Corona Insights has worked with hundreds of clients since 1999, from big government agencies to small nonprofits – from our neighbors in Denver to clients throughout the United States. Below are a few examples of how our market research, evaluation and learning, and strategy and facilitation services have guided organizations forward.

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Our Work:
Member and prospective member research, international research, online surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, user experience (UX) research

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has retained Corona Insights multiple times to provide insights into select markets essential for their continued growth. In one engagement, we conducted an online survey of members and non-members around the world to help ACM establish their priorities. We also conducted follow-up focus groups and interviews with survey participants to explore more specific ways ACM could help meet members’ needs. We consolidated these multimodal research findings into a clear and compelling message and call to action for the organization, which provided ACM executives with valuable insights to enhance their products and services.

We were also retained by ACM to conduct user experience (UX) research to inform the redevelopment of the website for their organization’s flagship publication, Communications of the ACM (CACM). This research entailed an initial needs assessment, a survey of members, and a series of UX interviews with CACM’s global user base. Draft wireframes were tested to identify potential pain points and confusion about navigation and wording; then revised navigation was tested to ensure ACM could move forward with confidence in their website development.

The Aya Foundation

Our Work:
Data systems and evaluation design, theory of change, evaluation planning, interactive dashboards, impact report, entrepreneur support, community wealth building, capacity building

Corona Insights was engaged by The Aya Foundation, Colorado’s only Black-led foundation focused on dismantling the state’s racial wealth gap, to help Aya create data management systems and impact-measuring processes that the organization can use on its own in future years. We also defined Aya’s theory of change, created a measurement plan outlining strategies for collecting information on Aya’s grantees and program participants, and designed several new data collection tools and processes. Then we helped Aya implement those processes, analyze the resulting data, and publish the organization’s first annual Impact Report, showcasing their efforts to provide Black entrepreneurs with the essential tools and networks needed for prosperity. Aya has since engaged us to help the organization create its grantmaking evaluation strategy and support its ongoing evaluation practices.

Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI)

Our Work:
Member survey, donor survey, community survey, pricing research, tourism research

Corona Insights was twice retained by the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) to conduct research to inform future membership programs. In our first project, we conducted research with existing members, lapsed members, and visitors (non-members) to understand awareness of member benefits and perceived value. Findings helped BUEI build a better understanding of members and their relationships with other institutions in Bermuda, and identified ways to increase engagement with members and improve gaps in communication. Later, we were retained along with a partner to aid in the development of a new membership program. We engaged in market research with current and prospective audiences, including cruise ship passengers, and developed a model to assess potential attendance and revenue under different assumptions. Research findings led to recommendations for a new membership program that included different tiers, benefits, and pricing.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado (BBBSC)

Our Work:
Program evaluation, theory of change, focus groups with youth and parents, in-depth interviews, needs assessment

Corona Insights has worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado (BBBSC) on a variety of projects, including needs assessments, program evaluations, research design, grant writing, and strategic guidance for program enhancement. To understand programming needs and impacts we have conducted surveys, focus groups, and interviews with students, mentors, parents, educators, and BBBSC program staff. In our ongoing role as external program evaluators, we work with BBBSC to analyze data and deliver reports to support their grant-funded STARS and AIM programs, ensuring they meet funder objectives. We have also facilitated working sessions with BBBSC staff to develop a theory of change for the Sports Buddies program, which set goals and measurable outcomes for the program. Additionally, we supported the development of the Big Futures program, conducting focus groups with participants and their parents. We then participated as part of a task force to build an initial curriculum and evaluation plan for the program and evaluated the pilot phase of the program, providing key insights to inform its expansion efforts.

Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus

Our Work:
Master plan, board facilitation, strategic planning, focus groups, member survey, demographic analysis, in-depth interviews, ethnographic observation

The Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus engaged Corona Insights in a four-phase, 18-month planning and visioning process to understand the current and future environment relevant to the Museum over the next 10-20 years. Over the course of this process, we conducted research including in-depth demographic analyses, future forecasts of the Denver metro area population and projected member base through 2040, ethnographic observation visits conducted at the Museum and other local cultural organizations, an email survey in which over 1,750 Museum members participated, interviews of 70 community stakeholders, and three targeted focus groups with under-represented segments of the community (also known as voice-of-the-customer research).This collaborative process culminated in the Museum’s 2030 Master Plan.

The City of Fort Collins Transit Services (Transfort)

Our Work:
Intercept survey of fixed-route bus passengers and phone survey of paratransit passengers

The City of Fort Collins bus service, Transfort, has a mission to provide exceptional, customer-focused service that meets their community’s present and future transit needs. To best complete their mission, Transfort hired Corona Insights for multiple years to conduct an intercept survey of current bus riders and provide feedback on how Transfort can best meet their customers’ needs. The survey was conducted across Transfort bus routes and was offered in English and in Spanish. Results were provided for the system overall, by individual route, and by key segments based on behavior and demographics. Additionally, Corona Insights administered a survey to Paratransit riders to understand their needs, experiences, and satisfaction with this service. The final report summarized the findings and presented key insights in an easy-to-read report and was presented to transportation planners and managers.

CollegeInvest

Our Work:
Current and prospective customer research, B2C research, B2B research, tracking studies, surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, website usability research

Corona Insights has long partnered with CollegeInvest to conduct research with their various customer groups, both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B). Much of our work has centered on tracking changes in the higher education savings market through understanding customers’ awareness and perceptions of CollegeInvest’s programs and exploring barriers to opening a 529 savings plan account. Additionally, we conducted segmentation analyses to help CollegeInvest further explore key markets and adapt relevant messaging. We have also performed website usability testing to help improve the online customer experience.

We have also engaged in research with specific customer segments for certain programs offered by CollegeInvest, such as First Step. Through surveys and interviews with parents and legal guardians of account beneficiaries, we discovered ways to increase interest in First Step by understanding what motivates potential customers to apply and identifying ways to improve messaging and outreach around the program. We have also conducted research with HR managers, business owners/C-suite executives, financial advisors, and CPAs to understand how they perceive and promote higher education savings products to their own workforce or clients.

Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)

Our Work:
Statewide survey, focus groups, formative campaign research, message testing, pre–post campaign evaluation, mapping, on-call research support

Corona Insights has worked with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) as a prime contractor or subcontractor for many years. Our work with CDOT has involved a wide array of topics, from traffic safety research (including numerous media evaluation surveys) to general transportation research (e.g., HOV lanes, the Central I-70 project) to resident surveys. Our projects often involve multilayered, multimodal approaches. For example, we conducted a statewide resident survey to gauge satisfaction with and trust in CDOT ahead of future planning and funding requests. As a follow-up to the survey, we conducted in-person focus groups across the state to delve deeper into several key findings that came out of the survey. We have also informed the development of CDOT’s campaigns to raise awareness around cannabis-impaired driving and promote safer driving habits through formative campaign research and pre–post campaign evaluation, including focus groups with different cannabis-using audiences. Furthermore, we have been conducting annual statewide driver surveys to measure satisfaction with CDOT, awareness of safety issues, and various safe-driving behaviors. This survey has turned into CDOT’s main feedback tool for many of its programs.

Colorado Municipal League (CML)

Our Work:
Member research, benchmark and tracking research, surveys

For over fifteen years, the Colorado Municipal League (CML) has retained Corona Insights as a trusted partner to conduct their annual “State of Our Cities and Towns” research. At the inception of this work, we focused on creating financial benchmarks, which were especially critical at the time because the 2008 financial crisis had just begun. In subsequent years, we collected data to measure changes in these metrics and tell the story of how Colorado’s towns have rebounded since the recession. Furthermore, each year we have collected additional information on a new topic for that year, from public safety to parks and recreation to transportation and more. Collecting these supplemental data points has generated fresh insights and invigorating content for the annual report in addition to the financial monitoring. CML uses this information annually to broadly report on the state of Colorado’s cities and towns and to inform leaders and policy throughout the state.

We have also been retained by CML to conduct separate ad-hoc research projects, such as membership surveys.

Colorado Nonprofit Association

Our Work:
Statewide survey, donor survey, workforce survey, economic impact analysis, facilitation, board retreats, focus groups, interactive data dashboards

The Colorado Nonprofit Association (CNA) and Corona Insights have worked together on both research and strategy projects for over a decade. Our work has provided CNA with a better understanding of how to serve its members and has helped shape the organization’s strategic direction. We have executed a charitable giving study on multiple occasions to provide CNA with a demographic and behavioral profile of the state’s donors. We also conducted focus groups and a statewide survey to test and develop messaging themes for the Association’s ReFUND CO campaign. Additionally, we support CNA’s periodic workforce survey, the Colorado Nonprofit Salaries & Benefits Survey, by providing timely redesigns to improve usability and make sure questions are still relevant. We have also collaborated with CNA to help them strategize their data collection approach and assisted in survey data analysis by creating an interactive data dashboard to allow CNA to parse their data by professional roles within the nonprofit sector and pull formatted, printable salary tables for each role. CNA published the complete survey online, and continues to generate revenue by selling segmented data dashboards to their core members.

Community Radio for Northern Colorado (CRNC)

Our Work:
Focus groups, member survey, audience research, secondary data analysis, donor research

Corona Insights was retained by Community Radio for Northern Colorado (CRNC) to conduct research to better understand its current and potential audiences for its two radio stations. The research centered on both KUNC, an NPR-affiliated local news station, and The Colorado Sound, a listener-supported music station focused on discovering and showcasing artists from Colorado and beyond. Specifically, we aimed to understand the listening preferences and behaviors of young Black and Latino residents of northern Colorado through a series of focus groups. We also conducted secondary data analysis of the statewide Colorado Media Project survey (previously executed by Corona), focusing on the unique media attitudes and behaviors of these audiences. Finally, we fielded parallel surveys of CRNC Donors and Coloradans residing in the stations’ geographic reach. By highlighting similarities and differences between CRNC’s listeners and the broader community, our work informed a series of strategies for reaching new listeners and better serving those who were already engaged with the organization’s stations.

Connect for Health Colorado

Our Work:
Statewide survey, campaign testing, customer surveys, customer demographic analysis, persona work, online focus groups

Connect for Health Colorado has partnered with Corona Insights on multiple occasions over the years to enhance their understanding of customer experiences and inform future communications and marketing strategies. Most notably, we have conducted their annual survey to track customer enrollment and to better understand what the enrollment process is like for returning and new customers. We also developed detailed customer personas to better understand what motivates distinct customer groups through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, weaving together data from census demographic analysis and a literature review, surveys targeting customers and uninsured or direct purchasers, and primary research through focus groups and online bulletin boards. Our most recent work involved a demographic analysis of the uninsured and those who directly purchase insurance in Colorado, aiming to uncover the motivations of these groups. This comprehensive research supports Connect for Health Colorado in refining their communication strategies and better serving their diverse customer base.

CORE Electric Cooperative

Our Work:
Mixed-mode member survey (phone and email)

CORE Electric Cooperative (formerly IREA) has hired Corona Insights to conduct yearly surveys of its current members. These surveys help CORE deepen its understanding of its members and their priorities. The surveys assess members’ satisfaction with CORE, their customer service experience and communication preferences, their priorities, and their interest in new programs related to electric vehicles, home batteries, and rooftop solar. Annually, we collect over 2,000 responses via both phone and email. Our reports provide detailed analyses that help CORE make data-driven decisions about their customer service, communications, and programs.

Denver Arts and Venues

Our Work:
Focus groups, in-depth interviews, citywide survey, customer profiles, cultural planning and facilitation, concept testing

Denver Arts & Venues (DAV), the City and County of Denver’s arts facilities and public art funding agency, retained Corona Insights to assist in the creation of a cultural plan to guide the growth of Denver’s arts and culture infrastructure for the coming years. The 15-month, large-scale cultural planning process involved a wide range of research and strategy tasks. We conducted a situation analysis to understand the state of arts and culture in Denver and collected public input through in-depth interviews and an online survey. Next, we oversaw and guided design and drafts of the City’s cultural plan (IMAGINE 2020) while synthesizing insights from our research with facilitated conversations and more in-depth interviews, including those with the City Council and Mayor’s Office. Since its creation, IMAGINE 2020 has been used as the guiding document for DAV. In order to make sure the original vision of the document has stayed resonant with arts and culture sectors and the wider public, we have periodically re-fielded the survey in 2017, 2020, and 2024, and have conducted follow-up interviews with artists and culture sector workers. We have continued to collect data and track progress to help DAV inform the next iteration of the cultural plan. We have also collaborated with DAV to present data at DAV-hosted events for arts sector audiences.

Denver Indian Health and Family Services

Our Work:
Community needs assessment, program evaluation, logic models, theory of change, secondary data analysis, database development, surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, IRB review

For over a decade, Denver Indian Health and Family Services (DIHFS) has partnered with Corona Insights on a range of research and evaluation projects aimed at identifying priority needs for the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community in the Denver metro area and supporting programs to reduce disparities in health care access and outcomes. These include programs focused on chronic disease management and prevention, behavioral health access and youth suicide prevention, and increasing health insurance coverage. We have conducted several community health needs assessments, integrating findings from secondary data analysis, literature reviews, community and staff surveys, site visits, focus groups and in-depth interviews with DIHFS providers, partners, and AI/AN community members. And we have provided comprehensive outcome and process evaluation on targeted programs, creating evaluation plans, logic models, and theories of change; developing research tools and obtaining IRB review; analyzing clinical data and other administrative data; conducting surveys, interviews, and focus groups with program participants, staff, and partners; and preparing reports of findings for program staff, DIHFS leadership, and funders . We have presented research and evaluation findings at both community events and nationwide conferences dedicated to improving health outcomes for Indigenous peoples. These projects underscore our commitment to helping DIHFS better serve the AI/AN community by applying evidence-based strategies and rigorous evaluation methods to address critical health disparities.

Denver International Airport (DEN)

Our Work:
Intercept surveys, persona research, segmentation, user experience (UX) research, brand research, satisfaction research

Corona Insights has worked as the research firm of record for Denver International Airport (DEN) for more than a decade. In fact, DEN was our very first client, back in 1999. Our studies with DEN have touched on all aspects of the passenger journey. We have conducted intercept survey research to gauge passengers’ airport experience overall, from parking to gate; intercept survey research to assess traveler transportation needs to and from DEN; user research to inform gate area and bathroom redesigns; user experience and wayfinding research to understand how individuals traverse the new and improved security lanes; as well as awareness research to explore public perception of airport construction projects. Our other work for DEN has included brand research, customer segmentation, and persona work. Research results have informed everything from capital improvements to marketing and messaging.

Donor Alliance

Our Work:
Statewide survey, benchmark and tracking research, public opinion research, message testing, focus groups, in-depth interviews, literature review, A/B testing

Donor Alliance has long partnered with Corona Insights for research and evaluation regarding public perceptions of organ and tissue donation, as well as strategies to increase individual donor registration. Earlier studies we conducted established benchmarks for public sentiment toward donation as well as barriers and myths surrounding donation. More recently, we have conducted follow-up studies to track these key metrics. The results of these surveys provided a useful snapshot of how public awareness, opinions, and actions have changed over the years, and have informed the continual evolution of Donor Alliance’s communication strategy. Our team has also helped guide the evolution of their specific public messaging: We provided a comprehensive literature review and conducted primary research via focus groups and interviews to identify impactful campaign messages, and then used a survey to test various messaging strategies among target audiences.

Food Bank of the Rockies

Our Work:
Demographic analyses and mapping, in-depth interviews, observational research, facilitated community conversations

The Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) needed to better understand where and how food distribution gaps emerged and persisted in their Colorado service area. FBR hired Corona Insights to conduct a needs assessment in four counties with high need but low food distribution. We began by interviewing FBR staff and reviewing relevant literature and data about food security, then leveraged mapping software and existing census data to reveal the gaps in food access and identify where and how distribution sites could be added to better serve residents. We then interviewed partner food pantry staff and volunteers working in these gap areas to learn about their operations, experiences collaborating with FBR, and perceptions of food relief programs. Finally, we facilitated online community meetings with pantry organizers, state agency staff, and stakeholders in each county to discuss challenges and solutions to food distribution. FBR used the assessment results to strengthen and build new relationships with food pantries to meet the needs of clients living in underserved areas.

Grand County Public Health

Our Work:
Demographic analyses, surveys with health professionals, community surveys, in-depth interviews, prioritization meetings, health improvement planning

Grand County Public Health has hired Corona Insights several times to assess their community’s health and wellness needs. In the most recent assessment, we analyzed census data to describe the population and reveal disparities by geography and ethnicity. We then surveyed health professionals, health affiliates, and county residents to measure needs, challenges, and resources. Next, we interviewed key audiences with unmet needs. The project concluded with a prioritization summit where stakeholders discussed and chose specific health and wellness issues to prioritize, which the county used to draft its five-year health improvement plan.

Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety

Our Work:
Community surveys, field research, observational research, statewide research

The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety has worked with Corona Insights for over twenty years to measure the impacts of traffic safety programs in the state. From 2003 through 2020, we conducted regular telephone surveys of Minnesota drivers regarding high-risk driving behaviors (e.g., drinking and driving, not using seatbelts, speeding, and texting while driving). This research aimed to quantify the prevalence and demographics of these behaviors, as well as measure awareness and perceptions of a variety of marketing campaigns conducted by the state that aim to reduce these behaviors. We also conducted specific research to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and motivations of high-risk drivers, building foundational knowledge to inform eventual strategies for improving safety behaviors. Later, our research shifted to developing the state’s official seat belt use rate measures, which involves a large annual on-site data collection process at over 200 locations throughout the state.

Snowsports Industries America (SIA)

Our Work:
Member research, sales data tracking, consumer surveys, in-depth interviews, annual participation reports, on-call research support

As the primary, on-call research partner for Snowsports Industries America (SIA), Corona is frequently asked to assist with data collection, analysis, and interpretation of results. We have conducted a broad array of research projects for SIA, including an analysis of annual sales data from member companies, consumer surveys around the impacts of the pandemic on snowsport participation, and research with non-participants to inform member company efforts to reach new markets of snowsport enthusiasts. We also conducted SIA’s NextGen Study, in which we engaged young Black, Asian, Latino, and LGBTQ+ participants and non-participants via focus groups and in-depth interviews to understand the various access and equity issues that prohibit underrepresented audiences from participating in snowsports. In addition to these specific research engagements, we also manage SIA’s premier annual report on snowsports participation across the United States.

State Innovation Exchange (SiX)

Our Work:
Theory of change and evaluation design, capacity building, qualitative analysis, advocacy evaluation

Corona Insights was engaged by State Innovation Exchange (SiX), a leading support organization to state legislators, to help their Program Director create strategies, systems, and tools for monitoring and evaluation. Working closely with their Executive Team, we redefined the organization’s theory of change to focus on grassroots power-building, created a roadmap for building standardized data collection and reporting mechanisms across disparate programs, contributed to a key co-governance publication, and integrated new learning methods into team processes. Throughout our work together we have helped the team produce several case studies illustrating their impact on co-governance. In addition, we have standardized key data collection tools (surveys and interview guides) used within events, conferences, and cohort experiences. SiX has used these products to illustrate the organization’s vision for and impact on collaborative governance. This has helped them secure additional funding, and helped advocates and legislators visualize a longer-term and more holistic definition of success for state governance.

Sweetwater Community Juvenile Services Board

Our Work:
Needs assessment, secondary research, in-depth interviews

Corona Insights has worked with Sweetwater County, Wyoming for over two decades. The Sweetwater Community Juvenile Services Board (CJSB) has twice retained us to conduct a juvenile needs assessment that examined the local systems related to preventing juvenile delinquency and identifying and diverting children at risk of entering the juvenile court system. We began by gathering existing research and data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wyoming Department of Family Services, the Wyoming Department of Education, and Sweetwater County, in order to conduct statistical analyses of the juvenile population and forecast juvenile crime. We also conducted informational interviews with key people in the juvenile services system to uncover processes and criteria in use, services provided, capacity limitations, barriers, and opportunities. Our final report was presented to the Sweetwater Board of County Commissioners and noted key needs for prevention and early intervention activities, as well as step-down services to support reintegration into family and community.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Our Work:
Nationwide survey, public awareness research, panel survey, public policy

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has made combating plastic waste a top priority. To inform this work, WWF twice retained Corona Insights to conduct research aimed at understanding public awareness of the issue, current behaviors around plastic usage and recycling, and general attitudes toward plastics in the United States. In addition to understanding the distinct public views on plastic as a material, especially for consumer packaged goods, we also explored public support for potential solutions to plastic waste, and perceptions of the responsibilities of various entities. To ensure the reliability of results, we paid careful attention to survey design and sampling, implementing a probability-based panel to ensure the results would be representative of the US population overall. While results from this research were used to inform messaging campaigns directed toward the general public, the report itself primarily assisted WWF’s efforts to craft legislation around plastic waste management. Results were also shared with members of Congress and their staff and were widely publicized by WWF, which led to widespread coverage in numerous national publications including Forbes and The Hill.