Category insights are research-driven understandings about a specific market or product category. These insights help brands grasp what’s happening across the landscape – from changing consumer behavior trends to new competition and emerging innovation. Put simply, they offer a big-picture view of your environment, including the forces influencing it.

These insights are built by analyzing hard data (such as sales, market share, or product performance) as well as softer indicators like cultural movements, shopper sentiment, or brand perceptions. They can be gathered through quantitative research, qualitative interviews, digital analytics, and more. The most valuable category insights blend both types to show not just what is happening, but why.

Here's why category insights should be part of every organization's planning toolbox:

• Understand consumer behavior trends: By identifying how buyer needs, preferences, or values are shifting, you can plan products and campaigns that are relevant – not outdated.
• Track competitive moves: Know how your category is evolving by monitoring what competitors are launching, how they’re positioning themselves, and how the market is reacting.
• Spot market opportunities or risks: A strong grasp of your category can uncover unmet needs, whitespace opportunities, or early warning signs of disruption.

For example, let’s say you're in the plant-based snacks category. A fictional brand might discover that consumers are moving away from high-protein options and leaning into comfort-focused, indulgent plant-based treats. That shift might come from trend tracking, social listening, or talking to consumers directly. With these insights in hand, your team avoids doubling down on messaging that’s losing relevance. That’s the real power of category insights.

Ultimately, these insights serve as a strategic compass. They inform smarter product roadmaps, brand positioning, channel strategies, and messaging. Without this lens, brands risk working off assumptions or outdated knowledge – especially in fast-moving or evolving markets.

Businesses that prioritize market research 2025 efforts now are those who will confidently navigate change. And as planning season begins, this foundational knowledge ensures discussions are anchored in what’s actually happening – not what teams hope or believe is true.

Q3 marks the start of the pre-planning process for many organizations. It’s the moment when leadership begins asking: Where are we headed next year? What priorities should guide our plans? What’s changing in our space, and how do we respond?

The answers to those questions don’t come from gut instincts – they stem from clear, strategic insights. That’s where category insights really prove their value. By gathering category insights before planning season, teams enter Q4 empowered with clarity and confidence. Instead of scrambling for late-breaking data, they’re equipped with relevant insights for brand planning, all collected during that essential Q3 window.

Why Timing Matters

Many companies wait until final planning season to gather their research, but by then, decisions are already being made and timelines are tight. Prioritizing category insights in Q3 allows for deeper discovery and more thoughtful analysis. It gives teams time to explore consumer behavior trends, consolidate competitive insights, and translate findings into actionable guidance before strategy sessions begin.

In other words: Q3 is when you build your plan to build the plan.

Top Benefits of Investing in Q3 Category Insights:

• Stay proactive, not reactive: Spotting early category trends or disruptions helps you prepare, rather than scramble.
• Make informed strategic choices: From pricing and product development to messaging and channel strategy, your decisions are grounded in data.
• Align internal teams: When everyone is working from the same set of insights, cross-functional collaboration is smoother and faster.

Addressing Common Resource Gaps

Of course, we know that Q3 is busy. Many insights or brand teams are under pressure, balancing day-to-day work with long-term planning asks. That’s why many organizations bring in expert support to help before the planning rush kicks in. At SIVO, our On Demand Talent solution connects you with experienced consumer insights professionals to help manage the load.

Need a temporary insights lead or additional muscle for a finite research project? On Demand Talent can step in to identify and deliver the right planning season insights quickly – without the long ramp-up period of hiring full time. Our experts partner closely with your in-house staff to ensure that insights are delivered on time, with the relevance and accuracy today’s fast-paced environments demand.

Whether you’re defining your 2025 planning season strategy or ensuring you’re preparing with competitive insights in Q3, this early work lays the foundation for focused, effective planning ahead. With the right category insights in hand, planning becomes less about guessing, and more about knowing.

As businesses gear up for the annual planning process in Q4, Q3 becomes a critical window for gathering the most relevant consumer and market data. Strategic planning depends on seeing what’s happening now – not just past performance. That’s why tracking consumer behavior trends and competitive movements during Q3 ensures your planning is anchored in current realities, not outdated assumptions.

Trends That Help Shape Stronger Planning

Consumer expectations are evolving rapidly, influenced by shifting economic conditions, emerging technologies, cultural movements, and social trends. Understanding these changes is essential to building insight-backed brand strategies that resonate with today's audiences.

In Q3, your team should be paying close attention to:

• Behavioral shifts. Look for changes in how, where, and why consumers shop, eat, communicate, and make decisions. This includes any friction or unmet needs you can effectively address.
• Category spending trends. Are consumers cutting back or trading up in your category? Are they switching to new brands or exploring emerging sub-categories?
• Digital and channel preferences. Consumers frequently shift between online and in-store buying behavior. Capturing Q3 data helps clarify where your target audience is most active now.
• Competitor moves. Tracking competitive insights in Q3 can highlight shifts in positioning, new product features, or pricing strategies that could impact your own brand planning.
• Cultural and seasonal factors. Back-to-school, late summer events, and pre-holiday anticipation can all shape consumer priorities heading into the end of the year.

Market Research Now, Smarter Planning Later

Using market research before planning season gives you reliable, up-to-date knowledge of consumer sentiment and category health. Whether you're evaluating product innovations, channel strategies, or brand messaging, fresh category insights from Q3 set the foundation for smarter, faster decisions in Q4.

For example, a regional food brand (fictional scenario) planning their 2025 expansion might uncover in Q3 that shoppers are increasingly seeking convenience-focused meal kits in their category. By identifying that trend early through consumer research, the team can explore innovations well before finalizing next year’s strategy.

The takeaway? Solid planning starts with knowing what’s happening now. Waiting until Q4 to begin exploring these shifts can leave your team rushed or relying on outdated data.

Getting the right insights in place before planning season doesn’t always align with internal resourcing. During Q3, insight teams often find themselves facing tight timelines, backlogged projects, or the absence of key team members. That’s where SIVO’s On Demand Talent solution becomes a game-changer.

Flexible Expertise, When You Need It Most

On Demand Talent gives companies immediate access to seasoned consumer insights experts – not freelancers, not general consultants, but professionals with deep experience in market research and strategy. They’re ready to jump in quickly and support high-priority initiatives, freeing up internal teams to stay focused without sacrificing data quality or depth of analysis.

Whether you need to:

• Conduct a focused study to uncover consumer behavior trends
• Analyze category data for gaps and growth opportunities
• Lead stakeholder interviews to gather internal insights
• Support competitive insights tracking ahead of planning season

…On Demand Talent professionals can integrate seamlessly and drive momentum in a matter of days or weeks – not months.

Stronger Support Without Adding Permanent Headcount

One of the top challenges during pre-planning is finding the right balance between workload and team capacity. Hiring full-time roles or relying on unvetted freelancers can be slow, costly, or risky. On Demand Talent offers a flexible alternative, backed by SIVO’s quality standards and industry expertise.

Unlike traditional freelance platforms, where quality can vary and oversight is minimal, our On Demand Talent network consists of vetted professionals with proven experience in insights roles across industries. They’re matched to your needs and ready to lead or support, depending on your team's bandwidth.

Applied Example

Picture a mid-size CPG brand heading into Q3 with a new product launch on the horizon and a lean internal insights team. Bringing in an On Demand Talent expert helped them complete a rapid category scan, identify whitespace in the competitive landscape, and align internal marketing teams on key consumer trends – all without derailing the team’s ongoing projects (fictional example).

With SIVO’s On Demand Talent, your team doesn’t need to stretch thin or sacrifice the quality of strategic planning insights. You get relevant expertise, right when it counts most.

If you wait until Q4 to gather your strategic planning insights, you've missed the prime opportunity to collect, digest, and act on the information effectively. By that time, decisions are already being made and finalized. That’s why the pre-planning process, typically beginning in Q3, is the smartest time to start.

Timing Matters More Than You Think

Q3 is the runway. It’s when your team still has time to explore questions, test hypotheses, and pivot based on real data. Gathering category insights now gives you time to pressure-test assumptions and integrate market research into your planning process without a last-minute scramble.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the timeline:

• Q3 (Pre-Planning): Begin gathering key category, consumer, and competitive insights. Conduct primary market research as needed and align stakeholders on early findings.
• Early Q4 (Planning Season): Use finalized insights to inform strategies, allocate budgets, and make confident decisions.
• Late Q4: Lock plans and transition toward execution for the following year.

Starting early also increases the effectiveness of insight roles support. Whether you're leveraging internal teams, agencies, or On Demand Talent professionals, you’ll have time to validate findings, involve cross-functional input, and communicate insights clearly ahead of deadlines.

What Insights Are Needed Before Planning Season?

To build a future-proof strategy, your team should focus on a few core categories of information before the planning season officially kicks in. These include:

• Consumer behavior shifts – what are your audiences doing now, and why?
• Competitive insights – what moves are your rivals making, and how should you respond?
• Category trends – is the market growing, slowing, or fragmenting? Are there new niches emerging?
• White space opportunities – where is unmet consumer need or innovation potential?

By starting this insight-gathering process in Q3, your plans won’t just check the box. They’ll lead with clarity, relevance, and confidence.