Qualitative Research Agency

Human
Insights.
Retrieved.

Senior-level qualitative research for brands that need answers fast — and intelligence that compounds with every engagement.

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The Fetch Difference

Built Different.
By Design.

Most agencies charge for overhead. We stripped it out — so your budget goes to the thinking, not the admin.

01
More Time on What Matters

We use AI tools to handle operational weight — intake, scheduling, transcription, initial coding — so senior researchers spend their time in the conversations, the patterns, and the strategic implications that move your business forward.

02
Every Study Builds on the Last

We maintain a structured system of prior findings so each new engagement starts from what's already known — not from zero. Your investment in research compounds over time.

03
Synthesis Is Standard, Not Extra

We don't just answer the question you asked. We connect findings to what we've learned before and flag the implications you didn't ask about — but need to know.

04
Senior People. Not Junior Handoffs.

The efficiency we gain from modern tools means senior researchers stay close to the work — moderating, interpreting, and delivering — instead of managing spreadsheets and timelines.

Methodologies

Any Method.
Any Audience.

We design, recruit, moderate, analyze, and deliver. Full service. Any category.

01
In-Depth Interviews

One-on-one conversations — in-person and remote — that go where surveys can't. The richest source of consumer truth.

02
Shop-Alongs & Ethnography

In-store and in-home research that captures behavior as it happens — not as people remember or imagine it.

03
Mobile Ethnographies

Diary studies and mobile methods that follow consumers through their day — in context, on their terms.

04
Concept & Packaging Eval

Does this idea earn attention on shelf? Does it communicate the right story? We find out before you go to market.

05
Focus Groups

Moderated group discussions that surface the social dynamics of decision-making — what people say and what they actually mean.

06
Online Communities

Asynchronous qual and digital communities for longitudinal research — more depth, more flexibility, lower cost.

How We Work

Tools That Free Us to Think.

Research has always been part craft, part logistics. We've invested in AI-assisted tools that handle the logistics — so our time goes where it creates value.

Stage What Our Tools Handle What Our Researchers Focus On
Project Intake Brief parsing, competitive context gathering, prior findings retrieval Shaping the right questions, identifying knowledge gaps
Recruitment Screener drafting, quota tracking, scheduling Defining the right audience, spotting who's missing
Fieldwork Real-time transcription, note organization Listening, probing, following the unexpected thread
Analysis Initial coding, theme clustering, quote surfacing Interpretation — what it means, why it matters, what to do about it
Reporting Draft structuring, evidence organization, visualization Crafting the narrative, the strategic implication, the recommendation
Cross-Study Pattern matching across prior engagements Connecting dots, identifying shifts, challenging assumptions
Mike Carlon
Mike
Carlon
Founder, Fetch Insights
About

Researcher.
Strategist.
Storyteller.

Mike Carlon has spent three decades doing one thing: understanding people and translating that understanding into decisions that move businesses forward. He's personally moderated thousands of interviews, designed hundreds of studies, and delivered strategic insight to brand teams at Fortune 500 companies.

His body of published work spans moderation craft, research methodology, digital transformation, shopper insights, and the evolving role of qualitative in a data-saturated world. He's a longtime contributor to Quirks Marketing Research Review and QRCA Views, where he also hosts the Conversations in Depth podcast series.

Fetch Insights is built on a simple conviction: the operational weight of research should never eat the strategic value of it. Modern tools handle the former. Senior thinking drives the latter. That's the model.

30+
Years in qualitative research
1,000s
Consumer interviews moderated
26+
Published articles & papers
450+
Episodes of Uncorking a Story
Clients Include
Thought Leadership

30 Years of
Published Thinking.

View All Articles →
QRCA Views · Mar 2024
That Was Then, This Is Now: How Financial Services Product Research Has Evolved

How product development research has evolved from solution-focused to customer-focused — and what qualitative researchers need to succeed in it today.

Industry Focus
 QRCA Views · Jan 2023
Breaking the Rules: Key Differences Between Research Interviewing and Podcasting

The interpersonal skills required to interview research participants and podcast guests are similar — but how you apply them is very different.

Schools of Thought
 QRCA Views · Apr 2021
Hitting Curveballs

What happens when research goes sideways — and how the best moderators turn unexpected moments into the most valuable findings of the study.

Schools of Thought
Engagement Models

Three Ways to
Work Together.

Project-Based
Single Study,
Full Service

Design → Recruit → Field → Analyze → Deliver. One study, end to end. Ideal for teams with a specific question to answer.

Retainer
Ongoing Research
Partnership

A set number of studies per quarter, plus synthesis and cross-study intelligence. Your research compounds. Our thinking deepens. Relationships get smarter.

Sprint-Based
Rapid-Cycle
Research

1–2 week sprints for teams that need answers fast and iterate often. Built for innovation teams and agile product cycles.

Let's Talk

Ready to Start
Retrieving Insights?

Whether you have a brief or just a question worth exploring — we're easy to reach and fast to respond.

michael.carlon@fetch-insights.com Get in Touch