I am launching a new research initiative this summer that hopefully will yield "bigger knowledge dividends", "deeper insights", and "bigger innovation opportunities" than the traditional research methodologies we have always used.

The idea for this new research initiative comes from a thought-provoking book called The Game-Changer by Chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble, A.G. Lafley. On page 47, Lafley wrote:

"Several years ago, P&G realized that though it talked to a lot of people, it wasn't really hearing them. It has overcome this barrier by taking one of the industry's more traditional market research organizations and turning it into a consumer-understanding powerhouse and consumer-insight generator. By investing more than a billion dollars in consumer-understanding research between 2002 and 2007 and conducting research with more than 4 million consumers a year, P&G has moved away from traditional, behind-the-mirror focus groups to more immersive research techniques. Spending on immersive in-store and in-home research is up fivefold since the beginning of the decade.

This is an important shift. Investing these dollars in smarter ways has paid bigger knowledge dividends, unlocked deeper insights, and led to bigger innovation opportunities.

P&G spends far more time living with consumers in their homes, shopping with them in stores, and being part of their lives. This total immersion leads to richer consumer insights, which helps identify innovation opportunities that are often missed by traditional research."

Lafley's words really resonated with me. Heaven knows, we need "bigger knowledge dividends", "deeper insights", and "bigger innovation opportunities" in the housewares industry. And I know from all the research studies I conduct each year that traditional market research methodologies sometimes fail to generate really rich deep consumer insight. I can see how the kinds of immersive research techniques that Lafley talks about in his book could really benefit housewares manufacturers. The problem is that few, if any, housewares manufacturers can afford to spend millions a year on consumer market research as P&G does.

But what if several companies teamed up and shared the cost of an immersive research study?

That is why I am launching this new research initiative.  A team of people including myself and a videographer will immerse ourselves in the daily meal preparation and clean-up routines of HomeTrend Influentials across the country on behalf of a handful of non-competitive housewares manufacturers. We'll spend time with them in their kitchens. We'll watch them prepare meals, serve meals, and clean up after meals. We'll look in their pantries, kitchen cabinets, and refrigerators to see how they store their food products and food prep supplies and equipment. We'll talk to them about how they feel about food preparation, food storage, and meal clean-up. Then, after all of our in-home visits, we'll synthesize our findings. We'll sift through the mass of information, distill out the insights, and deliver those insights to the companies who are sponsoring the research.

I will be conducting a test of this ground-breaking immersive research methodology in the Seattle area in mid-July.  Assuming that the study yields the "bigger knowledge dividends", "deeper insights", and "bigger innovation opportunities" that I expect, I will roll it out to other major cities across the U.S. in late summer and into the Fall.

Study sponsors will be the only companies who will have access to the "bigger knowledge dividends", "deeper insights", and "bigger innovation opportunities" that this study will yield.  The number of Sponsors will be limited to eight housewares companies.  Each participating company will have category exclusivity (I.E. only one small kitchen appliance manufacturer, only one kitchen tool and gadget manufacturer, etc.)  If you are interested in learning more about Sponsorship, contact me.