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About

Sparkle Insights is a boutique consumer insights and strategy firm specializing in cultural intelligence — helping organizations understand the cultural context behind consumer behavior and turn it into sharper strategy, messaging, and growth.


A decade of culturally grounded research

We have partnered with Fortune 500 brands, agencies, and nonprofits — blending qualitative depth, quantitative clarity, and in-culture, in-language research.

What we offer

From Early Signals to Strategic Action

Sparkle helps teams make smarter decisions before, during, and after research — combining cultural intelligence, upstream strategy, AI-assisted exploration, and real-world validation.

We help clients identify early signals, sharpen ideas, validate assumptions, and turn audience understanding into action.

Cultural Intelligence

The context behind the choice

We decode the values, beliefs, lived experiences, and cultural signals that shape consumer behavior, message interpretation, and market adoption.

Upstream Strategy

Sharpen ideas before research

We help teams pressure-test concepts, messages, positioning, and assumptions early — before investing in formal testing, production, or launch.

AI-Assisted + Human-Led Research

Faster learning, deeper interpretation

We use AI to accelerate scanning, synthesis, and hypothesis development, while human researchers interpret meaning, nuance, and cultural context.

Brand, Campaign & Growth Strategy

From insight to action

We translate audience understanding into messaging guidance, campaign direction, adoption strategy, and growth opportunities.

View Services

For upstream concept review, explore SAIL™. For market entry and adoption strategy, explore SPARK™.

Testimonials

What partners say about working with Sparkle Insights.

Teresa B · Non-profit

“Having worked with Iris on several projects, I have consistently found her to be an intuitive, collaborative partner. Objective yet empathetic, Iris has a knack for understanding the needs and drivers of market segments and easily translates those into results-oriented business strategies. Not only does Iris thrive in complex environments, she always manages to do so with focus and grace. Her work led to breakthrough approaches for our organization and we felt the positive impact and value of her work almost immediately. I look forward to opportunities to work with and learn from Iris again.”

Sara S · Global QSR

“I would highly recommend Iris and her team for both qualitative and quantitative research. I can count on Iris for flexibility, strategic thought partnership and quick turnarounds, which is often a hard mix to find in a partner. Iris excels at being able to succinctly and quickly communicate key takeaways, which is invaluable when working in a fast-paced environment.”

Cindy M · Medical App Startup

“The information collected and analyzed by Sparkle gave us great insight into how our target audience views our product. We gained meaningful insight in ways to improve our platform, as well as very positive feedback on how our product will be received by our clients.”

Lydia Q · Creative Agency

“My team worked with Sparkle Insights on a strategic study as we explored a new market segment for our client’s brands early this year. Iris took our business needs to heart and designed a hybrid research approach that not only provides a comprehensive understanding of the market landscape in our category — barriers, opportunities for market entry, and positioning — but also the qualitative insights that are just as important in the market we are focusing on. Iris provided a lot of consultative support and went above and beyond for us.”

Selected Work

Examples of how Sparkle Insights helps clients turn audience understanding into clearer messaging, stronger strategy, and smarter decisions.

Campaign / Message Evaluation

Medicaid Expansion Messaging for Newly Eligible North Carolinians

North Carolina health-equity nonprofit

Sparkle helped a public health organization understand how rural, Black, Hispanic, and lower-income North Carolinians interpreted Medicaid expansion messages — what created confusion, what built trust, and what made the information feel personally relevant.

ApproachStakeholder interviews, a 118-person survey, and 24 in-depth interviews with phone and Zoom options for accessibility.

Strategic clarityA research-based messaging framework that reduced confusion, strengthened relevance, and helped the organization communicate more clearly with newly eligible residents.

Market Entry / Growth Opportunity

EV Awareness and Adoption Strategy for Growth Audiences

Major automotive manufacturer

Sparkle helped an automotive brand understand awareness, interest, barriers, and adoption conditions for electric vehicles among high-opportunity consumer segments, including Chinese, Asian Indian, Pan-Asian, Hispanic, and Black consumers.

ApproachOnline bulletin boards and video focus groups conducted in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Strategic clarityDirection for long-term EV marketing strategy, near-term outreach, audience-specific barriers, and message opportunities to support future growth.

Audience Understanding / Brand Strategy

Real-Time Consumer Understanding During the Pandemic

National quick-service restaurant brand

Sparkle helped a national restaurant brand understand how consumers were navigating food, safety, convenience, family needs, and emotional stress during a fast-changing moment.

Approach40 consumer video diaries capturing real-life experiences and decision-making, edited into a concise video report for internal teams.

Strategic clarityFaster crisis-communication planning and a more human understanding of consumer needs, helping the marketing team respond with greater empathy and relevance.

Talk to Us About a Similar Challenge

Need clarity before your next move?

Tell us what you’re trying to understand, evaluate, or decide — and we’ll help uncover the cultural context, audience signals, and strategic direction to move forward.

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