Top Workplaces Seven-Year Streak!

How many times has Directions Inc been named a Top Workplace?

Directions Inc — the collective of Directions, SEEK Company, and Aimpoint Research® — was named a Top Workplace for the seventh year in a row in 2023 by Cincinnati.com and The Enquirer. The 2023 Top Workplaces list is based on an employee survey conducted early in the year by research partner Energage, which measures aspects of workplace culture including engagement, alignment, and connection, and recognizes the highest-ranking companies in the Cincinnati area.

What do employees say about working at Directions Inc?

All 200+ of the firm's people come together to create the unique and special culture that makes Directions Inc a Top Workplace year after year. The team is energized by working collaboratively towards a shared purpose, passionate about doing whatever it takes to impact client success, and values the freedom, flexibility, and trust given to achieve balance in their work life.

In the words of employees:

“I love my team and am honored that we are invited to do important work for our clients.”

"I feel passionate about our work, want to aid client success, and am surrounded by a great team."

"My colleagues are smart and helpful. We can be proud of what we deliver to clients."

"I know that Directions is flexible and will work with me when I need it, which encourages me to do my best whenever I can."

"I am empowered to make choices and have control over my days, tasks, and direction."

"It is a grown-up place to work, and there are opportunities to pave your own path and achieve work-life balance."

Thank you to all who work together daily to deliver excellence to our clients. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

See all 2023 winners

Sources

Insights

July 16, 2026

What Our Data Showed When We Tested Synthetic vs Human Respondents in a Brand Survey

As the debate over AI in market research heats up, leaders are asking us a critical question: What is the evidence for using synthetic respondents in research?

July 9, 2026

Don't Replace Your Human Sample Just Yet: An Evidence-Based Guide to Synthetic Respondents

To see the risks of using synthetic respondents, read the full article.

March 17, 2026

Discover Linara: An Always-On Integrated Intelligence Platform

The Directions Group today announced the launch of Linara™, an AI-powered integrated intelligence platform that will transform static research into always-on decision support for insights, marketing, and leadership teams. It’s first capability, Linara Personas, gives organizations conversational access to their customer personas and lays the foundation for a broader suite of tools to come.

July 11, 2025

Introducing ARIN - An AI-Powered Survey Companion

It can be really difficult to get consumers to meaningfully engage with online surveys. ARIN addresses this critical industry pain point by leveraging natural conversation to uncover deeper insights than ever before.

April 24, 2025

The Directions Group and Idealyst Innovation Form Strategic Partnership

The Directions Group, a strategic insights firm, and Idealyst Innovation, a pioneering agricultural solutions company, have announced a strategic partnership designed to bring expanded intelligence services to the industry to empower agribusinesses and their farming and ranching customers.

September 18, 2024

New Study Highlights Widening Lifespan-Healthspan Gap and Implications of Evolving U.S. Health Landscape

The study, Preparing for the Tidal Wave, highlights the growing gap between lifespan and health span in the U.S., as well as six long-term trends impacting American health that will have a disproportionate influence on consumer behavior, policy, and innovation over the next decade.

August 27, 2024

Directions Research, SEEK Company, and Aimpoint Research Unite to Form The Directions Group

Today marks a significant milestone in the insights industry as Directions Research, SEEK Company, and Aimpoint Research unite to form The Directions Group.

February 21, 2023

Tim Urmston, Founder and President of Seek Company, Passes Torch to Courtney Pegan

Courtney PeGan has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of parent company, Directions Inc, to serve as President of SEEK upon his retirement and lead the division into the next era of growth, innovation, and human-centric insights.

August 31, 2021

Stacey Wetterer Joins Directions Inc

Stacey Wetterer Joins Directions Inc as SVP of Talent Acquisition and Professional Development.

November 1, 2016

Introducing Menu IQ

Comprehensive Suite of Insight Solutions

December 1, 2016

Introducing R2

Ratings and Rankings

November 1, 2016

Introducing AMO - Adaptive Marketing Optimizer

Conjoint Results without the Complexity and Costs

June 20, 2024

Incoming President and CEO Elizabeth Finn Unveils Vision for Directions Inc

Directions Inc, a leading insights and intelligence firm, recently held its highly anticipated annual company meeting where incoming President and CEO Elizabeth (Beth) Finn unveiled her vision for the firm’s future. Beth was recently selected by the Directions Inc Board of Directors to succeed President and CEO Jim Lane who will retire in December.

January 3, 2023

Directions Inc Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Finn to Chief Client Officer

Directions Inc announced this week the promotion of Elizabeth (Beth) Finn to Chief Client Officer as the company positions itself for continued growth as a go-to strategic marketing advisor for clients.

December 1, 2016

Expanding Our Shopper Practice

Directions Research is pleased to announce that Beth Finn has joined the firm as Vice President, Shopper Practice Lead, Client Service.

June 6, 2018

Directions Sharpens Technology Focus With Dedicated Group

Directions Research announced today organizational changes to sharpen its focus on technology solutions. These solutions are being implemented to build an industry-leading flow of data through the organization, elevating Directions’ ability to deliver quality insights to clients at increasingly fast speeds.

May 14, 2018

Directions Research Promotes Tim Laake To CMO

Directions Research is pleased to announce the promotion of Tim Laake to Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Tim will be responsible for all aspects of the Directions brand, from its digital footprint to speaking engagements at industry events.

May 14, 2015

Directions Research Announces New President

We are pleased to announce that Jim Lane has been elected the new President & Chief Marketing Officer of Directions. Jim, who is currently CMO, will be taking over for Randy Brooks who, after serving as Founder and President for the past 27 years, will assume the role as Chairman of the Board.

May 15, 2024

Directions Inc President and CEO Jim Lane Announces Retirement

Directions Inc announced today that Jim Lane, President and Chief Executive Officer, will retire on December 31, 2024, after nine years of leading the firm through tremendous growth and transformation. Following an internal selection process, the Directions Inc Board of Directors has named Chief Client Officer, Elizabeth (Beth) Finn, as his successor.

February 10, 2020

Directions Hires Operations Veteran Jason Ebbing

Directions announced today that Jason Ebbing has joined the firm as Senior Vice President, Executional Excellence.

November 9, 2021

Aimpoint Research Joins Directions

Directions and Aimpoint Research unite to broaden capabilities, enhance services across industries.

July 11, 2019

Directions Expands Board Of Directors

Directions announces the expansion of its Board of Directors with the election of Tim Laake and Carley Metsker.

July 20, 2020

Directions Announces Promotions Of Several Key Leaders

Directions recently promoted and expanded roles of several key leaders to create alignments based on industry expertise and better position the company to help clients achieve business impact.

April 15, 2021

Cincinnati Marketing Research and Insight Firms Partner on New Internship Program To Promote Greater Diversity In The Industry

Cincinnati marketing research and insight firms Burke, Inc., Directions Research, EMI Research Solutions, and MarketVision Research are excited to announce the creation and launch of the Minority Access Partnership Program.

August 14, 2025

GLP-1s and Hair Loss: The New Consumer Health Challenge Brands Cannot Ignore

GLP-1 medications have transformed the health and wellness landscape, delivering dramatic weight loss for millions. But there’s a story experts and brands cannot ignore: rapid weight changes are driving a wave of consumer anxiety as men and women across America confront sudden, unexpected hair thinning.

March 26, 2026

The Thread That Connects Everything - Linara

This Women's History Month, we're celebrating the theme Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future, and I want to start with something that might seem small: a thread. A single thread doesn't look like much. But woven together with others, it becomes something that holds, something that endures, something that tells a story.

December 30, 2025

Diabetes Market Revolution

The diabetes epidemic isn't just growing; it's exploding with surgical precision across distinctly different American populations. While healthcare companies recognize the importance of market segmentation and have developed sophisticated approaches to reach diverse patient populations, there's an untapped opportunity in the granularity of behavioral insights. The competitive advantage for those serving people living with diabetes lies in understanding exactly how different populations experience and manage the disease.

August 25, 2025

The Power of Brand Tracking

Brand tracking has evolved over the years from a routine research exercise into a strategic business intelligence tool that drives decision-making across entire organizations.

July 28, 2025

Tightening Our Belts: Away-From-Home Eating in a Time of Economic Uncertainty

Now is a tough time to run a restaurant. Inflation and interest concerns, labor shortages, supply chain issues and tariff uncertainty have restaurant operators worried about the bottom line. American consumers are also experiencing uncertainty, but not every consumer reacts the same way to it. Our 2024-2025 American Life & Health Lenses Study revealed six categories of consumers who are responding in different ways to the changing state of health. Let's look at how some of these categories who frequent QSRs are likely to react.

July 28, 2025

Marketing in the Age of AI-Inflected Language: Five Focus Areas for the Perplexed (and Prepared)

We're living in an age where our conversations increasingly involve - and are influenced by - artificial intelligence. From asking Alexa to turn on the lights to relying on Grammarly to polish our prose, AI is subtly but profoundly reshaping how we communicate. But this is just the beginning. As AI language models become more sophisticated, human language itself will likely evolve in response, creating a fascinating feedback loop. As we're interacting with AI, we are naturally adapting our language. At the same time, AI is learning from our language. So what does this mean for marketers?

June 2, 2025

Gen Z's Financial Revolution - How to Adapt to a Transformative Generation

Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) is reshaping the global marketplace. With over 2 billion members worldwide and projected to control $12 trillion in global spending by 2030 (19% of total global spending), this digital-native generation is driving a financial revolution.1 If you’re a financial institution or bank, understanding Gen Z’s habits and values is no longer optional – it’s critical for future success.

May 8, 2025

Boosting Customer Satisfaction from the Inside Out

Employee satisfaction is increasingly recognized as a key ingredient in driving strong customer satisfaction—this is especially critical in retail and service environments where frontline workers directly shape much of the customer experience. Recognizing this, a global restaurant brand asked us to help them build a benefits package to meet the needs of their U.S.-based employees.

March 24, 2025

Sparking a Campaign that Empowered a Generation of Women and Girls

The “Like a Girl” campaign was born out of a simple but powerful idea: for far too long, the phrase “like a girl” had been used as an insult. But what if that phrase could be reclaimed? Thanks to the power of Red Door™, The Directions Group's proprietary empathic insights process, we were able to identify clear, human-level tensions that served as a springboard.

February 27, 2025

Bridging the Gap to Drive Long-Term Loyalty Among African American Consumers

In today’s market, the growing importance of cultural relevance and diversity in leadership is undeniable. Companies are increasingly realizing that engaging with African American consumers in an authentic and meaningful way isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential to long-term business success. However, many businesses still face significant gaps in understanding how to connect with this powerful consumer group.

February 10, 2025

The Year of the GLP-1

There is a massive shift in consumer behavior coming, and it’s going to affect nearly every category in the United States in 2025. Brands that anticipate and proactively plan for that shift will find ways to delight consumers as demand changes; brands that ignore it will see their business impacted in small ways and large, and in ways that feel beyond their control.

December 12, 2024

Improving Market Research Data Quality with Human-in-the-Loop AI

Discover how human-in-the-loop AI is revolutionizing market research data quality through smart automation and expert oversight, boosting efficiency by 66%.

Get started

Clarity in a Complex World

The problem isn’t a lack of information. The problem is the lack of clarity in the midst of more information than there has ever been.

At The Directions Group, we’re passionate about turning chaos into crystal-clear understanding that will bring you closer to your customer and drive real results for your business.