Occasion-based research focuses on the specific situations or contexts in which people use or consider a product. Rather than asking questions in the abstract, it digs into the full picture of a moment – who the consumer is, what they’re doing, how they feel, and what needs they’re trying to fulfill.

Moving Beyond Demographics and Preference Data

Traditional market research often focuses on demographics (age, income, location) or general preferences. While valuable, this can miss the subtleties of human behavior. For instance, someone might love energy drinks, but why they consume them – before a workout, mid-afternoon at work, or during a study session – varies by occasion. Each of those moments involves different need states and motivations, which can inform how and when your brand should engage them.

Revealing Need States and Emotional Drivers

Usage occasions help uncover "need states" – the driving motivations that fuel behavior in a specific moment. These can be functional (e.g., "I need a quick solution"), emotional (e.g., "I want to feel comforted"), or social (e.g., "I want to impress others"). When you layer these motivations onto real-life contexts, you gain a clearer picture of how decisions are actually made.

By capturing situational behavior – how consumers act in a given environment or emotional state – occasion-based research connects your brand to real needs. This makes messaging, channel planning, product placement, and innovation much more targeted and effective.

Why It’s Especially Powerful with DIY Tools

Platforms like AYTM allow researchers to design and field surveys quickly, reaching niche segments in a matter of days. Occasion-based studies work well in these environments because they bring structure to the survey design – helping teams ask smart questions tied to actual usage behavior.

• Example Occasion Questions: “Where are you when you use this product?”, “What mood are you typically in?”, or “What are you trying to achieve in that moment?”
• Segmenting by occasion helps reveal how the same product is viewed differently across moments, audience types, and need states.

Used wisely, occasion-based frameworks ensure your DIY market research isn’t just quick – it’s strategic. And with On Demand Talent guiding the process, businesses can feel confident that the insights gathered will link clearly to action, without overwhelming their internal resources.

Before you can design your occasion-based study in AYTM, you need to clearly identify the usage occasions worth exploring. In simple terms, a usage occasion refers to the specific circumstances under which a consumer is using – or thinking about using – your product or service. Think of it as the snapshot of who they are, what they’re doing, and what they need at that time.

Start With the Consumer Journey

One of the easiest entry points is to map out the consumer journey. Ask: Where along that path does your product naturally show up? When does the customer think of using it – and what else is happening in that moment?

For example, imagine you’re working on a beverage brand. Potential usage occasions could include:

• Starting the day (wake-up routine)
• Midday energy slump at work
• Winding down at night
• Entertaining friends on the weekend

Each of these moments includes a setting, a goal (need state), an emotional tone, and possibly even social influences. Your job is to define these with enough clarity that they can be explored through a survey in AYTM.

Tips for Defining Occasions in AYTM

Once you’ve outlined a few key usage occasions, the next step is to translate them into language that will work well on the AYTM platform. Here are some tips:

1. Use clear, relatable language – not jargon

Instead of saying “a capitulation of functional and emotional need states,” try something like: “Think about the last time you had a mid-afternoon energy crash at work – what did you reach for?”

2. Let survey logic handle complexity

AYTM’s branching logic allows you to show certain questions only to users who select specific usage moments. This helps keep surveys tailored and relevant, and avoids overwhelming respondents with unrelated questions.

3. Consider layering in mood, location, and activities

Occasions aren’t just defined by time of day – they’re influenced by emotions, settings, and routines. Ask about where the respondent is, what else they’re doing, or how they’re feeling to round out the picture of the moment.

4. Focus on 3–5 core occasions to start

You don’t need to cover every possible scenario at once. Prioritize the most relevant or high-potential usage contexts for your category. Over time, you can expand or refine based on what you learn.

And if this process still feels a bit uncertain, that’s where expert help can make a big difference. SIVO’s On Demand Talent professionals specialize in helping teams set up thoughtful, context-driven studies in DIY tools like AYTM – bringing structure, speed, and clarity to the research design process. Instead of hiring a generalist or managing multiple vendors, you get a seasoned expert who’s ready to help you unlock deeper, occasion-based insights – right when you need them.

Once you’ve identified key usage occasions using a platform like AYTM, the next step is mapping consumer need states. This process helps uncover the reasons behind why consumers behave the way they do in different contexts—what motivates them, what they’re trying to accomplish, and how they choose between options. Understanding need states is essential for interpreting consumer decision drivers and aligning products or services with real emotional and functional desires.

What are consumer need states?

Need states describe the underlying motivations a person has in a given moment. For instance, a consumer buying coffee on their morning commute may be motivated by convenience and an energy boost, while someone choosing coffee during a leisurely Sunday brunch is more interested in taste and the social experience.

In occasion-based research, products and behaviors are framed within these dynamic needs. AYTM allows researchers to structure surveys that surface these nuanced motivators using custom logic flows and behavioral questions. Instead of simply asking, “What brand do you use?” you can probe deeper: “What was most important when choosing this product in this situation?”

How to identify and differentiate need states

Here are a few ways to effectively map need states in your occasion-based study using AYTM:

• Contextual Filters: Start by filtering respondents by key variables like time of day, location, or activity to group similar usage contexts.
• Behavioral Drivers: Use Likert scales or ranking questions to ask respondents what mattered most to them (e.g., price, quality, immediacy, indulgence).
• Emotional Needs: Ask about mood or emotional state during the usage occasion to identify emotional resonances that shape decisions.
• Choice Triggers: Include open-ended follow-ups or forced-choice comparisons to uncover trigger points that prompted the purchase or use.

Mapping need states transforms flat data into layered, humanized insights—critical for product innovation, marketing strategy, and in-the-moment targeting. For example, a (fictional) beverage brand may discover that its product satisfies both “refreshment after exercise” and “midday energy boost” needs—giving them two distinct messaging strategies within different usage occasions.

When designing occasion-based research in AYTM, focusing on need states provides clarity around why consumers act, not just what they do. This depth can drive stronger segmentation and more relevant solutions tailored to actual usage contexts.

To get the most from your occasion-based research, you need to go beyond standard questions and craft surveys that tap into real-life situations. Consumers’ choices often shift based on the immediate environment they’re in—this is what we refer to as situational behavior.

By capturing context-rich responses in AYTM, you can better understand how usage contexts drive behavior—and how to act on those insights effectively.

What is situational behavior in market research?

Situational behavior describes how a person's actions vary depending on factors like time, task, location, company, or emotional state. For instance, the same consumer might choose different snack brands when at home watching TV versus when traveling—despite holding consistent brand preferences overall.

Best practices for survey design in AYTM

Here are key tips to design surveys in AYTM that successfully capture situational nuances:

• Start with the moment: Begin your survey by anchoring the respondent in a specific occasion, such as “Think about the last time you ate lunch at work.” This frames answers through a real lens instead of hypotheticals.
• Use branching logic: AYTM’s survey builder allows for skip logic or customized flows based on occasion type, helping the survey feel more personalized and precise.
• Ask about actions, not attitudes: Focus questions on real behaviors (“What did you choose?” or “Where were you?”), rather than abstract preferences.
• Limit recall bias: Keep questions centered on recent events or commonly repeated activities to ensure more accurate responses.

For example, in a fictional scenario for a frozen meal brand, a well-designed survey might ask respondents to describe their weekday lunch routine, then follow up with why they chose a particular product, where and how they ate it, and what needs it fulfilled in that context (e.g., time-saving, low effort, etc.).

Small tweaks in survey design can have a big impact on the quality of your insights research. AYTM’s flexibility is powerful—but only if paired with thoughtful, context-aware design. That’s where experienced research professionals can make a difference, ensuring surveys surface the right behaviors and motivations in each usage scenario.

DIY market research tools like AYTM empower insight teams to move fast and cost-effectively. But as projects grow more complex—or when data needs sharper interpretation—knowing when to bring in experienced support can make all the difference. On Demand Talent bridges that gap with the flexibility of a platform and the expertise of full-service talent.

Signs you may need expert support

Occasion-based studies provide layered insights, but designing them well demands research fluency. Here are a few indicators it's time to bring in seasoned professionals:

• Lack of internal bandwidth: If your team is stretched thin, On Demand Talent can step in to manage projects without missing timelines.
• New to occasion-based research: When you're still exploring how to conduct occasion-based research in AYTM, expert guidance ensures designs align with business goals.
• Complex segmentation needs: Need help mapping need states, layering behavioral data, or applying statistical techniques? Specialized support delivers better precision and rigor.
• Scaling insights efforts: If your research program is rapidly expanding, experienced insights professionals can help build reproducible frameworks and upskill your team along the way.

Why On Demand Talent instead of freelancers or agencies?

Unlike freelance platforms or traditional agencies, SIVO’s On Demand Talent solution gives you immediate access to pre-vetted, expert-level researchers with direct experience in usage context studies, survey design, data interpretation, and strategic storytelling. These professionals don’t just understand DIY platforms like AYTM—they know how to maximize them.

Benefits of bringing in On Demand Talent:

• Rapid onboarding: Matched and operational within days or weeks
• Strategic alignment: Experts focus on business impact, not just data delivery
• Embedded learning: Your team grows in capability as they collaborate
• Scalable support: From one-time studies to ongoing capacity gaps

In today’s environment where timeframes are shrinking and AI tools are rapidly evolving, blending internal agility with external know-how is the best way to future-proof your market research tools investment. On Demand Talent ensures your occasion-based research stays on objective, on time, and insightful—even when working with lean teams or fast pivots.