Ipsos shortlisted for the 2016 AQR Prosper Riley-Smith Qualitative Excellence Award

Ipsos are delighted to be shortlisted for the 2016 AQR Prosper Riley-Smith Qualitative Excellence Award.

Our work with Unilever - The Household Cleaning Art Gallery – was designed to help uncover new, relevant innovations for their household cleaning category. This innovation project was one of Ipsos’s most powerful and transformative pieces of work and is recognised by Unilever for delivering business impact through its inspiring format.

The approach was grounded in strong, qualitative analysis. This came from a combination of methods and techniques:

• a foundational ethnographic study in 6 markets,
• a workshop based on proven innovation principles, and
• immediate quantitative testing of the innovation ideas.

In order to create engagement and empathy, Ipsos built a unique and experiential ‘Art Gallery’ to drive consumer intimacy and show the ritualistic and emotional nature of cleaning, to inspire innovation ideation.

The project was designed using the innovation principles of diverse perspectives, collective intelligence and stimuli to engage all five senses, alongside insight-led, creative exercises which guided attendees through the Art Gallery, and encouraged teams to produce new ideas that aligned with their brand and category strategy.

However, often the creative process can become too far removed from the insight itself and thus loses its original meaning. To avoid this pitfall, the ideas were quantitatively tested with consumers in each of the six markets at the end of the final day, giving immediate feedback on potential success in each market.

Commenting on the project, Simon Thong, Global Brands Vice President, Household Care, Unilever, said:

“This was no ordinary workshop. I think the ability and the effort and the multimedia approach, which has allowed us to move around the world, and to see differences, see similarities and to watch consumers and to hear their feedback, in an entertaining, energetic and interactive way, I’ve never seen done before…I think it is a good way in bringing together not just the insight but linking it into ideas and into testing them. It’s a fantastic initiative.”

Brooke Ramsdale, Head of Ipsos UU, added:

“In order to meet Unilever’s needs, we brought together ethnographers, qualitative and quantitative Innovation specialists, strategic workshop facilitators and creative designers. The resulting workshop was equal parts inspiring and exhausting! But importantly, we were able to add speed, power and robustness to idea generation for Unilever’s Household-care Innovation funnel, as well as making it engaging and fun for all.”

The outcomes have included: top scoring ideas of 2015, inspiration for the creation of a new sub-category, principles used as an example of innovation best-practice and the continued use of stimuli to inspire brand development - the Art Gallery has founded a legacy.

• Billie Ing, Innovation Engagement Lead, Ipsos – 020 3059 5476
• Oli Sweet, Head of Ethnography, Ipsos – 020 3059 5363
• Ann Craninx, Qualitative Research Director, Ipsos – 020 3059 5247