+44 (0)203 693 3150

BIC Segmentation Case Study Vision One

BIC Segmentation Case Study

The Challenge

With an 80 year heritage of creating simple, affordable products used daily by millions, BIC wanted to understand how the COVID 19 pandemic was reshaping behaviour, attitudes and psychological needs. As part of its corporate social responsibility programme, BIC sought to explore the emotional and psychosocial impact of the pandemic on creativity, education and workplace behaviours.

The challenge was to uncover how these shifts were playing out across three culturally distinct markets Brazil, France and the United States and to translate this understanding into meaningful, customer-centred action.

Consumer Market Research Case Study

Research Objectives

The primary objective was to understand how COVID-19 had influenced psychological states, behaviours and motivations related to creativity, learning and working environments. BIC wanted to identify how people across different cultures were adapting to new routines at home, in education and at work, and how these changes affected their relationship with stationery and creative tools.

A further objective was to segment audiences based on psychological and behavioural differences, enabling BIC to better understand varied needs across markets and identify opportunities to provide relevant, supportive interventions during and beyond the pandemic.

Research Approach

Vision One designed a robust quantitative research programme using three bespoke online surveys, each focused on one of the core pillars: creativity, education and workplace. The surveys incorporated established psychological frameworks, including Social Values, OCEAN personality traits and Creative Thinking models, to capture both behavioural and emotional dimensions.

Fieldwork was conducted across Brazil, France and the United States, with samples structured to reflect diverse audiences within each market. This approach allowed for cross-cultural comparison while maintaining depth in psychological insight and behavioural understanding.

Findings

Analysis applied a segmentation lens grounded in psychological modelling, revealing clear differences in how creativity, learning and working were experienced across cultures and contexts.

The research highlighted how emotional states, values and personality traits influenced engagement with stationery in home, school and workplace settings. It uncovered distinct psychological needs emerging from pandemic driven disruption, from emotional reassurance to structure, expression and productivity support.

Importantly, the findings demonstrated that stationery played a meaningful role beyond function, acting as a tool for control, creativity and emotional resilience during periods of uncertainty.

Action & Recommendations

The insights provided BIC with a clear framework for action, enabling the brand to support customers more meaningfully across home, education and workplace environments.

Recommendations focused on helping people overcome psychological barriers created by COVID-19, reinforcing creativity, focus and emotional well-being. The research informed how BIC could align product communication, innovation and CSR initiatives with real human needs, ensuring relevance across markets while remaining true to its mission of accessible, purposeful design.

FMCG Research Agency
Kendra Furey, Head of Brands (Vision One)

Related Services

Consumer Research
Customer Segmentation
Brand Research
International Research
Market Exploration
Notcutts Case Study Vision One Research

The Challenge Founded in 1867, Notcutts is a long-established, family-owned garden centre business operating across England. As part of a planned refresh of its branding and marketing, Notcutts trialled a new in-store experience within one location. Before rolling this out more widely, the business needed to understand how the new branding, signage and point-of-sale communications were performing in a real shopping environment. The challenge was to evaluate whether these changes improved visibility, engagement and clarity throughout the customer journey, and to identify where refinements were needed to maximise impact. Research Objectives The retail and shopper research was designed to assess the effectiveness of Notcutts’ new in-store branding and communications before wider rollout. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to ensure the refreshed in-store experience delivered clarity, impact and consistency across the customer journey. Research Approach Vision One implemented a mixed-method research programme combining behavioural and attitudinal techniques. The approach included: This approach allowed Vision One to observe real-world behaviour alongside reported attitudes. Findings The research revealed clear patterns in how customers visually engaged with the refreshed store environment. Key areas of fixation emerged along the customer journey, highlighting where branding and communications performed strongly and where they…

Notcutts Garden Centres Research Study

A2Dominion Customer Case Study Vision One

The Challenge A2Dominion produces an Annual Report to communicate performance, priorities and progress to its residents. However, the organisation wanted to better understand how this report was perceived by different customer groups. The challenge was to move beyond internal assumptions and gain genuine resident feedback on the report’s content, structure, design and digital execution. A2Dominion needed insight into whether the report felt relevant, accessible and representative, and how effectively it communicated the organisation’s purpose and priorities to customers across different tenures. Research Objectives The research was designed to capture resident-led feedback to inform future development of the Annual Report. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to ensure the report better reflected resident needs and expectations. Research Approach Given the exploratory nature of the project, Vision One implemented a qualitative research programme. The approach included: This approach ensured insight reflected the diversity of A2Dominion’s customer base. Findings The research provided rich, resident-led insight into what mattered most to A2Dominion customers. Participants highlighted how different elements of the report influenced understanding, trust and emotional response. The findings clarified which content resonated, which areas felt less relevant, and how tone and structure affected accessibility. Importantly, residents emphasised the importance of…

A2Dominion Housing Research Study

Central England Cooperative Brand Research Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Central England Co-operative (CEC) is one of the UK’s largest independent retailers, operating over 400 trading outlets. As part of a strategic exercise to define and refresh its purpose, vision and values, early internal work highlighted the need for broader, more inclusive insight. The challenge was to ensure that CEC’s evolving brand direction genuinely reflected the views of customers, colleagues and key stakeholders. Vision One was commissioned to design and deliver a large-scale research programme that could capture these perspectives and provide a robust foundation for future brand development. Research Objectives The research was designed to inform the development of CEC’s brand purpose, values and messaging. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to ensure CEC’s brand direction was authentic, relevant and widely supported. Research Approach Vision One implemented a comprehensive, mixed-method research programme to capture insight from multiple audiences. The approach included: This approach ensured that brand decisions were grounded in broad, representative insight. Findings The research delivered a rich understanding of how CEC’s purpose and values were perceived across audiences. It identified the elements of the brand that resonated most strongly and clarified expectations around CEC’s role as a co-operative retailer. Importantly, the research…

Coop Customer Segmentation Study