What brings a new customer into a category?
First Occasions applies occasion and demand space thinking to the moment someone begins participating in a category: what brings it to mind, who helps make it happen, what the first experience is like and what leads to another.
Growth planning often focuses on winning a greater share of existing demand. When participation in a category is shrinking, teams also need to understand where new demand will come from.
The 20-interview pilot is complete. The main study will gather 300 accounts through AI-assisted interviews to find patterns in trial across categories, people and themes. The free report is planned for January 2027.
Five steps to a first occasion
We can think of a first occasion in five steps. Following someone through all five brings together influences that are usually considered separately, including some outside the usual remit of customer acquisition.
- 01TriggerWhat brought the new thing to mind, and what was happening at the time
- 02ActionWhat happened between interest and trying it, and who was involved
- 03TrialThe first experience itself: where, when, with whom and what they did
- 04RewardWhat the person got out of it, compared with what they expected
- 05Follow-throughWhat happened next: repeat use, telling others or bringing someone along
Early findings
Twenty interviews point to five ideas for the full study to test. The report will show how they hold up across 300 accounts and how they differ by category.
Get the full report →Read the first findings →- 01Other people do much of the work. Their involvement extends from suggesting something to organising, paying and joining in.
- 02Reviews and offers may help convert interest more often than they create it. They had more specific roles in people's stories than in their general answers about trial.
- 03Expectations are often set before the brand gets involved. A tourism campaign, a friend's enthusiasm or a neighbouring business can shape what a first-time participant imagines. That is why satisfaction can come as a surprise, when something unfamiliar turns out easier or more enjoyable than expected.
- 04Enjoyment alone doesn't explain repeat use. We also need to understand when and why another occasion arises.
Why AI-assisted interviews
Survey questions are limited in the amount of detail they can capture, often single-word answers to a half dozen questions. An interview lets people tell us what happened, in order and in their own words, capturing far more information. AI makes it practical to collect those accounts at scale while keeping the original records intact.
What usually encourages you to try something new? Select all that apply.
- A recommendation from a friend or family member
- Seeing it on social media
- Positive reviews or ratings
- A special offer, sale, or promotion
- Curiosity or boredom with the usual
- A life change or milestone
What it records: two ticked boxes. Reviews and offers both mattered, but we can't tell when or how.
AI interviewerThink about something new you tried recently. What first brought it to mind, and what was going on at the time?
ParticipantWe wanted a weekend away somewhere nearby and saw some ads for wine country. My wife enjoys wine sometimes; I hardly ever drink it.
AI interviewerWhat happened between seeing the ads and your first tasting? Who was involved?
ParticipantWe looked up recommendations and visited a few wineries. One offered a free tasting, so I joined in. The guide showed us how different the wines could be.
What it records: the trip, the partner's interest, the ads, the recommendations, the free tasting and the guide, in the order they happened.
The interview exchange is illustrative and not from the pilot. The survey options are from the pilot questionnaire.
Building recruitment into your planning
The study is designed to help teams working on innovation, portfolio and creative strategy answer three questions:
- Who to reach: Which people, interests and communities bring someone into a category, beyond the likely buyer?
- What helps people start: Which combinations of information, reassurance and practical arrangements turn interest into participation?
- What brings them back: What creates a second occasion, and does that demand stay with the brand or spread across the category?
Get the free report in January 2027
Sign up to receive the findings when they're published.
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Put the findings to work
Two ways to apply First Occasions to your own category.
A custom report on your category
$8,000 CAD
- 50–75 extra interviews with people trying your category for the first time
- A custom report on first occasions in your category
- A working session with your team to plan around the findings
Confirm by 20 November 2026, before fieldwork begins.
Discuss an oversample →An in-person workshop with your team
$1,500 CAD
- Review the main findings together, in person
- Work through what they mean for your category and demand space planning
- A short written summary, with the fee credited toward a project within six months
No deadline. Sessions run once the main report is out.
Ask about a planning session →About Ken Field
Ken Field has 15 years of experience in consumer research, including occasion research at Ipsos Canada and leadership of operations and advanced analytics at Explorer Research. His independent practice focuses on quantitative research, analytics and AI in research.