Abbie Lawrence

Market Research is a field worth £5.2 billion in the UK, permeating all fields, making it one of the most influential industries in the economy. It has also remained largely the same since its conception in the 1920s, relying on outdated methods such as online surveys and in-person focus groups.

Abbie Lawrence wants to change all that. She founded Consumer Insights Lab to provide more accurate data through innovative mobile research units. These Real World Mobile Units (RWMU) are easy to transport and assemble, gathering high-end and representative insights. The RWMU is expected to reduce cost of high-end research by at least 79% and increase equal access to high quality insights for the 78.8% of SMEs that make up the £121 billion food and beverage industry.

Abbie’s innovation reaches the parts other Market Researchers cannot reach – namely large marginalised groups who are often underrepresented in insights. It’s something she has long been passionate about.

“I have lived in 8 countries across 4 continents and, having grown up in such a diverse range of cultures, I am very conscious of the need for equality, diversity, and inclusion,” she says.

“Lacking representation from these groups leads to ineffective designs and unfit for purpose products and services. Through our solution, we are able to diversify demographic representation by 40% by taking research to the participants rather than relying on participants to make the journey to a fixed location.”

Reflecting on winning the Award, Abbie says, “I want to inspire other founders and to-be founders to be open about their experiences to help others persevere, grow, and succeed.”