Focus groups are one of the most effective and popular market research methods to collect information about a particular topic, product or area of interest to help companies, brands and organizations make informed business decisions.  But what happens when a global pandemic, plus an influx of advancements in technology, creates major changes in each of our behaviors, habits, and even the way we consume content, products and services? Insert the virtual focus group. For businesses that still want to carry out market research, virtual focus groups are a game-changing step in the evolution of research, building on the strengths of …

Event planning is tough in ordinary times. Event planning during a pandemic? Definitely not for the faint of heart. To help, we’ve compiled a punch list to set you up for success regardless of whether you’re planning a virtual event or in-person event, or are in the process of shifting gears from one direction to another. Ask your invitees (or key stakeholders) to share their opinionsField a short survey (no more than five questions) in advance of the event to better understand preferences around when the event should be held, what would motivate event attendance and more. Incentivize responding to …

Who would you trust to give you advice about your family-friendly vacation, a great new bourbon or a doctor to replace your knee? If you’re like most Americans, you are a bit more likely to trust the recommendations of people you know than those of strangers on the internet. But, perhaps surprisingly, you are exceedingly more likely to trust strangers on the internet than you are celebrities on TV, athletes on the ballfield or influencers on your social media channels. In fact, if you are a millennial, you are inclined to actively distrust celebrity or influencer endorsements of products or …

For years, consumers have shared their personal data with digital marketers as they browse the internet and enjoy social media sites. It’s what has made digital advertising a no-brainer and now 47% of all national brand ad dollars. Every time you hit “accept” on terms and conditions you never read, every time you connect a new app to your Facebook account, and every time you submit your email address to get results on a trending quiz, you are giving away valuable information allowing advertisers to target you in the most personalized way (for you) and most profitable way (for them). …

Sharing complex business data with your stakeholders and other audiences, and communicating it in a way that provides insight and drives action, can be a daunting task. What are they looking for? Should you give high-level analysis or a deep dive into the details? What is their level of understanding the data? Goal No. 1 is clear communication. Effective data analysis enables you to communicate findings accurately in language that audiences can understand. Differing expectations and overuse of specialized language can result in misunderstandings and other barriers to addressing your business needs.  Tell the story.When developing your analysis, it is …

It’s that time of year again. Christmas decorating, cookie baking, Hallmark movies and annual reports. Yes, you heard me: annual reports. Those year-in-review documents stuffed with so many balance sheets and dollar signs that your eyes will cross. Those thick books filled with edge-of-your-seat page titles like Cash Flow Statement and Profit and Loss. If your company name starts with a Z and ends with an M, or you sell athleisure wear (I haven’t worn real pants since March), you’re probably thrilled to be reliving or recapping 2020. But even if you’re among those who struggled this year, annual reports …

Chances are there are a few unread marketing emails and companywide blasts in your inbox right now. Some you’ll click on immediately, maybe even read all the way through. And some will be an immediate Shift + Delete.  What makes the difference when it comes to good email and bad?  An election season, the COVID-19 pandemic and now the holidays give us a lot of examples of both types. Here are a few ways to stand out from the crowd — in a good way.  Would You Open This?The subject line is arguably the most important part of an email, …

Every year, Adobe – a software company many creative teams use for everything from design to illustration to photo editing – produces Adobe MAX, ordinarily an in-person conference highlighting new products, software releases, tutorials and inspirational talks.  This year, creatives from all over the world tuned in for a free, virtual conference to draw inspiration and learn from the best in the business. Our team’s key takeaways from this year’s event: 1. Virtual collaboration among creative teams is more important than ever. Creative people draw inspiration from being around each other. Whether in internal teams or with our clients, we …

As an editor at The Tennessean several years before joining MP&F, I knew the folks at the firm before I became one of them. Whenever an MP&F executive entered our newsroom – especially a partner wearing a suit, which was the only thing partners wore to the newsroom in those days – we knew the story they were bringing with them would be important, exclusive, top-secret – or all of those things. Now that I am lucky enough to work at MP&F myself, I understand that beneath my colleagues’ polished presentations are people whose pandemic work-from-home lives are just as …

When you read “inclusive design,” your mind may go immediately to accessibility and compliance. But, it’s so much more than that.   Inclusive design is putting people first. It’s designing for the needs of people with permanent, temporary, situational or ever-changing challenges. While you can’t make a short person taller (or, a tall person shorter for that matter), you can adapt the environment so that any challenges are less pronounced. This is where inclusive design comes in. It’s about being intentional before you even take the first step. It’s an ongoing process and requires doing the work to understand your …