Umbrella

Umbrella We are the Market Research Agency located in Kyiv, Ukraine

We specialize in Qualitative research methodology
-Focus group discussion
- In-depth interview
Сonsumer Behaviour and Life Style Research
-Ethnography
-Shop-Along
-In-home visit
-Usability test
-Observation
Media and Electoral Qualitative Studies
Perception Analyzer Test

How audience research helps create better social campaignsHow can we understand whether a documentary film truly changes...
31/07/2026

How audience research helps create better social campaigns

How can we understand whether a documentary film truly changes perceptions — rather than simply gaining views?

This question became the foundation of the international research study Shifting Perceptions of Women's Participation and Encouraging Visibility and Inclusion of LGBTQI+ Communities in Ukraine, conducted by the Umbrella team on behalf of BBC Media Action.

As part of the Visible initiative, BBC Media Action, together with Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (Suspilne), created a series of 6 documentary films telling real stories of women and members of LGBTQI+ communities in Ukraine. The project aimed to foster greater visibility, mutual understanding, and inclusion through the power of documentary storytelling.

The purpose of the research was to conduct an Audience Feedback Study — to understand how audiences perceive these stories, what emotions they evoke, and how they influence attitudes toward socially important topics.

📍 Methodology:
• 10 online focus group discussions;
• participants from 17 locations across Ukraine;
• audiences with different perspectives — from supportive to skeptical, including dedicated groups with LGBTQI+ community members;
• discussions held after viewing the documentaries.

During the research, we explored not only the question "Did people like the film?" Our focus was on understanding:

• how audiences interpret the stories and their key messages;
• which characters and narratives create the strongest emotional response;
• what helps build empathy and trust;
• whether perceptions change after viewing;
• what insights can help create more effective social communications in the future.

Audience research makes it possible not only to evaluate the impact of already-created content, but also to understand why it works, for which audiences, and how future communication campaigns can become more relevant, accessible, and impactful.

Effective social communication begins not with creativity alone, but with a deep understanding of people. That is why Audience Feedback Research is an essential part of campaigns that aim not only to attract attention but also to contribute to meaningful social change.

📖 More about the project and its findings is available in the public analytical document by BBC Media Action:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/documents/bbc-media-action-lgbtqi-ukraine-project-briefing-ukrainian.pdf

Trauma-informed communication has become increasingly important in today’s Ukraine, as millions of Ukrainians continue t...
31/07/2026

Trauma-informed communication has become increasingly important in today’s Ukraine, as millions of Ukrainians continue to live with the consequences of war.

Together with Superwise, Umbrella conducted a qualitative research study exploring how trauma-informed communication is perceived in Ukraine and how communication can better support people who have experienced traumatic events.

The study explored which messages foster trust, empathy, and understanding—and which, despite good intentions, may unintentionally cause additional distress. We also tested communication concepts designed to promote more trauma-informed interactions across society.

🔍 Methodology:
• 5 online focus group discussions (FGDs) with healthcare professionals and people with lived experience of trauma, as well as their family members, psychologists, and NGO representatives
• 15 online in-depth interviews (IDIs)
• Participants from 21 communities across Ukraine

The findings highlighted a growing need for practical approaches to trauma-informed communication. Participants consistently emphasized that empathy is reflected not only in what we say, but also in how we say it. Respectful language, active listening, and acknowledgment of individual experiences were seen as essential elements of meaningful communication.These insights help organizations design messages and initiatives that genuinely resonate with the people they are intended to support.

We are grateful to Superwise for the opportunity to contribute to a project with meaningful social impact.

🌍 How do changes in U.S. trade, customs, and tax policies affect Ukrainian cross-border sellers?Umbrella conducted five ...
31/07/2026

🌍 How do changes in U.S. trade, customs, and tax policies affect Ukrainian cross-border sellers?

Umbrella conducted five online in-depth interviews (IDIs) with Ukrainian entrepreneurs selling through international online marketplaces and serving customers in the U.S. market.

The objective of the study was to understand how changes in U.S. trade, customs, and tax policies influence small businesses, their growth strategies, and day-to-day operational decisions.

🔍 Methodology:
• 5 online in-depth interviews (IDIs) with Ukrainian sellers operating on international online marketplaces
• 60-minute individual sessions
• Simultaneous English interpretation for the international research team

The research explored how entrepreneurs adapt to evolving regulatory requirements, revise their pricing strategies, logistics, customs procedures, and customer interactions. Particular attention was paid to how changes in U.S. policies affect business development, business resilience, levels of uncertainty, and long-term planning.

Studies like this help uncover not only what changes in business operations, but also why entrepreneurs make the decisions they do. These qualitative insights enable organizations to develop products, services, and solutions that address the real needs of small businesses operating in international markets.

💳 Banking Through the Eyes of ConsumerAnother international project in Umbrella's portfolio.Umbrella conducted 17 case s...
31/07/2026

💳 Banking Through the Eyes of Consumer

Another international project in Umbrella's portfolio.

Umbrella conducted 17 case studies as part of an international qualitative research project exploring consumer financial behavior, the use of banking products, and perceptions of banking brands.

📍 Geography: Chișinău, Bălți, and Comrat (Moldova)

At the heart of the study were not just financial products, but people—their experiences, everyday habits, concerns, and expectations of banks during a period of economic uncertainty.

We explored how consumers make decisions about savings, deposits, and loans; why they choose cash or digital payments; how they use mobile banking applications; what drives the choice of a primary bank card; and which barriers prevent wider adoption of modern financial services.

A key focus of the research was bank brand perception. The findings showed that customer loyalty is shaped not so much by fees or interest rates as by the quality of the everyday banking experience. Users value intuitive mobile apps, the ability to complete most banking operations online, convenient card top-ups, transparent fees, and, above all, a strong sense of trust in their bank.

Another interesting insight was that most participants do not consciously choose a payment system and are unable to clearly explain the difference between Visa and Mastercard. Instead, what they remember most is their experience with the bank itself—and that experience ultimately determines their trust in the brand.

Research like this helps financial institutions make decisions based on real customer behavior and develop products and services that address the genuine needs of banking customers in Moldova.

🍫 How are meaningful insights created?Sometimes, it takes just a few seconds in front of a supermarket shelf to make a c...
31/07/2026

🍫 How are meaningful insights created?

Sometimes, it takes just a few seconds in front of a supermarket shelf to make a choice. But behind those few seconds lie years of experiences, memories, habits, emotions, and trust in a brand.

This is exactly what the Umbrella team explored in an international qualitative research project for one of Ukraine's leading chocolate manufacturers, delivered in collaboration with our UK research partner, Breathe.

Our team was responsible for the entire research process in Ukraine—from participant recruitment and moderation to analysis and insight generation for the international project team.

📍 Research locations: Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Dnipro.

This was about much more than chocolate.

We set out to understand what happens in those crucial moments before a purchase is made.

Why does one chocolate bar capture a shopper's attention while another goes unnoticed? How do shelf placement, packaging, assortment, pricing, and previous brand experience influence the decision? What role do emotions, memories, and brand associations play?

To answer these questions, we combined several qualitative research methods:
🔸 pre-task assignments;
🔸 accompanied shopping missions to observe real purchase behaviour;
🔸 focus group discussions with different consumer segments.

The greatest value of this research was the opportunity to understand not only what people choose, but why they choose it.

Participants talked about much more than taste. They shared childhood memories, family traditions, familiar flavours, small moments of self-reward after a demanding day, and the trust they place in brands that have been part of their lives for many years. At the same time, practical factors such as shelf visibility, packaging, product assortment, and the overall shopping environment also played an important role. It is this combination of emotional and functional drivers that shapes real consumer behaviour—yet these nuances often remain invisible in quantitative research.

For us, this project reinforced an important belief: qualitative research is about far more than asking questions and collecting answers. It is about understanding people—their context, motivations, and behaviours that ultimately drive business decisions.

A sincere thank you to the Breathe team for their trust and partnership. We are proud that Ukrainian research expertise continues to contribute to international projects, helping both global and local brands better understand their consumers.

🍔 Understanding people beyond the menu. ⭐️Umbrella had the opportunity to contribute to an international qualitative res...
31/07/2026

🍔 Understanding people beyond the menu.

⭐️Umbrella had the opportunity to contribute to an international qualitative research study for one of the world's leading QSR (quick-service restaurant) brands, in collaboration with our research partner Simply5 (Czech Republic). Umbrella was responsible for the Ukrainian market.

🔍Methodology:
• Online consumer community across different age groups and levels of brand engagement
• In-depth interviews
• Focus group discussions with Gen Z and Millennial parents — including both loyal customers of the brand and consumers who primarily choose competitor brands

The study explored the cultural and lifestyle factors shaping consumer behavior in the QSR category, reviewed the competitive landscape and brand communications, identified the key motivations, barriers, and emerging trends influencing Gen Z and Millennials, and developed recommendations to help the brand build stronger cultural relevance through its communication.

Each 120-minute in-depth interview followed the participant's personal journey: from lifestyle, food habits, and values, through relationships with QSR brands and first memories of them, to a detailed reconstruction of recent customer experiences across dine-in, delivery, and drive-through — concluding with an exploration of brand communication and perception.

Projects like this remind us why international collaboration matters. They allow us to benchmark our qualitative expertise in a global context while ensuring that the voice of Ukrainian consumers becomes part of conversations shaping decisions across multiple markets.

Дуже приємно бачити, як дослідження вже працюють на практиці.Під час тренінгу в рамках проєкту «Посилення стійкості меді...
31/07/2026

Дуже приємно бачити, як дослідження вже працюють на практиці.

Під час тренінгу в рамках проєкту «Посилення стійкості медіа в Україні» редакції-учасниці прифронтових областей обговорювали результати нашого комплексного соціологічного дослідження «Дослідження медіа-споживання та вподобань аудиторії локальних медіа в семи прифронтових областях України», яке ми проводили на замовлення Fondation Hirondelle www.hirondelle.org та IRMI www.irmi-ukraine.org
Окрім загального аналізу процесів у регіональних медіа, ми окремо оцінили кожну редакцію-учасницю проєкту — щоб кожна команда могла побачити свої великі й малі перемоги за цей складний час і зрозуміти, куди рухатися далі.

Наталія Кобзар, «Статус-Кво», Харків:
"Працювали собі й не думали, що стали краще за останні два-три роки, але от сьогодні дякуючи дослідженню це так приємно сказати вголос — так, ми стали краще. У тому числі завдяки цій співпраці з проєктом."

Світлана Карпенко, «Трудова Слава», Оріхів:
"Дослідження було дуже корисним. Що стосується конкретно мого прифронтового медіа, то нашою сильною стороною є все-таки довіра і локальність. Але зі слабких — це форма подачі, не вистачає сучасності. Тобто нам є куди рости."

Під час мозкового штурму журналісти шукали ідеї для оновлення стратегій розвитку та контенту — спираючись саме на дані дослідження.

Оригінальний пост IRMI: https://www.facebook.com/irmi.ukraine/posts/1356287073206713
Дякуємо Fondation Hirondelle та IRMI, International Institute for Regional Media and Information за можливість зробити дослідження, яке справді допомагає редакціям на прифронтових територіях бачити себе чіткіше та планувати наступні кроки.

#МедіаДослідження #Україна #ПрифронтовіМедіа

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Kyiv

Opening Hours

Monday 10:00 - 19:00
Tuesday 10:00 - 19:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 19:00
Thursday 10:00 - 19:00
Friday 10:00 - 19:00

Telephone

+380997384783

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