The ISA Group Announces Two Key Promotions, Supporting Expansion of Community and Analytics Offerings

Jennifer Holland promoted to Vice President of Research & Analytics; Julie McClammy to Director, Research & Analytics Division.

Insights firm ISA announced two major promotions today that will support the continued expansion of ISA’s Full Service Research & Analytics Division. Jennifer Holland will assume the role of Vice President of Research & Analytics and Julie McClammy will serve as Director, Research & Analytics, effective immediately. In their expanded roles, Holland and McClammy will focus on delivering strategic research and analysis to ISA’s growing roster of blue chips clients, including Fortune 500 brands like IBM, insights firms, public policy and public health organizations, and the nation’s top colleges and universities.

These promotions tie in to the larger company goals of expanding community services, servicing clients like IBM, and offering clients high-level thought partnerships.

“Jennifer and Julie have both played a critical role in the success and the growth of ISA and we are thrilled to promote them to these roles,” said Jacqueline Rosales, President of ISA. “When our company pivoted in early 2020 to assisting public health officials with measuring the spread of COVID-19, Jennifer led these vital studies and continues to oversee Covid-related projects today. Julie has been directing our Full Service team since joining us in 2019. Julie designed and managed the first-ever in-home usage test with cannabis products containing THC in 2020. These are just two examples of their ground-breaking work and commitment to high-level thought partnership.”

In her new role, Jennifer will be focusing on expanding market share of current clients in the Full Service and Community space, driving marketplace expansion, and partnering with the Material team and clients to diversify and expand service offerings. Jennifer has 25+ years of experience in market research and brings with her a passion for connecting consumers and businesses using insights and data. She has a focus on assisting clients in meeting their research objectives and guiding them through the correct methodology and sample planning, while coordinating research services support. Jennifer has worked with clients in a myriad of industries including CPG, QSR, Healthcare, Public Policy, Energy and Utilities.

In addition to delivering comprehensive insights to her clients, Julie will be working closely with senior executives across the larger Material organization to design thorough and precise research studies. Julie will continue to manage the Full-Service/Community Insights Research Team in her new role. Julie has 35+ years of experience in market research, emphasizing advanced analytics and segmentation. She is a visionary in pursuit of research excellence, innovation and quality. She inspires internal consultants to maximize impact through intelligent design and strategic analysis and consults with clients on sampling, weighting, and cross-cultural comparability. Julie also has diversified experience in all phases of consumer market research, as well as experience in Entertainment Marketing, PR and Promotions measurement.

ISA and Vertosa Announce Upcoming Live Event Exploring Branding and Marketing for Cannabis-infused Beverages

The virtual event taking place on July 27th will include the best-selling author of Branding Bud along with business leaders from WUNDER and Pabst Labs

ISA and Vertosa announced today the speaker lineup for their upcoming webinar: “Category Creators: Marketing and Branding for Cannabis Beverages.” Alexi Chialtas, CEO of WUNDER, David Paleschuck, Author of Branding Bud: The Commercialization of Cannabis and Mark Faicol, Brand Manager at Pabst Labs, will join the live event starting at 1 pm PST on July 27, 2021. This engagement is the third in a series of webinar events stemming from a strategic partnership between ISA and Vertosa.
The infused beverage market is expanding rapidly, driven by consumer curiosity and innovative product development. With new cannabis beverages launching almost every day, brands must constantly create and maintain excitement around their product. ISA and Vertosa developed this content specifically to bring to light new marketing strategies, concepts and approaches. The panel of experts will explore the question of what consumers are really looking for and how marketers can speak directly to their needs. Additionally, ISA will be releasing new data and insights showcasing the enormous potential of the infused beverage market.
“Our panel brings together a diverse group of powerful industry leaders, each with their own unique perspective and in-depth knowledge of both the cannabis beverages market, and the cannabis industry as a whole,” said Jacqueline Rosales, President of ISA. Jacqueline will moderate the event and lead the conversation about marketing and branding for cannabis beverages. The event is free and open to the public. 

Register Here

4/20 Celebrations Rebound After Covid

Poll results from ISA indicate significant boosts in dispensary visits, gifting and trying new products for 4/20/2021

There’s a dramatic shift in the way cannabis consumers across the U.S. will be celebrating the 4/20 cannabis holiday this year, according to poll results from insights firm ISA, a Material Company. This year more consumers plan to host friends at home, visit dispensaries and celebrate in public places, such as live events or restaurants. This comparison is based on survey results from another ISA study fielded in April of 2020.

The percentage of cannabis consumers who say they will celebrate the holiday in some way has now outpaced pre-COVID-19 levels. In 2019, 70% of cannabis consumers said they would celebrate the 4/20 holiday. That percentage has jumped to 78% in 2021.

The most significant variance from 2020 poll results has been among people who say they are planning to celebrate 4/20 with friends at home. In 2019, before the pandemic, 58% of consumers who planned to participate in the holiday said they would celebrate at home with friends. That number dipped to 29% in April of 2020, and has now rebounded to 55%, indicating a return to normalcy for cannabis consumers who celebrate by hosting private events.

The findings could indicate the cannabis industry will experience a significant uptick in sales on and around April 20th, with more people venturing out to their local dispensary. The percentage of cannabis consumers who say they will visit a dispensary to celebrate 4/20 rose from 13% in 2020 to 30% in 2021, coming in slightly above the 2019 percentage of 26%. Additionally, more consumers plan to purchase 4/20 gifts for friends and family in 2021, compared to 2020. The 2021 poll revealed that 37% of consumers who celebrate 4/20 plan to buy gifts for others, while 16% reported doing so in 2020. Another positive sign for dispensaries and cannabis brands is that a significant number of consumers (40%) are planning to try a new product as part of their holiday celebration, up from 21% in 2020.

“The cannabis industry grew steadily throughout the pandemic,” said Adriana Hemans, ISA’s VP of Demand. “What’s exciting about the early poll results from 2021 is that cannabis consumers are coming together again for 4/20, seeking novel experiences with new products. Those products could potentially become part of their regular cannabis routines, providing additional growth opportunities for brands.” ISA will continue to gather data and insights from cannabis consumers in the days leading up to April 20th, providing business analysts, industry experts and media outlets with ongoing updates on consumer behaviors related to the 4/20 holiday. Figures presented in this press release are based on three studies – a nationwide poll of 1,001 cannabis consumers fielded April 26th through April 29th of 2019, with a 3% margin of error at a 95% level of confidence; a nationwide poll of 420 cannabis consumers fielded April 18th through April 20th of 2020, with a 5% margin of error at a 95% level of confidence, and a nationwide poll of 420 cannabis consumers with a 5% margin of error at a 95% level of confidence. To qualify for inclusion in all of these studies, participants indicated that they are over 21 years old and had purchased or consumed cannabis in the last 90 days. Participants in the 2021 study were gathered through ISA’s proprietary cannabis research panel – The Green Time.

 

Cannabis Consumers 4/20 Celebration Plans

SoapBoxSample Will Provide Critical Data for USC-LA County COVID Research Collaboration

LRW’s Access Division, SoapBoxSample will assist USC and Los Angeles County with antibody testing and behavioral surveys of LA residents to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of COVID-19

March 29, 2021, Los Angeles, CA — LRW, a Material company will join forces with the University of Southern California (USC) and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) to conduct the Los Angeles Pandemic Surveillance Cohort Study, which is designed to track changes in residents’ health and wellbeing as well as gauge behavioral effects of the pandemic within the region. The complex study of 3,000 county residents will involve multiple touch points – including COVID antibody testing and re-testing at timed intervals, along with surveys to measure residents’ behavioral patterns and test hypotheses significant to public health.

The collaborative project is an early initiative within the Population Health COVID-19 Pandemic Research Center (CPRC), part of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. It brings together multi-disciplinary thought leaders from medical, health and public policy fields of academic research, LA County medical and public health officials and experts in sampling strategies, analysis and research design from LRW’s Access Divison – SoapBoxSample.  Principle investigators of the Los Angeles Pandemic Surveillance Cohort Study include Professor Howard Hu, MD MPH ScD, of the Keck School of Medicine at USC; Professor Neeraj Sood, PhD, of the Price School of Policy at USC; Rani Kotha, JD MPH, of the Price School of Policy at USC; Paul Simon, MD MPH, of the LACDPH, and Will Nichols, MD MPH, of the LACDPH.

“Our partnership with USC and LA County began last year, when SoapBox was brought on as a partner for the first COVID antibody research in LA County. We will continue to provide critical insights as we strive toward restoring normalcy in LA County,” said Jacqueline Rosales, President of LRW’s Access Division. It’s the most challenging yet rewarding work of my 25+ year career in the data insights industry. ISA has been headquartered in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years, and our deep roots in the community make us uniquely suited for this groundbreaking research engagement.”

SoapBoxSample will recruit a representative sample of 3,000 LA County residents, including 2,000 adults and 1,000 children. Participants will be recruited from neighborhoods with high, medium and low population densities. By including a diverse cross-section of the LA community that represents multiple age groups, socioeconomic strata, genders, and the racial and ethnic makeup of the county, this study aims to shed light on the potentially inequitable impact of the pandemic. The overall goal is to generate data on the “true” prevalence of COVID-19 infections, as well as it’s progression over a defined period of time.

Thus far, SoapBoxSample has assisted with COVID-19 antibody testing for over 5,000 California residents. County-wide testing programs in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and Stanislaus County have leveraged SoapBoxSample to reach and test representative samples of their populations, empowering health officials to develop public health policies supported by critical data.

“Even as the vaccination campaign proceeds and continuing measures such as masking, social distancing and other guidelines are embraced, it is clear that this pandemic has a long way to go,” said Howard Hu, professor and the Flora L. Thornton Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. “A rigorous understanding of the pandemic’s ongoing impact will be critical to devising the public health strategies to navigate this current situation and to allow us to return to some form of ‘normalcy’ as quickly and safely as possible.”

ISA Group Launches First Ever Cannabis Consumer Research Panel

The Green Time is a cannabis-focused research community, providing feedback to a multitude of cannabis brands

SoapBoxSample, a member of The ISA Group, announced today the launch of their new cannabis-focused research panel – The Green Time. The first of its kind, The Green Time is composed of both cannabis consumers and industry professionals. The community was created to gather open and honest feedback about cannabis products, brands and services. The goal is to fuel brands with data and insights, helping cannabis companies develop a strategic advantage through the deep understanding of their customers and future customers. The U.S. cannabis market is expected to top $40 billion annually by 2025, according to projections published by Forbes magazine.

“We believe in empowering the cannabis community through research. The brands of tomorrow rely on feedback from consumers to improve their products, services and marketing,” said Jacqueline Rosales, President of the ISA Group. “We believe that the new era of cannabis will be driven by data and shaped by the people who use it and love it.”

The Green Time was developed to meet a specific need within the market – quick and targeted access to cannabis consumers. The ISA Group is committed to constantly updating its products and services to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Brands can target consumers based on their preferred delivery form, frequency of consumption, method of obtaining, monthly spend, and other lifestyle considerations. All members of the Green Time are subject to a rigorous screening process, including identity authentication checks and age confirmation (21+) through Imperium’s Veritas and Relevant ID services. In addition, SoapBoxSample applies its own in-house security processes to ensure the highest-quality participants in all research studies.

The ISA Group is committed to moving the cannabis industry forward. Their cannabis research has been featured in Mg Magazine, Marijuana Venture and The Cannigma. Their ongoing research explores a variety of topics, including different types of cannabis gifters (Traditional, Shared-experience, Altruistic) and the effect of COVID-19 on cannabis consumers. In March 2020, a significant portion of cannabis consumers began turning to cannabis products for wellness and emotional health reasons. Among those who reported consuming more cannabis since the COVID-19 outbreak, 60% said they were doing so to relieve stress, 57% to ease anxiety and 34% were consuming to combat cabin fever.

In November of 2020, The ISA Group announced their strategic partnership with Vertosa, a leading hemp and cannabis technology company based in Oakland, CA that provides customized emulsion systems for infused beverages, edibles, cosmetics, and more. The partnership combines ISA’s research on the unique attitudes and experiences of cannabis customers with Vertosa’s experience in bringing cannabis-infused products to the market. They recently partnered on a cannabis webinar titled, “From Concept to Conception,” which featured two female Co-Founders in the cannabis beverage space. During this webinar, the ISA Group shared insights about cannabis beverage consumers and described the biggest hurdles for cannabis beverage makers.

Consumers interested in becoming a member of The Green Time, can find out if they qualify here: www.TheGreenTime.com.

About SoapBoxSample and ISA Group

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.

We believe that the new era of cannabis will be driven by data. Brands that deeply understand their customers have a strategic advantage. We connect cannabis brands with the people who matter most – their customers (and future customers). We provide guidance on the best ways to engage your target audience, and how to ask the questions that will support your business objectives. Clients leverage our expertise to develop new products, test marketing and advertising, understand opportunities in emerging markets (such as newly legal states), create detailed profiles of their customers, and stay on top of developing trends.

To learn more, visit www.isacorp.com/specialty/cannabis-research, where you can sign up for our weekly CANNAfact Friday newsletter. Get in touch: hello@isacorp.com.

Jacqueline Rosales Appointed President of ISA Group

The former SoapBoxSample COO and 25+ year insights industry veteran, Jacqueline has assumed ISA’s top leadership position

Jacqueline Rosales, President of ISA

“I am beyond excited to lead ISA moving forward. We stand on a strong foundation of 38 years of excellence; including capabilities, reputation and staff. Our plan is to integrate and evolve to meet the ongoing needs of our clients and the marketplace. Our continued goal is connecting brands with their consumers in new and exciting ways.”

The ISA Group announced today that Jacqueline Rosales has been promoted to the top leadership role at the company. As ISA President, she will oversee ISA’s four divisions – ISA, Q-insights, SoapBoxSample and icanmakeitbetter. Jacqueline previously served as COO of SoapBoxSample. Founded in 1982, ISA is one of the largest insights firms in the U.S., specializing in quick turn, high-impact custom research solutions.

Jacqueline Rosales joined the ISA Group in 2012, when she was recruited to launch and lead ISA’s online division, SoapBoxSample. With more than 25 years in Market Research and proven success in launching, stabilizing and growing organizations, she quickly gained a reputation for her enthusiasm and unconventional leadership style. Under Jacqueline’s dynamic leadership, SoapBoxSample grew to become the most sizeable division of ISA. After ISA acquired community insight platform icanmakeitbetter in 2016, Jacqueline then took the helm of two divisions — SoapBoxSample and icanmakeitbetter.

Despite the challenges of 2020, Rosales lead the group through a fast and successful shift across the organization resulting in stellar performance in an extremely difficult year.

Anthony Kretzmer, ISA’s current president, will retire at the end of the first quarter, effective March 31, 2021. Anthony has led the ISA Group for nearly 20 years, overseeing the launch of SoapBoxSample in 2012, and the acquisition of icanmakeitbetter in 2016.

“The last 19 years at this wonderful company have been gratifying in the extreme,” relayed Anthony Kretzmer, current President of ISA. “Congratulations to Jacqueline on this well-deserved promotion. I know ISA will continue to flourish and thrive under Jacqueline’s leadership.”

Jacqueline is a thought leader, and sought after speaker, sharing her experiences with entrepreneurship, leadership, research and categorical expertise. Check out her Linkedin page to learn more.