Markteffect and Beautiful Lives join forces in qualitative research under a specialized label

“Humanizing business, unlocking relevance” is the mission of the new specialized label Markteffect | Beautiful Lives. The qualitative researchers at Markteffect and the Beautiful Lives team will continue to work together as a single team under this label. With this move, Markteffect is giving qualitative research a central role within the organization.

Both organizations are part of The Relevance Group. With the launch of Markteffect | Beautiful Lives, this collaboration is taking further shape. The new label consists of a team of more than 15 Insights & Innovation Experts, within a larger organization of more than 100 research specialists.

Guided by the mission “Humanizing business, unlocking relevance,” Markteffect | Beautiful Lives supports organizations in adopting a human-centric approach to work and innovation. This involves looking beyond assumptions and exploring where opportunities lie through understanding and empathy. The label combines qualitative research, quantitative data, strategy, and consulting, and translates these insights into sharp decisions for brand strategy, innovation, customer experience, and customer journeys. In doing so, Markteffect | Beautiful Lives provides organizations with both the foundation and direction to make decisions that are more relevant, people-centered, and effective.

“Clients don’t just want to know what lies behind behavior and numbers; they also want a concrete translation of opportunities and solutions based on those insights,” says Boj Nefkens, CEO of Markteffect. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do with Markteffect | Beautiful Lives: combine in-depth insight into people’s behavior and motivations with the power of data—the combination of human and data science. We want to be able to tell clients not only ‘what and why,’ but also where and how they can successfully capitalize on these insights to remain relevant.”

Markteffect | Beautiful Lives will be led by Iris Aarts, who began her career at Beautiful Lives over 13 years ago and subsequently gained further experience at companies including Branddoctors and IPSOS. “I’m thrilled to be ‘back’ in this new role, helping Markteffect | Beautiful Lives continue to develop into a state-of-the-art insights & innovation team. I’m already seeing how the combination of our expertise is leading to sharper perspectives and richer analyses, and that this energizes both the team and our clients.”

“Beautiful Lives was built on the conviction that true relevance begins with connecting with people,” says Aarts. “Of course, this involves observing, listening, and asking questions, but it also includes AI-supported moderation, semiotics, our online community Campfire, client forums, and is now further enriched by the data science expertise within Markteffect and all the possibilities offered by The Relevance Group.”

Maurice Palmen and Gaby Siera, founders of Beautiful Lives, will remain closely involved in the further development of Markteffect and the new label for qualitative research.

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Iris <span>Aarts</span>

Iris Aarts

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