If you want a crocheted sweater or a bespoke engraved cutting board but need help finding an artisan, you might turn to platforms like Etsy that connect buyers with artisans on their eCommerce platforms. 

The last decade has brought a massive consumer shift in mindset. Consumers today care about where their products come from, who produced them, and under what conditions they were made. They care about the impact of everything they purchase —on the workers and the environment. 

Many trends are responsible for the maturation of the artisan economy around the globe, such as the rise of e-commerce, a growing interest in the environment and sustainability, the demand for rare, unique, personalised items, and a desire to support the local economy and small businesses. 

Consumers care about sustainability, ethical consumption, and small-batch production and are looking for unique pieces with a story to add to their lives. 

There has been a massive demand for handmade products globally. Handmade or artisanal products are high quality and unique, making them desirable for people looking for one-of-a-kind products with a strong narrative. 

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The need for personalization and the recent movements supporting local businesses and artisans have also helped promote bespoke brands or handmade products.

Unlike mass-produced goods, handmade products have certain deviations, and no two products will be the same, adding to the uniqueness consumers seek in the products they purchase.

When consumers purchase a handmade product, they are also buying into the story and history behind it and building a deep connection with the artisan making the product while supporting craftsmanship and local businesses. Consumers are avoiding off-the-shelf pieces, and artisan goods are becoming a staple. 

According to a U.K. Crafts Council report, 73 percent of U.K. adults had bought a craft in 2019 —which amounts to almost 25 million handmade items. About 32 percent of today’s buyers are under 35 years of age, making the younger populations of Millennials and Gen Z the biggest craft shoppers today. There are 11,620 craft businesses in the U.K., with over 43,000 employees. 

Consumers often save crafts and techniques that face extinction and erasure by purchasing artisanal goods. And now, many big brands want to add a piece of the traditional method to their products. For instance, independent watchmaker Daizoh Makihara decided to use the traditional Japanese glass-cutting technique called Edo-kiriko for the dial of his first watch. He found eight companies that specialised in the method, but only one agreed to do it. This was Kyosuke Hayashi, the president of Mitsuwa Glass Kogei. 

In English, Edo-kiriko means “cut glass from Edo”: Edo is an old name for Tokyo, and kiriko is the name of the cutting technique. This partnership gave birth to the first edo-kiriko watch in the world in 2018. 

The weavers and artisans work hard to keep the rich Indian arts and crafts heritage alive. According to IBEF, the total handicraft exports from India reached $3.5 billion in FY20. With over 200 million artisans, India’s handicraft sector is the second largest employer after agriculture. 

While fast fashion is pressuring the environment with its heavy carbon emissions, water waste, and poor working conditions and treatment of workers, consumers are hungry for a better model that offers trendy essentials and accessories without harmful environmental and socio-economic impact.

eCommerce has enabled many skilled artisans and hobbyists to profit from their passion and talent. 

Consumer obsession and interest in handmade products have also seeped into reality T.V., and craft reality T.V. shows have become quite the rage. 

British reality show Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker is a furniture-making competition similar to a cooking contest that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Every major network and various streaming platforms are in on the trend. Other similar shows include BBC’s All that Glitters, Netflix’s Blown Away, NBC’s Making It, HBO Max’s Craftopia, ITV’s Bling, and Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throwdown.  

The pandemic spurred the demand for handmade goods. Online platforms have fuelled much of this growth: in December 2018, Etsy, a U.S.-based online platform for artisans to buy and sell handmade goods, reported that there were 220,000 active sellers in the U.K. with a further 9,000 makers on Folksy, a U.K.-based online platform to purchase handcrafted gifts and original artwork, sold directly by the artists and designers who have created them.

Top handmade product categories on Etsy 

According to a report, the top handmade product category on Etsy in 2020 was home and living, with a 25 percent seller share, followed by art and collectables (21 percent), jewellery (15 percent), clothing (11 percent), accessories (8 percent), bath and beauty (6 percent), toys and games (4 percent), bags and purses (3 percent), weddings (2 percent), and books, movies and music (2 percent).

Etsy has three main sections in its online marketplace: Handmade, Vintage, and Supplies. Handmade represents 85 percent of sellers, Vintage represents 6 percent, and Supplies represent 12 percent of sellers.

Etsy, founded in 2005, now has more than 1.4 million sellers and 19.8 million buyers. Etsy focuses on handmade and vintage items and features over 5.4 million craft supply items.

Handmade gifts provide a personal touch and make the gift unique and personalised. This unique factor has driven platforms and brands that offer handmade products as popular choices during the Holidays. 

There has been an 80 percent jump in searches on the creator-driven platform Etsy for Holiday gifts in the past three months compared to last year. In 2020, CNBC reported that Etsy saw a 156 percent increase in search traffic during three months compared to the year prior for custom gifts.

Case Study: How Etsy carved a niche for the handmade sector using an e-commerce platform

The Overview

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Etsy is the largest online marketplace globally, connecting buyers to sellers of handmade and vintage goods and craft supplies. Etsy is built on a smart revenue model: it charges sellers a listing fee and a commission and upsells advertising services to push a seller’s products to boost reach. The company expanded through acquisitions, including Blackbird Tech for USD 32.5 million, Reverb in 2019 for USD 275 million, and the fashion resell marketplace, Depop in 2021 for USD 1.63 billion.

The company has competitors like Amazon Handmade, Big Cartel, Folksy, iCraft, and eBay. 

The Approach

Etsy took the value creation approach and narrowed its product offering to handmade or artisan-made products. While it has created a community of buyers and sellers, it moved its focus to buyers as the core market when eBay vet Josh Silverman took over Etsy’s reins. A year after hitting an all-time low in 2017, Etsy’s stock rebounded and grew; today, it stands at USD 119.74 a share. Defining and focusing on its key audience helped the brand grow. 

Once the brand identified its core audience, the buyers, it hiked the fees it charged its sellers from 5 percent to 6.5 percent. Even though 20,000 of its sellers went on strike, the company did not budge, and the results showed in the most recent third-quarter earnings in 2022, reporting a revenue bump of 11.7 percent over the same quarter of 2021, to USD 594.5 million. 

Etsy is also attracting more buyers to its platform via the mobile app. In 2021 alone, the brand reported a 45 percent increase in app downloads bringing 5.7 million new shoppers to download the app. The brand also leverages targeted, compelling email offers based on items favourited or shops browsed. The brand funded discounts and sent them to 18 million shoppers in 2021, and also provided discount technology allowing shoppers to discount goods from their shops. The brand also encourages buyers to follow more shops through sweepstakes and contests. 

The brand also offers multiple additional services to facilitate communication with sellers, on-platform transactions, and access to ratings and reviews. 

Etsy allows its sellers to voice their concerns with congress members and local and federal governments. And lastly, the brand continuously invests in retail technologies like machine learning via acquisitions. The brand has designed convenient distribution channels, upgraded buying and selling software and merchant services, and improved its social media presence to boost brand awareness. This month, Etsy rolled out a new image search feature to allow shoppers to find an object faster than with a keyword search. Users on iOS can now tap the camera icon and search for images by uploading a picture. Etsy then scours its platform to find products visually similar to the ones the user is searching for. Etsy plans to expand image search to Android app users soon.

The Results

Etsy’s impact on the artisan economy is robust. The most recent quarterly earnings report disclosed revenues had risen to USD 198 million, a 31.64 percent increase year over year. Etsy currently holds a market cap of just under USD 5.5 billion – quite a climb from its USD 1.1 billion market cap back in March 2017. The brand attracted 6.3 million shoppers in the third quarter of 2022, ending with 88.3 million active buyers on the Etsy marketplace.

In most developing nations, the handicraft industry is fragmented, lacking legal Intellectual Property laws surrounding its products, and artisans not getting fair compensation for their craft. 

In most countries, handcrafts are highly valued because of the high skill level and talent required and are sold in luxury stores at premium prices. However, although India has a rich culture and many categories of handicrafts, they still need to be given their deserved value and place. Ramesh Menon founded Save the Loom, a nonprofit community group to revive, restore, and restructure the handloom industry in India.

Many other such organizations are helping artisans overcome the many challenges they face. However, online platforms and eCommerce websites like Etsy, Folksy, Amazon Handmade, and others have helped create a viable worldwide path forward for the handmade industry. 

While not every product fits the artisan-made model, the lessons from this growing trend apply to all categories. Consumers want to feel connected to the story behind the product, how a product is made, and the feel-good impact on the environment and people after purchase.

For more insights into the shifting trends in online shopping and consumer behaviour around the globe, download our complete report, “The Future of Online Shopping.” 

The situation surrounding EVs is changing rapidly.
This time, our local team member Pom from Kadence Thailand interviewed three EV owners in Thailand to reveal the local consumer thoughts. Let’s catch up by watching the recordings below!

Watch the session in Thai

Watch the session in Japanese

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Back in the day, Qualitative research was all about understanding the person behind the responses by watching his actions, behaviour, mood, tonality, and other giveaways while talking about specific products and services. We still do it (some of it) but with less dependency on human competence and more reliance on the tools believed to be fast, precise, and less intruding.

In Qual research, most of these tools are used for analyzing data, app testing, and emotion decoding through Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), which can address multiple research studies like UI/UX testing, NPD, product/concept test, etc. While these tools help capture the required details without bias, they still have some limitations.

Typical Qual research is done to understand:

  • Human behaviour and interaction with various categories (brands/ services/products)
  • Trends and impact 
  • Product and concept evaluation
  • Segmentation (Pen portraits)
  • U&A 
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Researchers apply various approaches to meet the objectives depending on the overall scope of the research project. However, basic principles like the need to be an open-ended, free-flowing discussion to gain in-depth knowledge and reasons for a particular behaviour or response and generate actionable insights stay the same. 

These days, technology is helping make research much more accessible and cost-effective for brands, but it is yet to be seen if it serves the intended purpose.

Before the pandemic, online interactions were not a preferred research methodology for most brands as they offered a different experience than face-to-face interaction and were considered an ‘optional methodology.’ 

However, the pandemic changed that as there was no option other than doing online research and gradually posting using an online methodology for various research activities. Brands found it to be both cost and time effective. With this began the race for offering/ innovating several tech/ tools to enable Qual research to deliver insights irrespective of situational limitations. There are hundreds of ‘tech research agencies/boutiques’ currently offering various tech solutions like UI/UX, Neuro, A.I.-enabled analysis (from transcriptions/ recording), and emotion decoding tools, and a considerable amount of R&D is already happening in this area.

These tools are certainly helpful in today’s era when not just research but the overall ecosystem is evolving, and tech has become the backbone of any new venture. There are so many start-ups today, and India has emerged as one of the growing ecosystems for start-ups; currently ranked third globally with over 77,000 start-ups, this number is growing yearly. 

Most start-ups are tech-based and have apps for better user experience, easy access to data, and increasing adoption rate of new services and products.

Most of these start-ups utilise research to get feedback on UI/UX and check what can be improved to provide a better experience and increased engagement. A few years back, researchers typically carried out these research activities at a CLT set-up with a couple of cameras. Still, now this can be done on mobile phones using another platform (app) for decoding user interaction with the app to be evaluated.

Tech has helped explore new avenues and reshape old methodologies like G.D.s, Ethnos, and diary placements. Now, online methods are used widely, and it is still to be seen whether this phenomenon will stay.

While online methods have certain limitations, like missing the human connection —one of the basics of any Qual research, there are certain aspects wherein technology is not as helpful or hasn’t yet been developed to cater to those needs in terms of tech evolution / AI.

But there are certain spheres wherein technology has worked brilliantly for multiple reasons.

India is extremely tech-friendly.

Most of the brains in the tech world are from India, and we indeed take pride in saying that. People in India are curious and open to using new technology in every sphere of their life —be it a smartwatch, smart T.V., payment apps, food ordering apps, health trackers, cab booking apps, or high-end technology like smart homes or A.I. technology. With a growing number of start-ups, a young workforce, and evolving technology, end users prefer new tools and products for better, unbiased, and faster results. However, cost efficiency is still a grey area that will also be addressed as time goes by.

Learn more about how to develop a market entry strategy for India here.

It helps understand the customer.

Marketers want to know their customers better to increase sales and saliency through precise and tailored communications. 

Brands track data to get a complete understanding of their potential customer and offer relevant products/services. This helps close the “say-do” gap, and layering this with specific Qual interactions helps in a deeper understanding of this behaviour.

It is cost-effective.

Though using technology for online interactions, mobile or digital diaries, and online communities is more economical than face-to-face interactions, other dimensions like UI/UX tools and analysis tools are still expensive, and only a few agencies offer integrated solutions. This area will undoubtedly see many innovative solutions that address issues cost-effectively in the coming years.  

It removes bias and is more credible and faster.

Using apps/ tools/ tech for capturing and analyzing data adds credibility and saves time. Respondents can upload pictures/ videos in real-time and share their stories with a broader group or in a one-to-one setting. Less human intervention removes bias, and data output can be visualised in multiple ways per the client’s requirement.   

Though there is nothing wrong with moving ahead with time, there are pros and cons of using technology for Qual research. It remains to see what else tech can add to understand human beings better, as Qual research is not just about evaluation but also about understanding the subject more deeply. Face-to-face interactions help form a temporary bond and comfort level wherein respondents share much information about themselves, their family, occupation, finances, and buying behaviour, which is a shortfall when it comes to online interactions or using any tool/tech.    

Tech can be an enabler but not a tool to understand human emotions through superficial levels. We can decode a few things like facial emotions and System I/II responses, but a deep and detailed understanding of a particular human being would always require human intervention. It is yet to be seen how much more we can do with ever-evolving technology and how it can impact the market research ecosystem. But one thing is certain: traditional Qual is here to stay as no amount of technology can completely replace human-to-human interaction and understanding, at least not in the near future.

The fitness industry is rife with technology trends that have recently transformed the industry. One of the most significant digital fitness trends worldwide is the rise of fitness apps. A fitness app is an application related to health or fitness that users can download on smart devices, such as laptops, phones, and tablets. It may be accessible on the Android and iPhone operating systems. Fitness apps use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technologies to give users customised workout plans. 

Fitness users see tremendous value in online training because it is entertaining, provides many new opportunities and workouts, and allows them to share their experiences or compete with other app users.

Another reason for the rapid adoption of these fitness apps, which give users instructions on exercise routines, diet and nutritional programs, physical activity tracking, and other fitness and well-being-related topics, is convenience.

Apart from that, these apps provide access to real-time data, which allows users to track progress over time. Most apps provide users with an opportunity to win new training milestones. They can be used with other devices, such as a heart monitor, to offer workouts and levels and motivate users to perform just like a trainer or coach would in a live class.

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The global fitness app market was valued at USD 1.21 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 5.41 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 18.1 percent from 2022 to 2030. 

According to the online public health resource, more than 97,000 fitness and health apps are on tablets and mobile devices (Health Works Collective). Additionally, roughly 15 percent of smartphone users between 18 and 29 have installed health apps, and approximately 52 percent access health-related information through their devices. 

According to a survey of users in the United States conducted during the third quarter of 2022, awareness of mobile fitness tracking apps reached 86 percent of respondents in the last measured quarter. Also, 34 percent of respondents actively used apps in this category.

Despite the many benefits and the convenience of working from anywhere, not everyone will transition entirely to online training. Current trends show that most people are looking for a hybrid approach and will take a class or go to the gym while also working out using a fitness app. 

Let’s examine the Sweat fitness app case study to understand what drives the fitness app market. 

Case Study: Sweat

From personal trainer to managing the biggest fitness community in the world, Sweat is a fitness app that built a community to succeed in the highly competitive fitness app market.

The Big Idea behind Sweat

Kayla Itsines, an Australian personal trainer, started a fitness business at 18 from her home in Adelaide. She soon discovered the mobile device as the perfect tool to help her clients achieve their fitness goals. She joined hands with two other personal trainers and launched Sweat: Kayla Itsines Fitness app. This resulted in a complete fitness program, the Bikini Body Guide, with two options for home and gym.

The program SELF-Post: Pregnancy with Kelsey Wells focused on new mothers and Yoga lessons with Sjana Elise Earp for a healthy body and mind. In this manner, Kayla ensured users wouldn’t sway toward other apps if Sweat could become their go-to for total body and mind well-being. 

Let’s look closely at the main strategies used to acquire valuable users and turn the app into a multi-million dollar brand. 

The idea behind the app was not how you look but how you feel. The app was built on a “try-before-buy” concept. Like many other apps, the app offers users a free trial for a week. At the end of the seven-day trial period, users must subscribe and pay a monthly fee of $19.99. Therefore, if they see results in the first seven days and feel it is a worthwhile investment, it is easy to hook them in with the free trial period. 

The app is hyper-focused on its target audience, primarily women —the branding, content, and style are all targeted toward women. 

Sharing results with before and after pictures

The app uses before and after pictures to demonstrate its effectiveness. This is what helped grow subscribers and kept bringing them back. As Kayla shared her clients’ results, she managed to retain and grow her subscriber base. By adding the other two programs to the app with Elise and Kelsey, she ensured they stayed consistent with other apps. 

Becoming an Influencer

From not knowing much about the social media landscape to make the list of most appreciated fitness trainers on Forbes, Kayla leveraged her following to grow the app organically. Her YouTube channel has a sleuth of videos that women can follow worldwide, and she currently has 412,000 subscribers. She leveraged social media to grow her subscriber base by using organic techniques to acquire new users. 

Building a community

Kayla tapped into the power of community to reach millions of women worldwide. 

Since its inception, the Sweat app has been downloaded more than 30 million times. In 2020, the app generated USD 99.5 million in revenue. Sweat’s success lies in its community-first approach, as users share before and after pictures and success stories. This, in turn, keeps other users motivated as they can see the results and believe that it can happen to them, too, if they stick with the program. 

In 2021, Kayla sold Sweat, their popular workout platform, to fitness-tech company iFit for a reported USD400 million. 

By increasing engagement, fitness apps have proved to be an excellent solution for users worldwide. These apps are also perfect for studio owners looking to supplement their regular brick-and-mortar service. 

Technology is progressively making a place for itself in fitness routines and monitoring and treating many chronic diseases.

How do you ensure your brand has its finger on the pulse of this dynamic market and constantly changing consumer preferences?

Download our full report, “Feeling Good: Powering the Next Generation of Fitness and Medtech,” report and find out how brands like Peloton, ŌURA, Noom, Headspace, and others are navigating a fiercely competitive market.

Big data and advanced analytics are hot. Voluminous sets of data can be processed automatically using technology. But the data becomes useful only when it is converted into meaningful information. While Big Data has become the buzzword today, it is of little use if it’s not profitably analysed.

The global Big Data and Analytics market is worth USD 274 billion. Around 2.5 quintillion bytes worth of data is generated each day. There are currently over 44 zettabytes of data in the entire digital universe.

So what is big data exactly, and how does it impact companies?

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Big data refers to large sets of data obtained from multiple sources, like medical records, government records, customer databases, mobile applications, search engines, business transactions, social networks, and other massive data sources. Big data may be structured or unstructured, allowing brands to manage large amounts of data more efficiently. Many organizations are moving away from legacy systems and consolidating data to make the research process seamless, cost-effective, and efficient. 

Technologies like text analytics help market researchers examine large amounts of information and data in real-time to track consumers’ sentiments and detect potential brand reputation issues before they become serious. 

Big data market research is invaluable for brands as it combines consumer and behavioural data with advanced analytics to enable faster decision-making that yields improved business outcomes. When big data and market research converge, everyone wins because it results in better, more relevant products and services for the consumer and a competitive advantage for the brand.

Big data and market research convergence allow brands to dig into data to uncover the “why” behind the numbers. Let’s say, for instance, a brand uses data mining to discover a sudden decline in the market share for a high-end product in a specific market. Using market research methodologies, it studies a sample of consumers that have exhibited a change in buying behaviour to unearth what led to the change. Was it a new product that entered the market, or did they reduce spending due to the economic climate?

These reasons are not presented in the data, and market research can help uncover the “why” behind a data set. 

Today, the digital consumption of information, products, and media makes everything measurable on a large scale. Social media analytics is an example of big data used on a massive scale globally. 

How does big data impact business?

A 2020 study showed that around 94 percent of organizations believe data and analytics are essential to growing their brand and supporting digital transformation. The study also found that the financial, hospitality, telecoms, and retail industries invest the most in big data and analytics. 

Big data in the Banking and Financial Services sector

The application of big data analytics has allowed financial services companies and banks to become more efficient, customer-centric, and competitive. This industry utilises big data to make transactions, trading, and financial activities seamless for their employees and customers.

Retail and eCommerce

The eCommerce and retail industries collect data through their Point of Sale (POS) systems, loyalty programs, and website browsing behaviour. It also helps with inventory replenishments. 

In the eCommerce industry, knowing your customers can unlock conversions and profits. Big data on real-time consumer behaviour, purchase history, and consumer preferences can help online stores recommend the most relevant products and offer them to consumers at the right time. Big data enables e-stores to conduct competitive analyses and pricing to lure consumers. Above all, technology allows online retailers to offer personalization, superior customer service, and experience.

While these industries invest heavily in big data, they are not the only ones. Many sectors like manufacturing, logistics, media, oil and gas, and healthcare are investing large sums of money in adopting this technology to manage their data efficiently. 

Big Data analytics for the healthcare industry is expected to reach USD79.23 billion by 2028. 

For most companies, data is fragmented, and brands are looking for people who can analyze and use data to optimise all business processes and functions. 

Big data impacts not only the private sector but also the public sector. For governments, big data has many applications, including health-related research, financial markets research, fraud detection, public safety, transportation, and environmental protection, to name a few. 

Advantages of Big Data 

Massive organizations like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have proved how big data can build big brands. These organizations have capitalised on big data mining and analytics to grow their brands and boost market valuations. 

One of the most significant advantages of big data is the ability to make informed decisions based on hard data and facts. 

Big data is valuable for consumers too. In the information age, the consumer can access ratings, product reviews, and an easier means of providing instant real-time feedback. This allows consumers to make informed choices. 

What are the challenges with big data and analytics?

As recently as last year, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Jack Dorsey of Twitter had to testify before Congress about the steps they have taken to deal with data privacy. 

Consumers have become more data savvy and are concerned with privacy issues and breaches. <add stats on #s ready to share data for more relevant messaging)

Business outcomes are only as good as the data; high-quality data (link) is of utmost importance. Researchers and brands must be cautious about the data sources and methodologies to obtain the most accurate, reliable, and relevant data. 

The big data market is poised for phenomenal growth in the coming years. With the development of technology penetration across all areas of life, digitization, and the widespread use of smartphones globally, large amounts of data are produced every second. This has led to the need for data analysis and big data. 

As brands apply big data, they make data-driven decisions faster and can respond quickly to market changes. This has a direct impact on their bottom line. But data is not enough; there has to be a fusion of data science with marketing science to help market research become more effective.

Kadence International helps leading brands make game-changing decisions. If you are looking for a research partner to help better understand your customers, we would love to help. Fill out our Request for a Proposal here.

According to the Global Research Business Network (GRBN), confidence in the market research industry has remained stable, and trust in data analytics has increased in 2022 compared with 2020. 

Still, market research as an industry needs to constantly work to improve the perceived value of research. The way to ensure this happens is by addressing the main challenges of obtaining high-quality data. 

The importance of data collection in market research cannot be emphasised enough. This blog post will analyze the main obstacles brands face in this area and provide guidance on how market researchers can tackle these challenges with the help of technology. 

The methods you use to collect and analyze data will significantly impact the quality of your market research report and its value in decision-making. The five best data collection tools for market research are surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, and secondary sources. 

Understanding the best methodology to get the most accurate, error-free, and reliable data is essential. 

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What is data quality?

Data quality is a complex, multi-faceted construct. Quality data is data that is fit for its purpose and closely relates to the construct they are intended to measure. 

Let’s take the example of a brand like Amazon’s Audible and try to predict what type of books a person would be interested in based on his previous listening history. The data is likely high quality because the books subscribers have listened to in the past are a good predictor of what they would like to consume in the future. The books they have listened to in the past also have a close relationship with what you are trying to measure, in this case, book preferences, which makes the data high quality. 

Reliable data requires a high-quality sample with enough information to make conclusions that inform business decisions. For instance, in the same example of Audible, if a subscriber uses it only once in a while and has only listened to one book in six months, it fails to present a complete picture of the user’s preferences due to limited data or information available. 

In the example used above, the data is available in the app and is much easier to collect. However, this is not always the case. Many instances of market research involve collecting data from people taking surveys, user testing, or recollecting past experiences and feedback, which are much more challenging to measure. 

So how do you ensure you collect high-quality data that informs decision-making at every step of the organization? 

Utilise technology 

As the world has moved online, so have many market research methodologies. Many companies have been forced to move online quickly, which has been a blessing in disguise for them. Technologies like automation and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) have allowed brands to obtain transparent, reliable, and accurate data more efficiently.

Technology can also be beneficial in identifying bad data. Automation helps select the best pool of candidates for a study and helps achieve a more balanced view of the respondents. It can help reduce subjectivity and bias, scale costs, and improve project speed and efficiency. 

Advanced profiling

To yield high-quality data, you must obtain a 360-degree view of the user or consumer. A good data scientist will study the consumer using all critical data points, like browsing history, purchase history, online behaviour, cart abandonment, geolocation, and other relevant data.

Proper Planning

Excellent outcomes need proper planning, which is valid for everything, including market research. The entire team must understand the research study’s objectives before doing anything else, including all the early actions, like identifying the right participants for the study. Researchers can then create a sample plan based on key objectives and participants. This will become the basis of the methodologies used and the survey designs. A good market research study also employs a screener to ensure they only include participants relevant to the study. 

Recruit the right people

At Kadence, we firmly believe your research is only as good as the people participating in your study. When carrying out a virtual study or focus group, it is vital to make sure people doing the testing or surveys are genuine and suitable for the particular study. Researchers must hunt down even the most difficult-to-reach audiences, as you need the right people for the research to yield unvarnished results. 

Ensure complete and active participation

Making surveys more engaging will always lead to higher participation in online surveys. A well-designed survey with clear instructions will ensure higher participation and more honest responses.

Throughout the survey, researchers can include questions to ensure participants are paying attention and potentially weed out those who are off-track and disengaged.

Screening dishonest participants

Researchers can go a step ahead to eliminate dishonest survey participants. Online surveys can identify potential red flags where people provide false demographic information so they can qualify for studies with high rewards. 

Researchers can selectively target participants who have been profiled in the past to avoid participants with false demographic information. 

Develop a system of efficient, consistent data quality checks throughout the process

Market researchers should always have an effective and efficient plan for weeding out bad data throughout the study. Automating and utilizing suitable technology can ensure you safely streamline the quality check process in real time.

A critical challenge with market research is the ethical collection and use of data. Discover why ethics are vital in data collection and how to ensure your data collection is always on the right side of law and ethics here:

The ultimate goal of market research is to obtain high-quality data that is accurate, relevant, and reliable. While well-planned and thoughtfully designed studies can yield effective results to inform decision-making, poorly planned and designed ones can lead to poor business outcomes.

The stakes are always high, so it is crucial for brands and researchers to constantly improve data quality and reliability to save time, money, effort, and resources and lead to better, more informed business decisions. 

Kadence International helps leading brands make game-changing decisions. If you are looking for a research partner to help better understand your customers, we would love to help. Simply fill out our Request for a Proposal here.

Clean eating profoundly impacts food production as consumers worldwide gravitate toward healthier, cleaner foods.

In 2022, the global health and wellness food market was valued at USD 841 billion and is projected to increase to one trillion U.S. dollars by 2026.

What is clean eating?

Clean eating might have various interpretations for consumers, but it generally refers to eating whole foods as close to their natural state. Consumers that opt for clean eating usually prefer making their meals from scratch. For food and beverage companies, this means using suppliers who cultivate high-quality ingredients and organic farming. These typically come from smaller productions, which means higher prices for consumers.

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Consumers want to eat healthily, but the price is an obstacle.

The pandemic has put health at the forefront and changed our relationship with food. Consumers want to eat healthier, and this has been the most significant lifestyle change in recent years, followed by working out more often.

With the impending recession and high inflation rates, spending less money is also a priority. 

Consumers are looking for “farm-to-table” foods, and the buzzwords are healthy foods that are accessible. These consumers want to know what is in their food and where it comes from. 

Health and wellness factor heavily in purchasing decisions, and food production brands adapt to the trend. Protein-rich foods and superfoods with high antioxidant values are foods that more health-conscious consumers prefer today.

Superfoods refer to nutritionally dense foods or foods that are exceptionally high in vital nutrients. Some commonly regarded superfoods are salmon, kale, blueberries, chia seeds, acai, and quinoa. 

Statista states that between 2016 and 2017, retail sales of quinoa grew by 15.6 percent in the United States as its health benefits became more well-known. Chia seeds witnessed a 14.7 percent increase in retail sales during the same time. 

Consumers are discerning what foods they put in their bodies with increasing awareness about the harmful effects of preservatives and rampant chronic diseases. While there was already a slow rise in this awareness, the pandemic accelerated the shift. For today’s consumers, it is also essential to trace where the product is from. In terms of dairy, vegetables, meat, and fruits, “locally grown or sourced” is gaining significance. 

According to a survey, in 2022, 52 percent of respondents surveyed reported following a specific diet, a sharp increase from 39 percent in the previous year. Amongst those who followed a diet or plan, clean eating (16 percent) was the most popular, followed closely by mindful eating (being intentional and aware when eating) and calorie counting. 

Superior quality, organic foods, and ethical farming practices

From farm-raised over wild-caught seafood to cage-free eggs and non-GMO grass-fed beef, consumers are looking for high-quality ingredients and slowly moving away from pesticide-ridden, low-quality GMO foods. 

The global sales of organic food have risen between 2000 and 2020. In 2020, organic food sales amounted to about USD 120.65 billion, up from nearly USD 18 billion in 2000.

Organic food can vary wildly depending on the nation and certifying agency, but it frequently means crops grown without genetic modifications, artificial pesticides, or harmful fertilizers. Organic meat, dairy, and eggs require animals to be provided organic feed, given sufficient time outdoors, and not be fed growth hormones or fillers. 

In 2019, organic food sales amounted to USD 106 billion, up from nearly USD 15 billion in 1999. The United States accounts for over 40 percent of the retail sales of organic food worldwide, followed by Germany. 

According to the same report, in 2019, there were approximately 72 million hectares of organic farmland worldwide. There were more than one million organic food producers in India, which amounts to at least five times more producers than in any other country.

Ethical farming, manufacturing/ production, and distribution practices are essential to purchase considerations for many buyers. Slave trade, animal cruelty, and environmentally safe farming practices are encouraged. Many consumers won’t buy products that they know follow these inhumane and anti-environment practices.

All this comes at a high cost, and most consumers won’t pay the higher prices for organic foods, even though they would like to. 

Plant-based foods

While veganism, a diet that eliminates all meat and animal-derived foods, is still a lifestyle followed by very few consumers, there is continued demand for plant-based foods worldwide. 

Plant-based meat alternatives include food products from vegetarian or vegan sources, such as soy, vegetables, seitan, tempeh, or pea proteins. 

The percentage of vegans differs by country. With a 9 percent vegan population, India is the leading nation by share of vegans. In the U.K., their percentage is less than 2 percent, but in the U.S., it is closer to 6 percent.

In 2021, Beyond Meat was the leading company producing alternative protein products, such as plant-based meat, with an estimated market value of USD 9 billion. The company offers burger patties, among other alternative meat products. Impossible Foods, which ranks second, is a direct competitor in this market. Brands with plant proteins, dairy alternatives, and meat and seafood substitutes attract Venture Capitalists and are amongst the most funded start-ups in many markets. 

According to a report, in 2020, the global market value of plant-based meat was estimated to be around USD 6.7 billion. The market is expected to continue its growth and will reach about USD 16.7 billion in 2026. With a share of 44 percent, North America, has the largest market share in the plant-based meat market, followed by Europe, at about 34 percent. 

Vegan and plant-based foods are becoming popular with the meat-eating population as well. Non-vegans regularly consume many types of meat and dairy substitutes. Impossible Foods is one of the world’s most prominent alternative protein companies. The global vegan market is valued at USD 15.8 billion, and the global plant-based food market is valued at USD 35.6 billion. The milk substitute market alone is valued at USD 19.5 billion. China and the U.S. are the largest milk alternatives markets and together account for USD 12 billion of the total global revenue. 

The global plant-based food market will reach USD 77.8 billion in 2025, and the forecast projects that by 2030 the market will have more than doubled. 

Contribution to a greener, more sustainable world

Consumers are looking to make more significant contributions toward a sustainable and green future, especially for younger generations, like Millennials and Zoomers. 

Today’s consumers are more conscious of how they consume products and are more aware of enterprises’ impact on the ecosystem. Many consumers will stop using brands that are not environmentally friendly and will favour those that are and move their loyalty toward them. Sustainability is not restricted to just the environment and includes ethical practices and humane conditions. Packaging and reducing carbon emissions are a huge part of sustainability. 

Numerous big brands have incorporated sustainability into their corporate social responsibility frameworks. Many large fast-food chains have joined the climate movement, and Chipotle Mexican Grill, a US-based fast-casual chain, is an excellent example. Besides introducing eco-friendly packaging and measures to reduce waste, the brand went a step ahead. It launched a ‘sustainability tracker’ to provide data on the environmental impact of all its ingredients. Chipotle diners now receive data on five environmental metrics on their order confirmation screen, showing carbon in the atmosphere, gallons of water saved, improved soil health, organic land supported, and antibiotics avoided. 

For sustainability to happen, technology is a critical piece that can allow companies to forecast, monitor quality, and improve processes and packaging, to name a few. Factors like natural resources, labour, climate, and air quality are also important. 

With this new wave of the conscious shopper, many brands need to rethink their business operations for a complete rehaul. 

It is worth noting that it is a challenging change as brands grapple with offering better, cleaner foods at affordable prices.  

While consumers are more aware now, can they eat as healthy as they would like, given the inflation rate and higher prices for organic, clean foods?

With the current inflation rates, consumers find even regular food choices expensive. So everything comes down to value for the consumers. If your brand fails to show the consumer enough value, they will move to a less expensive option. So brands must be proactive in delivering value to the consumers to retain them. The good news is that even though we are in a supply-driven inflationary market, employment levels remain healthy. Currently, consumers absorb rising prices by reallocating their budgets toward priority areas. However, the imminent recession will impact purchasing power, so brands need to think ahead.  

For a more in-depth look at the Food and Beverage industry, download our report, “Food and Beverage Trends to Watch in 2022.”

At Kadence, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of research innovation. We identify and explore how emerging technologies will reshape the research landscape- and share findings with the industry.

Our primary focus is identifying developments that will enhance the richness and depth of insights we deliver to our clients.

In recent years we have partnered with clients to pilot a range of new methodologies:

● Artificial Intelligence in qualitative research with Starbucks
● Blockchain survey sampling with Unilever
● Augmented Reality pack-testing with Asahi

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

In late 2021 it was hard to avoid talk of the Metaverse, including Facebook’s repositioning to focus on virtual reality and augmented reality and the change of company name to ‘Meta’. Alongside Meta, there were vast inflows of investment into the metaverse infrastructure from tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple, and NVIDIA. At the same time, the falling cost of VR headsets made these accessible to many consumers (an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset fell to around £300).

As opportunities for customisation grew, our focus turned to the Metaverse and, specifically, a curiosity to understand whether the exciting developments present an opportunity for the research industry. To explore this, we partnered with a major US media brand.

Over the past few months, we have undertaken a comprehensive program of qualitative exercises in the Metaverse, an industry-first. Our pilot included focus groups, triads, and depth interviews.

All respondents and moderators participated using VR headsets. We tested a range of qualitative exercises (including co-creation), seeking to make the most of the tools available within the metaverse environment.

As well as assessing the quality and depth of insights gathered, we also examined the nature and quality of interactions between participants. Additionally, we investigated respondents’ ease of use and technical challenges that could inform future use.

The pilot has now concluded, and we are excited to share and discuss our groundbreaking learnings with the industry over the coming months at various conferences. 

 We will be sharing our conclusions on the following topics:

● Can we successfully harness this infrastructure to conduct qualitative research?

● What benefits does this offer over face-to-face and online methods?

● What opportunities exist for market research in the short-term and medium term?

● Will the Metaverse reshape our industry?

Please get in touch to learn more about our work in the Metaverse.

Contact Name: Rupert Sinclair, Head of Insight, UK

Email: [email protected] 

A Summary of our latest report —Feeling Good: Powering the Next Generation of Fitness and Medtech.

Today’s consumer is spending less on acquiring things and more on doing things, and this trend is making its way into the fitness and medical industries.

Research shows that when consumers feel good about their fitness regimen, they are more likely to continue the program. In short, the outcome consumers are looking for is not just looking good; but also feeling good.

So what do consumers want from their fitness routines? And what do they want from their gym experience? 

Download our complete report, “Feeling Good: Powering the Next Generation of Fitness and Medtech”, to find out now.

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This report examines the top technology trends in the health, fitness, and medical industries. Download the complete report here.

Trend 1: Wearing your heart on your sleeve

You will see wearable fitness devices on professional marathon runners, casual gym-goers, and even those attempting to become more active.

The simple steps tracker has evolved into our trusted health advisor, dietician, and fitness trainer.

It is no wonder, then, that worldwide shipments of wearable devices from 2020-2021 showed an increase of 27.2 percent. 

The increased use of the Internet, 5G technologies, and constant innovations have made North America the dominant market, with a 38.6 percent market share. The Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market.

Consumers are taking charge of their well-being with wearable technology.

Rising health awareness, a sedentary and hectic lifestyle, increasing healthcare costs, the growing prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity, and the increasing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving the market. As health and fitness took centre stage during the pandemic, it accelerated the adoption of wearable fitness trackers. 

Trend 2: The growing application of wearable technology in the medical device Industry

The healthcare industry has seen the growing popularity of wearables significantly impacting the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases.

The pandemic has changed our relationship with sleep and its therapeutic benefits. Consumers are more aware of the health benefits of quality sleep and are using sleep-tracking technology to understand their sleep patterns better.

Download the complete report to discover Oura ring’s foray into Health and Medtech

The Future of Holistic Healthcare Smart Wearable Devices. 

Wearables have many life-altering benefits that make them invaluable in the medical field.

Download our complete report to learn the various use cases of wearable devices in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating chronic diseases. 

Initially, North America led the world with the highest share of wearable device sales; however, the Asia Pacific region has recently grown leaps and bounds, becoming the fastest-growing region.

Download our complete report to learn more about the leading countries in the sector. 

Trend 3: Taking the gym home 

The trend of bringing home the gym with smart home equipment took off during the lockdown as gyms had to shut down worldwide.

Download the complete report to find out what happened to the at-home gym equipment market after the lockdown as people returned to in-person fitness centres.

Also, read an in-depth analysis of why 1.4 million users are paying a premium for the Peloton bike. 

Trend 4: Fitness apps and AI-powered personal trainers

The lockdown forced people to shift from physical gyms and fitness studios to virtual fitness classes, which led to a considerable number of apps being downloaded, giving an impetus to the fitness app market.

The increased prevalence of chronic diseases or diseases that prevail over the long term, like diabetes and obstructive pulmonary disease, is driving the growth of fitness and nutrition apps.

Download the complete report to see how these apps are proven to help people better manage their symptoms and conditions.

Trend 5: Mental health goes digital 

In 2020, we saw an uptick in downloads of mental wellness apps, as the pandemic and its repercussions propelled this growth. Developers of apps are delivering on market demand, as 20,000 mental apps are available for download today.

Many of these apps emphasise mindfulness and meditation and go beyond providing support from a traditional therapist. Mental health apps also offer professional online therapy sessions on the go.

While the number of app downloads is a good metric, returning users is the fundamental metric for an app’s success. 

Download the report to discover how the UK-based mindfulness and meditation app, Headspace increased users and retention rates using a data-driven approach. 

Trend 6: Entering the fitness metaverse

Companies are creating immersive fitness experiences by partnering with premium gaming and fitness brands.

This is bringing about a trend in fitness gamification, a new generation of immersive exercises and workouts using music, visuals, wearables, and instructors to offer users an exciting, immersive experience.

Download the full report to learn how Hong Kong-based brand, OliveX incentivises users by rewarding them for their workouts using blockchain technology.

Putting our bodies (and data) out there 

Data security risks are one of the biggest challenges we face as we move mountains in the fitness tech industry. These trackers can allow hackers to intercept personal data, and if the data is not adequately protected, it can make us vulnerable to unauthorised users accessing our information.

}The future of wearable technologies is in the health and medical sectors. Although some companies, like Apple, have tight privacy controls for users, there is not enough research on wearable tech for digital health technologies’ security, data rights, and ethics.

The ubiquitous use of the Internet and smartphones and the shifting tendency toward healthier lifestyles and increased wellbeing have sparked significant growth in the global fitness and medical device technologies market. 

Download the complete report to discover the biggest trends in the Fitness, Health, and Medtech industries.