InnoTative® market research is our innovation research track that combines consumer research with the power of Creative Problem Solving and Facilitation to further your research investment. InnoTative® research is a three stage, consumer-centric innovation process including …

… designed for successful business innovation that creates value for your customers. In the exploration stage we gather deep consumer insights, often from ethnographic or hybrid studies (link to underlined). At the heart of the innovation track is InsightsLab®, where we help you ideate or brainstorm new ideas for your marketing challenge – for new communication strategies, packaging enhancements, or new products or services. Finally, those new ideas are refined through Evaluative research.

The InsightsLab®
InsightsLab® is a facilitated, deep-dive into consumer insights (from the Exploration stage) designed to achieve breakthrough solutions to your marketing challenges.
The InsightsLab® has been used for the following types of projects:

• Opportunity/unmet needs exploration
• New marketing programs and strategic plans
• New product development
• Product naming

The process starts with an extensive up-front interview with the meeting sponsors to define and clarify the objectives, participants, agenda, creative processes and deliverables.

Key benefits of using this approach to solve tough organizational challenges are:

• Group consensus around complex issues
• Many breakthrough or "out-of-the-box" ideas
• Dramatic reduction of debates and tangents that do not focus on the challenge
• Reduction of meeting time
• Equal participation by all group members
• Faster group decision making

Duration: The InsightsLab® projects we facilitate are typically half or full-day sessions, and sometimes longer, depending upon the scope of the project.

Group size: Depending upon the project, ideal group size is between five to nine, or sub-groups of that size.

InnoTative® Market Research Case Study Uncovering Unmet Needs and Generating New Product Concepts Issue: A major issuer of credit cards wanted to uncover the unmet and under-served needs of credit card customers and prospects. And, they needed an ideation session to generate new product offerings appealing to the Hispanic consumer. Methodology: IMG conducted in-home interviews with married couples in Chicago and Los Angeles to assess their values and financial desires, and observed them completing various financial tasks. We produced a research documentary from the filmed ethnographies, and facilitated an on-site InsightsLab® session using the film as the “raw data.” Results: Representatives from new product development, channel development, brand and marketing generated dozens of new product ideas with breakthrough potential, and found new ways to connect their brand in relevant, emotional ways to the Hispanic experience.