Stuff
The Nursery Newsletter Winter 2012
Interesting piece in the Guardian. Hannover's players have been asked to disclose their sexual interests as part of a survey designed to help their coach understand them better.
The psychological test, to be undertaken on a voluntary basis by the Bundesliga club's squad, includes statements such as: "I am what you could call sexually unrestrained"; "I want any sex I can get" or "I have a lot of erotic fantasies"
No need to do this research for English clubs. We already know everything about our players' sexual desires from Twitter.
Speaking of you know what....
Most current research using Twitter measures positive and negative sentiment. It's actually rubbish at this and at any form of head counting but it is becoming an interesting qualitative research tool because of the richness of spontaneous unmediated (no research effect) comments about categories and brands. We've developed probably the best product in the world for this kind of research, constructing sophisticated boolean search strings instead of qual discussion briefs and then using properly trained qual researchers to assess the results.
Doing the conference circuit
It's not just us saying this is a world leading research product. We've been asked to present it at three of the most prestigious conferences of the year; WARC's Measuring Advertising Performance, The Annual Market Research Society Conference and WARC's Media 360
Come and see us there or request a private viewing. We'd love to tell you all about it. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Hire a grad.....please!
Jeez it's tough being a graduate at the moment. We've met lots of talented young 'uns who in a normal economic climate would be snapped up.
We've been able to hire two of the smartest of them.
In a spirit of increased diversity, Alan Patterson is our first Geordie. Maja Patrone is our first American. Welcome both.
Party like it's 2001
Thanks to all who helped make our Tenth Birthday party a big success. Especially the 'human tree' and to all our lovely suppliers who enjoyed the office transformed into a real nursery for the night. Thanks to our gorgeous clients for making it all possible.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011 10:35
The Nursery Newsletter Autumn 2011
Sexy data
Data visualisation has developed so fast in the last few years. It's creating great opportunities for us.
Channel 4 have just posted an interactive report which raises the bar and shows the way all market research will be presented one day soon .
Those insect like avatars represent actual people. So you can easily drill down to see exactly which 18 people prefer reverse cowgirl. Yee haa.
Social media triumphs and disasters
Our research into social media showed us how Facebook and Twitter are used in very different ways and highlighted the importance of understanding the medium. Social media campaigns that we researched were surprisingly hit or miss in their effectiveness.
We've presented the findings to several of our biggest clients but if you like us to come and present to your team please get in touch.
Raise your glasses please
In late Autumn of 2001 the world was coming to terms with the 'dot bomb' financial downturn and of course 9-11.
Three of us were coming to terms with IKEA flat pack 'temporary' office furniture. We thought there was a gap in the market for a company specialising in more constructive communications research. Ten years later we've found a £3m (and growing) sized gap in the market. Nearly 20 staff, smart offices in Wardour St and lots of lovely clients to thank for it.
And we've still got that 'temporary' furniture.
Research Briefing sessions
Of course none of our briefings ever goes like this but at least the project owner is refreshingly honest!
Yet Another Downfall mash
..and finally the first minute and a half of this overlong mash up about the perils of qualitative research logistics are a good chuckle.
Friday, 25 February 2011 00:00
The Nursery Newsletter Spring 2011
Compatibility Screening
We use creativity/articulacy screener questions for most of our qualitative recruitment;
'3 uses for a brick', 'name 3 famous people you'd like to be stuck in a lift with' etc.
But to recruit groups that really spark off each other maybe we should start using the best compatibility questions courtesy of US dating site OK Cupid.
Their blogger has access to the sort of real world behavioural data that trumps self-reported attitudinal data and he presents it beautifully. Well worth a surf.
By the way the killer questions are:
Do you like horror movies?
Have you ever travelled around another country alone?
Wouldn't it be fun to chuck it all and go live on a sailboat?
Do you prefer the people in your life to be simple or complex?
Do spelling and grammar mistakes annoy you?
Wise Words
David's excellent talk at the MRS' Advertising Research Conference detailing an innovative methodology we used for HSBC across 9 countries is online here.
So far he has had 4 million less hits than a cat meowing but he lives in hope.
End This Filth!
Campaign's diary recently gave the oxygen of publicity to the scurrilous site 'Things real people don't say about advertising.'
This is serious. If word gets out that real people don't think like this we could be out of a job.
Please sign our online petition to have this commercially damaging site taken down.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010 00:00
The Nursery Newsletter Autumn 2010
Sack the researcher
We shouldn't denigrate competitors but Dr. Faye Miller is a truly terrible advertising researcher.
For Pond's Cold Cream she recruited an unrepresentative group of ad agency secretaries, moderated them badly, drew superficial conclusions and gave this dismissive topline feedback.
Don Draper responds that "A new idea is something they don't know yet so of course it's not going to come up as an option." Well said Don.
Faye offers to show him the transcripts. Send them to us Faye and we'll show you where you went wrong. And Don, give us a call.
It's Changed Our Lives
We moved across Soho in July. For those of you who have not seen our stunning new offices at 66 Wardour Street, W1F 0TA drop by for as much coffee as you can drink.
We're opposite Pret and above Starbucks. Lots more space. We have a Boris bike stand right outside so you can cycle off your caffeine rush.
Hear Us Putting The World To Rights
David is speaking at the MRS' Advertising Research Conference on 27th October with Lex Robinson from JWT about a particularly innovative research approach we used to research the mighty HSBC 'Points of View' campaign among a global business audience
Chris won the research section of Campaign and the APG's 'Battle of Big Thinking' in its inaugural year and has been invited back to speak at the Clash of the Titans in late November.
If anybody has any Big Ideas he can borrow for the day please let us know, he promises to have them back home by 9pm.
New Recruits
We'd like to welcome two excellent researchers who have joined us over the summer.
Kat Parker comes from the Planning Shop and Rebecca Oyetey from Hall & Partners.
Pseuds Corner
Last time one of us spoke at the annual MRS conference we were nominated for 'Best Presented' and 'Best New Thinking' but our industry body doesn't seem to want that anymore.
Next year's call for contributors asks for researchers to present "reliable routemaps for daring insight generation."
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 00:00
Going Home in the Dark is Nothing New for Qual Researchers
Now that the festivities of summer have come to a close, people everywhere will be trudging home shaking their fists at the setting sun as that the time of year has come again for depressing hometime journeys. The joy of leaving work will now be overcast with the shadow of a 4pm sunset and that melancholy buzz of streetlights that pitifully light our journeys home.
We've watched night-time descend at an increasing pace throughout the summer – those few extra moments left unappreciated. What ever happened to playing Stuck in the Mud right up until dinner time?
Most will admit to a case of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) as soon as autumn pops its dreary head around the September seasonal crossroad. But us quallies don't do SAD.
You can often find us night-creatures of research howling (with joy) at the moon or grinning like the Cheshire Cat after some predictably predictable groups. It's a function that folds itself seamlessly into our nocturnal tendencies. It makes us a unique breed.
Going home in the dark isn't new to quallies. We're used to it. We've adapted and evolved. Going home when its dark is as normal for a quallie as a DUI is for George Michael.
Although we consider ourselves a proud party of night workers (not quite in that sexy Soho way), for those of you who value our nocturnal tendencies please spare a thought for our distinct lack of Vitamin D and a retirement riddled with misshapen hips, rickets and jaundice. Vitamin supplements are most welcome.
