The Diageo Trendsetter Panel
In 2003, we recruited 100 of the hippest 21-29 year-old “nightlife trendsetters” to be on an ongoing consumer panel owned by Diageo. Since then, we have annually refreshed the panel, scouring the streets of NY, LA, SF and Miami to find the most cutting-edge scenesters in the coolest bars and clubs. We maintain the panel in our online database and manage all communication between Diageo and the trendsetters. The panelists are used primarily to create The Gist (see below) but are also involved in many other studies, and are often invited directly into the Diageo offices to participate in brainstorming sessions.

The Gist
We create a monthly trend newsletter for Diageo entitled The Gist. Because this newsletter is custom to Diageo, all topics covered are directly relevant to the alcohol industry, and are written based on input from the Diageo Trendsetter Panel. The newsletter is designed to be a fun and absorbing read about their aspirational target, keeping all members of the marketing teams abreast on what’s hip. The Gist has become a key internal research tool and has been in circulation at Diageo since 2003.

Trendscouts Scrapbook Study
In 2006-7, we conducted an in-depth study for the Ideation department about under-the-radar trends happening in the trendsetter world. To begin, we identified 10 trendsetters from each city on the Diageo Panel, then gave them each a scrapbook and told them to “collect trends.” After a month, we met again, and each trendsetter presented out his or her scrapbook to us as well as key Diageo clients. We then synthesized all of the scrapbooks into a highly visual presentation that distilled the core macro and micro-trends found in the books, explained the mindsets and cultural influences that helped shape them, and made predictions as to how each trend would evolve into the mainstream.

Boomer Ethnographies
In 2005, Diageo hired us to recruit a panel of Baby Boomer trendsetters, or “Social Leaders” as we called them. The Social Leaders we found were certainly not as hip as our younger panel of trendsetters, but they were progressive, fun-loving, and highly involved in socializing with their peers (dinner parties, block BBQ’s, going out to dance or see concerts, etc). We conducted a series of in-home ethnographies with these consumers in order to identify platforms for new product ideas.

Oronoco Investigations
To help with the launch of the new rum Oronoco, we hosted several trendsetters to a full meal at a nice restaurant, where they tasted the product and provided feedback as well as ideas for promotional opportunities. Later, after the product had been launched, we interviewed bartenders about it, as well as regular consumers who had already adopted the product on their own. This allowed us to create a full understanding of the consumer landscape, both before and after the product launch, revealing competitive issues and consumer perceptions from a 360 view.

Spontaneous Online Surveys
Several times a year, the brand teams turn to us to answer a specific internal question by sending an online survey to their Trendsetter Panel. Within a couple of weeks, we have surveyed a large number of panelists and created a report of the findings. Diageo uses this strategy to get fast consumer feedback on urgent internal issues related to new product launches, innovation ideas, or trends in the marketplace that are causing a splash.