Tales from the Road: Petaluma Reuseable Cup Project

Tales from the Road: Petaluma Reuseable Cup Project

Jan 28, 2025

Tales from the Road: Petaluma Reuseable Cup Project

Catapult Segmentation

The team at Catapult Insights has been hard at work understanding how people think about sustainability. Most recently, we went to Petaluma, California to explore an exciting program many of the town’s cafés and QSRs were participating in: a reusable cup program which aims to reduce waste and promote a more eco-friendly existence. 

The basic premise is that various establishments around town collectively joined forces to use special, new cups that were designed to be returned, washed, and reused in place of single-use, disposable cups. Collection bins were placed in various high-traffic locations in addition to in and around the stores that opted into the program.

Not only is the program itself a refreshing attempt at waste-reduction, but it’s also a fascinating opportunity to examine the human elements that would determine program success. The Catapult Insights team spent time on the ground observing patrons and engaging directly in discussions about the program. We focused on perceptions, understanding, and behavioral elements that each played a role in if, when, and how individuals would participate.  

Understanding people works best by listening and watching, because what they say doesn’t always match what they do! Like so many instances, having a research team present allowed us to parse through noise to understand the signal, which gave us the insights needed to explain the program’s participation rates and develop strategies to engrain within consumers’ routines.
In the end, our time in Petaluma was filled with insight and fun, and while the pilot program has concluded we anticipate we haven’t seen the last of this concept.

JUSTIN SUTTON

CO-FOUNDER
CATAPULT INSIGHTS

Tales from the Road: Bias for Action

Tales from the Road: Bias for Action

Apr 18, 2023

Tales from the Road: Bias for Action

Something incredibly rewarding happened to me this month – I completed an elusive accomplishment that not many in my field have done. The one-week project. After getting a call from a client on Monday, I was on a plane by Friday, doing interviews Saturday, and report delivered Monday. But it gets better. The most rewarding part is that this client is taking immediate action based on our work and making changes which we will test again in just a few weeks.

As a consultant, there’s a great deal of pride and commitment that goes into the work. And every consultant’s career has ample examples of work they did with clients that ultimately stalled or radically changed direction before action could be taken. This is the exact opposite of that. We saw and diagnosed a need, and the client is diving head first into making things better. This client calls it “Bias for Action.” I call it “awesome.” 

One of the reasons I wanted to form Catapult Insights with Jill was to be as nimble as we are capable in executing work for our clients, and the events of last week are the perfect illustration. It’s something that hasn’t been possible in the past when we worked at large research firms. We’ve likened those firms to cruise ships – they have tons of bells and whistles, but moving fast is not what they do. Now that I’m aboard a racy speed boat I can jump in with Bias for Action and make meaningful changes today, and that’s just awesome.

Justin Sutton

CO-FOUNDER
CATAPULT INSIGHTS

Bias for Action

Tales from the Road: Chasing a Memory  

Tales from the Road: Chasing a Memory  

Dec 8, 2022

Tales from the Road: Chasing a Memory  

Like many, I have been anxiously awaiting and keenly observing post-pandemic human behavior. Something I’ve been pondering is whether we’re returning to old norms, evolving into a “new normal,” or something in between. After a coast-to-coast trip conducting in-store interviews in central business districts of New York, Chicago, and Seattle, I think we’re most likely headed to that in-between existence.

Catapult Insights & Innovation

Anyone in those cities can tell you that crowds are on full display. Hybrid workers are reporting more and more in-office time and the result is the resurgence of a bustling city center. Fast casual and quick-serve restaurants (QSR) are reacclimating to these crowds and lines that stretch out the door as they did in 2019.

It’s interesting to note how QSR solutions that rapidly evolved during the pandemic with solutions like order-ahead apps and curbside pickup, appear to be in limited use today. As I ask myself, “Why are people waiting in these lines?”, I also find myself waiting in lines over ordering ahead to maximize the freshness of my food. The thought of my burrito sitting on a shelf for even 5 minutes takes away from what I experience with my first bite. But I think there’s more to it.

I believe there is a longing to return to a time in which people felt more empowered to make active choices. During the pandemic, many felt forced to alter their behaviors, adopting new tech-enabled experiences that brought new benefits but left people feeling less in control.

 

Across various projects with multiple QSR clients I’ve observed a romanticism of in-person experiences. They seem to miss it because they weren’t allowed to say goodbye on their terms. However, it seems that memories of pre-pandemic experiences have elevated to a point of unreasonable expectations. In research, this is why we aim to get as close as possible to moments of interest – memories can be unreliable. And as shoppers return, they seem more difficult to please than ever.

 

Are they truly remembering what those in-person experiences were like, or are their memories focused on positive aspects while omitting the painful bits? It’s no secret that the human mind is forgetful, possibly by design, so I wonder how much of their memories are selectively focused on the positive aspects because what they really miss is feeling in control.

Catapult Insights Shop Along Interview

The bottom line is that people may be chasing a memory of something that never truly existed, and this could have huge implications on consumer journeys. Shoppers seem to be consciously forfeiting benefits of tech-enabled experiences while also feeling unsatisfied with their preferred journey. They are feeling stuck in between their memories of how it used to be and the “new normal” setting up massive potential for disappointment unless brands really engage to understand customer needs entering 2023. Many of our clients are showing timely interest in studying their customer journeys and the conscious and subconscious needs people will encounter along the way. And those that aren’t probably will be soon.

 

Justin Sutton

CO-FOUNDER
CATAPULT INSIGHTS

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