of Amazon’s Retail Disruption

While traditional retailers struggle with declining sales, online retail disruptors like Amazon are a ‘prime’ example of a company seeing record growth. So, why are successful e-commerce retailers jumping feet first into omni-channel endeavors? COO, Lisa Osborne details 4 ways to prepare for change, pro-actively embrace the future and achieve success!

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Curiosity Can't Kill You: 5 Questions We'd Love to Untangle

Curiosity Can't Kill You: 5 Questions We'd Love to Untangle

We checked in with our team of curiosity experts to see what they would like to research and straighten up to satisfy their thirst for answers, remove a frustration, or create a new and better solution. Here’s what they shared…

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