Lately it seems everyone is seeking to be an “&,” suggesting a trend toward convergence. Convergence is a concept taken from biology, the tendency of animals and plants to evolve toward similar characteristics. There is a great RadioLab podcast which illustrates the concept using lightning bugs.

Someone asked me the other day how Hypothesis compares to working at a large-scale company with vast resources and trademarked research “solutions”. After giving this a lot of thought, I’ve concluded that there are some key advantages to working in a smaller firm.

Too many research and consulting firms create reports that are the opposite of simple—they are confusing, complicated, and long. We don’t want our reports (or anything else we do) to be hard for our clients and stakeholders. Ironically, creating a simple report requires effort, skill, and experience. 

One of our unique differentiators here at Hypothesis is our dedication and investment in design. Good design is part of our corporate ethos and permeates our work as well as our physical surroundings. Having a full-time, in-house design team affords us the opportunity to dive deep into our data and expose relationships, both conceptually and visually.

Authenticity matters. Consumers can tell when your brand voice is genuine and truly reflects what you stand for. While at one time, offering a good or a service was enough, in today’s experiential economy you need to deliver a unique brand experience to differentiate yourself.