Written by 2025 has been a memorable year, and as we reflect, the overarching theme is gratitude. We are profoundly grateful for the work entrusted to us, for the methods and expertise we brought to bear on every task, for the exceptional team that executed the work, and for the powerful impact our guidance had on dozens of brands. While 2024 presented its challenges, like all difficult experiences, it gave us a profound opportunity for growth. 2025 has truly been the beginning of experiencing the fruit of that growth.
We executed a significant amount of important and impactful work this year. The questions our clients entrust to us are never the easy ones; in many instances, they came to us precisely because they struggled to find the guidance they sought through other means.
Here are some specific highlights of the year’s accomplishments:
- Guided redesign optimizations for critical brands where getting the strategy right was paramount.
- Provided key insights to drive business growth across specific brands and key retail channels.
- Brought teams closer to the humans they exist to serve, fostering better consumer understanding.
Our team has grown significantly in both experience and continuity. We have a high-functioning team of terrific people, and it’s a joy to work alongside them.
We are honored by the positive feedback we receive, which validates the commitment and clarity our team brings to every project.
“Thank you again for the incredible report you pulled together for the new [brand] VIS”
“And just to let you know, I reference pieces of the work nearly every week in random conversations. It’s so foundational to what we see shoppers doing. Explains so much.”
“You bring a passion for research and clarity to what can sometimes be a very fuzzy space.”
This year, we have also focused on increasing our visibility and establishing our thought leadership. We are becoming less of a well-kept secret, driven by our commitment to research integrity. This growth was marked by the opportunity to present at three industry conferences, focused on building consumer and shopper empathy and intuition. Furthermore, we continue to re-establish the critical importance of real-world environments and learning directly from real people themselves—the foundation of actionable insights.
Our sincere thanks go out to all of you who boldly advocate for real research in real environments with real people, those who have been part of our success this year and/or are planting the seeds for success in future years.
While AI and tech solutions will continue to enable teams to gather answers to simple business problems, for everything else, we are here to support you. We offer novel, in-context methodologies and strategic expertise that bring clarity and confidence where it is needed most.
Our value to the industry is undeniable. We will continue to stay true to the values that have successfully guided us through the first 36 years and will empower us for the next 36.