UCI’s Customer Experience Advisory Board Welcomes SoapBoxSample’s COO as Their Newest Member

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Jacqueline Rosales Joins Industry Thought Leaders to Guide the Next Generation of Professionals in CX

August 12, 2020, Los Angeles, CA — Research firm SoapBoxSample announced today that Jacqueline Rosales, COO of SoapBoxSample/icanmakeitbetter, will be joining the Advisory Board for the Customer Experience Program at the University of California-Irvine (UCI). With 25+ years in consumer research, Jacqueline Rosales was a natural fit for the Advisory Board role. Through her leadership at multiple insights firms she has demonstrated expertise in providing top brands with research they need to create great customer experiences. Consistent and collaborative research approaches enable brands to create feedback loops where consumers can feel heard and organizational strategy is supported by market insights.

“I am proud to share my knowledge and experiences with a group that will one day be among the leaders in their industries,” said Jacqueline Rosales. ”I’m excited to take this opportunity to give back to the industry and support the next wave of people who will contribute to the Customer Experience discipline.”

Executives from across the country are carefully selected by UCI to serve on the Advisory Board. They search for people who offer expertise within a multitude of industries in an effort to provide students with insights from industry thought leaders. The Program offers either a four-day, hands-on immersion program or an eight-week online program. Students will learn to apply principles that drive Customer Experience Innovation and the techniques developed by top companies. Jacqueline and other experts in their fields will be guide the students throughout the program.

UCI and SoapBoxSample also collaborated in the Spring of 2020 with a partnership to conduct epidemiological testing in an effort to understand the cumulative incidence of both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in Orange County, California. With experience in managing serosurveillance testing in Los Angeles County, SoapBoxSample was able to lend their expertise in reaching diverse, multicultural audiences to aid in this crucial research initiative. SoapBoxSample’s COVID-19 research was featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Business Insider, and the KTLA 5 Morning News.

SoapBoxSample Announces Exciting Partnership with WeedWeek

Industry leaders collaborate to provide research and insights in the cannabis space

WeedWeek, the go-to media company for diverse cannabis news, announced a collaborative partnership with market research firm, SoapBoxSample, creating a council consisting of thought leaders and influencers in the cannabis space. The council will provide insight into the fast-evolving landscape allowing followers to keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry.

SoapBoxSample continues to expand its leadership and position within the cannabis space not only as a research provider, but as a collaborative influencer for brands, ancillary businesses and anyone looking to grow and build a cannabis business or brand.

“It’s so exciting working in a space driven by belief and passion. The opportunity to help businesses survive and thrive in such an explosive industry is not only fulfilling, but exhilarating.” said SoapBoxSample COO,  Jacqueline Rosales. “Every day is something new – a new challenge and a new opportunity. It’s exciting to see the immediate impact of our work helping clients.”

WeedWeek and SoapBoxSample came together on the heels of NECANN, the largest Cannabis Convention on the East Coast with more than 100 speakers, 300 exhibitors and approximately 10,000 attendees. Jacqueline Rosales’ session entitled, “When Patients Become Customers: How Understanding Consumer Types Can Help Your Cannabis Business Survive the Green Rush”, explained how business owners and decision makers can better understand consumer needs and wants through the use of research.

The WeedWeek Council’s responses and ideas will appear in a dedicated section of the WeedWeek newsletter. The council will be comprised of 25-30 people from various backgrounds and expertise in the green space and members are selected based on a competitive application process.

WeedWeek was founded in 2015 by Alex Halperin when he saw a need for a media company covering the many facets of the cannabis industry. Helperin, a successful journalist who has written for Washington Post, LA Times, Huff Post, Hightimes and Business Insider also runs ReCharge Events as well as a podcast. WeedWeek covers politics, law, culture, health and business as they relate to cannabis.

“WeedWeek Council is an exciting new way WeedWeek will share exclusive insights on the green rush with our thousands of readers,” said Alex Halperin.

SoapBoxSample has been actively conducting cannabis research since 2016 and continues to expand its offerings. Most recently, SoapBoxSample launched the CANNApinon poll, a national bi-weekly survey of cannabis consumers whose insights enable industry-specific details on consumer needs and wants for dispensaries, growers, media companies, food and beverage producers, distributors, and the cannabis beauty industry.

WeedWeek and SoapBoxSample are now accepting applications for membership to the WeekWeed Council. For information on how to join, click here.

To learn more about SoapBoxSample’s cannabis offering, visit SoapBoxSample.com/cannabis

About WeedWeek: Founded by award winning journalist Alex Halperin, WeedWeek’s free newsletters aggregate the latest developments in cannabis politics, business, health and science, law and culture. And the podcast features interviews with the most interesting voices in the space. Smart, credible and free, WeedWeek is the best way to keep up with the green rush. Subscribe at WeedWeek.net.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

SoapBoxSample Launches the CANNApinion Poll — A Cannabis Consumer Feedback Offering

To meet the growing needs of cannabis businesses, SoapBoxSample launches bi-monthly poll of cannabis consumers

SoapBoxSample announces its newest research solution for cannabis businesses, the CANNApinion Poll. With the rapid growth of the cannabis marketplace nationwide, brands need reliable consumer feedback to thrive in a crowded market. The CANNApinion Poll meets this need by providing a platform for the cannabis industry to ask their target audience relevant questions, allowing them to discover emerging  trends and areas of growth opportunity.

“As we’ve seen with other emerging industries, the brands who understand consumer segments and how to market to them are the ones who will become legacy brands. The CANNApinion Poll is a way for brands to gain direct access to their target market, and understand the why behind consumer purchasing habits,” said Jacqueline Rosales, SoapBoxSample COO.

Market experts predict that cannabis brands will soon compete for finite retail space in prime locations. Dispensaries and delivery services will be forced to make choices about their inventory. The CANNApinion Poll will help brands respond quickly to the needs of their customers, ensuring that their products are the ones that stay on the shelves.

A new wave of the CANNApinion Poll runs every two weeks to allow clients to get timely answers to their most urgent business questions. With each new wave, clients are given the opportunity to submit questions as they look to gain actionable insights into growing pains and growth barriers that are present within the cannabis consumer experience. Each wave consists of 8-10 questions to ensure cannabis consumers are actively engaged within the poll and contribute robust data. Clients can submit multiple choice questions, open-ended questions, and display product images or videos.

The CANNApinion Poll is the first cannabis-specific service within SoapBoxSample’s portfolio of products. SoapBoxSample is an early thought leader embracing the cannabis space, and has been actively conducting cannabis research since 2016. Clients rely on SoapBoxSample to develop new products, crowdsource ideas, test ads and branding, test products and concepts, track consumer habits online, and gather in-the-moment feedback.

Q-insights Announces the Launch of Driven by Q-insights™, a New Automotive Research Division

To meet the growing need for innovative automotive research, Q-insights has expanded to include Driven by Q-insights™ in their portfolio of products

The official launch of Driven by Q-insights™ was announced today. To meet the growing needs of clients and the automotive industry as a whole, Q-insights has developed a division dedicated specifically to all types of automotive research.

For over a decade, Q-insights has consistently demonstrated outstanding performance in the automotive research space due to their unprecedented ability to recruit a wide spectrum of owners — from basic entry-level vehicles up to exotic and high-performance sports and luxury vehicles. The team has distinguished themselves with their ability to recruit hundreds of car owners (and intenders) over a short period of time, and their aptitude for gathering open and honest feedback. Driven by Q-insights™ will solidify the company’s continued commitment to exceeding the expectations of their current and future automotive clients.

“We are very proud to launch Driven by Q-insights™, a division that grew simply by listening to our clients’ evolving needs. Our team’s proactive approach to difficult data collection and wide range of coordination skills has enabled us to successfully execute some truly unique research,” said Linda Giniewicz, Senior Vice President of Q-insights.

Engineered to provide targeted access, the Driven by Q-insights™ suite of automotive research solutions includes car clinics, usability tests, focus groups, online research, quantitive telephone interviews, qualitative telephone interviews, quantitative telephone-to-web interviews, and ethnographic in-home research. By creating a division built around the unique needs of the automotive industry, Q-insights is able to successfully execute automotive projects of every size and scope.

Recognizing the ever-changing needs of the market, and building a portfolio around those needs, is the foundation of Q-insights’ business strategy. Earlier this year, they officially opened their second focus group facility in Marina del Rey, California. This creative and comfortable space has been a favorite among clients because of it’s convenient location near the beach and LAX and it’s state-of-the-art facilities.

In the Cannabis Market, Big Spenders Plan to Be Bigger Spenders

New research from SoapBoxSample reveals cannabis spending will increase even faster than expected, as new products attract big spenders in higher income brackets

 

Consumer spending on cannabis products is on the rise with no signs of slowing. A nation-wide poll conducted by SoapBoxSample uncovered that users intend to spend more on cannabis this year than last year, and even more next year. The study focused on a range of cannabis consumer types, their shopping habits and the motivations behind their purchasing decisions.

How do cannabis consumers currently get their supply? 52% buy their supply from a friend, 37% go to a dispensary and 18% shop online for cannabis. (This data includes people who shop in multiple outlets.) By narrowing in on the preferences of cannabis users with the spendiest habits, SoapBoxSample uncovered some trends unique to this group. Those who spent more than $101 dollars last month use cannabis products to relieve stress (65%), and also for enjoyment (50%), but not necessarily for social reasons (29%).

Not surprisingly, the biggest spenders are likely to buy in dispensaries, where they can browse through an array of different products. An unexpected finding is that 47% of users in this high-spending group rely on recommendations when deciding which dispensary to visit, compared to 32% of those in the lower-spending categories.

While big spenders are throwing down for premium products, they are also looking for deals. 44% of users in the high-spending group look for special offers for new users when choosing a dispensary to visit (compared with 31% of users who spend $51 – $100 per month, and 29% of users who spend $1 – $50).

The survey also revealed that the highest-spending group is looking forward to trying new products. Among respondents who have not tried them, edible baked goods or candies, topical ointments, vaporizers, and cannabis-enhanced beverages are a few of the products likely to be sampled in the next six months.

To predict trends in the cannabis maket, SoapBoxSample also looked at the preferences of users in high income brackets. Those with incomes of $100K+ are more likely to purchase cannabis products through a dispensary than those with lower incomes. Additionally, users who make over $100K per year are more likely to choose vaporizer or edible products that those who make between $50K and $99K.

As new dispensaries pop up, and competition tightens, consumer preferences will determine which locations will survive. SoapBoxSample revealed that when it comes to in-store cannabis buying, everyone wants a good price, but women are more concerned with the friendliness/helpfulness of dispensary employees (59% of females say they look for this quality when choosing a dispensary compared to 45% of males.) Another interesting finding — 20% of men say they look at advertising when choosing a dispensary, compared to 12% of females.

Every generation of dispensary shoppers say they look for price, location, and friendly employees. Baby Boomers are more likely than Gen Xers or Millennials to state that they look for friendly employees when finding a dispensary. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are more interested in the dispensary location than Millennials.

The survey results presented in this press release are part of a larger study of cannabis users (N=1,003) and non-users (N=502), fielded between June 28, 2018 and July 2, 2018, with a margin of error of +/- 3%.

To learn more about SoapBoxSample’s cannabis research, visit SoapBoxSample.com/cannabis