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This November, the Haystack team hit the stage in Utrecht and Bremen — two cities, two congresses, and a whole lot of sensory inspiration. From waffles to AI-driven insights, we shared stories about how research can feel more human, visual and connected.

How we learned, evolved, and unlocked their full potential. At Haystack, our ambition was simple: make qualitative research more agile, more inclusive of underrepresented voices, more scalable, and more accessible. That ambition sparked a journey. Today, that journey has led us to a powerful new capability: Virtual Audiences. But our way of working with Virtual Audiences did not fall into place instantly. It grew through curiosity, experimentation, and a great deal of learning. In this article, we take you along that learning curve, showing how our approach evolved, what we discovered along the way, and how Virtual Audiences now support us in faster and more flexible decision-making.

November = Black Friday. My inbox explodes, Instagram turns into a digital outlet, and suddenly I wonder if I really need yet another airfryer. Recognisable? You’re not alone. Black Friday isn’t just a shopping frenzy — it’s a lesson in psychology, dopamine, FOMO and our own buying behaviour.

Our struggle between desire and conscience on Black Friday. My e-mail inbox bursts open, Instagram turned into a bargain circus, and suddenly I’m questioning whether I need a second air fryer. Recognize the feeling? Black Friday isn’t just a sale, it’s where deal-hunting excitement meets FOMO with a brief whisper of conscience. This made us curious: how do Dutch and Belgian consumers experience this mix of pressure, excitement and guilt? Our research reveals the answer! To find out, we ran a short study among adults (18+) who are responsible or co-responsible for household purchases.

November is shaping up to be a month of stories, insights and sensory inspiration. You’ll find us on three stages, sharing how curiosity, technology and human understanding come together.

Interest in weight-loss medication is growing. From medical professionals to social media influencers, we hear about it more and more. But where does public opinion stand in Belgium and The Netherlands?

You head to the supermarket for your weekly shop, but the shelves look different. A small card says “temporarily out of stock”, prices are higher, and the packs seem smaller. As you look around, the pattern repeats across aisles: Olive oil and coffee have become more expensive, juice packs have shrunk, and familiar household products are missing.

The National Foundation for Elderly has released a press statement that cuts to the heart of an often-overlooked reality: many older people don’t just feel lonely, they feel like a burden. That feeling quietly stops them from reaching out, even when the need for connection is urgent. According to the National Elderly Survey 2025, one in five Dutch seniors (22%) experiences severe loneliness. In total, half of all respondents said they feel lonely to some degree. And yet, behind the statistics is a repeating refrain: “I don’t want to be in the way.”

Video has become the superstar of market research. It captures that sparkle in someone’s eye when they open a pack, the wrinkle of a nose at an unexpected odor, the little pause before a verdict. It’s real, it’s human, it’s unfiltered. And it’s so much more powerful than a number on a scale. But here’s the catch: when you ask hundreds of consumers to share their experience on camera, you don’t end up with “a few” videos. You end up with a mountain of footage. Dozens of hours, maybe hundreds. Buried in that mountain are golden nuggets—the little sparks that make a concept shine or reveal a hidden pain point. And until now, finding them was a slow treasure hunt.

We were present at the Sensory symposium in Pangborn this summer, were we had the chance to share the behind-the-scenes of our collaboration with Jules Destrooper. If you missed this event, we have wrapped it up in a one-pager that’s easy to digest.

Picture this: thousands of people, vibrating to the music, engaging with all kinds of experiences that music festivals have to offer. Brands of course are right around the corner. All the major festivals go hand in hand with the presence of all kinds of brands – stretching from Telecom to banking, to food & drinks. But the days of handing out branded cups and tote bags are over. Today, it’s about creating moments people will remember and talk about long after the festival dust settles. More and more brands are stepping up to the challenge.

Don’t consider price as the afterthought. As it highly influences your value proposition. Aim to be as agile with it as possible.

Followup to “The Power of Video in Research” In our previous piece, we explored how video transforms market research by putting real voices and faces front and centre. This time, we’re sharing the funny side of video: what happens when respondents record themselves unsupervised—and cracking open unexpected insights.

With everyone on holiday we felt, we needed to take care of ourselves as well. So we enjoyed a nice afterwork drink at the Dutch office (called VrijMiBo in Dutch; a name totally unknown to our Belgian colleagues: culture eats strategy for breakfast, as they say…). And as consultants are curious about everything, we were also curious about how many employees actually have these afterwork drinks and what they think about it and obviously, if this could entail an opportunity for you, our beloved (near future) clients 😊. So we checked this together with our friends at Dynata. Representative sampling in both The Netherlands and Belgium. My instinct would say that Belgians are more Burgundian but what do the numbers say?

In the ever-evolving world of AI, a range of new capabilities is beginning to shape how we approach market research. One that’s already proving especially valuable is the use of Virtual Audiences. These intelligent, data-driven profiles are opening up a new dimension in how we understand consumers, bringing us closer to the “why” behind the numbers. At Haystack, we've been pioneering the use of Virtual Audiences in client work for over a year, and the results have been truly eye-opening, both for us and the client.

Let me admit it right away: I never celebrated my 50th birthday. No party, no cake, no balloons, and no “Sarah” sign in the front garden (thank goodness). Not because I didn’t have time or forgot, but simply because I didn’t want to admit I was turning fifty. I was in denial. And honestly? I still am, a little. Not because I have trouble with the idea of getting older, but because the world around me seems to have so much more trouble with it than I do. Looking back, skipping that milestone might just have been the healthiest decision I’ve made in years.

The world today? Let’s be honest – it feels increasingly unsettled. There’s war on Europe’s borders, rising digital threats, climate anxiety, and growing geopolitical tension. It’s a lot to take in. And frankly, the notion that safety was once a given now feels a little naive. Yet, in the middle of this turbulence, I find a sense of reassurance in how we, as a society, are starting to regroup. While worry is still part of my reality, I also sense a shift. A new kind of mindset is emerging. We're slowly preparing ourselves for a different era. Not through panic, but through awareness. Prepare yourself. Think about your role. Pack an emergency kit. Consider where you might be able to contribute in a crisis. And this shift? It's becoming especially clear in how Defence is now communicating with us.

Empowered by AI, scamming is performed at a increasingly larger scale than ever before. So, we were interested in the numbers… Have inhabitants from The Netherlands and Belgium experienced scams recently?

We’re in the midst of a seismic shift in the insights and intelligence industry. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), innovation processes are evolving rapidly—becoming smarter, faster, and more responsive to consumer needs. At Haystack Consulting, our innovation department is proudly tech-agnostic: we select only the best tools fit for purpose, and today we’re sharing key insights into how AI is transforming the entire innovation journey—from discovery to launch.

We will be on stage with our video based platform and our beloved client to talk about the power of video.

I’ll admit it: I’m hooked on video. Not just for Netflix marathons or binging short videos of..... anything, but in my work, too. There’s something so magnetic about it. It draws you in, holds your attention, and leaves an impression long after it’s over.

The beauty industry is experiencing a game-changing moment with the rise of dupes. For those not familiar with the term: affordable alternatives to high-end products that mimic their formulas, packaging or performance. If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram or TikTok and seen someone raving about a €10 moisturizer that “works just like La Mer,” you’ve witnessed the dupe revolution in action.

Consumer research tells you what people like. An essential insight when shaping successful products. But what if you could also understand why they respond the way they do? In a world where first impressions are everything, combining subjective input with technical precision gives you a sharper edge. Sensory research uncovers that hidden layer, translating instinctive reactions into actionable data. When the two approaches work together, you move from intuition to clarity and from good to unforgettable.

Can AI really reflect human behavior? Can it hold space for contradictions? Can it feel human enough to spark insight? Turns out, it can. But it only works if we, as researchers, meet it halfway. Together with our client Lamb Weston, we ran a pilot to understand snacking habits in France. We didn’t recruit focus groups. We didn’t fly out for in-depth interviews. Instead, we talked to Virtual Audiences. And it worked.

It feels nowadays that we’ve reached the ‘Final Countdown’, to memorize the song of the 80s glam metal band Europe, in our relationship with the USA. Still, to quote Winston Churchill: ‘Never waste a good crisis’, maybe we as Europeans need to play to our strengths or reframe our weaknesses, to come out as the winner.

In today’s fast-moving business landscape, market research often prioritizes younger generations, assuming their preferences and behaviors drive broader consumer trends. Millennials and Gen Z are frequently at the forefront of research due to their strong influence on digital innovation, social media, and consumer spending habits. However, this youth-centric focus risks overlooking older generations, such as Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation. By underrepresenting these demographics, businesses are missing out on a growing and economically powerful consumer segment. We often receive requests to recruit participants up to age 65 or even younger. How do you address this in your research?

What a day it was at MIE 2025! We can look back on an extremely successful presentation, given in a room filled to the rafters with experts from our field.

How Milka’s Marketing Team encircles Merci’s mental monopoly on the chocolate gifting category entry point (CEP). Plus did Haystack’s AI virtual audience provide alternative solutions?

A study with a virtual audience in the Netherlands on how insurance companies can become and stay relevant for GenZ

A success story by adopting How Brands Grow

For all those times when sustainable plans don't work out as intended, we developed the Fail versus Nail Matrix.

It’s not easy to stand out in the crowded plant-based food industry. It’s even harder to create products that balance nutrition and taste.

The study was a close collaboration with Haystack Consulting and commissioned by IKEA Belgium, CAW and AMA.

Haystack Consulting is thrilled to unveil a game-changing partnership with Nexxt Intelligence that brings a new dimension to research – Inca Smartprobe.

Few industries change as rapidly as the world of food and beverages. To stay ahead of the game, you need to innovate at the speed of light.

Analyzing the codes, signs, and symbols used in packaging and other forms of communication to convey the values and benefits of vegan products.

In written responses, it's challenging to truly express your feelings. By using voice, respondents can add subtle nuances and express their emotions more freely, adding great value to the survey.

Haystack Consulting has been exploring the immense potential of AI tools on product and packaging development during consumer feedback moments.

Retailers have become adept at not wasting a good crisis. After each crisis, they come out as winners, besting A-brands with higher shares. The game is on for A-brands, especially for A-brands that don’t act.

There’s something wrong with the food we consume today. All too often, our food chain is focused on sensory pleasure. This not only affects our health; the environment is hurting too. Packaging waste, withering natural resources and pollution have a major impact on our planet.

How do you conduct market research when your business is only getting started? With a low budget and little knowledge about the market, many young companies face the same challenge.