OUR APPROACH

We Wed Science and Art.

Our goal is provide specific solutions and concrete recommendations based on solid evidence and thought-provoking insights. In this we are guided by three two key principles:

All our activities are shaped by the idiosyncratic needs of you, our client.
A true understanding of reality can best be achieved through the synthesis of multiple sources of data and information -- hence our name.
Insights are most likely to emerge from a wealth of data through the application of creative thinking.

We recognize that clients' needs vary tremendously, even if their informational requests sound similar.

So we don't start with, "What do you want to know?" but instead ask, "What decisions are you going to make? How will the information you are seeking impact the decision-making process? And who is really making the decision?"

Only with a deep background on the issues with which a company is grappling can we really devise an appropriate research plan, and make meaningful recommendations.

We Are Curious

In all our work, we strive to understand what truly motivates consumers or other audiences, and how these motivations actually shape marketplace behavior.

We apply a host of methods to achieve these ends, including sophisticated qualitative techniques, rigorous quantitative analyses, and emerging approaches such as behavioral economics.

In many cases, no single information source can provide a complete picture of the marketplace reality, and should not be relied on alone to answer critical strategic questions. We believe drawing on disparate sources is the best way to achieve a truly holistic view of reality.

Different sources often seem to contradict each other, forcing clients to choose among them.

But often these differences merely reflect different perspectives or dimensions of a single reality.

In fact, we believe that the greatest insights emerge when trying to reconcile seemingly conflicting evidence.

The Art of Being Insightful

All important decisions should be based on solid evidence. But rigorous collection and analysis of data and information is not enough. You need to understand what they really mean about the reality of the marketplace, what what their implications are for you.

Consilience

Insights usually emerge from a sea of data.
They don't emerge sponstaneously, but you don't need to "boil the ocean."
You just need to know how to find them.

Being insightful is not just a skill or habit. It's a way of thinking that combines objectivity with creativity. It requires identifying connections and patterns. And it means distilling the basic learning from multiple sources and weaving these into a new fabric.

We call this process, "making leaps of insight."