What happens when AI starts doing qual?

We talk intuition, automation, emotional nuance — and why AI won’t replace moderators, but can amplify them.

💡 “AI doesn’t replace empathy — it scales it.”

A quick, thoughtful listen for anyone in research, UX, or strategy.

#QualsTalks #AI #qualitativeresearch #insights #strategy

A casual, over-a-coffee chat between the host and Quals.AI on a study about brands taking positions on social issues. Consumers expect action (sustainability, equality, mental health) — but skepticism is high when it feels performative.

Key thread: trust comes from transparency + measurable impact + consistency.

#QualsTalks #BrandStrategy #ConsumerInsights #Purpose #Sustainability

Open markets are not just places to buy fresh tomatoes – they’re mini festivals of smell, sound, memory and community. 🧺✨

In the new QualsTalks episode, I chat with Quals.AI about what people really seek in open markets, and what supermarkets like Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s can learn from that “market aura” of freshness, human warmth and discovery.

#QualsTalks #ConsumerInsights #Retail #CX #OpenMarkets #AIinResearch

We all love a good discount. But when the math is exactly the same, which format wins consumers’ hearts — and why?

In this episode, I chat with Quals.AI about a fascinating qualitative experiment where we pitted four promotional offers for a £20 product against each other using a random elimination method:

🟠 50% Discount, 💷 £10 Discount, 🛍️ Buy 1 Get 1 Free, 🧃 Buy 2 Pay 1

The results weren’t as clear-cut as you might expect. There wasn’t one single “winner,” but rather different formats spoke to different consumer logics: 50% off appealed to clarity and perceived magnitude, £10 off attracted the pragmatic, budget-conscious shoppers, Multi-buy offers like BOGO tapped into emotional triggers — abundance, excitement, “free.”

We discussed how the framing of value activates different parts of the brain — rational vs emotional — and why smart brands should mix promotion types to match different shopper mindsets, product categories, and contexts.

👉 Tune in to hear why “50% off” feels modern and decisive, why “£10 off” is a quiet trust-builder, and why “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” remains the emotional hero of the high street.

#QualitativeResearch #BehavioralEconomics #RetailStrategy #Promotions #Pricing #QualsTalks #ConsumerInsights #FramingEffect #MarketingStrategy

Gift cards have come a long way from being the “easy way out.”

Today, they sit at the intersection of thoughtfulness, flexibility, and emotional connection.

In this episode, I chat with Quals.AI, our AI-powered qualitative research tool, about our latest study on how people perceive, use, and feel about gift cards.

💳 From Amazon’s universal appeal to the emotional power of experience gift cards, we explore why gift cards have become a strategic choice in modern gifting — and where brands can innovate next.

🔸 Why people see gift cards as both smart and personal

🔸 The hidden barriers (like the “lazy gift” stigma and expiration anxieties)

🔸 How experience cards turn gifts into stories

#QualitativeResearch #ConsumerInsights #Podcast #GiftCards #ExperienceEconomy #ResearchStorytelling #QualsAI #Twentify

When did a supermarket chocolate bar start feeling like a little luxury moment?

Somewhere between matte wrappers, sea-salt caramel, and Friday night “dine-in” deals, premium quietly moved into our everyday lives.

In our latest podcast episode, I sat down with Quals.AI to unwrap the shifting meaning of premium — not in luxury boutiques, but in supermarket aisles.

We talked about:

🍫 Why “premium” is less about price and more about emotion — joy, pride, even guilt

🌿 How ingredient integrity and exclusivity shape people’s perceptions

🛍️ The rise of premium private labels, blending aspiration with accessibility

🥂 And the small rituals — a Friday night meal, a mid-day chocolate — where people let themselves indulge.

This isn’t just about marketing strategy; it’s about understanding how consumers create moments of meaning through the products they choose.

What really keeps UK parents returning to the same children’s clothing brands—and what makes them switch?

In our latest podcast, I sat down with Quals.AI, our AI-powered qualitative research tool, to unpack the findings of a new study.

We explored the full wardrobe of loyalty drivers:

✅ Quality that survives pudding stains and playground tests

✅ Variety that lets kids express themselves (and saves parents extra trips)

✅ Value that eases the guilt of fast-growing wardrobes

✅ Customer service moments that create lasting emotional ties

✅ Convenience and speed—because parents don’t have time to waste

✅ Brand values like sustainability, trust, and social responsibility

But we also asked: what makes loyalty wobble? Poor quality, price hikes, missing sizes, clunky returns, or simply a better deal elsewhere.

👉 The big takeaway? Loyalty in children’s clothing is practical, emotional, and fragile. It must be re-earned with every wash, every checkout, every return.

For some, it’s just a bit of sparkle. For others, it’s a glimpse of childhood slipping away.

In this episode, I chat with my AI research partner, Quals.AI, about what happens when children’s cosmetics enter the lives of young girls — and the hearts and minds of their mothers.

Through in-depth interviews, we heard stories filled with joy, nostalgia, caution, and the constant balancing act between letting kids explore and keeping them safe.

💬 We share stories about:

• The first time a mother sees her child reach for makeup — and the emotions it stirs
• How makeup can be creative play or social pressure, depending on the context
• What “child-friendly” means to real parents, beyond the label on a box
• The quiet ways mothers model confidence and self-worth

These aren’t just conversations about products — they’re conversations about childhood, values, and the kind of world we want our kids to grow up in.