Many market research projects begin with a simple request: “Can we get a number on that?” Though few of us have advanced degrees in math, marketers are used to dealing with a lot of numbers. We set numeric goals, evaluate sales figures, review market research data, and report on metrics. We’re not accountants, but we… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Service: Custom Research
Go There: Data-Driven Marketing
Activity trackers have recently been making news with their data collection and aggregation capabilities—most notably, the heatmaps that fitness-tracking app Strava generated and published based on user data from around the world. While the conversation has largely been focused on tracking of military personnel and national security implications, the story has three key components that… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Patience Makes Perfect (Strategy-First Branding)
If I remember correctly, the first book I was assigned to read in high school is The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Arguably a relatively inaccessible piece of literature to expect a 14-year-old to rightly apply to life, it is one that I can now, years later, recognize as applicable to the workplace, particularly… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Best Pet Marketing Agencies
Who is the best pet marketing agency? Chances are good that you’re reading this because you searched for “best pet marketing agencies” or something close to it (“pet industry marketing,” e.g.). That would make perfect sense. Though your situation is personal and specific, it’s much easier to start big and narrow from there. This is… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Pet Food Brand Development: Dog + Duck (Commander)
After a lot of hard work, we’re proud to announce (and show off a bit of) our partnership with a Midwestern pet food manufacturer and, a bit farther south, Duck Commander. We’ve worked on this dog food (and treats!) project from its infancy, and while there’s still more work to be done, here’s an overview… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Does Googling Count as Market Research?
Google vs Market Research As a college student circa 2005, I was brash enough with my newfound power of knowledge that I told my mother that Googling “didn’t count as research.” A few years later my mom asked me, somewhat pointedly, if that were still true, and though I had to admit that Google had… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Graph Search: What It Is, Why It Matters
On Tuesday, January 15, Facebook introduced its latest update, Graph Search. As this new functionality is rolled out, users will be able to search – and be found – in new ways. Instead of simply seeking a person, place, or thing, Facebook users will be empowered to qualify searches with people my friends know, places… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Food Marketing Technology and Your Customer’s Customer
From day one, MarketPlace has championed an undisputed fact of food marketing: a successful product sells into the unique desires and ever-changing tastes of the end-consumer. If droves of consumers start tweeting about their love for earthworm flavor or gym-sock aroma, food and beverage R&D teams will be working hard to capture the essence of… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
To Natural Products Expo West and Back
There are probably only two places where you can find a DJ spinning tunes for a baby food brand, a grown man dressed as the Lorax, and a yogurt container the size of a condo. The first is New York’s hottest nightclub, where I’ve never been, and the second, from which I just returned, is… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Fresh Positioning
Landshire is a manufacturer and marketer of packaged sandwiches and snacks distributed throughout the United States. Landshire had a business-to-business website and needed a consumer-driven website that also promoted their companies’ growing capabilities. Moreover, Landshire was receiving pressure from Walmart to boost sales or face the loss of shelf space. We worked with Landshire to… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>