When it comes to discovering unmet customer needs and innovation opportunities,there’s no substitute for in-the-moment, in-context observation for making meaning out of the complex weave of emotion and rationality that drives consumer behavior.

After investing in the development and launch of new packaging, Clorox (who make Glad Wrap) is now investing in promoting the old packaging in an attempt to claw back the lost market share.

Watch Me Think’s Tinkerer in Chief, Alistair Vince, made this presentation at the July 2015 FDIN Omnichannel Seminar “How do People Buy Food in 2015”

Rory Sutherland said this week that there have always been 2 roles for market research – one is looking for real consumer insight and the other is ‘arse covering’ or to put it another way, ‘a way of defending a decision by pretending you didn’t make it’.

While the applications of what we do are always varied, having completed video immersions in over 40 countries, these 2 observations continue to hold true in every market …

This week is a proud week for Watch Me Think as we have been shortlisted as one of only four agencies Globally, to be nominated as the “Mobile Research Company of the Year”

Some of the most frequently overused phrases within the Global FMCG industry include, we are “getting closer to consumers” “understanding them more deeply” and “walking in their shoes”.

This weekend saw more headlines about payment terms given by the big fmcg companies, all of whom happen to be our clients.

Whether it be Premier Foods and their alleged ‘cash for contracts’ demands, 2 Sisters Food Group with their alleged 3% discount requirements for paying within 90 days or Heinz allegedly telling their suppliers that their payment terms have moved from 45 days to up to 97 (none of which, it’s worth noting, we’ve experienced).

The stories don’t mention the majority who pay promptly within 30 or 45 days.

While the retailers’ apologies often sound a little bit like an apology for getting caught, there remains insufficient debate or clarity about what is and what is not “acceptable business practice” when it comes to the grocery retailers’ dealings with suppliers.