Blog - Murphy Research

Market Research in the Age of the Lean Startup

The lean approach to startups, innovation and product development is all the rage - and for good reason. There are many benefits to the lean approach, including quicker time to market, reduced development costs, more innovative products and improved customer relationships. However, companies outside the web/digital space can struggle executing on some of the principles of lean development, and even technology companies need a clear vision and strategy, along with processes for collecting and analyzing feedback, to embrace lean principles. Market research can bridge those gaps!

Uncovering Invisible Influence In Consumer Behavior

Ask yourself this question the next time you are deciding what clothes to buy, where to eat, or which television show to watch: How much do other people’s behaviors influence your choices? In the book Invisible Influence, author Jonah Berger argues that the decisions we make are influenced a great deal by other people. Not only that, but we are often unaware of this influence, hence its "invisible" nature.

A Peek Into The Future Of Retail

From forecasting the outright death of retail as we know it to anticipating the "Singularity" (where physical and digital retail worlds merge completely), the future of retail has been heavily debated among experts for several years now. What most speakers and attendees at the Shopper Insights conference ultimately agreed upon is that, despite rapid change, the fundamentals of retail remain the same as ever: consumers continue to look for a balance between value and convenience, while embracing unique and positive experiences - prompting them to explore new channels as they emerge.

Top Retail Trends of 2018

What retail and consumer shopping trends are having an impact in 2018? And more importantly, which ones are poised to have a lasting effect in the years to come? Amid the recent upheaval of the retail landscape, many are predicting a continuation of the "retail apocalypse" with more store closings and depressed retail sales. However, Murphy Research expects to see a retail comeback driven by changing shopper behavior, evolving brand positioning, and powerful new technologies. Murphy Research has assessed the landscape and tapped into our in-house shopper and retail experts to pinpoint the trends to watch in 2018 and beyond. Understanding and acting on these consumer, brand, and retailer trends will enable marketers to not just survive in the coming years, but to truly thrive.

The Doctor Is In...The Kitchen

We live in a culture increasingly steeped in health and wellness. The messages radiate through the airwaves, pop up on social media feeds, and materialize on store shelves. And whether people are juicing, detoxing, and Soul Cycling or simply cutting down on soft drinks and sugary cereals, their amplifying aspirations are reshaping the consumer landscape.

Meet The Shoppers

April 20, 2018

Every savvy marketer knows that all shoppers are not created equal. It can be easy to get caught up in the latest buzz or stuck in age-old assumptions - e.g. shoppers demand personalization; consumers always love promotions; if it's organic, it will sell! - but marketers quickly learn if they spread their brand and their resources too thin, their message will get lost and they'll lose customers along the way.It's time for marketers to get back to the basics and know your shoppers.

The Power Of Ethnographic Market Research

April 27, 2018

As market researchers, we're keenly aware that sometimes there's a gap between what people say and what they do, between aspiration and behavior. That's not because people lie or deliberately mislead (although occasionally they do). Rather, it's often because everyday behaviors and assumptions are so routine and deep-seated they fade into the background of our lives. The implicit and taken-for-granted can be hard to notice, recall, and describe. And yet, some of the deepest insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors lie in those unconscious routines and tacit assumptions. So how do we see the invisible and hear the unspoken?

Say Goodbye to Generation Bashing

August 23, 2018

The Great Recession was the economic event that shaped the Millennials' prospects just as they were ready to enter the job market. They stayed at home, went back to school, took advantage of the gig economy and eventually trickled into the workforce. At first, there was a lot of interest in catering to these novel consumers and fresh new workers. Brands wanted to sell to them and companies wanted to hire them.Then, when they were just about to embark on their adult life (albeit later than the previous generations), the Millennial bashing began. Their public digital lives and willingness to share their opinion came back to bite them. They were pegged as late-blooming, lazy, entitled spendthrifts who spent most of their time socializing and skirting responsibility.

Murphy Named One Of The Best Places To Work In LA... Again!

August 16, 2018

It's an exciting time here at Murphy Research, as we've just secured our place among the 2018 Best Places to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal. We are honored! Murphy Research prides itself on its client-driven approach focused on our three pillars: Creative Design, Rigorous Execution, & Enduring Insights. However, our team's mindset is much more than this. We make strategic decisions every day by assessing what will be the best outcome for a given project and what's best for our clients, because at the end of the day, that's what we know is best for the business. But I also genuinely tell candidates this every day: as much as we care about our clients, our leadership cares just as deeply about its employees.

The Future of Augmented Reality at Murphy Research

July 31, 2017

What is AR? AR, meaning Augmented Reality, is an emerging technology that blends the physical world with elements of computer generated imagery and/or animation. A great example of this is the facial filters that Snapchat offers.

B2B Marketing Strategies: Understanding the 5 Types of Tech Buyers

August 31, 2016

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore is an iconic book for those involved in high-tech sales and marketing. I was first introduced to Moore's concept of the tech adoption life cycle early on in my career when I was doing research for Microsoft. The framework that Moore outlines has been used by countless tech companies in the 25 years since he released the book. Because it is such a core concept, I felt like I knew it well, but had never gone back and read his original book. So I thought it would be nice this summer to go back and read Crossing the Chasm and get a sense for how well it holds up 25 years later.

Market Research in the Age of the Lean Startup

Uncovering Invisible Influence In Consumer Behavior

A Peek Into The Future Of Retail

Top Retail Trends of 2018

The Doctor Is In...The Kitchen

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