Market Research at Your Fingertips
Bixa is an award-winning market research studio bringing you the customer insights you need to attract customers who adore you and keep them coming back. We offer quantitative and qualitative customer discovery—interviews, ethnography, mobile diary studies, usability testing, surveys, focus groups and more—that delivers tangible results for your business.
One of our specialties is youth research and our CEO is the author of the #1 bestseller InstaBrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z. Whatever your research project, whatever your niche, you'll get fresh data-driven insights that drive your direction and help you create standout experiences for your customers.
headquarters
Focus
Portfolio
Google, IBM, PBS, Ogilvy, Mikimoto, Cox, Constellation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, American Chemical Society, Coplex, Greendrop/2nd Ave
Market Research: In-Store Interviews (Retail)
While working with a large retailer, we conducted over 500 in-store interviews in 4 states to segment their audience, understand post-COVID customer buying behavior, and recommend highly-targeted marketing campaigns designed to tap into niche target segments.
As quarantine constraints have made local neighborhoods more important in a "homebody economy", shifting to hyperlocal marketing and engagement has become essential for many retailers. We helped this retailer reap benefits by localizing their marketing, tailoring messaging to different neighborhoods, and delivering personalized marketing at scale through channels including community social media pages and forums.
UX interviews and usability testing
We conducted a series of iterative UX interviews and usability testing for a new IBM product to enhance user experience through design.
Rapid Customer Research
We partner with Ogilvy on some of their signature accounts to help them conduct rapid customer research to inform ad campaign or product strategy.
Qualitative Interviews
For PBS, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews, a large-scale survey, and image-based projective interviews. Based on the customer data we gathered, we made specific recommendations to improve the eCommerce experience. Once ShopPBS implemented our recommendations, they boosted product conversions on their website by over 400%.
Market Research
For the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, we conducted market research in order to create a launch strategy for a new YouTube channel for long-form factual scientific documentaries. Our reports are informative, clear, and (of course!) beautiful. We make sure you're getting the data you need and you're not distracted by data you don't. Our deliverables are action-oriented and customized to your goals.
In-depth Customer Interviews
We conducted in-depth customer interviews with American and Japanese customers to understand brand perceptions and recommend website updates to enhance customer experiences of targeted audience segments. We also conducted rapid, iterative usability testing with prototypes.
Targeted Campaigns
We conducted 500 in-store retail interviews with shoppers to segment buyers in a meaningful way and create targeted campaigns for key audience segments.
Market Validation
We work with an innovation studio Coplex to conduct rapid new market validation for new products and services.
Target Audience
We conducted qualitative and quantitative interviews to understand how to build and market a new model for malpractice insurance for single-specialty medical practices. We conducted niche recruiting, in-depth interviews, and a large-scale survey to deeply understand this market and segment them in a meaningful way.
Market Research for Gen Z
Bixa has conducted 6 projects for Google over the past year related to understanding how Generation Z ad perceptions for specific verticals (travel, local, maps, shopping, education, and jobs). These studies included video diary studies as well as in-depth interviews in the US, Brazil, and India. We identified key design principles for advertising to Gen Z, and specific, tactical advice on how ads in particular verticals could be improved based on these principles. We created high-fidelity wireframes to illustrate design concepts.
Qualitative Interviews
Bixa worked with Citi Ventures to conduct research in the form of interviews and focus groups to help scale their internal incubator for budding entrepreneurial ideas within Citibank.
B2B Research
Bixa conducted B2B research for this manufacturer of food coloring technologies to understand why they win work. This helped their sales teams know how to more effectively market to B2B customers with key "win themes" in proposals and in conversations.
Customer Insights
51% of the US population today is female, yet less than 30% is represented in elected office. To date, a great deal of research has been conducted on barriers to women running for office. However, little research has been done on motivators. Bixa conducted a quantitative and qualitative study to understand that "spark" that gets women to run for office, and provided recommendations to kindle that spark in more women across the country.
Qualitative Research
Bixa came in-person to Raleigh, NC and train product teams at Apex Tool Group on how to conduct market research, including product research and concept testing for development, marketing, packaging of new types of tools under the brand names.
Qualitative Interviews
Bixa conducted 50 interviews with undergraduate and graduate chemistry students who were members of the American Chemical Society to understand why they joined and what additional value ACS could offer them through student programming.
Reviews
the project
Market Research for Branding & Design Agency's Client
"Sarah and the Bixa team were great partners, and we will definitely be working with them again."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I’m the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of a Branding and UX Design Agency
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
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.
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.
the project
Market Research & Survey Conducting for Retail Company
“Bixa over-delivered and gave us more than what they put on the proposal.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
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.
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.
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.
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.
the project
Market Research for Startup Incubator
“It was always apparent that they were experts in the space.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
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.
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.
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.
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.
the project
Market Research for Skincare Company
"Their availability, their professionalism, and their superb know-how impressed us."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the president of a consulting company located in France and I help companies across the world to launch products or services.
For what projects/services did your company hire Bixa?
One of my customer would like to use a skin care product. Originally we thought about focusing towards ladies with some particular benefits for skin needing more elasticity. After the brilliant search realized by Bixa, we are now looking into extending our target customers.
What were your goals for this project?
Understand what ladies over 60 required in terms of skincare products. We wanted to understand the market, the type of packaging and the way to approach them.
How did you select this vendor?
We searched online and saw that Bixa had great reviews. After an initial call, we really liked their approach and their professionalism. They were available, reliable and very approachable.
Describe the project in detail.
One of my customer would like to use a skin care product. Originally we thought about focusing towards ladies with some particular benefits for skin needing more elasticity. After the brilliant search realized by Bixa, we are now looking into extending our target customers.
What was the team composition?
2 people from Bixa, the CEO and a project manager.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Bixa over-exceeded what we anticipated. We now understand where to move next.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Extremely effective. Communication was smooth, scheduling always on time, they went beyond what we expected.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their availability, their professionalism, and their superb know-how impressed us.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No
the project
Marketing Strategy for Change Management Company
"They delivered thoughtful insights that not only met our users' needs but also aligned with our company's strategy."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm the CEO of The Mindset Group, an enterprise coaching and change management consultancy.
For what projects/services did your company hire Bixa?
We hired Bixa for audience segmentation, branding strategy workshops, and the creation of a robust, customer-centered marketing strategy.
What were your goals for this project?
In the past, our branding and marketing strategy had been completely driven by our executive team and board of directors. Our goal in hiring Bixa was to transform our outlook into something more customer-focused. And wow, did they deliver!
How did you select this vendor?
I has worked with Bixa's CEO, Sarah Weise, years ago when we were both at Booz Allen Hamilton and she was managing UX projects. I knew how good she was then and was thrilled to be able to work with her again.
Describe the project in detail.
Bixa has been invaluable in helping us understand and segment our target audiences and mapping out a strategy to build distinct brands for each. We kicked off our project with an amazing facilitated workshop where we white-boarded out everything. This helped us to clarify our goals, audiences, and what we knew about each target audience segment.
Before we hired Bixa, our branding was muddled together. Now that we have implemented their recommendations, we've built out an umbrella company and three distinct brands, with different audiences for each.
What was the team composition?
One of Bixa's lead researchers/strategists was our point of contact during the project. They brought on other staff as needed to support the project. We found even their junior researchers to be so impressive. You can tell they put a lot into their staff's training.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
By getting our business niche just right, our business has taken off and our revenue has increased by over 300% as a result. We will be continuing with a package of weekly coaching because we have found their research and marketing strategy experience completely invaluable as our company scales.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
They were very flexible and quick to communicate. They ramped up fast and even led a workshop after-hours when our whole team could make it.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
I was blown away by the knowledge Bixa had about customer research and marketing strategy. They delivered thoughtful insights that not only met our users' needs but also aligned with our company's strategy.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No areas of improvement. We have had an immensely positive experience with the Bixa team.
the project
Market Research and Testing for Large Design Agency
"They made sure things never slipped through the cracks."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the senior designer at Ogilvy. We’re an agency that focuses on UX design.
What challenge were you trying to address with Bixa Research?
We needed to conduct user research on a specific part of the business problem our client was facing. We hired Bixa Research to create a discussion guide for this project.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Bixa Research created a discussion guide, which included writing three different narratives for the user research, conducting user interviews, and formalizing it all into a synthesis read-out, with actionable to-do items.
They conducted 10 usability interviews over the course of a week and then produced a high-level findings summary within 3–4 days. They also produced an Excel spreadsheet of 60 very detailed findings, with a level of effort scopes from the design team for each of them.
What is the team composition?
I primarily worked with Sarah (CEO & Lead Researcher, Bixa Labs).
How did you come to work with Bixa Research?
Bixa Research was recommended to us by a previous employee.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested $185 per hour, for 40 hours per week, which lasted about a month.
What is the status of this engagement?
This project spanned from May–June 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We were testing a specific prototype to start implementing our designs. We found very detail-oriented design updates, which really made our designs come to life better.
How did Bixa Research perform from a project management standpoint?
The team was very attentive to details and always delivered what was promised on time. They made sure things never slipped through the cracks.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The team was able to understand both our ecosystem and the ecosystem of our client without missing a beat.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, not that I can think of.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would recommend that potential customers articulate what they’re looking for. They should be as transparent as possible to get their desired result.
the project
Market Research for Software Company
"They understood the challenge of the project."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm the Head of Marketing at Sked Social
For what projects/services did your company hire Bixa, and what were your goals?
We wanted to understand how our target prospects knew and felt about our brand
How did you select this vendor?
Honestly, they actually bothered to respond, and when we chatted, they understood the challenge of the project
Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.
It was pretty simple - we worked together on:
- Audience to target
- Questions to ask
And then they went and gathered the audience, asked them the questions, and then delivered one of the best, data-iest deliverable I've ever had.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
2 - founder and...worker? Not sure of the title.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
It made us aware that our brand positioning was weak and that our messaging across our website and our service was confusing.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Initially there was a rocky period of communication, might have been a spam inbox issue, but after that we settled into a weekly communication rhythm.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
The data at the end, and the ability to tease out the data to deliver great answers.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Right at the very start with the comms issue, but again that seemed more technical than anything else
the project
Market Research for Insurance Company
"They are professional and knowledgeable. They picked up on the nuances of our industry extremely fast."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the VP of Innovation for Constellation, Inc. a medical professional liability insurance company serving physicians, hospitals and senior living customers throughout the US.
For what projects/services did your company hire Bixa?
Bixa developed a market research plan for testing a new concept we were evaluating for a defined target market.
What were your goals for this project?
Conduct a qualitative-quantitative-qualitative study to gain customer insights into a new product innovation and leverage those learnings to launch new solution if feedback was positive.
How did you select Bixa?
Recommendation from our Venturing Studio partner Coplex.
Describe the project in detail.
CONFIDENTIAL but involved it involved qualitative-quantitative-qualitative methodology.
What was the team composition?
Sarah from Bixa was primary contact. She managed her team of resources to deliver the project.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Fantastic customer/prospect insights, amazing project report and presentation. Informed and drove our decision to pursue next steps.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Communication was excellent and tasks managed extremely well.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Delivered the goods in a professional, timely and cost effective means.
Are there any areas for improvement?
None that I can see.
the project
Market Research Project for Startup
"The insights gathered by the Bixa team were invaluable in formulating company strategy."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am a start up founder.
For what projects/services did your company hire Bixa?
We hired Bixa to perform market research to validate an initial company concept.
What were your goals for this project?
To validate the market for a consumer product, to gain insight on consumer expectations.
How did you select this vendor?
Online website and interviews.
Describe the project in detail.
Market research for a new product line, including multiple interviews with target group.
What was the team composition?
Bixa assigned a team to work with us.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The insights gathered by the Bixa team were invaluable in formulating company strategy, and validating, or invalidating, certain assumptions. This preliminary market research has been key in refining our product plans and company direction.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Very effective workflow.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
We were very impressed with the product and market research generated by Bixa. They were able to aggregate and distill important market insights from a series of interviews. The provided results that were insightful, actionable, and valuable.
Are there any areas for improvement?
No.
The end client was pleased with Bixa's recommendations and insights — they look forward to implementing them soon. The team led an effective workflow, enabling them to deliver quality work in a timely manner. Their communication skills, knowledge, and expertise were top-notch.