Feel what they need.
Know what they want.
Unlock the Logic of Emotion with The Empathy Framework
INSIGHTS, STRATEGY & TRAINING
We believe in insights that grow connection, build understanding and enable empathy.
Balancing deeply human methods and the power of AI, we help you to meet the current and evolving needs of your customers at scale and at pace.
Who we work with
UNLOCK THE LOGIC OF EMOTION
We're a small, focused team at the cutting edge of behaviour change and emotional intelligence.
Creators of The Empathy Framework, we've developed a way of approaching emotion that unlocks a hidden logic so you can reliably and repeatedly get straight to the source of your customer's deepest motivations in order to serve them better than anybody else.
Reliable insights that are deeply human
Market research has changed and we're glad to be different.
We leverage AI for fast and scaleable qualitative and quantitative research built on a strong foundation of deeply human data collection methods, collaborative ideation and emotional approaches to understanding behaviours.
We use technology to enhance and extend our human capabilities, not to replace them.
The result? Deeply human insights rooted in emotion that solve problems, inspire innovation and help brands grow.
OUR STORY
Source Nine started life in 2022 when an insights industry legend (Vincent Nolan of 2CV & Mermaid Gin) and behaviour change specialist (Rob Harrison-Plastow) met whilst helping climate campaigners to change tack and connect with larger audiences.
They talked about how much of marketing had gotten lost in a sea of Big Data, AI and a focus on digital tactics.
How empathy was missing as a result of so many online echo chambers.
And how now, more than ever, we needed new ways of looking at audiences and ourselves that were deeply human.
So they set about creating something different.
A strategic insights company that unlocks the logic of emotion, unearths deeply human insights and leverages generative AI to bring greater speed, accuracy and scale to market research.
our mission is to create more connection
ACCESS INNOVATIVE, HUMAN CENTRED METHODS
- Ethnographies & Video Diaries
- Design Forums & Co-Creation Sessions
- Online Qual (Focus Groups & In-Depth Interviews)
- Global WhatsApp Surveys (inc media testing)
- Facilitated Customer Workshops
- Intercepts & Shop-Alongs
- Voice Note Surveys (Qual at scale)
ENJOY ENGAGING DELIVERABLES TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS
- Video Insights Reports
- Customer Video Profiles
- Reports & Debrief Decks
- Activation Workshops
- Customer Personas & Segmentations
- Emotional Jobs To Be Done
- CX and Journey Maps
DEVELOP YOUR TEAM AND COMPANY CULTURE
- Emotional Intelligence Workshops
- Discover The Empathy Framework for Teams and Individuals
- Introductions to Non-Violent Communication
- Product & Service Emotional Strategy Sessions
SUPPORT INITIATIVES for positive social tipping points
At the heart of our mission and approach is a desire to positively impact society through greater connection and understanding in a changing world.
And because our story began in understanding behaviours around the climate and ecological crises, we love to offer discounted and pro bono work for charities, NGOs and non-profits working to shift narratives and drive systemic change.
We also donate 5% of our profits to citizen-led causes that are helping their communities to adapt to our changing climate and act as beacons to others for what a different kind of future can look like.
AUDIENCE-led SOLUTIONS
Customised Emotional Profiling & SEGMENTATIONS
Tailored emotional profiles of target customer segments, providing a nuanced understanding of their motivations, fears and desires.
Enable your media and creative partners to develop more targeted and resonant campaigns focused on the Emotional Job To Be Done to drive behaviours, improving marketing effectiveness and ROI.
Brand Perception and Emotional Equity Measurement
Quantify and track the emotional equity of your brand over time by benchmarking and measuring the impact of strategic initiatives.
Understand the ROI of emotional engagement strategies, guiding investment in areas with the highest impact.
Competitive Emotional Landscape Analysis
A detailed analysis of the emotional positioning of your competitors, identifying gaps and opportunities in the market.
Identify unique emotional territories you can own, setting you apart from competitors, supporting strategic decision making.
EmotionalLY ResonanT MEDIA STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
Align your media buying with the contexts your audiences most often feel their emotional needs being met.
Create frictionless media moments that resonate drive efficiency and effectiveness.
Customer Journey Mapping
Map the emotional and behavioural journey of consumers across different touchpoints with your brand, identifying key moments of emotional impact.
Get actionable insights to enhance customer experience, increasing satisfaction and loyalty throughout the customer journey.
Emotion Informed Product Development Insights
Infuse emotional motivators into the product development process, address emotional and functional jobs to be done, ensuring new products or services deeply resonate with target groups.
Drive innovation and product adoption by aligning new offerings with the emotional needs and desires of consumers.
Testimonials
We had a very short time frame for the research, but you went above and beyond to hit the deadline professionally and to a high standard.
The final report gave us so many useful insights to cut through our opinions and follow the data on which audience to speak with first and how to connect with them.
Natalie Peire
GASM
The team have been exceptional to work with. We look forward to working with you more"
Katie Ward
Microbz
Meet The Senior Team
Since 2009 Rob has been obsessed with understanding why people do what they do, how they learn and how they transform.
With a focus on sustainability and transformative learning, Rob spent most of his career as a senior leader at the University of Exeter which he left in 2020 to start, scale and exit an ecommerce business before starting Source Nine.
Vincent launched his career by founding 2CV, a global consumer research firm focusing on branding and innovation.
He also initiated the Talking Taboos Foundation (TTF) and channels his expertise into mentoring and investing in socially impactful startups, serves as a trustee for the London Transport Museum and is also a Co-Founder of Mermaid Gin.
Rooted in sustainable development, Becky honed her skills in qualitative research, passionately supporting purpose-driven companies to enhance their impact on society, environment, and profitability through actionable insights.
Her journey has seen diverse research projects across corporates, NGOs, and retailers, spanning Latin America and Europe.