Since the onset of the pandemic we’ve been working with Bloomberg to understand the priorities, actions and attitudes of business decision makers across APAC. Take a look at the infographic for the key insights from our latest wave including:
- 69% of companies foresee adopting a hybrid model post-pandemic with a mix of in-office and work-from-home
- Yet of the surveyed companies only 4% will no longer keep a physical office
- The pandemic has placed greater attention on sustainability with 67% believing that COVID-19 has increased the importance of green / environment protection

Marketing textbooks are littered with examples of products or services which flopped when they hit the market.
Take Juicero, in which investors pumped a staggering $120 million – all for a wi-fi connected juice maker which nobody had indicated they wanted or needed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was scrapped within two years.
Or ESPN’s mobile phone service, which was pitched at the wrong price – some $400 – whilst also offering the target audience a lack of choice around handset. The service was swiftly shut down, with ESPN instead opting to provide content to Verizon.
And remember New Coke? Launched in 1985, it’s still remembered today as a major marketing misstep.The product was abandoned after only a few weeks, with Cola-Cola reverting back to its old formula.
It’s clear that some of the world’s most innovative companies have failed to accurately foresee the impact of new launches when they hit the target market. Even Google, for instance, arguably launched its wearable Google Glass concept too soon. Its sky-high price did not help, and it failed to connect with consumers.
Fortunately there is a way to avoid this type of failure. By conducting product concept testing before a product launch, businesses are able to develop their ideas in a safe and controlled space with the target audience ahead of launch.
The concept in question can be many different things. It might be a totally new set of product ideas that no one has ever seen before. It might be a redesign or rebrand.
Testing methods can be online, for instance via quantitative surveys or via online communities focused on gathering qualitative insight; or face-to-face, in a focus group or series of in-depth interviews.
Whatever the method, conducting concept testing can pinpoint the value – or otherwise – of specific features and benefits, as well as indicating whether a product concept will be a major hit or a more niche offering which may not justify the cost and resources needed to make a reality.
Concept testing does require an investment in market research, but any costs at this stage will be minimal in comparison to launching a product which goes on to fail.
After all, testing is the process of uncovering what your potential consumers like or dislike about your concept, helping you identify which ideas will fly and guiding their future development to ensure success. What’s more, concept testing can enable marketers to understand what to communicate at launch, whilst also helping to identify the customer segments with the most potential
Here are the five key reasons why concept testing is so important:
1. Concept testing can help you filter ideas so you know which to develop further
Concept testing can help you move beyond blue-sky thinking and determine which of your ideas will be a hit. Rather than relying on subjective opinion, it gives you data that can bring the whole team on board by providing a consensus about which projects to develop and which to shelve.
In this way, great concept testing unites teams behind the ideas that have real potential. There’s no need to worry about office politics or lengthy and frustrating ‘design by committee’. With concept testing you can hear directly from the consumer what’s likely to cut it – and what won’t.
By using a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques, you can understand the consumer view of different concepts, and explore whether the products or services you’re looking to develop will resonate. Employing a range of testing tools enables you to identify the product concepts with the highest appeal, as well as understand how these can be refined. This allows you to move to the next stage of development with confidence.
It’s no overstatement to say that the use of a well-designed, concept testing survey or a skilfully moderated online community can pave the way to success. But any survey template or discussion guide needs to be designed in such a way that ensures that the overall package, as well as individual features or attributes are each assessed and fed back on.
This is something that needs to happen in the early stages of decision-making, too. It cannot be left too late as the point of concept testing is to help you iterate your ideas and to tweak them ahead of launch so that they are primed for success.
2. Concept testing can help you steer clear of bad decision-making.
Testing concepts in detail before launch may sound like it will delay your go-to-market strategy, but in the long run it can save your organisation significant time, prevent financial losses, and protect your relationship with customers. Failed products or services are enormously costly but fortunately concept testing exists not only to help you avoid the bad ideas, but also to uncover those with untapped potential.
Concept testing can help you to find the strongest option to take forward among a number of choices or find ways to improve underperforming concepts. Either way, it’s a great way to ensure, quickly and easily, that whatever you’re planning has a solid chance of success. In this way, concept testing can help you avoid an embarrassing failure and take your product development processes from good to great, thanks to that all-important feedback from those who matter – your customers.
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3. Concept testing can help you understand what elements matter to consumers.
Even if you immediately gauge that your product ideas are likely to fly, there are still many additional things to consider through testing methods – such as your positioning, the kind of packaging or branding that would be considered attractive and – arguably the most important factor in the production of any product or service – the most appropriate price.
In this way, a concept test is a way to optimise your innovation, drastically reduce the risk of project failure and limit excessive costs. Concept testing is crucial for product developers to determine the innovation’s chance of success. It can shed light on blind spots, inefficiencies, misinterpretations or problems that can lead to failure. Using testing methods like surveys as well as qualitative research, via a focus group, in depth interview or online community, can all help to tease out your target audience’s wants or needs.
4. Concept testing enables you to fix problems prior to launch.
The sooner concept testing is undertaken, the more flexibility there is for optimising your initial idea to develop a product that customers truly want and need.
Through concept testing you can understand what elements don’t fly with customers so you can ditch underperforming elements to save costs or iteratively improve concepts so that they better meet consumer needs. With an online community, for instance, it’s possible to develop concepts based on consumer feedback, and then upload them for further feedback, in this way allowing you to refine ideas swiftly.
5. Ultimately, concept testing ensures that you develop products that consumers will buy.
Concept testing puts the consumer voice at the heart of product development, thereby ensuring that new products will resonate with customers, dramatically increasing business performance.
The results of a concept test can help you to identify the pain – or the delight – relating to new ideas. Concept testing can enable you to establish how your product would fit into the lives of your target audience; how often they might use it and, crucially, which product concept they would be willing to pay for.
Good concept testing means getting under the skin of your customer and letting their feelings and needs guide you towards the solutions with the most potential. By putting consumers central to product development, you can develop products and services that outperform the competition.
In order to achieve this, it’s important to partner with skilled market researchers that can design studies that get you the insights you need. From a qualitative perspective, this means professionals that can help people open up, answer fully, and elaborate on their responses to concepts. In an online community for instance, the researcher must carefully guide and curate the discussion in order to gain in-depth feedback.
Ultimately, concept testing gives you a better idea of consumers’ reactions to your ideas. It clarifies the need your solution is addressing, consumers’ perceptions of the product, how it fares against other similar solutions, and what can be done to maximise adoption and market impact.
So it should come as no surprise to learn that this type of market research can have a huge impact on your business, enabling you to understand where to focus efforts in product development by uncovering the view of the target market.
Product development need never be risk, nor the creation of successful products be a wild stab in the dark. If you’d like our support with a concept testing project, please get in touch or request a proposal.
So you have a number of exciting concept ideas but you’re not sure which to take into further development? This is where conducting online concept testing comes in.
Online concept testing is the process of evaluating product ideas with consumers prior to their introduction to the market. It can include both quantitative and qualitative research, via surveys and online communities, for instance.
It’s a great way to bring consumer insights to the heart of the new product development process. These insights can help you understand which products or services will be a hit with your target audience. In this way, a concept test can dramatically reduce the risk of a product failing when it hits the market, helping to ensure a successful product launch.
Online concept testing can also point to areas of your concept that need tweaking, or new features which could be added. It can also help you answer questions such as whether the price is right and how where your idea fits in relation to competitor offerings and the perception of your brand as a whole.
But there is no one-size-fits-all approach, rather a range of methods that can be combined and tailored to meet the demands of each project.
What online approaches can you use for concept testing?
You can take either a quantitative or qualitative approach to concept testing – or combine both.
The main quantitative technique is an online concept test survey. Through online surveys, you can reach thousands of targeted and engaged respondents, providing rich and robust data that can be analysed. In the survey, the concept test would involve consumers reviewing a text description or a visual representation of the concept. Then, the audience would be prompted to answer questions or to discuss their impressions of your idea.
Single-concepts can be tested through monadic survey design, whilst multiple concepts can be evaluated using sequential design (read more about this in our post on what concept testing is and why it’s important). Once we have ascertained the level of interest or purchase intent data for each concept, these can be plotted on a chart to show which spurred the most promising response. We can also unpick the relative effect of different attributes such as price or features, with the help of a well-designed survey template, advanced statistical techniques.
When it comes to qualitative techniques, you can either run an online community – a carefully curated space to engage respondents in a group setting, as well as one to one tasks – or run a series of in depth interviews over video chat, in which you have the ability to share concepts on the screen.
What’s the advantage of online?
Online surveys enable you to reach a representative sample to gather robust data quickly and efficiently.
Online qualitative approaches, like online communities can deliver more detailed feedback than you might get in person. The sheer quantity of comments in an online community is vast – providing a real depth of insight.
An added benefit of qualitative online testing methods is that they can enable you to test ideas in multiple markets at the same time, so you can identify and explore common themes, rather than having to run focus groups over a number of weeks to get feedback in each market.
Online concept testing best practice
Objectives first, methodology second
Try to avoid embarking on the research with a set methodology in mind. Instead take a step back and think about your objectives and where you are in the product development process. This will help you choose the right approach.
Ask yourself whether you require high-level responses to multiple concepts, or detailed feedback on one, in particular? Do you need qualitative inspiration or quantitative rankings?
Also think about how far along the development process you are. If you have a prototype of your concept that respondents can interact with it may be that an offline approach like a focus group could be more appropriate, whereas if your concepts are at an earlier stage, an online approach could be more valuable.
We tend to use a combination of testing methods to build up a picture of how products or services could fit into the lives of those you hope will use them – and we’ll tailor the methods based on the project. Often, we’ll work with clients to quantitatively test initial concepts to understand those with most appeal to the target market. This is often followed by an online community in which consumers help you hone your ideas further.
That said, it’s always critical to build a tailored approach depending on what you’re trying to achieve and who you’re trying to reach. For instance, if you’re looking to get feedback on new concepts from hard-to-reach, or B2B audiences, a digital in-depth interview could be appropriate.
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Choose the right tools
Many online community platforms are specifically built with concept testing in mind and have tools that allow respondents to mark up elements of a concept that they like or dislike, along with a justification.
But always ensure the agency you work with has the right security protocols in place to protect early stage ideas. The platforms we use include a number of built-in security features. Images can be watermarked with a unique respondent identifier and, if you’re testing ads, we can set videos to self-destruct after they’ve been watched once. On top of this, we use all the confidentiality procedures we would for concept testing in-person. With such stringent processes in place, we’ve never experienced a leak. With us, your ideas are in safe hands.
Moderation, moderation, moderation
When you’re testing concepts in an online community, it’s important that conversation is carefully guided just as it would be in an offline focus group. Skilled market researchers know how to curate the conversation in an online setting, finding links between people and encouraging them to open up and feedback comprehensively on ideas.
Through a combination of effective moderation, probing and carefully structured analysis, we can identify the overall themes and elicit the information you need to move forwards in the product development process.
Bring ideas to life for consumers
To get the most out of respondents, it’s also important that you bring concepts to life by creating stimuli that enable the target market to picture your proposed products or services. Often, the early-stage concepts we receive from clients are only roughly sketched out.
It might be a selection of words on a Post-It note, or a collage of images found online. We work with our in-house designers and copywriters to build on this, fleshing out concepts and designing mock-ups and prototypes to make sure that your initial ideas can be easily understood by consumers. After all, it’s much easier to feed back on an idea you can properly visualise.
We use prototypes to bring ideas to life for consumers in face-to-face focus groups but one of the benefits of qualitative online concept testing methods, like online communities, is that these mockups can be amended based on consumer feedback and then fed back into an online community for further comment. This allows us to iteratively improve the concepts over time to build on and strengthen initial ideas.
At Kadence, we’re taking this principle a step further by exploring how we can use augmented reality (AR) to further bring concepts to life, thereby eliciting higher quality insights. Through AR we can create 3D digital prototypes that consumers can place in real environments using their phone – in their home, in a supermarket, wherever they happen to be. Not only do immersive methods like this deliver richer, higher quality insights, but they allow you to test concepts in context, thereby overcoming some of the challenges of face-to-face approaches.
Finally, it might sound obvious but it’s also important to ensure that your concepts are ready to be tested. It’s better to delay an online focus group if your concept is not yet fully developed, nor its purpose clear. If your ideas are easily understandable, can be brought to life and readily understood, your participants will be able to provide more comprehensive feedback.
Rigorous research shows you whether you’re really on to something. It puts everyone’s ideas on a level playing field and can help companies navigate internal politics to find a path ahead. After all, it’s your customers who will decide which idea is a success.
In this way, market research can dramatically increase the chances of developing a product concept successfully. Ultimately, testing is the process that enables you to proceed with confidence, and what can be better than that? We’d love to support your organisation with concept testing research. To discuss the best way to test your new ideas – be that online or offline – please request a proposal.
What is a central location test?
Essentially, it’s a way of carrying out product market research that’s done in a controlled environment, not in the participant’s home.
In this way, it differs from methods like online surveys or online communities. Sometimes, central location tests are referred to as “hall tests”.
The main reason to use these tests is to be able to test physical products in a face-to-face setting, exercising more control of the testing process. By being in the room with the participants, it’s easier to control for bias, engage more with the process, and ideally gain accurate and useful results.
In this article, we’ll dive a little deeper into the reasons for carrying out central location tests, the different types available, and share best practice tips for conducting this type of research. Let’s get started.
Why Conduct A Central Location Test?
Here are some of the most common reasons for conducting a central location test for your products:
- It helps minimize bias. In a central location test, everyone is monitored together in the same space. It’s easy to eliminate outside influences, present questions in the same order to avoid confusion and ensure participants answer logically.
- You can observe body language and other types of indirect feedback. This isn’t always possible online, but it can be very useful when making decisions. Participants might also say things or raise questions that they wouldn’t have the chance to do otherwise, which can lead to a more detailed understanding of their opinion.
- You can test things like taste, smell, and touch, which typically isn’t always possible if the test is conducted at home, without the logistical challenge of sending products to each respondent.
- It’s convenient. Testing large numbers of people in the same place at the same time helps save time and resources.
- You can ask follow-up questions and tailor interactions with participants in real-time based on their responses. This allows you to go further to capture additional information than might be possible with other testing methods.
The Different Types of Central Location Tests
There are a number of different ways to carry out your central location tests. Here are the main models:
- Monadic. This is where everyone focuses on the same product. The goal is simple: assess how well it would work if taken to market.
- Paired comparison. Here, participants compare two products and choose which one they think is best.
- Sequential monadic. First, participants assess one product, as in the monadic model. Then, they move on to a second product and assess that. Finally, they compare the two.
- Proto-monadic. This is slightly different from the above. Participants start by assessing one product (product A), then go straight into comparing it with another. The order is usually rotated between participants, so each product gets to be product A an equal number of times.
- Repeat paired comparison. Here, participants assess the same pair of products multiple times. The goal is to make sure feedback was not random or based on first impressions, with the goal of getting a more accurate end result.
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How to Conduct a Central Location Test
Recruit the right sample of participants. This is usually done by looking at your target customer base and then scaling it down so it’s small enough for the test. The most important part is to get a representative spread but also focus only on people who really are in your target demographic.
Find a good venue. This will depend on how many people you are planning to engage. It also needs to accommodate the logistical needs of the test. We have a network of tried and tested venues we’ve used over the years in multiple markets.
Make sure you’re working with a trained team. Your team needs to be trained to ask questions, monitor responses, and ask any required follow-up questions. They’ll need to know how to do this in a way that avoids bias and doesn’t steer the participant in a certain direction.
Design the survey well. Here are some tips:
- Include an introduction to the survey. This can be written or verbally delivered, but it should clearly explain how everything works, address any confusion, and explain the reasons behind the survey.
- Start with some screening questions. These are usually based on things like age and profession, and the goal is to disqualify candidates who don’t fit into your target demographic or who simply aren’t a good fit. Screening can also be done in advance if you are pre-recruiting for the central location test.
- Make sure the questions follow logically and intuitively. Group similar questions together, and try not to mislead or confuse your participants.
Analyze and take action. Once the central location test is complete, it’s time to analyze the results and implement your findings. This is perhaps the most important part — if you do this incorrectly, you risk wasting the investment in the entire process. Ensure the results are clearly presented, and any key insights are highlighted so your stakeholders can understand them. This way, you’ll be able to use the findings to convince others in your company and drive real action.
Is Central location testing (CLT) cost-effective?
Central location testing can be a cost-effective approach for market research, depending on the specific context and research objectives. CLT allows researchers to gather data from a large number of participants in a controlled environment, which can offer cost savings compared to conducting individual interviews or surveys. By bringing participants to a central location, researchers can efficiently collect data from multiple individuals within a short period.
Additionally, the centralized setting allows for standardized procedures, streamlined logistics, and easier management of participant recruitment. However, it’s important to note that the cost-effectiveness of CLT depends on factors such as the size of the target population, the complexity of the research objectives, and the resources required for the facility and equipment rental. CLT may require additional costs for participant incentives, venue rental, moderator fees, audiovisual equipment, and data analysis.
Researchers should carefully plan and design the CLT study to maximise cost-effectiveness, ensuring that the sample size, research objectives, and methodology align with the budget and desired outcomes. It’s also worth considering alternative research methods, such as online surveys or virtual focus groups, which may offer cost advantages in certain situations.
While central location testing can provide valuable insights and efficiencies, its cost-effectiveness will vary depending on the research context and careful consideration of budgetary constraints.
Focus Groups and Central Location Testing
Focus groups are a commonly used technique within CLT. In focus groups, a small group of individuals is brought together to engage in a guided discussion led by a moderator. This interactive format allows researchers to delve deep into participants’ opinions, attitudes, and preferences. Through open and dynamic group conversations, focus groups provide qualitative insights into consumer perceptions, motivations, and behaviours. By incorporating focus groups into CLT, businesses can gain valuable feedback, generate ideas, and uncover nuanced insights to inform decision-making and drive product development. The rich and interactive nature of focus groups makes them a powerful tool for understanding consumer perspectives and refining strategies to create products that better meet customer needs.
Challenges and How to Avoid Them
If your central location test is properly planned, uses trained staff, and is professionally designed, it should run smoothly. However, here are some challenges to look out for.
- Interviewer cheating. Sometimes interviewers can deliberately provoke biases or push participants towards certain answers. This can be avoided by working with a trusted partner and reliable staff.
- For certain types of central location tests — for instance, where you’re recruiting people from a mall and then bringing them to a central location testing facility, you can face problems in recruiting if there are fewer shoppers than usual. For this reason, it’s best to organize tests and recruit participants in advance.
- Biased responses to interviewers. Sometimes, participants might have a very positive psychological response to their interviewer. Maybe they like their personality or their looks. In these cases, they can give answers that might differ from their beliefs. This is another reason why training your interviewers carefully is so important.
Central location testing is a great way to get feedback on your products in a face-to-face environment with a reduced risk of bias. It allows for more interaction between interviewers and participants, delivering much more accurate and nuanced responses.
At Kadence, it’s our job to ensure you create and conduct the most effective market research projects possible — including central location tests and surveys. To find out more about how we can help, reach out to us and request a proposal.
Last updated: 05/01/21
Our live tracker shows you where you can conduct face-to-face research, as well as the considerations you need to bear in mind.
For those markets where face-to-face research is not possible just yet, online research is an effective alternative. This is an area where we have extensive experience. To help clients embrace these methods, we’ve produced a guide with our top tips for approaching online research in APAC.
UK
Face-to-face research is not currently possible
As the UK is currently under national lockdown, face-to-face research is not possible at this time.

Online research is an effective alternative
We have extensive experience of recruiting respondents and conducting research digitally. For many years, we’ve been harnessing online methodologies to support clients with everything from customer understanding right through to product development research in the UK and beyond.
Get in touch with our UK office to find out more
USA
Face-to-face is possible in some states
Restrictions in the US vary by state. Face-to-face research is now possible in some areas as long as the relevant state and federal guidelines on social distancing and interstate travel are observed, and in Boston, our East Coast base, focus groups are now booking. We are actively monitoring the regulations in each state through the Center for Diesease Control and Prevention, and state and territorial health department websites to advise our clients on what’s possible across the US.

Online research is an effective alternative
We can recruit respondents and conduct research digitally. This is an area where we’re experts. We’ve been harnessing online methodologies to support clients in the US with everything from customer understanding right through to product development research for many years.
China
Face-to-face research and online research are both possible
In line with the situation easing in China, we can provide all methodologies in this market, including focus groups and face-to-face interviews. We have developed a comprehensive safety protocol to safeguard our respondents, our team and our partners including a screening process to ensure respondents haven’t returned from another country in the last 14 days, temperature checks and the provision of masks and alcohol gel.

Online research can also be used to great effect in China, one of the most digitally savvy markets in the world. This is an area in which we have significant expertise.
Get in touch with our China office to find the best way of approaching your project.
Singapore
Face-to-face research is now possible
We are now able to offer face-to-face research in Singapore including 8 person focus groups in line with easing restrictions. We have a number of protocols in place to ensure the safety of our team and our respondents.

CATI and online research are effective alternatives
We are experts at conducting online research, and have particular expertise within Asia, recently producing a guide to help clients approach this with confidence. Our CATI capabilities are also an effective way of conducting research at this time.
Get in touch with our Singapore office to find the best approach for your project.
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India
Face-to-face is possible in most areas
We’re able to offer face-to-face research in all major cities that have been designated COVID-free zones by the government. We observe stringent protocols to ensure the safety of our respondents and our team.

We also offer CATI and online research in India
Our state-of-the-art telephonic interviewing (CATI) centre and a huge repository of customer databases can address your quantitative research needs, whilst online focus groups, digital depth interviews and digital ethnography can help gain qualitative insights into the rapidly changing consumer landscape.
Get in touch with our India office to discuss how to best approach your research needs.
Indonesia
Face-to-face research is considered on a case by case basis
Restrictions in Indonesia mean that options for face-to-face research are currently limited. As a result, it is considered on a case-by- case. To discuss further, please get in touch with our team.

Online research is an effective alternative
We are experts at conducting online research in Asia, and in Indonesia we have our own online panel, enabling us to conduct research across the country.
Get in touch with our Indonesia office to discuss how to approach your project online.
Philippines
Face-to-face research is not currently possible
F2F research is now feasible in the Philippines. We have already conducted intercepts and D2D interviews with no issues. However, we do not recommend face-to-face for focus groups and IDIs because we are still required to wear face masks and face shields even indoors. Focus groups and IDIs can be carried out online instead at this time.

Online research is an effective alternative
In the social media capital of the world, online methodologies can provide new ways of engaging respondents in research.
Get in touch with our Philippines office to discuss a project in the country.
Thailand
Face-to-face research and online research is possible across Thailand

We are now able to carry out face-to-face interviews and focus groups in Thailand. We have stringent safety protocols in place to protect our respondents, our team and our partners including COVID-19 screening questions, temperature checks and the provision of alcohol gel and masks.
In Thailand, we’re also able to provide a broad range of online methodologies to reach consumers and B2B respondents.
To talk about conducting research in Thailand, get in touch with our team.
Vietnam
Face-to-face research and online research is possible across Vietnam

Face-to-face research in the country can be conducted as normal – there are no restrictions in terms of service provision.
We also have rich experience in conducting online research in the country. We have the biggest direct panel in Vietnam – with 500,000 consumers – and conduct over 100 studies each year.
To discuss a market research project in Vietnam, please get in touch with our team.
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We’ve been working with Bloomberg to understand the priorities, actions and attitudes of business decision makers across APAC as the pandemic progresses. In the second of five waves, we explore attitudes towards travel, media consumption patterns and brands.
Take a look at the infographic for the key insights including:
- 7 in 10 decision makers say their companies are restricting travel, up by 18% from the last wave in May
- In 1 in 4 organisations, employees are given the flexibility to work from home.
- 57% are looking for brands that are customer-focused and are flexible enough to accommodate their rapidly changing needs

We partnered with our friends at Measure Protocol to take part in a first-of-its-kind trial to harness blockchain for market research. Watch the video to discover what we learnt about the potential for this new technology.
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You might also be interested in
Head of Global Research and Strategy, Phil Steggals, shares his top tips on running workshops that translate research findings into business action.
Get regular insights
Keep up to date with the latest insights from our research as well as all our company news in our free monthly newsletter.

You might also be interested in

Get regular insights
Keep up to date with the latest insights from our research as well as all our company news in our free monthly newsletter.
