AdIntel Group

10/01/2025

Dr. Jane Goodall was the original ethnographic researcher, studying animal behaviors and serving as a true light in the Conservation movement. She will be missed. 😥

With great sadness, the Jane Goodall Institute confirmed this morning the passing of the organization’s founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, age 91 who died peacefully in her sleep while in Los Angeles, CA for her speaking tour in the United States.

Dr. Goodall’s life and work not only made an indelible mark on our understanding of chimpanzees and other species, but also of humankind and the environments we all share. She inspired curiosity, hope and compassion in countless people around the world, and paved the way for many others — particularly young people who gave her hope for the future.

In 1960 Dr. Goodall established the longest running wild chimpanzee study in Gombe National Park, Tanzania which continues to this day. She pioneered and sustained the Jane Goodall Institute’s community-centered conservation initiatives across the chimpanzee range for over four decades. Her legacy includes the creation of JGI’s international environmental and humanitarian youth program Roots & Shoots, which is actively driving change in 75 countries and counting around the world.

The Jane Goodall Institute is incredibly grateful to all our supporters, partners, and friends, especially during this difficult time. To add a personal remembrance of Dr. Goodall and continue her legacy for future generations, please visit JaneGoodall.org/RememberingJane

💚

Photo credit: Marko Zlousic

09/30/2025

It's so nice to see young people with a heart for helping others!

An inspiring young girl from Salida is proving that age is no barrier to making a difference. At just 8 years old, Adi Mazza has raised more than $52,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

09/24/2025

Are you able to bring joy and playfulness into your job? In a serious, fast paced world, maybe we all need to step back and laugh, play, and enjoy the little moments more ☺️

“Fortunate indeed is the man who has learned to put the spirit of play into his daily work. He will live longer and earn more.”
—Napoleon Hill

09/16/2025

Dashboards? No Thanks!

Seems like everyone is using Social Listening dashboards these days. It feels like a quick way to find out what customers think, and how many times a certain term, product or complaint is popping up in conversations. It’s also used by businesses to determine whether their brand is being perceived positively or negatively.

Sounds good, right? The problem with this approach is that frequently the dashboards and tech apps can’t accurately gauge the true sentiment of customers. Many times the apps crank out lots of data that must then be digested by strategists. And this data is often incomplete as the app can’t enter forums and sites where useful conversations are being held. So the data is also incorrectly weighted.

Probably the worst fault of dashboard apps is that they use inadequate search rules to determine whether a comment is negative or positive. This leads to very misleading reporting on the true sentiment of customers.

Years ago, we ran a test for a West Coast client of ours with popular outdoor products. The dashboard we were testing reviewed 1,000 posts regarding their products and reported that 15% of the posts about the brand were negative. This was a bit alarming, so we had our human researchers review all of those “negative” posts. Turns out they were all positive. The dashboard app had connected words it perceived as negative within certain proximity of the brand mentions and called them negative, such as the word “finally.”

One user had posted, “I’m so stoked, I finally received my [brand]!” The app saw the word “finally” as a negative, when in fact the poster was simply excited to receive his product. You can see the problem here. If we had not caught this, our client could have spent a lot of time and money in coming months to repair what the app told them was a weakness and reduce that 15% number to a lower negative result. In fact, our humans found that there was no weakness at all – customers were just excited about the brand’s products.

We get accused from time to time of being purists because we insist on having humans lead the charge on our clients’ research projects, rather than using “quicker” dashboard apps. But until they get much better, we’re happy to take that heat. And the good clients appreciate that; this brand stayed with us for eight years and was one of our best clients until they were purchased by another brand.

At AdIntel we intend to keep leading with humans, and our clients will receive the best marketing intelligence out there. That’s what they expect from us. We’ll leave dashboards to the other guys.

09/09/2025

Couldn't agree more!

In and out of St. Jude, kids should always get to be kids ❤️

09/02/2025

08/28/2025

Humans First!

We’ve heard a lot lately about AI, and how it’s taking over certain tasks in business. For some, this is a good thing, as it can certainly streamline activities that humans don’t need to be doing. When used properly AI apps can gather information, record and organize conference calls, code basic websites, and more. But there are certain areas that we should reserve for humans.

One of those is market research. AI may be able to tell you what people are saying, and how many times they’re saying it, but it can’t discern emotions. Emotions can help demonstrate how people feel about things, why they take certain actions, and how likely they are to modify behaviors based on external factors. Factors like marketing campaigns and corporate messaging.

Unlike humans, AI can’t sign into forums, enter online bulletin boards, or contribute to a Reddit thread. It can’t navigate conversations to see where they go and ascertain how strongly people feel about a specific subject. In other words, it will never find the golden insights that a trained human ethnographer will find.

At AdIntel, we’re proud that our current use of AI is limited. We prefer humans doing our research because it is far more accurate and reliable. Our clients are most interested in what makes their human customers tick – not what artificial intelligence thinks it is.

By having our humans observe this customer behavior, everyone wins. Clients get accurate human intel they can use to communicate more effectively, and customers receive messaging that engages them more fully – based on their needs and desires. That’s a winning combination, and we’ll continue being purists when it comes to understanding our clients’ audiences. After all, we’re only human.

08/28/2025

Cracker Barrel could have saved themselves a lot of heartache if they had done some customer and SEO research beforehand! Luckily, we at Adintel can help with that 😎 Let us know if you and your company want to avoid a potential marketing disaster!

What does Cracker Barrel’s logo reversal teach us about branding? 🤔
Cracker Barrel recently scrapped its minimalist logo redesign after customer backlash.
Research from YouGov found:
- 76% of consumers preferred the original logo
- 29% said the rebrand made them less likely to visit

The lesson? Logos are more than design, they’re memory codes tied to consumer trust, nostalgia, and recognition.

For marketers, this highlights three key points:
1️⃣ Heritage branding can outweigh trends
2️⃣ Testing and phased rollouts reduce risk
3️⃣ Communicating the why behind a change matters as much as the change itself

History shows similar cases (Gap 2010, New Coke 1985) where consumer attachment beat out modernization.

So, how can brands modernize effectively without alienating loyal customers? Is subtle refinement the better path, or can a bold rebrand still succeed if executed differently? Let us know your thoughts 💭

Image via USA Today
Full article: Ad Age

07/30/2025

Love seeing radio stations support a good cause!

We present to you the 2025 Urban Cares – St. Jude Radio Partner of the Year! 🎉

We are so thankful for the unwavering support of our friends at the Rickey Smiley Morning Show and their willingness to share the lifesaving mission of St. Jude on and off the air. ❤️

07/21/2025

Have you considered telling stories to resonate with your audience? Customers are seeking connection and vulnerability to build brand trust… are you offering that?

07/14/2025

What a creative and sweet way to upcycle all those Wimbledon tennis balls! 🎾 🐭

07/12/2025

Proud to be a part of this continuing legacy of hope ❤️