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Thought Leadership Research

Real-World Market Research and Client Success Stories

Helping organisations grow through insight, strategy and understanding.

Onward Living Housing Case Study by Vision One

The Challenge Onward Living specialises in the sale of new-build homes, primarily to first-time buyers through shared ownership. During the COVID-19 pandemic, significant uncertainty emerged around employment, income stability and the housing market. Onward Living needed to understand how these changes were affecting both short- and long-term home-buying intentions. The challenge was to assess how the pandemic was influencing buyer confidence, decision timelines and appetite for shared ownership, and to identify how housing providers could adapt their approach to reassure buyers and remain relevant during a period of economic instability. Research Objectives attitudes and intentions among prospective homebuyers. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to inform Onward Living’s strategy and communications during disruption. Research Approach Vision One conducted a quantitative online survey to capture shifts in buyer behaviour and sentiment. The approach included: This approach enabled robust comparison of attitudes across different stages of the pandemic and provided scalable insight. Findings The customer research showed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on the decisions of those planning to buy a home within the next 12 months. Concerns around household income, economic stability and future house prices were key drivers of hesitation. Shared ownership became more appealing under…

Onward Living Housing Research Study

The Perfume Shop Fashion Case Study Vision One

The Challenge The Perfume Shop is the third-largest fragrance retailer in the UK, with over 260 stores nationwide. In-store traffic counter data suggested that shopper conversion rates were not being maximised. The challenge was to move beyond footfall metrics to understand who was visiting stores, how they behaved once inside, and what differentiated high-conversion stores from low-conversion ones. The business needed clear, actionable insight into shopper behaviour and decision drivers to identify where operational changes could meaningfully improve conversion across the store portfolio. Research Objectives The research was designed to provide Allianz with The research was designed to diagnose the drivers of in-store conversion and identify opportunities for improvement. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to translate shopper insight into operational action at the store level. Research Approach Vision One conducted a large-scale exit interview programme across the UK. The approach included: This approach enabled real-world insight into shopper behaviour at the point of decision. Findings The research revealed clear and consistent differences between high- and low-conversion stores. Certain customer types were significantly more likely to convert, and specific behaviours and in-store factors emerged as key drivers of purchase. These included how shoppers engaged with staff, navigated…

The Perfume Shop Shopper 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

Swyft Retail Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Founded in 2019, Swyft is a London-based furniture manufacturer and e-retailer offering sofas and armchairs designed to be assembled in minutes. As the range expanded, Swyft needed to ensure its value proposition was being clearly and compellingly communicated. Prior to launching new marketing and communications campaigns, the challenge was to move beyond internal assumptions and gain a deeper understanding of customer needs, category frustrations and how Swyft’s proposition was interpreted. The objective was to sharpen positioning and ensure future communications resonated with the right audience. Research Objectives The innovation research was designed to refine Swyft’s value proposition and validate its understanding of the target customer. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to provide a strong foundation for future brand and growth strategy. Research Approach Vision One adopted a mixed-modal qualitative research design to capture depth and behavioural context. The approach included: This approach enabled rich, nuanced insight into both perception and experience. Findings The research produced a number of important insights around how Swyft is communicated and where it resonates most strongly. It highlighted key furniture pain points, including delivery complexity, assembly effort and lack of flexibility, reinforcing Swyft’s relevance within the category. The findings…

Swyft Innovation Research Study

McDonalds FMCG Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Founded in 1940, McDonald’s is a global fast-food brand and the world’s largest restaurant chain by revenue. As part of a broader sustainability initiative, McDonald’s wanted to understand how language and terminology around climate change and sustainability were being interpreted. With increasing public discussion around environmental issues, the challenge was not awareness, but comprehension. McDonald’s needed to assess whether the language being used was helping or hindering understanding, and how different stakeholder groups perceived sustainability messaging. The objective was to identify where jargon, complexity or ambiguity might act as a barrier to engagement and action, and how communications could be made clearer, more inclusive and more effective. Research Objectives The research was designed to explore how sustainability language is understood and interpreted across different audiences. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to support more effective sustainability communication that encourages understanding rather than disengagement. Research Approach Vision One designed a comprehensive mixed-method research programme to capture both depth and breadth of understanding. The approach included: This approach ensured insight reflected both expert and everyday interpretations of sustainability language. Findings The research revealed that sustainability and environmental language has become increasingly cluttered with jargon. Many commonly used…

McDonald’s Sustainability Case Study

Soreen FMCG Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Best known for its iconic malt loaf, Soreen’s portfolio historically centred on three core formats: the classic brick loaf, lunchbox loaves and loaf bars. To drive growth, Soreen wanted to expand beyond its core into a broader range of healthy snacking options across new formats and flavours. The challenge was to innovate without losing brand authenticity. Vision One was tasked with designing a research programme that could support Soreen from early concept development through to product testing and positioning, ensuring new products felt both innovative and recognisably “Soreen”. Research Objectives The research was designed to guide Soreen’s new product development from inception through refinement. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives ensured innovation was both consumer-led and brand-aligned. Research Approach Vision One implemented a two-phase qualitative research programme comprising eight focus groups. The approach included: This phased approach enabled structured progression from idea to product optimisation. Findings The research provided clear direction for Soreen’s new product development strategy. It identified which concepts and formats delivered strongest appeal while remaining credible within the Soreen brand family. Taste testing highlighted the combinations of flavour, texture and format that worked best, while feedback on perceived healthiness clarified how far the…

Soreen NPD Research Case Study

Metcalfe Skinny FMCG Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Metcalfe’s Skinny Popcorn, founded by Julian Metcalfe and later acquired by Kettle Chips, operates in an increasingly competitive, evolving healthy-snacking market. With a growing range of flavours and pack formats, the brand needed a robust way to understand and track its performance over time. The challenge was to establish a clear baseline of brand health, monitor shifts in awareness, perception and consideration, and understand how Metcalfe’s Skinny was performing relative to competitors as the popcorn category continued to develop. Research Objectives The brand research was designed to provide Metcalfe’s Skinny with an ongoing, strategic view of brand performance. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to give the brand confidence and clarity in a fast-moving category. Research Approach Vision One implemented a longitudinal brand tracking programme using repeated online consumer surveys. The approach included: This approach enabled Metcalfe’s Skinny to understand not just where the brand stood, but how and why it was shifting within the market. Findings Across eight waves of research, Vision One delivered a clear picture of Metcalfe’s Skinny’s evolving market position. The findings highlighted how brand perceptions shifted over time, where the brand was gaining or losing momentum, and how it compared…

Metcalfe’s Skinny Brand Research Study

Domino Printing International Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Domino Printing Sciences is a world leader in coding, marking and digital printing technologies, supported by a global aftermarket and service infrastructure. However, increasing commoditisation within these markets was making differentiation more difficult. Domino needed to reassess its brand positioning across priority segments and geographies to identify what truly set it apart. The challenge was to understand whether existing messaging aligned with customer priorities and whether there was an opportunity to build a stronger emotional connection, not just functional credibility, to support long-term market share growth. Research Objectives The B2B research was designed to define Domino’s optimal brand positioning within competitive global markets. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to uncover meaningful differentiation in a commoditised B2B landscape. Research Approach Vision One delivered a large-scale, international mixed-method research programme. The approach included: This approach balanced global scale with deep, market-specific understanding. Findings The research showed that Domino was viewed positively, with customer support emerging as a clear strength. Reliability and service were critical decision drivers, alongside equipment suitability and adaptability. While Domino performed well on these fundamentals, its branding and communications did not consistently emphasise the needs customers valued most. This revealed a disconnect between…

Domino Printing B2B Research Case Study

McBride NPD Case Study Vision One

The Challenge McBride plc is a leading British-based manufacturing business and Europe’s largest producer of own-label household and professional cleaning products. To strengthen its portfolio, McBride developed a series of new product concepts across three categories: automatic dishwash, laundry and water softeners. The challenge was to evaluate these concepts across three key European markets. the UK, France and Germany, and identify which ideas offered the greatest consumer appeal. McBride needed clear, comparative insight to prioritise development and tailor marketing opportunities by market and category. Research Objectives The research was designed to assess the strength and potential of multiple new product concepts across categories and markets. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to support confident, evidence-led new product prioritisation. Research Approach Vision One implemented a quantitative, multi-market concept testing programme using its proprietary IdeaProbe approach. The methodology included: This approach enabled robust prioritisation across categories and geographies. Findings The research delivered clear, category-specific insight. In laundry, a probiotic formula performed strongly on perceived uniqueness, suggesting potential for a niche proposition. In automatic dishwash, a 5-in-1 complete care concept outperformed all alternatives across key measures, highlighting a clear unmet need in the market. Water softener results varied significantly by…

McBride Product Development Research Story

Evolution (trade segment surveys) Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Evolution Power Tools is recognised worldwide as a market leader in the steel and fabrication industry, manufacturing multipurpose saws capable of cutting wood, aluminium and steel. During a period of rapid and sustained growth, the business needed a deeper understanding of its increasingly diverse customer base. The challenge was to move beyond broad trade and DIY definitions and develop a robust customer segmentation that reflected real behaviours, needs and motivations. This insight was required to guide the next phase of new product development and ensure innovation was aligned with genuine customer demand. Research Objectives The powertools research was designed to create a clear, actionable customer segmentation framework. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to provide a strategic foundation for growth, innovation and communication. Research Approach Vision One delivered a mixed-method research programme combining scale and depth. The approach included: This approach ensured the segmentation was both statistically sound and strategically meaningful. Findings The customer segmentation research successfully delivered a new segmentation framework, creating clear personas for both trade and DIY audiences. These segments revealed meaningful differences in needs, priorities and expectations, challenging existing assumptions. Importantly, the analysis uncovered several new areas for product development that…

Evolution Powertool Research Story

Colloids Customer Case Study Vision One

The Challenge Colloids is one of the UK’s leading masterbatch manufacturers, operating across sectors including automotive and packaging. Following a period of rapid growth, the business recognised the need to better understand how employees experienced the working environment. The challenge was to move beyond anecdotal feedback and gain structured insight into staff sentiment across departments. Colloids wanted to understand how employees felt about communication, development opportunities and overall satisfaction, and to identify where improvements could support engagement, consistency and long-term organisational effectiveness. Research Objectives The employee engagement research was designed to provide a clear view of employee satisfaction across the organisation. The key objectives were to: Together, these objectives aimed to support a more engaged, informed and motivated workforce. Research Approach Vision One implemented a quantitative employee research programme using its Team-Talk approach. The methodology included: This approach ensured insight was inclusive, scalable and actionable across the business. Findings The employeeresearch confirmed internal hypotheses while also providing greater clarity on specific issues. Employees highlighted that internal communication could be improved, particularly through a more consistent approach across departments. There was also a clear appetite for better opportunities to develop and progress within the organisation. These findings demonstrated that while overall…

Colloids Employee 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