A caça ao cool: uma investigação dos caminhos metodológicos trilhados por profissionais que pesquisam tendências para organizações

Abstract

This study investigates the methods used by professionals who research trends for organizations and their perceptions about coolhunting, today. Trend research, initially confused with coolhunting, became popular at the organizational level in the late 1990s as a strategic tool that identifies sociocultural changes and emerging patterns to obtain commercial benefits. Despite recent academic efforts, the lack of formal methodologies persists. Through interviews with researchers who work for organizations, a process of three complementary stages was revealed: (i) initial steps, of understanding the problem and exploring the context, (ii) intermediate steps, for data analysis and validation, and (iii) final steps, translating and transforming information into products or services. The results were compared to the model proposed by Gomes et al. (2021b), highlighting practical similarities and theoretical differences. Finally, it was found that, although respondents consider coolhunting outdated, they use it to seek innovations at the beginning of their projects. Data analyses were based on content analysis principles proposed by Bardin (1977, 2021), in association with the software ATLAS.ti. This dissertation contributes to the updating and evolution of trend research methods and their practical applications in the organizational context.