Proof in Practice
The case studies below are shown in anonymised form. Client names and proprietary materials have been removed; study design, scale and principal learning are retained.
Case Study: Product Label and Concept Testing
Seeing a label is not the same as understanding it.
Label and concept testing study at a glance
| Summary | |
|---|---|
|
The Question |
Would consumers understand, trust and act on a new performance label for an improved household product? |
|
What We Did |
Exploratory qualitative research with iterative concept testing: sequential focus groups with household consumers and interviews with retailers and institutional or commercial users in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Northern regions. The label was refined between rounds and validated across regions and user types. |
|
What We Found |
The concept was relevant, appealing and trusted, but visual prominence did not guarantee correct understanding of technical claims such as efficiency and emissions. A label alone was unlikely to drive purchase among price-sensitive consumers; demonstrations, trusted recommendations and warranties were important supporting conditions. |
|
What Changed |
A simpler, phased label design and an audience-specific communication plan linking every symbol to its meaning, supported by market enforcement and safeguards against duplication. |
Case Study: Urban Mobility and Commuter Choice
Ride-hailing is Kumasi commuters’ first back-up option.
This mixed-methods study examined how clustered business employment shapes commuter travel behaviour and traffic in the Adum central business district, Kumasi. It combined 5 focus group discussions, 8 key informant interviews and a weighted survey of about 125 businesses and workers drawn from the Ghana Statistical Service business register.
| Mode of transport | Primary mode | Alternative mode |
|---|---|---|
|
Shared minibus (trotro) |
48% |
30% |
|
Personal vehicle |
22% |
25% |
|
Ride-hailing or taxi |
10% |
35% |
|
Walking |
7% |
8% |
|
Motorcycle |
1% |
2% |
Ease of access (35%), comfort (26%) and cost (22%) were the main reasons for choice of mode. The study recommended coordinated car-pooling among neighbouring businesses as a practical, low-cost step to reduce peak-hour traffic.
Speed: A Typical Concept Test
A concept test runs from brief to debrief in 1 – 15 working days, counted from written approval and receipt of final stimulus. A topline can follow within days of the last group.
| Phase | Activities | Working days |
|---|---|---|
|
Set-up |
Kick-off, scope confirmation, screener finalisation, quota plan, guide review and fieldwork calendar |
1 – 2 |
|
Recruitment |
Screening against usage criteria, quota controls, telephone validation, reminder calls and a replacement buffer |
5 – 7 |
|
Fieldwork |
Moderated sessions, observer support, audio-video recording and simultaneous interpretation where required |
2 – 4 |
|
Transcripts And Debrief |
English transcripts, translation, topline themes, concept diagnostics and actionable recommendations |
3 – 5 |
Quality Assurance and Ethics
Our quality controls make sure we reach the right people, ask the right questions and report the right evidence.
| Stage | Quality control |
|---|---|
|
Recruitment |
Screeners approved by the client before recruitment starts; callback validation of every recruit and reported behaviour; no professional respondents, with quotas reconciled and documented |
|
Moderation |
Moderators selected for qualitative skill, subject familiarity, language and neutrality; briefed and rehearsed on objectives, stimulus handling and probing |
|
Fieldwork |
On-site supervision of respondent sign-in, consent, timing and recording; daily team debriefs |
|
Data And Transcripts |
Transcripts checked against audio for completeness and translation accuracy; digital logic checks and back-checks for surveys |
|
Reporting |
Senior review of thematic matrices and findings before any report reaches the client |
Ethics and Data Protection
- Informed consent: the purpose of each study is explained and verbal or written consent obtained before any session begins.
- Voluntary participation: respondents may decline or withdraw at any point without penalty.
- Confidentiality and anonymity: sessions are held in private; each respondent receives a unique code, and individual responses are never linked to identities in reports or datasets.
- Data protection: secure data handling in line with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).
- Inclusive selection: a balanced mix of participants across gender, age and other relevant characteristics.