Winner of the MRS Award for Public Policy & Social Research 2009
posted 22 Dec 2009
We here at Firefish are very happy to announce that we have won another award! This time, it was at the MRS Awards, held at the Lancaster Hotel in our lovely Londontown on Monday 14th December. The award was given in the Public Policy/Social Research category for our work done on the Department for Transport’s Origins of the Tales of the Road, where really disseminating the differences between children’s behaviours and attitudes towards road safety led to the development of a new communications campaign that really engaged youth. The MRS judging panel said that ‘the paper demonstrated a most amazing insight into how children think about their behaviour and how this contrasts with how adults witness their behaviour’. We would like to thank all those involved in making this paper a winner: The Firefish DfT Team (headed up by Andy Bloor & Susan Jones), the DfT, Leo Burnett and our wonderful research participants. To read the paper, please click here to be taken to our Papers section.
To read more about the campaign please visit http://talesoftheroad.direct.gov.uk/
Aquarium™ – Firefish Launch Exciting New Online Research Resource
posted 24 Jun 2009
Very exciting times are afoot in the virtual world of Firefish – in the form of our brand new Aquarium™ website.
Aquarium™ is a new online resource we have developed that is changing the way we do research. The new site provides a private and secure place for us to interact with people using varied and versatile on line methodologies. The site handles anything from private text ‘blogs’ to full, all action ‘face face’ video forums that can involve people from different continents discussing an issue or a brand.
While it doesn’t replace more traditional real world face to face interviews and discussion groups, it really opens up a whole new set of options that make for a more responsive and ‘needs based’ approach to research questions.
The scope of the new site is huge. We have already used it in a large new product trial and to host a video forum of people sharing opinions on green issues and how brands should engage with this important and emotive area. In these instances we were able to observe and analyse a largely self set agenda being discussed – something that is very helpful when trying to see more than the ‘standard’ insights that more direct questioning uncovers. In the future we see it building brand communities and becoming a viewing studio in cyberspace – complete with virtual crisps and finger buffet if you like too.
So that’s Aquarium™ - though it really is an awful lot more than can be covered in this small space.
Contact Bob Cook (bob@firefish.ltd.uk) or John Sayers (john@firefilms.co.uk) for more details.
Firefish Expertise Updates APG Qualitative Research Course
posted 24 Jun 2009
This year Firefish were delighted to be invited to remix and run the APG Qualitative Research Course. The course has been a long running and popular fixture in the APG training programme – but was felt to be ready for a refreshed approach in 2009. Dr Bob and Alison (aided by Irene) redesigned the 2 day programme with aim of educating and inspiring a diverse bunch of young planners and research interested others.
The course kept a Firefish influenced informal and interactive style throughout – with a focus on explaining the dark arts of the industry and equipping delegates with the requisite practical skills to disarm and research even the most unusual of audiences – a room full of gender confused parents in our case (you had to be there). Big thanks also go to John Clark and Dr Hampton for their invigorating, fascinating and occasionally challenging contributions.
Being Green, Thinking Greener - Project Noah
posted 24 Jun 2009
Firefish has a long standing relationship with green issues. What began with a recycling policy and the arrival of two company bikes has been formalised into a long term commitment and an ISO14001 green accreditation.
In conjunction with these changes Firefish has recently been devoting its time and energy to Project Noah, a self commissioned piece of work that seeks to explore the ways in which individuals currently connect with green issues and their barriers to action, exploring the most engaging tones of voice to the least persuasive, as well as the role of brands in the debate.
Upon completion Firefish will be sharing their insights with all interested parties, to help create more powerful and meaningful communication from brands in the future. We aim to arm and inspire brands with the knowledge to provoke real change in both action and behaviour.
Susan Jones - Head of Ethical and Environmental (susan@firefish.ltd.uk)
The Youth of Today – Firefish at the Research Youth Conference 2009
posted 24 Jun 2009Firefish’s origins as a youth agency are well know, we were conceived at a time when even improbable brands seemed to be courting the young-bucks’ bucks! There has been much water under the bridge and much greying of hair since then, but the energy and creativity of the youth audience remains vital to dynamic brand and marketing activity. The recent Research Youth Conference 2009 provided an opportunity for clients and agencies to share some exciting thinking on, amongst other things; co-creation, the research/ marketing divide and exposing youth myths. It was a fascinating and inspiring day and Firefish were out in force. Sam Buckley, Head of Youth Research, joined a panel on the subject of redefining ethnography in the commercial context – sharing some Firefish thinking around the challenges of engaging young people in the research process and how technology can remove the ‘judgement of the researcher’.
Sam Buckley - Head of Youth Research (sam@firefish.ltd.uk)