Top 10 Consumer Trends

Posted by Mal Chia on February 24th, 2010 at 2:48pm

After much anticipation, here are Square Holes’ Top 10 consumer trends we have observed in 2009. Watch the video for a brief explanation of each one.

1. Visible Gossip
2. Lazy Advocates
3. Sensible Youth
4. Make the News
5. Pick and Mix Environmentalism
6. Essential Indulgences
7. Emotional Relevance
8. Unfettered Authenticity
9. Digital Divide
10. Serendipity

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Posted in Insight

Engaging with Consumers via Ethnography

Posted by Victoria Carbone on February 15th, 2010 at 1:44pm

In the most basic sense, ethnography in market research involves watching what people do, rather than asking people what they do.

From this, researchers can make inferences from the observed behaviour.

Three popular forms of ethnography adopted by market researchers include…

1. Conducting participant observation in stores, workplaces, and homes to observe real behaviour;
2. Giving participants a video/digital camera to record their interactions with the target product [photo-ethnography]; and
3. Having participants record their behaviour in a video diary.

Agency, Everyday Lives, adopted another interesting approach which involved filming consumer shopping in supermarket and then listening to the consumer and consumer’s family narrate the film [i.e. explaining what was going on, what they were thinking, etc].

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Posted in Research

Intel Rock Star

Posted by Mal Chia on October 2nd, 2009 at 12:30pm

Not sure when it started airing in Oz, but I came across this TVC from Intel over the weekend which I absolutely love! Instead of the product, the focus is on the culture and the personalities at the organisation. Well worth the 30 seconds…

Originally posted here

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Posted in Advertising

The Generation Gap/Myth

Posted by Mal Chia on at 12:01pm

In the second half of 2007, Square Holes worked with AIM SA and  SA Great to conduct research into the attitudes and needs of younger workers [aged under 40].  Building on the success of the 2007 study, AIM SA and Square Holes explored broader issues in relation to the needs of differing groups of workers.

Interestingly, the study discovered workplace relations are founded on psychographics rather than demographics. Four different segments were identified in the workplace.

Which one do you think you are?

-       The Dynamo

-       The Gimme

-       The Made it

-       The Plodder

Get the executive summary and the full report.

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Posted in Research

10 kids and a tight ship

Posted by Troy Forrest on September 25th, 2009 at 10:29am

My team went country this past weekend, and we visited some wonderful rural friends that have 10 kids (the eldest is just 13).  Pick up your jaw.

Aside from managing a chaotic farmhouse, she’s studying undergraduate Medicine (requiring 3-4 hours travel each day to and from the city) and he owns a busy electrician business employing six blokes.

3 time management tips I gleaned from masters over a roast lunch;

Continue reading…

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Posted in Uncategorized