Bixa

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Brand Strategy of Vention

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Vention developers partner with innovative companies, from startups to Fortune 500s, lending the software engineering expertise to propel them to new heights and the edge to outpace the competition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Bixa to accomplish?

• Market Research and Consumer Insights: Gathering data to understand market needs, trends, and consumer behavior more deeply to inform strategic marketing decisions.
• Messaging and Campaign Testing: Testing various messaging strategies or campaign concepts to determine which resonate best with target audiences.
• Brand Perception Analysis: Assessing brand positioning and identifying gaps or opportunities for improving brand perception and awareness.

SOLUTION

How did you find Bixa?

Referral

Why did you select Bixa over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Bixa were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope of Work
To uncover actionable insights, Bixa conducted a comprehensive market research project, examining current industry trends, consumer behaviors, and competitive benchmarks. This research will include identifying and segmenting target audiences and creating personas that capture motivations and engagement triggers. Bixa also analyzed brand perception, identifying areas for enhancing positioning and competitive differentiation. 

Key Deliverables
Comprehensive Research Report: Detailed findings on market trends, consumer behaviors, and competitive insights, along with actionable recommendations.
Audience Segmentation Guide & Personas: Profiles of key audience segments, complete with personas capturing motivations and engagement triggers.
Brand Positioning Analysis Report: Insights into current brand perception, including areas for positioning refinement and differentiation.
Message Testing & Concept Validation Report: Results from concept testing with recommended messaging for effective audience engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Enhanced Brand Awareness and Perception and Conversion Rate Growth

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Bixa kept things organized and on schedule, consistently delivering each milestone on time. When we needed to move up the final delivery by a week for a team planning session, they made it happen for us! They stayed in touch throughout the project, sharing regular updates and quickly adjusting to any new requests. Their flexibility and quick response to changes made the whole process feel easy and collaborative, which was exactly what we needed!

What was your primary form of communication with Bixa?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Bixa's ability to truly understand our needs and adapt on the fly was very impressive. They didn’t just deliver a standard research project—they brought fresh insights that felt tailored specifically to our goals. Plus, their flexibility was impressive; they seamlessly adjusted timelines and deliverables when we needed last-minute changes. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Bixa could have done differently?

None come to mind. Bixa delivered exactly what we needed and adapted smoothly to any changes. They were proactive, flexible, and easy to work with every step of the way.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on January 2, 2024.
Marc Karasu
CMO, VentionEngineering

New York City, New York

1,001-5,000 Employees

Aug 2023 - Oct 2023

$10,000 to $49,999

Verified

Project summary
An engineering company hired Bixa to develop their brand messaging and understand their user personas. The team also helped them measure brand awareness. This involved the thematic analysis of qualitative data.

Feedback summary
Thanks to Bixa, the client attained significant behavioral and attitudinal audience segments. The client understood what their market required. The team managed the project well and delivered detailed analyses. They had a thoughtful approach to the project, serving as a true partner to the client. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of Vention

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help growing companies to scale their products and business with our expert engineers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Bixa to accomplish?

• Baseline our brand messaging
• Understand our personas
• Measure brand awareness

SOLUTION

How did you find Bixa?

Referral

Why did you select Bixa over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Bixa were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

For qualitative data, the Bixa team coded each interview transcript line-by-line to find themes and trends that emerged in terms of barriers, pain points, and ideas for solutions. The team used both inductive and deductive approaches to building the coding frame to allow for the incorporation of data-driven and theory-driven analyses. The thematic analysis of qualitative data produces a rich corpus to draw out key hypotheses that we then test across a broader population with a survey. 

For survey data, they started by understanding the descriptive statistics of the sample to determine key indicators with your population. Then, they used the appropriate statistical modeling techniques based on the type of data for each questions as well as the research objectives we were trying to learn about. Specialized models we used to analyze the data included cluster analysis (for audience segmentation work) and factor analysis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Statistically significant behavioral and attitudinal audience segments Demographics and firmographics that align with these segments Job titles are involved in the decision-making process Which segments are ideal to target What are the current perceptions of competitive vendors Best channels to reach qualified leads? What do they watch/listen to?

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team was available and easy to work with as the project evolved and launched, and they were very detailed in the analysis of the survey.

What was your primary form of communication with Bixa?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The team had a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to the project and worked with us as partners.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Bixa could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing and communications at Colliers International, an investment management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Bixa?

We had a leadership team meeting and needed help with a presentation about Gen Z to spread recognition and awareness about Gen Z being 50% of our workers in the next couple of years.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bixa provided business consulting services for us by sourcing us with Sarah, the world’s leading researcher on Generation Z. We wanted to make our leaders more open to cultural change with this new generation of potential employees entering the workforce. Sarah gave a presentation to 40 senior leaders of our organization about Gen Z’s expectations and how they differ from the current people in the workplace.

Regarding the process, I had an initial call with Sarah to describe the topics we were looking for her to present on and give her an idea of the audience.

What was the team composition? 

I only worked with Sarah (CEO & Market Researcher) from Bixa’s team; she was the only one who gave the presentation.

How did you come to work with Bixa?

We found Bixa through a personal relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together throughout February 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Bixa's and Sarah's work gave our team a newfound perspective on Gen Z's entry point into the workforce.

How did Bixa perform from a project management standpoint?

Bixa delivered the work on time and within budget and communicated well with us, mostly via email but also in person when Sarah did the presentation.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

Sarah's presentation was a resounding success.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bixa's ability to turn research into useful insights was their biggest strength.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn't think they could improve anything, as I believe they did a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bixa was really easy to work with and listened well to what we were asking, so I recommend communicating clearly and concisely with them. I'd highly recommend hiring Sarah and Bixa for future presentations for any organization looking to expand their knowledge to accommodate this new generation in the workforce.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Development Officer of a research company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a non-profit organization that conducts research to help solve important contemporary issues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Bixa to accomplish?

• To recruit participants for our research

SOLUTION

How did you find Bixa?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select Bixa over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Bixa were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our work involved identifying and recruiting a specific group of participants for focused interviews, relevant to our research question. The key deliverables included a curated list of qualified participants, a schedule for the interviews, and tailored support to ensure relevant data collection for our study.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Firstly, we successfully met our target by finding the intended number of interviewees who fit the criteria for our research question. This ensured that the data pool was both relevant and comprehensive. Secondly, the quality of data collected from these interviews was high, providing insightful and actionable information. Additionally, all of this was accomplished within the set timelines.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project management demonstrated by the team, especially in the context of identifying and recruiting participants for our focused interviews, was exceptional. They were consistently attentive to our requirements, ensuring that every aspect of the project aligned with our research goals. Their proactive approach was evident in how they efficiently managed the participant recruitment process, adhering to our specific needs and criteria.

What was your primary form of communication with Bixa?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stood out most about this company was their exceptional blend of personability, responsiveness, and expertise. Despite the very specific requirements of our project, which involved identifying and recruiting a niche group for focused interviews, the team displayed a remarkable depth of knowledge and understanding. This expertise was crucial in swiftly and accurately meeting our unique needs.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Bixa could have done differently?

Throughout the project, the Bixa team consistently demonstrated a high level of professionalism and helpfulness. There aren't any aspects that we feel Bixa could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Growth Marketing of a healthcare company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a global healthcare solutions company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Bixa to accomplish?

• Provide detailed audience segmentation to differentiate healthcare perceptions across each segment
• Provide overarching sentiment around the healthcare industry

SOLUTION

How did you find Bixa?

Online Search

Why did you select Bixa over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Bixa were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Bixa completed a national survey to help us understand the state of health equity in the US.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Bixa did a pheromonal job providing high level overview information as well as very detailed segment-specific insights. We really appreciated how they laid out the findings of their research to support future content creation using the data they uncovered. 

Most importantly, they really understood the ask of what we were trying to capture and built a survey that captured the exact information we were looking for. The process from initial kickoff through to delivery all built off the previous step and resulted in really clear and smooth execution.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project did extend slightly longer than expected HOWEVER (and this is a big however!) the deliverable was far more exhaustive than we had anticipated, very clear for us to follow, and set us up for success to turn this into a longitudinal study over multiple years. 

And, despite probably slightly exceeding the original scope, the Bixa team really understood the goals of what we were trying to achieve and not only accommodated what we needed but certainly overdelivered.

What was your primary form of communication with Bixa?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

On most vendors calls, you often hear "we'll take this away and see if we can work through that" but then never really hear back on what they decided. It is EXTREMELY evident with Bixa, that they really do take into consideration the feedback we provide along the way and are able to translate our business needs into a really effective survey that captures the market intelligence we're looking for. 

We're working on a second project with them now and are already seeing them take learnings from our first survey to inform how we go to market with this second project to get maximum insights.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Bixa could have done differently?

None -- they are a great team to work with, and we're glad to have them as an extension of our team!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Marketing Insights Manager of (a/an) Other Industry

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Prefer not to answer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Bixa to accomplish?

• Understand how technology influences consumer purchasing behavior and how we might leverage technology to reach a broader audience and accelerate growth
• Determine optimal offerings for customers, inclusive of product and services, in-store and online
• Identify new channels or footprints to grow into
• Understand behaviors, desires and needs of audiences in order to grow the business

SOLUTION

How did you find Bixa?

Online Search

Why did you select Bixa over others?

• Pricing first our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

What was the size of Bixa’s team?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Kickoff session
• Screener questionnaire
• Survey draft
• Participant recruiting
• Participant logistics
• Survey question-writing
• Survey programming and monitoring
• Analysis of quantitative data
• Detailed report with survey findings, key trends, and discussion points
• Access to raw data
• Report illustrating audience segments, key trends, and answers to specific questions found in our research
• Presentation and discussion of findings and recommendations

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Report illustrating audience segments, key trends, and answers to specific questions found in our research
• Presentation and discussion of findings and recommendations

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Overall, the Bixa team was very communicative and quick to respond when I had a question or concern. The timeline shifted a few times during our project due to unforeseen circumstances on both of our ends, but it was handled well.

What was your primary form of communication with Bixa?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I appreciated the high level of empathy and flexibility that Bixa demonstrated throughout the project. I could tell they were obviously knowledgeable and highly qualified from the very first meeting with them, but the warm connection I felt working with the whole team throughout the project made them unique.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Bixa could have done differently?

Not that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a clothing brand that specializes in creating merchandise and fashion items for Long Island locals, rather than tourists. Our sole mission is to elevate our community through fashion and impact Long Island culture in a positive way. I’m the CEO of the company and head of shipping and customer service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bixa?

I wanted to understand my main objectives as a business and who my consumers are; I also wanted to know how important my brand name was to my consumers. Finally, I wanted to have a breakdown of different marketing information, like why my customers loved my brand so much.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a conference call, and I gave them my exact specifications. There were three main questions I wanted answered, and they told me everything it would require: timelines, pricing, how to help people take the survey, etc.

Around 800 people took the survey, and they were very eager to take it. One of Bixa’s recommendations was to give out a free token of our appreciation so I created stickers to give out. We provided the customers a large amount of value with those stickers, and they provided us a large amount of value with their feedback: paragraphs of information where they talk about me with intense brand loyalty. Companies would kill for these kinds of responses. After the survey, Bix broke down all the information in a PowerPoint presentation so I could have all the information right in front of me.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the owner’s assistant and one other associate who headed up the research.

How did you come to work with Bixa?

I’ve done surveys in the past, but I wanted to work with someone more professional that knew the right questions to ask and was able to gather and understand the analytics.

I read Sarah’s (Owner) book, and it changed my life. After that, I couldn’t help but want to reach out to her. She was nothing but receptive. I also came across Bixa on Instagram.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was around $35,000­–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May­­­–July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’re a solely online business, and the information we received brought the point home that it’s still important to hold in-person events. This has changed the trajectory of my business, as I’m focusing more on pop-up shops and doing events with other local companies.

The fact that they were able to pull something so specific out of my customer base was great. It’s changed my whole view of my business. I now know that people want to know my business, where the clothes are coming from — they want to touch and feel.

How did Bixa perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated over Zoom and email, and they even went so far as to text me on weekends to ask questions they had. They went above and beyond for me. I was also able to reach out to them whenever I wanted if I had an idea. They were always willing to talk.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What I loved about them was that they cared as much as I did. They didn’t block me and merely send off the information once it was in. They cared about helping me and my ideas. Everyone in their company was highly professional.

No matter the size of their client — whether it’s the size of Nike or a one-person company like mine — they’ll do whatever is in their power to get the job done. Just because you’re a small company doesn’t mean that Bixa will treat you like a small company. Additionally, your return will be astronomical. My cousin wanted me to buy a Rolex with the money I made from Bixa’s insights.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish they’d sent me a hard copy of the PowerPoint as well as a digital version.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of a Branding and UX Design Agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bixa?

We needed a strategic partner for a client project which featured a brand target persona and journey mapping workshop

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I worked with Sarah at a firm in the past and knew of her awesome skills and reached out

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Bixa team worked with us through a brief and used that to develop a set of workshop activities to lead the client team through and identify their target audience personas and map each of their user journey through their buying process. Then, they used these as inputs to a report for our team on strategic brand recommendations and SWOT analyses.

What was the team composition?

We worked with Sarah (CEO) and her designer and copywriter as well as her admin team to schedule meetings and reviews.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The client team has reviewed our recommendations and is excited to take these learnings and implement them as we dive into a website redesign and brand overhaul.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective! It’s been nothing but seamless communication, mutual understanding, and shared feedback.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to pull more out of client partners who sometimes can be quiet and reserved was really breathing fresh air into a virtual room and kept everyone engaged across 8 hours of intensive exercises.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Sarah and the Bixa team were great partners, and we will definitely be working with them again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of a 12-chain thrift store in the Northeast. My primary objective is to understand our customers and drive new clients into the stores, providing them a great shopping experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bixa?

We were new to marketing our stores, so we first wanted to do some market research to understand our customers and how they viewed us in comparison to our competitors. We also needed to conduct some interviews with our competitors’ customers to understand why they shopped with them, which would help us market our business more effectively.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we provided Bixa with a lot of information and background about our company. Then, we put a survey together to ensure that we would get the answers that we needed. Bixa sent their teams into both our and our competitors’ stores to randomly talk to customers who were willing to answer our questions, and they conducted over 500 in-store interviews.

It was a 10–12 minute interview with questions about why they liked to shop where they were, what was important to them, how they liked to be communicated with, and overall, positive and negative comparisons between the places they shopped in.

Finally, Bixa compiled all the information, and they put together a summary report that identified our different customer personas. Additionally, they identified some top marketing campaign opportunities for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Bixa’s owner, who served as the project manager as well. She brought in three other people to help conduct the in-store interviews.

How did you come to work with Bixa?

We did online research looking for market research firms and identified a few companies that looked like they would meet our needs. Then, we went through a selection process and ended up selecting Bixa.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from September–November 2020. We also worked on another project with them from May–July 2021. Now, we’re talking about a third project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Part of the deliverables was some high-probability-of-success marketing campaigns, and Bixa provided us with 5–6 of them. We’ve implemented most of the campaigns, which have helped us drive more customers into our stores. Additionally, we’ve made some changes to our stores to reflect the customers’ opinions and improve their shopping experience.

How did Bixa perform from a project management standpoint?

Bixa’s project management was great. Every single deliverable was outlined and delivered on time. I worked with them for a couple of days and was very impressed with how they did the interviews; the team was very capable, and the interviews were conversational.

The customers that Bixa interviewed were very happy to share information, thoughts, and points of view. Finally, the data gathering and delivery were very good as well.

We had status meetings periodically, and once they were developing the final report and recommendations, we had some touch-base meetings. In the end, we had a final review with different executives of our company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bixa over-delivered and gave us more than what they put on the proposal, which was great. It was nice to get more than what we expected.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We were very pleased with all the aspects of the project. The quality of the deliverables, Bixa's timeliness, and the opportunities that they helped us identify were great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear upfront about your needs and expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior business designer at a corporate startup studio with offices in Pheonix, Los Angeles, and Seattle. We help companies build technology businesses, starting with an idea. I manage a team of engineers, designers, markets, content strategists, and a few analysts. We’re responsible for helping tech businesses launch in 9–12 months.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bixa?

We needed to handle market research and felt that it would be best, due to the potential for confirmation bias, to call upon a third-party for this research. It was important for us to find an objective, experienced partner that could conduct effective interviews help us further understand customer needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re helping us determine what questions we will ask specific personas, screen individuals to qualify interviewees, and conduct interviews. Their team has been able to gather important information and begin deciphering based on key assumptions we’ve made on the business. Their final deliverables provide us with strategic insights, helping us draw conclusions based on the trends they’ve found.

What is the team composition?

I work with 1–3 people on their team, but my main contact is Sarah (CEO & Market Researcher). 

How did you come to work with Bixa?

One of my colleagues recommended them along with a few other vendor options. They seemed like a perfect fit early on, so we started working together. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020 and have already completed two projects with them. We’re moving forward with an additional two projects with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The client felt that this was the best presentation and research they’ve seen within their industry in a very long time. They were extremely happy with their work. Additionally, the Bixa team was extremely responsive, professional, personable, and energetic.  

How did Bixa perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated about progress in weekly meetings and had an overall project plan that documented milestones. Sarah provided us with updates on their research via email. They delivered the final products about a week and a half early. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was always apparent that they were experts in the space. They’re passionate and knowledgeable about their research. They have the capabilities to accommodate any type of business. We found that we got more value than what we paid for their work.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It helps to come to them with context and an outline of your goals. That will help them do their job better.