The Challenge
PHD wanted to explore one of the most underestimated forces in consumer behaviour – anticipation.
As part of their wider cultural research project, Do Good Things Come to Those Who Wait?, they needed to capture authentic human reactions that could sit alongside their quantitative findings.
Our goal was to get real people to demonstrate how anticipation shapes perceived value, desirability and decision-making.
“Working with Vox Pops International on this project has been an absolute pleasure. They truly understood the nuances of our study and were flexible and rapid collaborators throughout.”
– Insight Director, PHD Media
The Approach
We conducted three days of vox pop interviews across London, Manchester and Birmingham. Over each day, we spoke with 10 participants across a range of ages, genders and backgrounds, and put them through three behavioural research experiments.
The Timing Test: Some participants received a £10 incentive before answering questions; others received it after. Those who waited were more positive, showing that timing has an impact on emotional response.
The Expected Outcome Test: Every participant smelled the same fragrance, but was given different price points. Those told the perfume cost £100 described it as “luxury” and “high-end”. Those told it was £20 called it “musty” and “basic.” Same product, entirely different perception.
The Scarcity Test: Participants chose between two jars of identical biscuits, but one was full, and the other was nearly empty. Many chose the emptier jar, instinctively reading scarcity as quality. Some even convinced themselves the biscuits looked “thicker” or had “more chocolate chips.”
We also spent a day at PHD’s offices conducting in-depth expert interviews to explore how anticipation plays out across different sectors and job roles.
You can find one of these interviews here.
The Approach
We conducted three days of vox pop interviews across London, Manchester and Birmingham. Over each day, we spoke with 10 participants across a range of ages, genders and backgrounds, and put them through three behavioural research experiments.
The Timing Test: Some participants received a £10 incentive before answering questions; others received it after. Those who waited were more positive, showing that timing has an impact on emotional response.
The Expected Outcome Test: Every participant smelled the same fragrance, but was given different price points. Those told the perfume cost £100 described it as “luxury” and “high-end”. Those told it was £20 called it “musty” and “basic.” Same product, entirely different perception.
The Scarcity Test: Participants chose between two jars of identical biscuits, but one was full, and the other was nearly empty. Many chose the emptier jar, instinctively reading scarcity as quality. Some even convinced themselves the biscuits looked “thicker” or had “more chocolate chips.”
We also spent a day at PHD’s offices conducting in-depth expert interviews to explore how anticipation plays out across different sectors and job roles.
You can find one of these interviews here.
The Approach
We conducted three days of vox pop interviews across London, Manchester and Birmingham. Over each day, we spoke with 10 participants across a range of ages, genders and backgrounds, and put them through three behavioural research experiments.
The Timing Test: Some participants received a £10 incentive before answering questions; others received it after. Those who waited were more positive, showing that timing has an impact on emotional response.
The Expected Outcome Test: Every participant smelled the same fragrance, but was given different price points. Those told the perfume cost £100 described it as “luxury” and “high-end”. Those told it was £20 called it “musty” and “basic.” Same product, entirely different perception.
The Scarcity Test: Participants chose between two jars of identical biscuits, but one was full, and the other was nearly empty. Many chose the emptier jar, instinctively reading scarcity as quality. Some even convinced themselves the biscuits looked “thicker” or had “more chocolate chips.”
We also spent a day at PHD’s offices conducting in-depth expert interviews to explore how anticipation plays out across different sectors and job roles.
You can find one of these interviews here.
“Their proactive approach meant we were able to transform detailed participant and expert insights into powerful visual narratives that helped bring our research to life for our clients.”
– Insight Director, PHD Media
The Impact
The footage was presented at PHD Connect 2026, where clients and colleagues saw the behavioural research brought to life on screen. By pairing real human reactions with quantitative data, PHD was able to demonstrate something powerful: that anticipation doesn’t just influence how people feel, but actively changes how they behave.
As Eva Grimmett, Chief Strategy Officer at PHD, wrote in Campaign: anticipation “isn’t eroding – it’s fragmenting, intensifying, and becoming more valuable than ever.” Our work helped make that argument impossible to ignore.
If you would like to learn more about the research, you can reach out to the PHD UK’s Insight team at insight@phdmedia.com.
