THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
The latest industry insights and trends.
Get a fresh perspective on your world as we continually experiment with new methods, innovate new tools and explore contemporary topics.
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Ignite 360 Promotes Tori Palmer-Kern to Associate Insights Director
We are happy to announce the promotion of Tori Palmer-Kern to Associate Insights Director. In her new role, Palmer-Kern will continue to lead projects across a range of clients and will be playing a strategic role in shaping the future of the firm.
Ignite 360 Officially Certified as LGBT Business Enterprise by National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Ignite 360, announces the firm’s official certification as an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE®) through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Supplier Diversity Initiative.
The Imperfect Journey of Online Shopping... And What Brick and Mortar Stores Must Do About It
Online shopping is projected to grow 27% of overall retail sales by 2023, and brick and mortar retailers are scrambling to figure out their next moves. But there is hope. CEO Lisa Osborne explains how these traditional merchants can get unstuck, be creative and find success by leveraging the flaws of online shopping to their own advantage.
10 Reasons You and Your Organization Should be Doing Accessibility Research
According to the CDC, one in 4 U.S. adults – 61 million Americans – have a disability that impacts major life activities. Accessibility research is an important and growing space. Today we break down exactly why understanding accessibility matters for you and your business - and how to make it happen.
The Most Exciting, and Terrifying, Time to Be in Consumer Insights
We asked 3 of the brightest client-side insights leaders we know to participate in a roundtable discussion about a range of issues facing the industry today.
Elizabeth Oates, Sr. Director, Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty, Humayun Rashid, Director, Microsoft 365 Research & Insights, and Marlene Straszewski, former Senior Director, Consumer Insights at General Mills each shared insight and perspective on the evolving role of the consumer, what research methods will be in demand in the future as society opens up again, the power and importance of listening as well as what’s needed from insights agency partners today.
Our #1 system for creating successful stories
You are often swimming in data, reports, and information. You don’t have the time on your weekly priority list to think deeply, you only have time to think about what to get done NOW. But without that Big Idea and story, you won’t know what matters most, what is at stake, and what to do next. You need a system!
Are You Delivering Couch Potato Insights? Activation Workshops Can Help
Whether woven into a project from beginning to end or a stand-alone project, Insights Activations have become a popular tool we utilize to help our clients move their Insights Agendas forward in their organizations. Senior VP, Marie Becker explains how the key to successfully activating on insights (and getting them “off the couch”) hinges largely on our ability to get key stakeholders immersed in the project early on.
Design Forums: The Key to Post-Pandemic Success
Leading change can feel Sisyphean – it’s slow work, with a lot of undeveloped ideas, missing expertise, and lack of consensus. It requires you to have a clear understanding of your audience, the support of key teams, and a BIG creative idea around which to rally. Easy to say on paper, harder to accomplish in real life. Design forums make change a natural process by removing the hurdles.
Avoid Those Half-Baked Ideas with the Jobs-to-be-Done Framework for Innovation
We want you to think about needs and jobs work like baking soda – a versatile, cost-effective, can-do problem solver for your business. Do not underestimate it. Do not nod your head and think Jobs ID is only for new product innovation. It can do so much more! It’s an innovation framework for services, marketing programs, advertising, and communication strategy. Believe it!
Consumer Journeys in Flux: The Change You Cannot Wait to Discover Is Happening Right Now
We have entered a “Waiting” period. People waiting to get a vaccine, parents waiting for schools to re-open – and businesses waiting for consumers to embark upon their post-pandemic shopper journeys. But for business, now is not the time to wait. Now is the time to prepare the space for consumers. To inspire you to action – COO Lisa Osborne shares a story of a world-renowned coffee company that went all-in, armed with data and insights to disrupt the stale supermarket coffee aisle – and built a case for innovation.
In Spirit of Thanksgiving, “Gratitude” Becoming Macro Trend for Americans, According to Survey
With Thanksgiving approaching, Americans looking back at the upheavals of 2020 surprisingly don’t want to return to life as it was before the pandemic. Gratitude is becoming a macro trend for Americans, according to Survey from consumer research firm Ignite 360.
Back to School Pandemic-Style
Moms are wrestling with difficult back-to-school decisions. Supporting them in a time of uncertainty will give them back some control during this most unusual school year. Find out what respondents had to say and the implications for your business.
How to foster equality within your company
Fostering equality is an ongoing process that requires vigilance and transparency. Today we revisit the action starters we committed to – and share the tools we have to help other organizations do the same. Our goal is to keep the conversation open and the actions front and center…
How I Survived My Summer Vacation: Family Edition
Find out how families have been spending their summer, and what this could bode for the future.
Our 10 Best Tips for Successful Online Ethnos
What happens when you can only conduct ethnographies online? Surprisingly good things, actually. Here are 10 discoveries we’ve made that will improve your online ethnographic experience and lead to actionable insights.
![Chapter 3: Now, Next, Future… Navigating Your Business to a New Normal [Pre-recorded Webinar]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624247eb60664a28bd22abb6/1655514940958-FLPDFHJFW7BXPCV3YT6X/navigatingtoanewnormal_webinar-recording.jpeg)
Chapter 3: Now, Next, Future… Navigating Your Business to a New Normal [Pre-recorded Webinar]
See and hear first-hand what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing in order to figure out what the future may hold for your brand or business.
How to Ensure Your Brand Survives the Tsunami of Recession
What can be done to protect, preserve, and recession-proof brands for what is likely to come? The lessons of history can serve us in these moments to help inform the path ahead. We decided to take a look back and found 3 key things the most resilient companies always do.
The Magic of Tidying Up Today’s Retail Landscape
How the centuries-old Japanese philosophy behind Marie Kondo’s success - may hold the key to driving your customer growth and engagement.
New Research Reveals Gen Z’s Drift Away from Digital
Surprising new research reveals the next generation of parents will rely far less on tech.
The Right (and Wrong) Way to Fall in Love with Your Idea
You think you’ve got a great business idea, but how do you know for sure? What if you are blinded by your love it? It can happen. We’ve all been there with our giant emoji heart-eyes. Here are four things you can do to ensure your business ideas will be a success.
How to Tell a Story with Data
Researchers are obsessed with data. To us, all data is good data and we love to gather, consider, compare and share it. But when it comes to storytelling, how do we resist the urge to include and show all of our data, especially when it comes to quantitative storytelling?
3 True Stories of Failure (and Triumph)
In today’s world of perceived perfection, it is rare for anyone to share their own stories of professional failure. Yet, stories of failure teach us how to do things differently. In this revealing post, three industry leaders openly share their own storytelling failures and what they do differently now.
![Learn How to Speak Up: The Power of Spoken Stories in Business [Podcast]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624247eb60664a28bd22abb6/1655573501848-8AQP0FR7ZUYU4H70SKO2/Ignite360-spoken-stories.jpeg)
Learn How to Speak Up: The Power of Spoken Stories in Business [Podcast]
Our Storytelling series continues with a brand new podcast! COO Lisa Osborne talks in-depth with author, messaging expert and communication coach Dr. Michelle Mazur, founder/CEO of Communication Rebel. Drawing upon examples from her recently published book, 3 Word Rebellion: Create a Message That Is Bigger Than Your Business, Mazur shares practical advice you can use right away to improve your next presentation. You'll learn the critical distinction between delivering a speech and delivering a message and the two most important parts of your presentation you never want to give up!
How to write story-driven reports
We live in the information age. We operate within the attention economy. Yeesh. With all that competition, how is your report going to get traction with your stakeholders? With a compelling story! We created Storymasters: A Guide to Written Stories to give you the tools to write story-driven reports.
My Recipe for Story Crafting Deliciousness
Are you over the typical dry corporate PowerPoint? Want to create a rich story? Here’s how to cook up a breakthrough and connect with your audience.
Confessions of a Failure: How to Bounce Back When Things Go Wrong
We don’t always bat 1000. Sometimes we come up short. Sometimes we fail. What are we going to do about it? How are we going to learn and improve? COO, Lisa Osborne talks about failure, overcommunication, and how collisions are good for business.
Four Ways to Ride the Wave of Amazon’s Retail Disruption
While traditional retailers struggle with declining sales, online retail disruptors like Amazon are a ‘prime’ example of a company seeing record growth. So, why are successful e-commerce retailers jumping feet first into omni-channel endeavors? COO, Lisa Osborne details 4 ways to prepare for change, pro-actively embrace the future and achieve success!
Curiosity Can't Kill You: 5 Questions We'd Love to Untangle
We checked in with our team of curiosity experts to see what they would like to research and straighten up to satisfy their thirst for answers, remove a frustration, or create a new and better solution. Here’s what they shared…
Oprah, Anderson Cooper, and Howard Stern: 6 Critical Interview Skills To Learn From the Masters
As insights and brand strategy experts, interviewing is at the core of what we do. In this revealing story, COO Lisa Osborne shares the top 6 must-have skills from the masters.
This is the New Us: How Companies Successfully Align with Demographic Change
In the spirit of International Family Day, Mother’s Day, and Ramadan, we explore the changing – and increasingly multicultural – demographics of our country. We offer strategies for how you can stay on top of these shifts and highlight examples of brands that are doing it right.