Angelfish Fieldwork

In research contexts, memory recall isn’t always perfect.

We summarise. We rationalise. We describe the version of our routine that makes the most sense afterwards.

Video ethnography captures something different.

The product that gets picked up, then put back. The shortcut someone has created because they don't have the time or energy for any form of friction. The everyday trade-offs people might never think to mention in an interview.

Our latest blog explores how video ethnography can help brands get closer to real behaviour, why it works so well for modern participants and what it takes to keep the insight meaningful.

Because the goal is not simply to collect data for data’s sake. It is to understand people in the moments that matter.

Video Ethnography in Customer Closeness Research | Angelfish Fieldwork Discover why video ethnography is becoming a valuable part of customer closeness research, helping brands capture real behaviour and in-the-moment insight.

Ever watched someone spend five minutes deciding between two nearly identical products?

It's fascinating.

It's also a reminder that consumers don't make decisions in neat, logical steps. They're influenced by price, packaging, habit, convenience, whoever they're shopping with... sometimes all at once.

That's why we love shopper research. It gets researchers out of the viewing facility and into the real world, where the interesting stuff actually happens.

It's one of the reasons we included it in our Customer Closeness series. If you haven't read this one yet, we'd recommend starting here.

How Shopper Research Helps Brands Get Closer to Their Customers How shopper research helps brands get closer to their customers. Explore research methods like accompanied shopping, intercepts and digital ethnography.

Wow. We know we’re good, but elite? That’s just made our day.

One of the things we’re proudest of here at Angelfish is our excellent opt-in community, which we’ve built organically over many years.

Because great research starts with great respondents.

And whilst we have plenty going on behind the scenes to make sure the participants we put forward for our clients are the best of the best, we also think participant care plays a huge role in why our community rates us so highly.

We reach out to respondents after every project to understand their experience, often passing their feedback on to the client teams we work with, as well as looking at what we did well and where we can improve.

Because participant experience matters.

Clear communication matters.

Feeling looked after matters.

And when respondents feel valued, they’re more likely to show up, engage properly, and bring their honest opinions to the research.

Which is exactly what everyone wants.

Thank you to Alisha, Santokh, and Mudassar for such lovely feedback.

Elite. We’ll take that.

Find out who is in our community here: https://hubs.li/Q04nmjt-0

How do teenagers want to spend their time after exams?

According to parents in our Angelfish Opinions pulse, the top post-exam spending categories were:

Food, drinks and eating out: 32%
Clothing and fashion: 21%
Holidays and travel: 18%
Festivals, concerts and events: 10%

After a long stretch of pressure, it's small rewards and social time that come out on top, not big-ticket purchases.

That's relevant context for FMCG, retail, fashion, travel and experience brands. Not because exam season needs to become a campaign hook, but because the moment shapes what people are receptive to. Real-life context changes what feels useful and what gets noticed.

If you're planning research with young people, parents or families, we'd be glad to help:

https://hubs.li/Q04nm0tP0

AI has made it into the revision toolkit, but it hasn't taken over.

In our latest Angelfish Opinions pulse, 75% of parents said their teenager had used at least one AI tool while preparing for exams. ChatGPT was by far the most common, used by around 58% of respondents. Google Gemini came in at 28%, Snapchat My AI at 18%, and Claude at 12%.

But when parents were asked what had been most helpful overall, school and teachers came out on top (34%). AI tools came in at 18%.

What that tells us: AI is genuinely in the mix, but it's one layer in a much messier reality. Teenagers are piecing together teachers, revision apps, YouTube, TikTok, family support, music, and AI... whatever feels useful in the moment.

For anyone researching young people or designing products for them, the more interesting question isn't whether they're using AI. It's what they're using it for, what they trust it with, and when they still want a human in the loop.

Our thinking on AI in market research is here if it's useful:

https://hubs.li/Q04nlB3L0

We ran a quick pulse survey with parents from our Angelfish Opinions community now that UK exam season has wrapped up. We wanted to know how their teenagers actually experienced it – the stress, the revision, the plans for after.

The stat that stuck with us: 49% of parents said their teenager was more stressed than they'd expected.

That's not just about revision. It plays out in sleep, in conversations at home, in the general atmosphere of the house for weeks. Parents are managing all of that in real time, not just the logistics of exam prep.

It's why staying close to a live, engaged community matters. We're not capturing this retrospectively – we're talking to the people living it now.

More from this pulse over the coming days. And if you want to see who you could reach through Angelfish Opinions, our community stats are worth a look:

https://hubs.li/Q04nlPZh0

Friendship pair research can be brilliant for kids and teens because, let’s be honest, children rarely form opinions in isolation.

They’re influenced by friends, siblings, classmates, games, trends, group chats, YouTube, TikTok, hobbies and the very specific logic of “everyone else has one”.

Put two children who know each other in a session together and you often get a more natural conversation.

But friendship pairs do need careful planning.

You’re not just recruiting one child. You’re recruiting two families, managing consent from both sides, coordinating diaries, keeping criteria realistic, and making sure the dynamic actually adds something to the research.

Read our top tips in full here:

How to Run Friendship Pair Research with Children and Teens Friendship pair research with children can unlock richer insight, but it needs careful recruitment, consent and safeguarding. Here’s how to plan it!

Recruiting kids? Timing matters.

For many families, the UK summer holidays are on their way (or may already be here)!

Sorry if you’re a parent and that sentence just raised your heart rate slightly.

When planning fieldwork with children, teenagers or Gen Alpha audiences, it’s easy to focus on the sample, screener, consent process and methodology.

But timing matters too.

School holidays can be one of the best windows for kids’ research because families often have more flexibility, children are not tied to school hours, and there can be more space for online tasks, interviews or family-based research.

So consider this your reminder from us.

If you’re planning research with kids or teenagers this summer, now is a great time to get things moving.

Chat through your plans with us here:
https://hubs.li/Q04nfpPC0

It's full-on World Cup fever here at Angelfish Fieldwork.

(And yes, there may or may not be a very competitive sweepstake happening behind the scenes...)

But it got us thinking about something we see time and time again in research.

Major cultural moments like the World Cup create something that's increasingly rare: shared experiences.

Millions of people are watching the same thing, talking about the same thing and feeling part of the same conversation.

As Lisa recently put it:

"I think it’s about creating community [...] the buzz, the happiness, the celebrating together, talking to your neighbour on the train, in the queue at the supermarket. This is a human instinct – we need unity, we thrive in community, and we tend to enjoy a common goal."

That's exactly why moments like these can be such powerful opportunities for brands and researchers. People are engaged, emotional and actively sharing opinions.

We explored this idea in more detail in our latest blog:

https://hubs.li/Q04kSdgM0

Have you spotted any interesting World Cup conversations or behaviours emerging already?

Why Cultural Trends Create Better Research Opportunities Big cultural moments don’t just grab attention – they create conditions for human qual research. Here’s why cultural trends are researchers’ secret weapon.

"When you get insight wrong, it's not just inefficient spend. It's missed impact."

That line from our latest article sums up why research in the third sector deserves a different approach.

The people charities most need to understand are often the hardest to reach.

Which means good research isn't just about methodology. It's about accessibility. Trust. Representation. And making sure the right voices are in the room.

Our latest guide explores some of the challenges (and opportunities) that come with conducting research in the third sector.

Conducting Market Research in the Third Sector | Angelfish Fieldwork A practical guide to market research in the third sector. Learn how to reach the right audiences, run qualitative studies, and uncover meaningful insights.