We use qualitative research to extract the most potent insights that can lead to consumer centric business solutions. This can be conducted in a number of ways including focus groups, ethnographic studies, one on ones, dyads, triads, and accompanied shopping trips.

Examples of our tools include:

• "Bubbling Up"^SM, a unique methodology to create consumer centric concepts from the insight up.
• "My Thought Bubbles"^SM, consumer confessionals that provide deeper and richer understanding.
• "Thought Bubbling"^SM, an interesting laddering technique that truly gets to the emotional drivers of consumer behavior.

We design, develop, and facilitate sessions focused on generating insights. We work with small and large multi-disciplinary teams to uncover the underlying attitudinal and emotional drivers of consumer behavior using a range of proven tools that create a hands-on, engaging experience for our clients. The output of our Insight Generation sessions is one or more insights that are VIVID:

• Vital
• Inspiring
• Value Generating
• Informed
• Doable

We design, develop, and facilitate sessions focused on creating marketing ideas; from new product concepts to activation platforms and tactics. Our process always starts with identifying or generating consumer insight. We capture close-in ideas then use creative ideation techniques to stretch client thinking around how to address the consumer need, want, or desire.

• We develop and write consumer-centric new product concepts that are ready to be screened with consumers either qualitatively or quantitatively.
• Input comes from our qualitative tools such as "Bubbling Up"^SM, "My Thought Bubbles"^SM, "Thought Bubbling"^SM, or other rigorous idea generation techniques.
• We have a unique concept writing perspective based on experiences in brand management, new product innovation, market research/analytics, and creative writing.
• We get it...a winning concept needs a crisp story line from consumer target, through benefit, to proof points, told in a fresh but familiar voice.
• Strong concepts come from an iterative approach. We first produce a range of concept headlines for you and/or your consumers to react to, then flesh out the most compelling headlines.

We design and facilitate foundational skill-building sessions across the core Marketing disciplines, including Brand Positioning & Architecture, Innovation, Brand Strategy & Planning, Creative/Communications development, and Consumer Insights. We can adapt existing client materials or co-develop session content as needed. These sessions are typically 1 to 3 day off-site engagements.

We offer a methodical, analytic approach to gleaning insights that leads to better new product innovation platforms and concepts. We focus on two sources of inspiration: the external environment and your company.

• External Environment
  A scan of the external environment helps at vital points of the innovation process including innovation platform development and validation, idea generation, evaluation of idea potential, and concept positioning. We have access to many sources of external trend and industry information. We couple this with access to additional resources you might have (including syndicated scanner data) to produce an outward-focused assessment of the innovation related opportunities and threats to your business.
• Your Company
  Brand and company product innovation archives as well as pockets of knowledge within R&D, Supply Chain, and senior management are a treasure trove for ideas and insights. We create a researchable innovation knowledge base and offer actionable new product recommendations based on The Thought Bubble's 40 years of combined brand and marketing experience.