The Langston Co.

10/29/2025

White space isn’t always where you expect it.

Our White Space Index shows that Health Shots, Kombucha, and Protein Drinks stand out as the biggest growth opportunities. Meanwhile, traditional categories like Soda and Dairy Beverages are losing steam.

Even within Energy Drinks, there’s a clear shift. Standard formulations are down, but Plant-Based Energy Drinks are on the rise.

The takeaway: real category opportunity comes from looking beyond sales trends and into what drives consumer enthusiasm, intent, and perceived importance.

📊 Explore more insights in the full report: https://na2.hubs.ly/H01Pv2Y0

09/23/2025

High prevalence needs tend to be relatively unmet within the apparel basics space today.

"Move freely without restriction", "stay comfortable in any temperature", and "feel confident in my appearance" all land in the under-served zone.

This means that more than 𝟮 𝗶𝗻 𝟱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 aren't highly satisfied with existing products and solutions.

These insights were generated as part of a Langston Landscapes study examining the apparel basics category.

You'll be shocked to see the level of detail and depth that category-specific Landscapes studies can deliver in less than two weeks.

Read the full deep dive: https://na2.hubs.ly/H01fbXX0

08/28/2025

Why do brands seem disconnected from customers, even when they're conducing consumer research?

It's not because they aren't measuring consumer needs, it's because they're measuring them in the wrong way.

At Langston, our methodology measures multiple dimensions of consumer needs, revealing insights that most brands overlook.

Because people are complex.

When you reduce them to a single metric, you risk missing the mark entirely.

Learn why we take a different approach in our Health and Wellness and Apparel Basics studies (links below)

It’s structured, it’s nerdy, and yes… it includes talking about to talk about underwear on Facebook.

Health and Wellness Study: https://hubs.li/Q03G2gFL0

Apparel Basics Category Study: https://hubs.li/Q03G2fsd0

08/21/2025

Does you segmentation look more like a horoscope than a strategy?

Then we need to talk.

Too many “vibes-based” segmentations start with a clever name and end with zero data.

Instead, ask yourself:

1️⃣ How were these segments actually defined?
2️⃣ What data was used to build them?
3️⃣ How many real people do they even represent?

Because you may end up creating your brand strategy based on fluff, not actionable data.

In our new video, we explore how to spot a segmentation built on vibes vs. one that's built on data.

In part 3, we explore other extreme: when black box analytics go too far.

Catch up on part 1 👉 https://hubs.li/Q03DRTCV0

08/19/2025

The fastest way to waste hundreds of thousands on consumer insights?

Bad segmentation.

Most failed segmentation projects fall into the same 5 traps:
1️⃣ “Vibes-based” segments with no real data
2️⃣ Black-box analytics no one can explain
3️⃣ Focusing only on current customers
4️⃣ Repackaged demographics
5️⃣ Segments no one adopts

We’ve seen it happen, and we know there’s a better way.

Over the next few videos, we’ll show you how to avoid these pitfalls so your next segmentation actually delivers.

💡 Follow along so you nail it when the time comes.

08/12/2025

What if “basic” apparel isn’t so basic after all?

Our latest research shows that consumers think about apparel basics in six different dimensions, with comfort being the most common, unmet, and lasting demand.

But “comfort” means more than soft fabrics. For some, it’s convenience. For others, it’s confidence. For many, it’s feeling ready for anything the day brings.

If brands want to stand out, it may be time to rethink the basics.

Full report: https://hubs.li/Q03CgGBh0

Discover Langston’s original research on consumer needs in the apparel basics category. Explore unmet demands, shopper segments, and six dimensions of consumer behavior to unlock growth opportunities.

08/05/2025

Americans are not quitting alcohol en masse, but they are drinking less and with growing awareness of how it fits (or doesn’t) in their lives.

While this may not be news, our Life Lenses segmentation adds a new level of clarity to the individual motivations behind this shift, and what's replacing alcohol.

With 24 distinct psychographic segments, Life Lenses helps brands and marketers understand not just what people do, but why they do it to help enable smarter, more resonant strategy.

Read the full report: https://hubs.li/Q03Bg7-T0

Beyond The Bottle: The Decline of Alcohol + the Rise of New Rituals Case Study Published May 2025 Insights from Langston’s Health and Wellness Study, May 2025. Download Study Overview Langston’s 2025 Health & Wellness Study reveals a cultural shift in motion: Americans are not quitting alcohol e...

08/01/2025

Who is the small group of consumers driving the majority of athletic apparel spending?

They are young, high-earning, and dynamic, and they have made performance wear part of their everyday identity. For them, athletic apparel isn’t just for exercise — it’s what they wear to work, on flights, while parenting, and as a form of self-expression.

Our latest deep dive explores who they are and what drives them.

Read the full study: https://hubs.li/Q03z-1010

Our athletic apparel study uncovers the outsized impact a small group of consumers has on the athletic apparel market. Drawing from a nationally representative study of over 5,000 respondents, it highlights how a minority of high-spending individuals is quietly shaping the future of the category, th