Branding

Schools of Thought

From Qual Insights to Place Branding: How a Small Northern Swedish Town Became a Hotspot for Talent Attraction

September 11, 2024 0

In the northern reaches of Sweden, the winter sun barely graces the sky, yet the small city of Skellefteå is attracting new residents by the thousands. With a combination of rural charm, a shift in work-life values, and the rise of green industries, Skellefteå is experiencing a population surge. Once a town struggling with depopulation, it’s now a hub for innovation, thanks to its creative “Sorry Sweden” campaign, driven by qualitative research. This transformation highlights the power of place branding and the growing importance of attracting talent to meet the demands of emerging industries. […]

Schools of Thought

How Consumers and Things “Co-Do”: Listening to the Language of Objects

June 12, 2024 0

Semiotics highlights the vitality of objects as active contributors, challenging conventional views that prioritize individual decision-making. Author Sónia Marques advocates for recognizing the agency of things and emphasizes the need to observe their role in situ, urging researchers to adeptly engage with the language of objects for a comprehensive understanding of human behavior. […]

Schools of Thought

So Big They Are Almost Invisible: 4 Roles of Brand Rituals and What They Mean for Researchers

June 14, 2023 0

The profound impact of rituals makes them a rich opportunity for marketers. This article discusses the “invisible” power of ritual on people’s lives and some of the ways brands capitalize on these behaviors. Discover how brands tap into the human affinity for ritual through cookies, sports jerseys, beer, and flight attendant safety speeches. The authors close with suggestions for how qualitative researchers can adopt a ritual lens to develop a deeper understanding of consumer behavior. […]

Schools of Thought

Morality: Looking through the Lens of Virtue

July 11, 2022 0

We live in an increasingly divided world; people are unable to find common ground on simple issues, conversations are fraught with tension and conflict. As conversations are a qualitative researcher’s stock-in-trade, it’s important to realize that at the root of this division lies morality, our sense of right and wrong. […]