Research

Research is the groundwork that makes great projects possible. The best communication starts with understanding what’s happening, who you’re talking to and what they need to hear. When communication is grounded in real insight, it’s more relevant and credible.

Research is the groundwork that makes great projects possible.

The approach

Here’s how to approach research and make it work for you.

Start with what you want to achieve.

Before charging ahead, get clear on the opportunity. What’s changing in your organization? What’s already working really well and what isn’t? Where is there confusion, satisfaction or disengagement? This step keeps communication focused on solving real problems and uncovering real possibilities, not just delivering messages. Research shows people are 2.6x more likely to engage with communication they perceive as relevant to their role or their life.

Get to know your audience — for real.

Strong communication is built on listening and data points, not guessing. Use the right mix of methods to see the full picture and understand how employees think, feel and behave. Some research methods we suggest are:

Focus group discussions
Data collection and analysis
Stakeholder interviews
Quantitative surveys
Experimental design
User testing
Persona development

Turn findings into clear direction.

Companies that use research to inform communication are nearly twice as likely to see improvements in understanding and trust.

Once primary research is complete, you can create clear interpretations and, most importantly, actionable tasks. In some cases, this means a detailed report outlining the methodology and analysis. The focus is on helping you determine what to emphasize, what to simplify, what to address head-on and what to leave behind.

What sets us apart

Our Ph.D.-led rigor elevates every decision.

We don’t just “have researchers,” we have Ph.D.s on staff, embedded directly within our strategy and creative teams. That matters because it brings true methodical rigor to everything we do — from survey design and behavioral testing to qualitative analysis and interpretation.

Because our Ph.D. researchers sit alongside strategists, writers and designers, insight never lives in a silo. They translate complexity into clarity and ensure research is practical, grounded and directly connected to the decisions you need to make.

We deliver insight in reports leaders want to read.

Great research is wasted if it never gets used. That’s why our data reporting is a core differentiator. We design clear, engaging, leadership-ready reports that make insight impossible to ignore.

Research that goes deeper than what people say.

Once primary research is complete, we provide you with our interpretations and, most importantly, actionable recommendations. And sometimes that comes along with a nitty-gritty report that outlines our methodology and analysis. We help you identify what to emphasize, what to simplify, what to address head-on and what to leave behind.

We go beyond surface-level feedback to uncover what’s really driving behavior. By combining quantitative data, qualitative insight and behavioral testing, we identify the tensions, motivations and opportunities that shape how people think, feel and act at work.