Brian Mahony's Page

Welcome to Trender Research! Trender Research is a news, market research, and marketing consulting firm that covers the use of technology-based devices and services by everyday people. Trender Research is dedicated to capturing the voice of not just the technically adept, but demographic groups that are often overlooked by established market research firms and the developers of new gadgets and services--- women, young adults, seniors, various ethnic groups and nationalities, various socio-economic groups, and other folks who as distinct groups and as a whole are often behind the major trends driving the adoption and use of new technology.

Why Trender Research?
I have been in the hi-tech business for 17 years and, as VP Marketing for my past five companies, have engaged many different market research and consulting firms for their services. Many of them provide excellent qualitative and quantitative services for their clients. Some of them cover competitive intelligence, some dig deep on technology, others analyze market share and make forecasts for specific industries. Many of them are also my friends. I see them often on the speaking circuit at trade shows and conferences. They are typically very bright, with perhaps 10-20+ years in the technology industry. They get paid to help companies or investors predict where the market is going, or provide specific advice on new products or emerging markets.

And despite all this, I can't help but to observe that many of the major trends of the past 15 years went largely unpredicted. Google displacing Yahoo as market leader, YouTube, iPod, FaceBook, Instant Messaging, etc. Name the trend. Every time I think everything with regard to technology and services has already been done, something new and revolutionary comes along.

Compounding this fact is the nagging feeling I have had for some time that too many products are defined and designed by engineers and industry insiders, with little thought to the consumer. How many times have I heard from teens, seniors, folks of different ethnicities… really any demographic… that a particular service or device did not hit the mark for them, either because it was too complex or was not tailored to how they actually live their lives?

I was at a recent trade-show, where I was delivering a presentation to about 200 people, once again trying to predict where the market was going (this time internet protocol-based video services), when it finally hit me. I was preaching to the choir. Oh yes, there was Larry, Jeff, Graham, Jon, Tom, and many of my other "industry insider" friends, but where was Grandma, Aunt Gertrude, my nephew Colin recently gone to college, Warren my plumber, my brother in the military? Where was the global voice of Reinhart, Pedro, Yukio, and Srinivas? Not in my audience. As I thought about it some more, I realized this voice is largely unrepresented in the market research industry. If it is captured, it is through a fairly expensive and time-consuming process of focus groups and phone surveys (who really takes the time to respond to those never-really-just-5-minute phone surveys anymore? Is this where you want your survey data from?).

So you get the idea. Trender Research is dedicated to providing a true voice for consumers of all demographics, and clients a vehicle for tailored and fast feedback from the communities important to them. Trenders who are part of this community contribute by 1) providing their own thoughts about how they use technology, what they like and dislike; and 2) through custom consulting services that allow clients to get specific feedback on a new or existing product or service.

I hope you will sign up as a Trender, a client, or just watch this space for informed and lively debate on the technology that enhances, shapes, and sometimes invades our lives.

Sincerely,

Brian Mahony

Please contact me about IPTV, OTT Video, robotics, or communications consulting opportunities including custom research, speaking, webinars, white papers, or product strategy: bmahony@trenderresearch.com.