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These books have influenced our work.

Methods

The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative
Denning, Stephen., San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005.

Getting real
www.37signals.com., Chicago, IL: 37signals, 1999-2006.

Design Research: Methods and Perspectives
Laurel, Brenda and Peter Lunenfeld., N.p.: MIT Press, 2003.

Understanding Comics
McCloud, Scott., Kitchen Sink Press, 1993.

A Pattern Language
Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., Silverstein, M., Jacobson, M., Fiksdahl-King, M., and Angel, S., New York: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Theory

Trading Up
Silverstein, Michael, Neil Fiske and John Butman., N.p.:Portfolio Hardcover, 2004.

The Rise of the Creative Class
Florida, Richard., New York: Basic Books, 2002.

The Wisdom of Crowds
Surowiecki, James., N.p.: DOUBLEDAY, 2004.

Democratizing Innovation
Von Hippel, Eric., Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005.

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Friedman, Thomas L., New York: Farrar, Staus and Giroux, 2005.

Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software
Johnson, Steven., New York: Touchstone, 2002.

The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time
Sachs, Jeffrey., New York: Penguin Group, 2005.

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More
Anderson, Chris., N.p.: Hyperion, 2006.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
Collins, Jim., New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Gladwell, M., New York; Time Warner Book Group, 2005.

The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual
Levine, R., Locke, C., Searls, D., and Weinberger, D., Perseus Books, 2000.

Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home
Sheldrake, R., New York: Crown Publishers, , 1999.

Trends

The Substance of Style
Postrel, Virginia., New York: HarperCollins, 2003.

Transculturalism: How the World Is Coming Together
Grunitzky, Claude., N.p.: True Agency, 2004.

In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed
Honore, Carl., New York: HarperCollins, 2004.

Innovation

The Ten Faces of Innovation
Kelley, Thomas and Jonathan Littman., N.p.: Currency, 2005.

The Art of Innovation
Kelley, Thomas., N.p.: Profile Business, 2002.

The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts, and Cultures
Johansson, Frans., Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, 2004.

Other

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
Schwartz, Barry., New York: HarperCollins, 2004.

SonicRim has conducted research in 6 continents for several international companies. Please read more about our experience in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China)

Emerging Markets

SonicRim has helped some of the leading global companies understand the challenges and opportunities of innovating for emerging markets, by understanding unique social, cultural, psychological and aesthetic factors. We recognize that global companies need global value propositions as a marketing platform, from which to deliver value through products, services and brands that have local expression.

Our position with regard to two major emerging economies is reflected in the following articles:

A Bridge to India

There is an upsurge of interest amongst future focused organizations worldwide to fathom the implications of the emergence of India and China as important players in the world economy. As the two emerging economies shed their past and develop greater confidence, competence, and infrastructure, they are bound to influence the style and substance of international trade, manufacturing, and marketing.

From the attention it is receiving from the media and from the FDI, China appears to be ahead of India in integrating its economy with the global economy. Chinese authorities have managed fast growth and attracted FDI through controlled liberalization of the economy and smart management of the “Brand China.”

Unlike a more centralized form of government in China, India is faced with the responsibility of managing progress within the democratic system of governance. Indian political rulers cannot force changes in India’s economic structure unless the majority of her population sees the benefits of any economic, cultural, and/or social transformation making a clear difference in their lives. While it is true that in India, a nation of a billion people, there is a significant middle class that is raving to harvest emerging opportunities in the global and liberalized economy, and wants to benefit from technological advancements, there is also a larger population that feels sidelined from development. It is this population that asserts itself through the ballot every five years to give a reality check to the political leadership. They too would be willing to participate in the process of globalization, but only with those who demonstrate sensitivity to unique cultural, social, economic, and psychological factors that characterize the Indian heartland. In India, the early adopters of modern lifestyles do not go to vote; those who live in the villages and small towns and in the poorer communities of metropolitan cities do. And therefore, no matter how attractive the prospect of fast market reforms may seem to the proponents of liberalization, India will evolve at its own pace. Though the pace of change in India seems slower than in China, it is more participatory and, therefore, likely to be more sustainable. There are already signs of social stress surfacing in China, where opening of markets is inspiring the poorer population to revolt against the government policies, especially in the southern regions of China. Without a plan for a transition to a democratic system of governance, where aspirations and energies of the disadvantaged population are harnessed rather than suppressed, the Chinese economy may be headed for challenges that can ultimately threaten continued patronage of the liberalization process.

Only those who have the grit and commitment to partner with India in managing a grassroots-level change are likely to ultimately be rewarded with a partnership. While India is raving for change, it is not likely to completely metamorphose into a western model of a marketplace. Indians are proud of their history and the traditions they have inherited from hundreds of years of cultural evolution. Indians are also wary of the designs of foreign traders, having once lost their independence to the East India Company. A vast majority of Indians are poor, and are tied to social and religious customs that often challenge the sensibility of international partners. Rural employment is one of India’s biggest challenges, and any proposal for economic transformation must address the issue of generating more employment as opposed to more automation.

To understand India, one must understand Gandhi. Though trained in the western model of education, Gandhi understood the ground realities of India as no other leader since his time has. Even those who love to hate Gandhi recognize the fact that the values that drive India can best be explained in the writings and actions of Gandhi. On the issue of globalization Gandhi wrote, “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides, and my windows to be closed. Instead, I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”

Ultimately India will evolve on its own terms, no matter how eager proponents of liberalization are for following China and embracing the western model of development quickly. In the process of partnering with India in managing a change, international partners will discover a new flavor being added to the eclectic character of their product. This will happen only if they show sensitivity to the ethos and diversity of Indian culture. The opportunities for doing business with India are abundant, but harnessing those opportunities will require an open mind and willingness to accommodate diverse cultures, different aesthetics, and new frameworks for delivering value to people.

Those who wish to invest in the evolving economy of modern India need to make efforts to understand the Indian mindset, especially the majority of people who live in small towns and villages far removed from the major metropolitan cities. While metropolitan cities are fast becoming the showcases of the western lifestyle, the majority still retains a strong connection to its tradition. It is only through direct connection with this India that the true potential of the Indian marketplace will be revealed. The professionals engaged in marketing, branding, and advertising for the Indian market took a long time to appreciate the concepts, values, and imagery that appeal to indigenous sensibilities. Instead, for a very long time mainstream marketing was focused on emulating the western design. It is gradually dawning upon this sector that the majority of Indians resonate better with messages and images that reference their values and surroundings. The metaphors Indians draw upon to make sense of their experiences are often different from the metaphors people from other cultures draw upon. India has 22 official languages and 1,600 dialects, and the majority of Indians–even those who speak English–think in their native language or dialect. Through increasing exposure to international events, brands, and media, Indian people are beginning to gain familiarity with foreign concepts and imagery. Some of them do yearn for a connection to the western culture. However, the fact remains that deep inside, the Indian mind does not want to and cannot completely dissociate itself from its nature, and any effort to resonate with the imagination of Indians must involve building a bridge that connects the heart of India to the rest of the world.

Rediscover China

Living through the culture revolution, the reforming and opening up, and the controlled liberalization, the Chinese people experienced a process of reconstructing their individual value systems. The traditions and customs evolved and inherited from over five thousand years of history still remains rooted, influential but recessive.

However, there is no longer one dominating core value for the Chinese people. It has been stretched in all directions and levels, and is being complemented, challenged or out-shadowed by a variety of beliefs and motivations.

The fast economic growth in China has sliced the nation as well as its culture into layers, and maximized the difference between two far ends. Its geographical economic unbalance adds to the diversification. The centralized governance oversees an ever-dynamic social harmony of the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, and the advanced and the laggard.

This dichotomy situation generates high opportunity cost to investors; while at the same time, endows them with even greater time value of return. An overwhelming majority of Chinese people from all levels embrace vast opportunity along with globalization. They have no hesitance to consume any novel thing from a gismo to a culture. Wal-Mart clothes sell well to the lower-middle class people just as Louis Vuitton does to the top ones.

This situation will most likely drag the Chinese manufacturing capacity and service industry to their commencement by maximizing their past performance in the 20th century. It will continue to drive them to a watershed of leaders and participants by revisiting and reshuffling their growth capabilities and potentials.

The success of pioneering investors either from domestic or foreign lands were primarily based on filling up the shortage of materials needs due to low economic level in the past; the achievement of current business players depends on understanding the value infrastructure and its corresponding consuming behaviors; and the sustainable return of an investment resides in firstly sensing, then cultivating a new ethos at its embryonic stage.

There is no other way to understand China and its people without looking at them from the inside. Those who have been growing with the evolving economy and culture need to catch up with the ever-changing environment and people. Those who wish to invest in this emerging economy need to define the niche market by understanding the Chinese mindset of target social levels.

Feeling the need to build a strong nation and a better life, 1.3 billion Chinese people are also exploring individual philosophies to rebuild their internal quietness. There is a great amount of unmet needs to be rediscovered.

What does SonicRim mean?

The name SonicRim stands for resonate-edge. We believe that when companies are tuned into the dreams and experiences of their customers, they will continuously discover new opportunities. Sonic comes from the concept of resonance: when two things are synchronized through vibration. Rim comes from edge, derived from the diffusion curve. In marketing theory, business opportunities first manifest themselves in trends within small groups of people who are outside of the mainstream, on the edge. These trends then permeate the mainstream as other consumers follow or copy them.

Can my team accompany SonicRim’s research teams out in the field?

Yes, in fact we encourage it. Immersing your team in the environments of your consumers enables you to not only have a direct connection with the user of your product/service but also allows you to better articulate research findings within the organization.

Does SonicRim conduct research outside of the United States?

Absolutely! We are a global design research firm and have conducted research on six continents. We have extensive experience working not only in well-established markets but in emerging markets as well. Visit the Global Experience page to see all of the places we have conducted research.

Who do I contact with questions about a possible project?

There are many ways to contact us. To get immediate attention please call us at the office at 614-298-6844, or fax us at 614-298-6858.

What kinds of companies does SonicRim work with?

We work with companies in many different industries. We have conducted projects ranging from evaluating bath tissue experiences to exploring the ecosystem of youth messaging. Check out our client list to see who we’ve worked with in the past.

How does SonicRim recruit participants?

We have strong relationships with recruiting agencies around the world. We work with our clients to create a screening questionnaire that will be used to recruit the type of participants we need for the research. We then hire recruiting agencies in the markets where the research will be conducted. We carefully monitor the recruiting process to ensure that the correct people are being selected for the research. We work closely with these agencies throughout the recruiting phase of a project to ensure the participants meet the specifications that our clients require.

If I just needed participant recruitment, does SonicRim do this?

SonicRim does not directly handle the recruitment of participants. However, when we are managing a project, we rely on our trusted network of recruiting specialists around the world for their expertise in recruiting. So, although we do not recruit participants ourselves, we are more than experienced when it comes to managing the recruiting for a project and would be happy to help you with this.

I’m a small business, can SonicRim help me?

We definitely can! We will work with you from the beginning to formulate a budget and methodology that will work for you.

I know SonicRim conducts design research, do you also design products?

Although several members of our research team are trained designers, we do not design products. We do, however, work with our clients, their designers, and/or other design firms to help understand their consumers in order to develop and design better products that resonate with users. We will be more than happy to make recommendations for a design team. The freedom to select your own design team is one of the advantages of working with SonicRim.

Where can I find more information about the company?

Give us a call! We would be happy to tell you more about who we are, what we do, and how we can help your company! Please visit Contact Us.