Research is crucial in establishing a strong foundation on which to build your brand of products or services. It allows you to make informed decisions instead of relying solely on isolated, personal experiences. You’ve got to get the function, features, aesthetics, benefits, price and cost exactly right to succeed in today’s fiercely competitive marketplace. Some of the world’s best-known brands have entrusted The Metcalfe Group to conduct a wide variety of research for almost a decade based on our professionalism, keen sense of observation, fact-finding, and decision-making ability.

Expect the Unexpected

Human behavior and preferences are quite unpredictable; asking the right questions is as important as answering them accurately.

Will women over 30 like this design, shape or color?

Will a tool handgrip be too small if used by a 98th percentile male when held in this position for that task?

Even though human anatomy has been well-documented for the entire population at large, numbers from a book or table are just the beginning. Actively testing prototypes and mock-ups provide the best means for subjects from the target market to render their opinion.

Using the appropriate method and timing, we engage with people to observe their behavior, ask their opinion, and immerse our team in the user-experience. Often through this research unexpected findings result, leading to a change in the design. These insights, like a compass, set the direction in forming the product — like a sculptor first adding clumps of clay, roughly shaping, then meticulously shaping and fine-tuning the details.

Quick Internet Search? Please.

In today’s world, typing something into an Internet search engine can bring up quick and immediate results. One can find an abundance of product reviews, competitor information and studies on various topics ranging from branding to ergonomics. Unfortunately, a quick Internet search isn’t going to organize itself into insights and will not allow you to gather other types of data necessary to create a successful product.

We may need to contact subject matter experts, monitor consumer interactions, engage in product teardowns, or measure consumption rates. Throughout a project, we’re constantly testing feasibility to verify that we’re heading in the right direction. Original research lets you gain a deep understanding of your product and customers, cutting down on speculation.

Whether You Like It or Not

Research is relevant independent of the market being served. There’s a reason why certain companies today are highly successful — they performed the background legwork required to truly understand the human experience, while at the same time applying those insights to their own products in order to achieve success.

Without market research, most decisions boil down to mere speculation. Not doing research is like having a fold-out map of the continents and trying to find out how to get from San Francisco to Berlin without a compass. Do the research, and now you’re holding a GPS with step-by-step instructions. It may not do all of the work for you, but now there’s less of a chance of missing your exit and ending up in Timbuktu. Call us, and we’ll help you get on the right path.

Research Services We Provide

Market Research

• New Category Research
• Competitive Analysis
• Price Point Analysis
• Style & Trend Research

User-Centric Research

• Design Research
• Focus Group
• End-User Research
• Human-Product Interaction Research
• Surveys & Interviews
• Ethnographic Research
• Empathic / Immersion Research
• Ergonomic Analysis

Other

• Consumption Rate Studies
• Field Validation Testing (National)
• Product Environment Studies