Case Studies

How Economic Uncertainty Is Reshaping Latin American Consumption

Posted On: 04/13/26

By: Astrid Velásquez   

Economic uncertainty has long been part of the Latin American context. Inflation, currency volatility, and political transitions are familiar realities for consumers across the region. However, uncertainty does not simply reduce consumption. Instead, it transforms how consumers prioritize, evaluate, and experience value. Across Latin America, households continuously adapt their spending habits in response to changing […]

Why Informal Economies Shape Consumer Innovation in Latin America

Posted On: 04/13/26

By: Astrid Velásquez   

In Latin America, the informal economy is not a marginal phenomenon – it is a defining feature of daily life. Across the region, a significant portion of economic activity occurs outside formal regulatory frameworks, influencing how consumers earn, spend, and innovate. For market research buyers, understanding this dynamic is essential: informal economies are not just constraints […]

Cultural pitfalls when selling to US customers

Posted On: 08/8/25

By: Jay Zaltzman   

From the outside, the US can look like a wide-open market: large, affluent, and English-speaking. But many international brands have learned the hard way that what works at home doesn’t always land with American customers. Even globally sophisticated companies have stumbled by overlooking cultural cues, customer expectations, or just how different the US really is. […]

Germany in times of Corona

Posted On: 03/15/22

By: Ilka Kuhagen   

After weeks of “light” lockdown, Germany went into a full lockdown again on December 16th 2020- Advent, Christmas and even New Year’s Eve – hard to imagine how people would comply and deal with the limitations. That day, IKM started a long-term online community to observe changes in behavior, compliance, emotions, and observations of consumers […]

Teetering on the Edge. Of survival

Posted On: 04/10/21

By: Piyul Mukherjee   

As the city hurtles into yet another lockdown, we deep dive into the lives of three women in Mumbai. A female taxi-driver, a nurse from Kerala and a skilled beautician who now works in a factory as a daily wage earner. These women had arrived in the metropolis, known as Mayanagri, the City of Dreams, […]

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

Posted On: 01/11/21

By: Ilka Kuhagen   

After weeks of “light” lockdown, Germany went into a full lockdown again on December 16th. Advent, Christmas and even New Year’s Eve – hard to imagine how people would comply and deal with the limitations. That day, IKM started an online community to observe changes in behavior, compliance, emotions, and observations of consumers in their […]

Mexican Millennials Respond to the Pandemic

Posted On: 09/5/20

By: Astrid Velasquez   

During the pandemic, ThinkGlobal Qualitative and its partners conducted a two-week-long multi-country online study among younger respondents around the world in order to identify the core emotions and potential trends that have emerged among consumers. The study was conducted in Mexico, USA, France, Germany and South Africa. These are highlights of our findings in Mexico […]

Marketers Get a GRIP on the New Normal

Posted On: 07/29/20

By: Jay Zaltzman    Roben Allong   

We conducted research with marketing and insights professionals around the world to understand the challenges they are facing during this crisis and best practices in handling those challenges.  The top four challenges raised were: Growth – how to maintain and grow the business in a volatile world Recovery – how to function most effectively in […]

Same but different: Qualitative Research with Charities

Posted On: 08/1/19

By: Darren Harvey   

Situation Audience insight projects with charities (not-for-profits) can be extremely rewarding for qualitative researchers: the content is usually rich and deeply human, clients are usually highly engaged and supportive, and there is a real sense that the insights gained are helping make a difference to people’s lives. However, the research process is often more complicated […]