INSIGHT. STRATEGY. CREATIVE
We’re a specialist consumer research agency in London, UK made up of diverse minds that helps guide brands into new territories through hyper-nuanced consumer research and cultural insights.
CULTURE-CENTRIC
CONSUMER RESEARCH
At NERDS, our commitment to offering industry-leading consumer intelligence has consistently set us apart in the dynamic field of brand strategy and positioning. By diving deep into unique cultural paradigms, we surface insights that empower brands with a razor-sharp cultural understanding, acting as their compass in navigating the labyrinth of the ever-evolving consumer landscape.
In today's digital age, cultural resonance isn't just beneficial—it's essential. Brands need to tap into this intangible yet influential realm, leveraging social dynamics that may seem opaque but hold profound power in shaping consumer perceptions. This approach is more than just a strategy; it's a philosophy we live by. We understand that for a brand to thrive and maintain its relevance, it needs to hold significant cultural currency. Such currency doesn't just boost brand visibility but ensures unwavering consumer loyalty, laying the foundation for enduring brand sustainability.
Our identity as the pioneering consumer research agency stems from our expertise in cultural intelligence. We delve beyond superficial consumer patterns, aiming to unravel the core of your audience's ecosystem. By doing so, we highlight opportunities for brands to pivot towards consumer-centric strategies, steeped in authentic cultural understanding. The insights we bring forth are not mere observations; they are the very essence that can elevate a brand's cachet, fortifying its position in the aspirational economy, ensuring its relevance for years to come.
What's often unspoken in the world of brand strategy is the importance of reaching those elusive consumer segments—the ones that remain hard-to-reach yet hold immense potential.
Our holistic approach ensures we bridge this gap. While many companies grapple with understanding these consumer groups, we, at NERDS, have developed methodologies that not only identify but also forge emotive bonds with them.
Our robust in-house research portal, Frontline, is a testament to our dedication and expertise. Here, data isn't just collected—it's transformed. Translated into actionable insights, it paves the way for brands to foster deep cultural connections. A standout feature of our approach is our collaboration ethos. By co-authoring our research alongside grassroots communities, we ensure that the strategies we recommend are aligned with the very movements a brand seeks to be a part of.
The contemporary consumer is discerning. They gravitate towards brands that mirror their cultural values and lifestyle choices. Recognising this shift, we've fine-tuned our strategies, aiding brands in resonating with these evolved consumer preferences.
Our four-step methodology transforms our research findings into easy-to-understand and actionable strategic insight and connections principles that deliver powerful cultural relevance and high commercial value.
The challenge
Hypothesis
Strategic Recommendations
Creative Solutions
WE UTILISE OUR IN-HOUSE PROPRIETARY RESEARCH PLATFORM AND CONSUMER SPECIALISM TO SURFACE GLOBAL CONSUMER INSIGHT WITH A SUB-CULTURAL LENS.
A global network of 200 hyper-local cultural authorities
Real time cultural intel
Trend forecasting
Surfacing consumer-centric cultural relevance
20,000+ international community
16-25 year olds
Street Culture Inspired Consumers
Middle to lower socio-economic status
They prioritise spending on branded goods
Driving mass trends
Fuelling the street culture phenomenon that’s dominating global youth culture
A unique tech-platform for consumer research and consultation
Housed on our own dynamic app
Consumer profiling and segmentation
Real-time interface
Real-time insights
Product and comms testing, spanning both quantitative and qualitative methods, guarantees your products are rooted in your target consumers' needs and desires.
Cultural immersions put your brand leaders at the centre of your consumer landscape, spending time in their world, offering candid, all-access insight into their mindsets, preferences, belief systems and brand needs, highlighting how to create a more engaging point of connection.
Psychographic profiling provides detailed consumer traits as well as attitudes, habits, and interests that can be divided into sub-segments – for deeper analysis and more focused targeting.
Ethnography is a research methodology that observes respondents in their everyday lives to demonstrate how they spend their time and how they interact with brands and their environment. Smartphone Ethnography lets respondents capture and broadcast snippets throughout their daily lives, documenting their interactions within their environment, providing direct and real-time insight.
Quantitative Research, otherwise known as “quant”, refers to the process of gathering numerical data and analysis. This provides clients with objective findings relating to a much more diverse and robust respondent sample and can be used to extend conclusions about wider audience segments.
Qualitative Research, otherwise known as“qual”, focuses on smaller respondent numbers and deeper, richer interview formats such as in-depth interviews, ethnographic studies, and focus groups etc. This methodology surfaces detailed and emotionally rich results. When coupled with quant research, qual can expand on and contextualise numerical data.
NERDS works across a spectrum of quant and qual methodologies, including building bespoke brand panels, curating candid focus groups and hosting compelling and thought-provoking consumer/client sessions.
In 2013, Luke Hodson launched the NERDS Collective, not just as a youth culture specialist, but as a visionary consumer research agency, aiming to anchor brands firmly within the heart of street culture. This positioning was achieved through unparalleled consumer insights, strategic cultural foresight, and innovative creative content. More than just market research, our aim was, and remains, to illuminate and uplift inner-city individuals and grassroots communities, striving to find the avenues where brands can weave meaningful stories into the very fabric of their lives.
The roots of our agency dig deep into URBAN NERDS, a hallmark live music platform conceived in the bustling lanes of London’s East End back in 2007. Dedicated to celebrating underground sounds and supporting emerging talent, URBAN NERDS orchestrated legendary warehouse parties, club residencies, and festivals, propelling raw British talent onto stages spread across Europe. As a consumer research agency that's been immersing itself in and shaping youth culture since '07, it’s our rich legacy that bestows upon us an unmatched authenticity.
Since 2010, governmental allocations towards youth initiatives have dwindled by a staggering 70%. We firmly posit that brands, with their vast resources and influence, are ideally placed to catalyse positive change within youth communities who, despite their challenges, are the very pulse driving the cultural value for myriad brands.
Our mission, as a leading consumer research agency, is unambiguous: to sculpt brands that not only resonate with youth culture but also champion the cause of the marginalised, the unrepresented, and the under-resourced youth.
Passionately Nerdy about youth culture since '07.
Nerds is more than just a global street culture specialist; we are a pioneering consumer research agency with a specialisation in youth culture. For over ten years, we have been committed to decoding the intricate tapestry of cultural landscapes, pinpointing the unique spots where brands can genuinely resonate and make a difference. This unwavering focus has solidified our reputation, leading iconic brands like Nike, Ciroc, and Levi’s to seek our expertise in understanding and connecting with the global street culture youth consumer.
Our proprietary research platform, Frontline, is the epitome of our commitment as a consumer research agency. Exclusively honed in on the global street culture youth consumer, Frontline harnesses our profound cultural insights. When this data-driven approach converges with our culture-first problem-solving strategy, it results in unparalleled depth and actionable strategies for our partners.
Choosing Nerds means opting for a consumer research agency that doesn't just present numbers but deciphers the stories and narratives hidden within, creating bridges between brands and the youth pulsating at the heart of global youth culture.
A consumer insights agency is a specialist agency that delivers audience-focused research studies and strategic insights.
Insight is a strategic narrative surrounding the data collected to understand, unpick and explain consumer audience behaviour.
Nerds’ consumer specialism spans 16-35 year-olds from across the globe. Our approach can be applied to all demographics.
At NERDS, we deliver a mixed mythology approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative disciplines.
NERDS is a global consumer insights agency that has been delivering global projects for the last ten years.
