We offer all types of marketing and sociological studies, e.g. focus groups, depth interviews, expert interviews and much more.

Some of the methods we use are:

Ethnography

Online blogs

Concept Lab

Eye-tracking

Ethnography is about immersion in the consumer's life, since ethnographic interviews take place at his or her home rather than on the researcher's premises. We see the person in their natural setting, we can better understand their habits and lifestyle, we can see what they eat and drink, what toiletries they use, what medical drugs they take etc. This method would be especially useful to admen and our foreign partners who want to see the real life of the Russian consumer.

As reality around us is changing, we change along with it, adopting the latest tools that can prove useful in the work we do. One of such tools is online blogs that allow us to observe respondents' life for a certain period of time. Blogs provide us with more than just words on the computer screen; we may also ask consumers to upload their videos and photos so that we could actually see themselves and their setting. And even more importantly, we can have a live discussion with the respondent to explore what we see or learn, no matter where he/she is currently located or what time it is out there.

Along with the standard Concept Tests, Validata offers Concept Lab, a dynamic and creative process of concept generation that involves consumers, clients and the advertising agency. Concept Lab is ideal for situations when the Client has many (probably too many) ideas for insights, RTB or product offers. Then during the group we team up with consumers to tie various bits together like pieces of puzzle and create ready-to-use concepts.

Eye-tracking is a method that allows to see advertising / packaging / website / magazine layout with consumers' eyes. Special software and equipment are used to record the activity of the respondent's eyes, with the respondent just sitting back in an armchair. The great thing about this tool is that the respondent doesn't have to use any bulky devices, and the resulting data can be quickly analyzed and graphically rendered.

Our approach to some types of studies:

Packaging

U&A

Exploration of insights

Concept tests

Brand audits

Advertising

Lifestyle

We employ a semiotic approach to package test: not only do we try to find out what resonates with consumers but also what connection it has with the codes and symbols existing in the local culture and the category. When testing packaging, we use "shelf mockup" exercises, various techniques to explore spontaneous reactions, and also look out for participants' nonverbal communication. The eye-tracking method can also be used for package tests.

We love U&A studies because they help us understand the real life of consumers. To make the most of this method, we go beyond standard group discussions as we try to dive into consumer's life: we ask consumers to complete diaries and blogs, to write essays about their relationship with a brand or product, we go shopping with them to see with our own eyes how they choose different products, and even create supermarket or pharmacy shelves to test them during the groups.

Insight exploration implies a deep dive in the consumers' world and their minds. There are various methods to do it effectively, for example "Deep dive", semantic mapping, laddering, conflicting collages etc.

Concept test always is a creative process. We use both projective exercises and techniques that visually reflect what consumers have chosen and how far behind the leader has left the losers. We always try to finetune the wording together with consumers to create concepts that our Client would be able to use right away.

We have a vast experience of conducting Brand Health Studies and Brand Equity Studies, in particular for umbrella brands. We have conducted such studies both in Russia and other countries, some of them lasted for several years, which allowed us to track changes in the perceptions and image of the brand and reflect our findings in the report. This kind of studies are probably impossible to carry out without additional techniques, that's why we actively use projective exercises and techniques used for insight exploration.

When testing advertising, we watch out for spontaneous reactions using special techniques to gauge them. At the same time we realize that the devil is in the detail (such as claims and slogans, print layouts, understandability of storyline in TV advertising etc.), so we thoroughly check each. We use special methods to check memorability and uniqueness of advertising. When testing prints, we can use the eye-tracking method that allows to see what elements the respondent's eyes spontaneously stop on.

It is impossible to understand what people need without understanding these people and their values. Lifestyle studies are indispensable here, and we have a considerable experience of conducting this type of studies. We explored aspirations of metropolitan trendsetters and values of country dwellers; we delved into the world of a modern woman and kids' life. Of course, we use a variety of exercises and techniques to make the most of these studies, the most valuable being ethnographic methods and friendship groups/ dyads.

Quantitative Methods

We can help businesses address various marketing challenges they face at different stages of the product lifecycle.

Our areas of expertise are:

Exploration of categories and consumer segmentation

Marketing mix tests

Advertising effectiveness studies

Brand health tracking

Customer / employee satisfaction studies

Exploration of categories and consumer segmentation

U&A studies
Consumer segmentation and strategic positioning analysis (in addition to U&A or as an independent study)