BrainTrust Brownbag Series: Pricing Research

BrainTrust, the famed Hypothesis in-house marketing science team, receives an extraordinary amount of questions from curious clients on a variety of topics ranging from larger methodological issues (“What is your approach to brand equity?”) to more tactical questions (e.g., “What’s better, a 5-point or 7 point scale?). As a response, Mauricio and his team have created the BrainTrust Brownbag series to help answer common questions and give you the opportunity to engage in a face-to-face discussion about all things advanced analytics (what could be more fun?). The 1-hour long sessions will be complimentary. The first topic will be Pricing Research:

• Strategic vs. tactical objectives
•  Methodology considerations: Choice-based, price laddering, Van Westendorp, etc.
•  Considerations for mobile and international
•  How to interpret, caveat, and frame results for internal audience
• Tips for visualizing and presenting findings

Interested? Please send a message directly to Mauricio to schedule your team’s session April 1 – June 30. Please message soon, as April is almost full.

Hypothesis Welcomes Suzanne Nuzzi, VP of Finance

Hypothesis is pleased to welcome Suzanne Nuzzi to the LA office!

Suzanne has over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting across a variety of industries. She has a passion for creating business processes and systems, as well as a strong background in managing the day-to-day operations of the accounting team.  Before joining Hypothesis, Suzanne was Senior Vice President at Contessa Premium Foods and Chief Financial Officer at US Trust Company. Suzanne is a CPA and began her public accounting career at Kenneth Leventhal and Company.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Diego State University

Welcome, Suzanne!

Jessica Tornek to Lead New Hypothesis Strategy Group, Momentum

Hypothesis is happy to announce that Jessica is the latest addition to the LA team! 

Jessica will be the President of Momentum by Hypothesis, a new strategy-led group that uses insight, experience and creativity to help organizations with their “now what?” The Momentum team is grounded in the consumer voice, understands how to interpret and leverage research, and is ready to turn recommendations into action. Momentum will offer help with trend analysis, workshops, brand strategy, and marketing plans. Momentum is officially launching Q1 2018.

With over 15 years of experience in consumer-driven strategy, Jessica is a marketer and executive advisor. She brings experience from both agency and client sides, having worked with a range of companies from start-ups to Fortune 100s. Jessica has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Urban Planning from UC San Diego.

She is a Juventus soccer fan and world traveler.

Welcome Jessica!

Hypothesis Welcomes Senior Analyst Savannah Daugherty

Hypothesis is thrilled to welcome Savannah Daugherty to the LA team! 

Savannah has extensive experience in both quantitative and qualitative methods. She brings rich client-side perspective and entertainment experience from Disney, where she specialized in consumer satisfaction and large scale brand tracking. Savannah received her M.S. in Applied Psychology from the University of Southern California where she specialized in Consumer and Organizational Psychology.

Besides market research, Savannah is passionate about everything outdoors! She enjoys backpacking and camping, as well as exploring different countries.

Welcome Savannah!

Hypothesis Leads Storytelling and Design Workshop for HP

Hypothesis, a leader in storytelling deliverables and design, was contacted by our client HP to put on a workshop on storytelling. The 2-day workshop explored how great stories require compelling writing and purposeful design. We led the HP team through a series of practical exercises, teaching how to bring data analysis, point-of-view, and compelling visuals together to create engaging presentations.   

As part of storytelling, our Creative Director led a session on design fundamentals and tips for designing data, culminating in a hands-on exercise where attendees designed their own infographics. They also learned a few (but not all!) of our secrets for creating compelling infographics.

We want to thank our HP clients for their participation and enthusiasm that helped make the workshop not only fun but useful. If you'd like to find out more about our Storytelling Workshops, or have us present at your company, please contact csiden@hypothesisgroup.com for details.

Hypothesis Welcomes Nina Kjarval as Engagement Manager

Hypothesis welcomes its newest Engagement Manger, Nina Kjarval (pronounced KYAR vell). 

Getting her start at Hall & Partners 9 years ago, Nina has worked across various industries and project types. An expert in quantitative research, she’s well versed in all aspects of brand and ad tracking, copy-testing, segmentations, and attitudes & usage studies. In her last role, Nina worked as Senior Manager of Digital Research at Fandango. When she’s not at work, you’ll likely find Nina in a workout class, at a concert, or organizing her weekly trivia team. 

Welcome Nina!

Hypothesis welcomes Greg Rice, Chief Research Officer

Hypothesis is excited to announce that Greg Rice has joined the team as Chief Research Officer. In this newly created Role, Greg will establish and oversee quantitative research best practices in close conjunction with Chief Methodologist Mauricio Ferreira. Jeff Seltzer, Managing Partner of Hypothesis, said: “We are extremely fortunate to have Greg as part of the team and we're excited to see his deep research experience and knowledge contribute to the company."

Greg brings 25 years of experience in brand tracking, testing, segmentation, along with detours into TV writing, advertising agency work, and even creating a celebrity treasure hunt game. (Yes, really.) Prior to joining Hypothesis, Greg was Managing Director at Kelton, and prior to that, Managing Partner/Lead Partner Quantitative at Hall & Partners. He was also an Account Executive at Millward Brown. Greg holds an MS in Advertising/Integrated Marketing from Northwestern University.

HYPOTHESIS AND TEAM ONE TO PRESENT AT THE MARKET RESEARCH EVENT: TAKING EMPATHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

September 28, 2017

Los Angeles, CA - Hypothesis is excited to announce it will present a case study at this year's The Market Research Event (TMRE) in October with our client partner, Team One. Maia Wapnick, Jennifer Axen and Jeff Seltzer of Hypothesis with Steven Garcia from Team One will present a case study on an experiential qualitative approach called Co-Experience. Come and find out how using this immersive approach leads you to true empathy with your consumers. We hope to see you there!

As a sponsor of the event, we're happy to extend a special discount for you to attend. When registering, please reference the following code to receive a 20% discount off the standard rates: TMRE17HYPOTHESIS. Click here to register for the event and enter the code.

Here are details about the session:

Taking Empathy to the Next Level: A Case Study in Co-Experience
Presented: Tuesday October 24th at 2.45PM (Power Partnering Track)*

Hypothesis, along with our client partner Team One, sought to understand the next generation technology needs of affluent car buyers. Going beyond traditional ethnographic research, we employed an experiential approach called “Co-Experiences.” Rather than observe or interview the consumer in their everyday world, in a “Co-Experience” we immerse ourselves in a unique and innovative setting, and experience it along with consumers in real time. Because the researcher and consumer are at the same level, experiencing the same thing at the same time, the approach is truly empathetic. But to be effective, you must follow several non-traditional guidelines and move beyond your comfort zone.  

*Attendees should verify the time on the day of the event via the TMRE schedule as the schedule may shift.

The Sleep Doctor Visits Hypothesis

As part of its quarterly guest speaker series, Hypothesis was treated to a lecture by the Sleep Doctor, Dr. Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. Dr. Breus is a Clinical Psychologist and frequent guest on the Dr. Oz Show. He is a widely recognized leader in field of sleep and has given hundreds of presentations at fortune 500 companies. He's been interviewed on CNN, Oprah, The View, The Doctors, The Today Show, and more.

At Hypothesis, Dr. Breus led a robust discussion on the biology of sleep and how people can leverage their biology to improve their lives. Several highlights include:

1. Know your chronotype. Your chronotype is your unique biological rhythm. It's how hormones like Cortisol, Adrenaline, and Melatonin, as well as core body temperature and heart rate fluctuate throughout the day. There are 4 chronotypes: Wolves, Dolphins, Bears, and Lions. Interestingly, Hypothesis had an overrepresentation of Wolves and Dolphins, two chronotypes known for creativity and intelligence.
2. Delay your morning coffee. Wait at least 90 minutes before having your morning coffee. You can optimize the effect of coffee by knowing your chronotype. Bears, for example, should have their coffee between 9:30-11:30am, and between 1:30-3:30pm.
3. Drink water when you first wake up. Part of the reason you feel groggy in the morning is all the water you sweat out during your sleep. Drinking a glass of water will help you feel refreshed.
4. There's a best time for everything. Knowing your biological rhythms can help you optimize everything from the best times for exercising, making decisions, brainstorming, going to bed, and yes, even sex.  

Thanks to Dr. Breus for stopping by. The presentation was engaging, education, and fun and we're already putting Dr. Breus's insights into practice. To learn more about The Sleep Doctor, visit www.thesleepdoctor.com.

Amber Williams Joins Hypothesis

Amber has a professional and educational background in data analysis and market research. Prior to joining the Hypothesis team, she worked on the National Football League’s Strategy & Analytics team where she assisted with the data analysis and strategic development of the 32 team’s digital and social platforms. She holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California where she formally studied data analysis and techniques in market research including AB testing, multivariate modeling, and regression analysis.

She enjoys any and every opportunity to travel, with some of her favorite experiences being a week-long hiking journey to Machu Picchu and backpacking through Southeast Asia.

Welcome Amber!

Hypothesis Welcomes Analyst Selin Kargi, MCM

Hypothesis Los Angeles is excited to welcome Selin Kargi to the team as an Analyst. Selin started her career in market research as an intern at Hypothesis, where she gained experience in both qualitative and quantitative research. As an Analyst, Selin works across varies industries with a focus in the tech and finance sectors.

Selin moved to sunny Los Angeles from her hometown of Istanbul to pursue her Masters in Communication Management from the University of Southern California. She holds a B.A. in Business Management, with a minor in Art Theory.

Besides market research, Selin is passionate about telling and reading good stories, exploring modern art museums, and the Mediterranean cuisine.

Welcome Selin! Good to have you back!

Hypothesis Design Work for Netflix Featured in Wired, Mashable

September 12, 2017

Los Angeles, CA -- Hypothesis' design team recently partnered with Netflix Consumer Insights Team on a series of infobites that were featured in Wired and Mashable. The team conceptualized and designed roughly 10 infobites to date in connection with the releases of Netflix's 2 newest shows: GLOW and Marvel's Defenders. 

Marvel's Defenders Infobites

The design team conceptualized and created 6 separate infobites connected to the release of Marvel's long-awaited Defenders which premiered on Netflix on August 18, 2017. These infobites were based on data collected from Netflix to visualize the connections between Marvel superhero shows and their hurdle shows. (Hurdle shows are the shows that lead into another show based on Netflix's mystifying algorithm.) The infobites (below) were featured in Wired, Mashable, and others.

"Netflix is one of our key client-partners and we were excited to take on a design-only project for them," said Creative Director Edahn Small. "The reason we created infobites back in 2015 was because we realized internet consumption was moving quickly into smaller, bite-sized memes. Infobites are meant to be appreciated at a glance, for both their content and design, which made them a perfect fit for this project. They're the evolution of infographics."

GLOW Infobites

The design team also worked on a second set of infobites around the theme of women helping women. The team drew from Netflix's Orange in the New Black, mapping out the relationships from the show's last season to highlight the complexity of the characters as well as their ability to put their differences aside to support one another. The team adapted the genogram: a tool psychologists used to understand family dynamics. The team built a sister infobite based on other moments in TV of women putting aside their differences to support each other. The infobites recently appeared in Hello Giggles and Bustle.  

The team is excited to continue its partnership with Netflix on more infobites in the future.

Our 2017 Annual Summer Party!

For our second year in a row, Hypothesis took over Perry's in Santa Monica for our annual summer party. The event hosted employees, their significant others, plenty of adorable children, and the first set of Hypothesis doppelgangers (no, really). Like last year, we had a live DJ, an open bar, and delicious BBQ. We also had our annual, ultra-competitive volleyball game. Clearly, everyone had been working on their volleyball skills relentlessly since last year's epic battle.

Thanks to Abilia and the HR team for creating another epic party for the ever-growing Hypothesis family. Thanks to our Seattle office for making the trip down to LA. And finally, thanks to everyone who came and helped make another memorable celebration.

Doppelgangers!

We promise, it was fun.

HYPOTHESIS RECOGNIZED AMONG TOP U.S. RESEARCH FIRMS FOR 2017

HYPOTHESIS RECOGNIZED AMONG TOP U.S. RESEARCH FIRMS FOR 2017

Double digit revenue growth propels Hypothesis to first appearance on prestigious AMA Gold list of largest U.S. market research firms

June 13, 2017

Los Angeles, CA – Thanks largely to an increase in global brand tracking programs, as well as continued growth in the innovation/ideation, data visualization, and custom research practices, Hypothesis was acknowledged as one of the largest market research firms based on U.S. revenue, according to the AMA Gold Top 50 Report, as published in the June 2017 edition of Marketing News.

Marketing News notes, “There were only three companies that achieved 50% or more year-over-year growth in 2016 including Hypothesis, a creative and consumer insights agency, specializing in innovation/ideation labs and data visualization. Large global brand trackers contributed to its revenue growth.”

“I believe our strong consumer-centric approach, along with a design-thinking workflow and award-winning data visualization has contributed strongly to our growth, but there’s no doubt that our amazing team of consultants, marketing scientists, and designers are what really differentiates us. We are fortunate to attract the best and brightest, and that’s what ultimately leads to great work,” said Jeff Seltzer, Managing Partner.

Maria Stark, Founder and CEO, commented, “I’m extremely proud of the company and what we’ve been able to achieve together over the years. It’s an honor to partner with the best companies in the world and to do so in a way that’s in keeping with the culture and values established when the company started in 2000. I look forward to continuing the journey.”

Hypothesis looks forward to continued growth in Los Angeles, as well as expansion of the Seattle office with the overall goal of “doing the best work for the best companies in the world.”  

View Press Release (PDF)

About Hypothesis.
Hypothesis is a consumer-centric insights, design, and creative agency specializing in research that is foundational, holistic, and forward looking. Unlike many firms, we don’t have an outsource model – our consultants, analysts, moderators, marketing scientists and designers are all in-house, and work closely to develop and effectively communicate insights and stories in a compelling (in fact, award-winning) style. Our client partners include many of the world’s most innovative, admired, dynamic, and disruptive brands and agencies who require the resources and capabilities of a top 50 firm, but the creativity and service orientation of a boutique. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Seattle, Hypothesis manages hundreds of projects domestically and internationally since 2000. Visit www.hypothesisgroup.com for more information. 

About the 2017 Gold Top 50 Report
The Gold list of the top 50 market research firms across the United States was published in the June 2017 issue of Marketing News, an American Marketing Association (AMA) publication. The report was generated based on 2015 revenue and was published by the American Marketing Association and CASRO. 
 
Formerly titled the Honomichl Report, the AMA Gold Report continues the analysis of U.S. companies which began in 1973 first by Jack Honomichl and then by Laurence Gold.

REX ISENBERG JOINS HYPOTHESIS AS SENIOR ANALYST

HYPOTHESIS WELCOMES SENIOR ANALYST REX ISENBERG

Hypothesis Los Angeles is excited to welcome Rex Isenberg to the team as Senior Analyst. Trained as a classical composer and musicologist, Rex channels his deep understanding of the relationship between people and culture towards helping brands forge meaningful connections with their consumers and drive cultural conversation. An experienced moderator, his work has spanned diverse categories including entertainment, CPG, and hospitality.

Rex began his career in qualitative research at Flamingo International and Hall & Partners before joining the Hypothesis team.

Rex holds a B.A. in Music from Yale University, and a Masters and Doctorate from Manhattan School of Music. Yes, he does take requests.

Welcome Rex!

Eric Mathis Joins Hypothesis as Engagement Manager

Hypothesis Los Angeles is excited to welcome Eric Mathis to the team as an Engagement Manger.  Born and raised in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, Eric ended his 5 year flirtation with Los Angeles and is thrilled to finally be living on the West Coast – leaving behind the subway, humidity, and closets masquerading as alcove studios. Prior to joining Hypothesis, Eric worked at db5 where he led Hispanic and Satisfaction tracking for Time Warner Cable (now new and improved Spectrum!), as well as segmentation and journey work for Nike, YouTube, CarGurus, Royal Caribbean and others. He was also a member of db5’s training academy, and new business team. Before db5 he worked at Hall & Partners, with clients and agencies such as Volkswagen, Brand USA, M&T Bank, BBDO, Deutsch, 72 and Sunny and more.

Far more importantly, Eric is a diehard Liverpool FC supporter, a lover of live music, an enthusiastic if not terrible golfer, and a dumpling fanatic.

Welcome Eric!

More Isn’t Always Better: A Practical Solution to the “Frequency Knowledge” Effect

Hypothesis Chief Methodologist, Mauricio Ferreira, to present at 39th Annual INFORMS Marketing Science (ISMS) Conference at USC (June 7-10, 2017)

May 22, 2017

Los Angeles, CA - Discrete Choice, along with other trade-off techniques, are sophisticated modelling approaches used to guide product bundling, feature optimization, pricing, market sizing, and decisions. In a Choice study, the relative importance of different features or attributes are determined on the basis of a consumer’s pattern of choices when presented with different combinations of options within a survey.

However, researchers have identified a phenomenon called “the Frequency Knowledge" effect, suggesting that consumers assume, almost unconsciously, that “more is better.” For example, consumers sometimes will choose a vehicle with more options simply because it has more, even if some of those options are considered less desirable in isolation.

To address this effect, Hypothesis Chief Methodologist, Dr. Mauricio Ferreira, and the BrainTrust explored the Frequency Knowledge effect and developed innovative Discrete Choice designs to control for this undesired bias. In his presentation at the ISMS, Dr. Ferreira will discuss the Knowledge Frequency effect, and he’ll present his team’s practical solution that effectively controls for this effect, which ultimately leads to more reliable, actionable insights.

Hypothesis congratulates Mauricio and the entire BrainTrust team for this accomplishment (speakers submitted abstracts in a competitive selection process), and for continuing to innovative marketing science techniques and best practices.

You can learn more about the conference and presentation using the links below:

Conference: https://marketingscience2017.usc.edu/

Presentation http://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/4407/presentation/3158

For inquiries, please contact Dr. Ferreira at mferreira@hypothesisgroup.com.

HYPOTHESIS INTRODUCES NEW TEAM MEMBER ERIC JUHOS

HYPOTHESIS WELCOMES ERIC JUHOS TO LA OFFICE

Hypothesis Los Angeles is excited to welcome Eric Juhos to the team as a Senior Analyst.  Eric comes to Hypothesis with experience conducting a wide variety of custom market research studies including A B testing, discrete choice modeling, market sizing and feature prioritization. Eric’s work has had a particular emphasis in the tech sector, helping companies home in brand strategies for new features and products.

Prior Hypothesis, Eric worked at the Bellevue, WA based market research firm Penn Schoen Berland. He holds a degree in Business and Enterprise Management from Wake Forest University (Go Deacs!). 

Welcome, Eric!

HYPOTHESIS HIRES ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT MIMI BATTISTELLA

HYPOTHESIS WELCOMES ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT MIMI BATTISTELLA

Hypothesis Los Angeles is excited to welcome Mimi Battistella to the team as an Associate Consultant. Mimi’s expertise in custom and tracking research along with her strategic-thinking mindset will make her a great addition to the growing research team at Hypothesis. Prior to joining the team, Mimi was a Senior Research Manager at Lieberman Research Worldwide where she partnered with clients across a variety of industries including financial services, CPG, technology, and fashion.

Originally from the Chicago area, Mimi loves to spend her time outside of the office enjoying California’s sunny beaches and snowy mountains.  She earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

Welcome, Mimi!