September 1st, 2019 – FlexMR have today launched a new research project that aims to demonstrate the range of unique ways in which consumer insight can be translated into business action. DubbedThe Consumer Postcard Project, the firm are translating qualitative research into artworks that capture sentiment in an engaging and thought provoking way.
To launch the project, FlexMR have created insight-led, artistic representations of a number of industries, including the travel industry. Both style and subject matter reflect consumer opinion – drawing on digital, painted, minimalist and retro styles. Each artwork is available to view online, alongside brief explanations of the insights that inspired them.
FlexMR CEO, Paul Hudson, says of the project, “Our focus with this initiative is not the research itself, but demonstrating the broad range of ways in which research departments can empower and engage stakeholders.
We hear regularly from insight departments the challenges they face in distributing research results and ensuring it’s used in decision making processes. In this project we want to show that there are creative solutions to stakeholder engagement – leaving decision makers with a memorable, impactful takeaway.”
Initially, FlexMR have run the project with six industries that make up a significant proportion of the UK economy. Consumers had a lot to say about the travel industry, with insights represented in a retro, pop art-style in order to highlight two key themes: the vibrant and colourful visuals depict the expectations of “fun and relaxation” that consumers have come to expect.
Transport, hotels, and location were all considered contributing factors to the experience, but fun appears to be the main metric travel is judged on. Travel agents were also a source of nostalgia for a number of consumers – remembering past experiences from both recent years and decades past.
Chris Martin, FlexMR Chief Marketing Officer, says, “We know that the future of insights will be faster, more immediate and more accessible. But with that growth of data comes of a new kind of challenge – impact. New methods for creating impactful and memorable insights are emerging, such as storytelling techniques and data visualisation.
But we wanted to take this to the extreme and draw on a medium known for resonating with people on a deep, emotional level. It’s our hope that by showcasing how creativity can be used to engage decision makers, we’ll start to open up a whole new age of insights engagement and empowerment.”
FlexMR are inviting travel operators to get involved with The Consumer Postcard Project, to find out how their reputation would be artistically represented. To find out more about how to get involved, or view the full gallery of insight-led artworks, visit the FlexMR website.
About the Consumer Postcard Project
To create the insight-led artworks that form a part of The Consumer Postcard Project, a three-day qualitative question board was conducted with a sample of 50 UK residents. Questions explored how consumers perceive industries and brands, in addition to attitudes and behaviours associated with the sector.
Responses were categorised into themes and common trends that were then debated by a team of researchers, marketers and designers to find the best way of representing the subject matter. Each design received three revisions to ensure it accurately and creatively represented expressed feedback.