March 26, 2015

Visual Market Research at Work – Catching the Consumer’s Eye


Welcome to Addison Whitney Capabilities Month! Throughout the month of March, we will be designating one week where we will be highlighting one of Addison Whitney’s capabilities – visual branding, verbal branding, market research and brand strategy – via brand salsa and our social media channels.

This week, we are focusing on Market Research, which encompasses the research and data analysis of various aspects of your branding portfolio. Make sure to join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #AWCapabilitiesMonth.


How often have you scanned the store shelves looking for a product, and a particular one caught your eye, making you stop, do a double-take or spend a few additional seconds focusing on that one product before moving on?

Well, those few seconds and that additional look were not a coincidence – they were largely caused in part because of the work of a market research team, much like the one at Addison Whitney. Among the many roles they fill within the organization, one of them includes research for logo and product design – which yields compelling insight to the visual aspects of a brand.200464106-001

Whether it was the packaging design or the brand’s logo that caused you to stop, the fact is research has ensured that each visual aspect of a brand has been fine-tuned to the consumer’s taste and painstakingly tailored to achieve maximum appeal across the largest base of potential consumers.

“One of the goals of our research is to see the previously unseen,” said Ben Patton, Market Research Analyst at Addison Whitney. “We want to uncover something that nobody else has seen, or discover the underlying trend in the data that often times comes up as a surprise to all parties. Finding these allows us to crack into the mind of a consumer in such a way that we increase our top-of-mind opportunities.”

How does market research find out what makes the eyes of a consumer stop and remember a certain logo or package design?

Two areas of focus when performing research are color associations and image connotations, said Patton.

When conducting research for visual branding, questions are designed to help the researchers understand what comes to the forefront of a consumer’s mind when they view a potential product. Often, unanticipated associations can open doors down the road with respect to creative that lead to a more granular approach in secondary research, and other times doors can be closed due to the findings of a study.

The most successful brands hit the market only after extensive planning, research and data analysis to ensure that the brand is set up on the right path from the beginning. Research is the driver behind properly preparing a brand, especially its visual aspects. Those few seconds might not seem like much, but to a brand and to a company, they are the reward for proper preparation.

Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands. 

To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.

 Want to get exposed to real projects and attain real-life knowledge and skills vital for success in market research? Click here for information about interning with the Addison Whitney market research team!

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