Brands often develop personas as a way to keep customer characteristics top-of-mind as they consider communication and innovation efforts. In some situations, these personas are developed via qualitative research or internal knowledge/hypotheses about customers. When personas are identified in this way, one question we are often asked is ‘Now that we’ve defined these personas, can we build a typing tool to find and size them among our target audience?’

Last year, two people very close to me experienced significant health events. One underwent a heart transplant, and the other faced a prostate cancer diagnosis. Thankfully, both emerged on the other side with positive outcomes.

Clients and agencies are optimistic for 2025, and it’s an exciting time to be in insights. It’s clear that many saw 2023-24 as challenging times, and distinctly different from the period 2020-22. There was an adjustment for everyone away from increasing insights budgets and spending. The adjustments seemed to be uniform, though the timing and impact varied greatly across companies.

With any successful relationship, whether it be friendship, partnership, or beyond, the connection deepens with each interaction as both parties come to know and truly understand one another. As researchers, why not harness this natural dynamic with consumers by getting to know them over time, uncovering the deeper motivations behind their everyday decisions?

Most medical devices rarely get headlines. From an injectable pen to a pulse oximeter to a programmable IV pump, and every other medical device you can imagine represent an integral part of healthcare. AND, each and every device requires thoughtful development and refinement, with a series of rigorous human factors testing eventually – hopefully – leading to FDA approval.

Making the leap into qualitative research opened my eyes to a field that's both challenging and deeply rewarding.