Post-Game Report: Building a Winning Research Strategy Around Inclusion
How we turned "blind spots" into clear insights and built a repeatable playbook for understanding all your guests.
Project Snapshot
The Client
National Quick-Service Restaurant Chain
The Problem
Leaders were flying blind on how Black and Hispanic guests experienced the brand. Existing data had no context and no explanations.
The Play We Ran
The "Mixed-Methods Research Playbook" — Triangulation beats guessing.
The Win
A clear, funded research program that turns data into decisions and builds lasting inclusion into the business.
The Scouting Report: The Challenge
The leadership team knew they had a problem, but they couldn't see it clearly. They had data—but data without context is just noise.
The core issue:
- No understanding of "why" — Why were Black and Hispanic guests having different experiences?
- Decisions were slowing down — Without clear insights, executives were paralyzed.
- Risk of misaligned investments — They might spend millions fixing the wrong things.
- Blind spots everywhere — A single research method couldn't capture the full picture.
They needed a coach to show them the "film"—but not just one angle. They needed triangulation.
The Game Plan: How We Ran the Play
We didn't rely on one research method. We built a playbook that stacked multiple research "drills" to show the complete picture:
Play 1: The "Film Session" (Ethnographic Observation)
We showed up at representative restaurant locations and watched. Not from an office. In the field. We documented real behaviors across full guest journeys and synthesized patterns into actionable insights. This is the "film"—what actually happens when cameras aren't rolling.
Play 2: The "Deep Dive Interviews" (Explaining the "Why")
We conducted in-depth interviews with screened Black and Hispanic guests to explain observed behaviors and validate emerging themes. We asked the questions the data couldn't answer: "Why did that happen? What would make this better?"
Play 3: The "Measurement System" (Privacy-Safe Quantification)
Once we knew the themes, we added measurement. Privacy-safe sentiment sensors to quantify positivity, dwell, and traffic—no PII captured. And quantitative surveys to size issues and compare against competitors. Numbers that matter, gathered the right way.
Play 4: The "Alignment Workshop" (Co-Creating Solutions)
Finally, we facilitated workshops with communities and stakeholders to co-create solutions and align on next steps. Research that sits in a drawer is research that changes nothing. We made sure this research drove action.
The Final Score: The Results
We didn't just deliver research. We delivered a system that works, scales, and gets adopted.
A Clear, Funded Playbook
A phased research plan with concrete deliverables that executives could fund and staff immediately. No ambiguity, no surprises.
Shared Understanding Across Regions
Priority guest frictions and opportunities became visible across multiple restaurant locations. Decisions that used to take months happened in weeks.
Privacy-Aware Measurement
Qualitative insight + directional quantitative signal, without compromising guest privacy. The best of both worlds.
A Repeatable System
Workshop formats and research methods that drive alignment and produce actionable roadmaps every time. This became how the brand makes decisions.
Coach's Notes: What This "Game" Taught Us
1. Triangulation Beats Single-Method Studies
When your decisions affect diverse customer groups, one research method isn't enough. Observation + interviews + measurement + collaboration creates a complete picture and reduces blind spots.
2. "Why" Comes Before "How Many"
Observed behavior explains "why." Surveys size "how many." Run them in the right order. Qualitative first, then quantitative to validate and scale. Reverse the order and you'll measure the wrong things.
3. Research Must Drive Action
Insights that sit in a drawer change nothing. Structured collaboration converts research into adoption and ongoing practice. Build the workshop into your playbook from day one.
Flying Blind on Your Customers?
Let's build a research playbook that turns insight into action.
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