Lacuna Agency: 2024 Self-Driving Industry Award Winner for Research
What a few weeks it has been for Lacuna Agency! Hot on the heels of winning the prestigious Research prize at the 2024 Self-Driving Industry Awards, and The Quirk’s Ground-breaking Research Project award, the London-based customer experience specialist has now been shortlisted for not one but two Market Research Society Awards – Inclusive Research and Public Policy.
Headquartered in Vauxhall, on the southern bank of the River Thames, Lacuna was a sister agency to 7th Sense Research US until a management buyout this summer. It is now wholly owned by founders Fergus McVey and Claire Harding.
With high-end global clients including Hackett, Rolex, Rolls-Royce and Arsenal FC, it has held the cherished ISO 9001 accreditation for quality standards and ISO 20252 for market, opinion and social research, including insights and data analytics, for over three years.
Strategic guru and CEO, McVey, has a longstanding interest in self-driving, conducting a UK consumer attitude survey into new mobility every year since 2019. “With our growing business in the future of mobility, and our luxury and sports expertise, the future is bright for Lacuna,” he said.
“Our name reflects our belief that what’s missing is so often the catalyst for what’s next. It’s never easy to uncover the unknown, but what’s easy has never been our focus. We relish the opportunities ahead.”
Co-founder and managing director, Harding, added: “We have an amazing, dedicated team who have worked very hard to allow us to reach this new stage in our agency’s life. We look forward to many fascinating projects and successful partnerships in the future.”
Mobility, luxury and sports
Lacuna has strengthened its position in cutting-edge automotive and self-driving technology by recruiting Dr Clare Mutzenich, an expert in Situational Awareness for Remote Vehicle Operators, who earned her doctorate at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Specialising in UX design and human factors, their new Research Director is leading an increasing number of Automated Vehicle (AV) projects – some of which we will cover here, and some which must stay strictly under wraps until the New Year.
“The new name, Lacuna, means missing part or void,” said Dr Mutzenich. “It’s the same team doing what we’ve always done – identifying and filling gaps in vision, bridging the divide between present and future, completing the picture.
“By using all the traditional qualitative and quantitative techniques, and then enhancing them with new technologies like eye-tracking and Virtual Reality (VR), we shine a light into all those little nooks and crannies, transforming lacuna into launch points for success.”
As a prime example, Lacuna won their first Self-Driving Industry Award not only for exceptional initial research – a survey of over 3,000 UK transport users – but also for what followed – detailed analysis, extrapolation and the development of practical solutions.
Jointly credited to Mutzenich, McVey and Harding, the agency’s June 2024 paper, “Driving the Future: Addressing Generational Trust and Ownership Barriers in the Adoption of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles”, serves a welcome dual purpose – neatly highlighting the challenges to widespread acceptance, and providing a compelling market segmentation strategy.
Self-driving challenge
“Our study reveals two significant hurdles impeding the transition to shared autonomy,” said Dr Mutzenich. “First, low trust and acceptance across generational groups. Second, the enduring preference for private vehicle ownership.
“At CAM conferences, everyone talks about how amazing the tech is, this coming automated utopia, but what we find repeatedly, year-on-year, is people telling us they don’t want it, don’t see the use in it, they’re scared of it, or just not interested. The industry is stuck in a bit of an echo chamber.”
To illustrate the point, in response to the question “Would you find sitting in traffic more enjoyable if you were able to concentrate on other things (e.g. work/entertainment)?”, Lacuna found that the ‘no’ percentage increased with age – from an encouraging 31% of Gen Z, born mid-1990s to early 2010s, up to 43% of Gen X, born mid-1960s to late 1970s, and rising sharply to a sizeable 65% of Boomers, born mid-1940s to 1960s, higher still for those born before WWII.
“Younger generations may have grown up in a digital environment where the blending of work and leisure activities is more commonplace, leading to acceptance of such concepts,” said Dr Mutzenich.
“Conversely, the Silent Generation may prioritise uninterrupted relaxation during travel, preferring to use commuting time for quiet reflection or leisure activities that do not require cognitive engagement.”
A subsequent question, however, revealed a far more complicated picture. Asking “How comfortable are you with vehicles operating at L4 or L5?” – automated driving, according to the SAE scale – Lacuna recorded the responses by age group across four levels of comfort.
It identified an interesting range of views within each generation, and a surprising standout finding: While trust in self-driving is highest among those aged 30-39, with 8% “very comfortable” with the idea, this halves to just 4% for the younger group, those aged 18-29, less than the 5% recorded for those aged 50-59, and only a percentage point above the 3% recorded for those aged 60+.
Effective messaging
For those in self-driving, the message is crystal clear: We’re still in the foothills of the public perception mountain, and we can’t take the youth vote for granted. Fortunately, in terms of shifting the needle through effective education and marketing, Lacuna have done a lot of great, innovative, strategic thinking.
“To address these challenges, our SASS Model categorises individuals into four distinct groups: Sceptics, Alarmists, Swing Voters, and Supporters,” explained Dr Mutzenich. “To drive public trust, each needs to be treated differently.
“Sceptics are not really against self-driving. They can be apathetic, or worried about certain aspects – like the impact on jobs – or more progressive – keen to get rid of cars completely, not just replace them with automated cars.
“Alarmists often express strong emotional and visceral reactions, reflecting discomfort with the perceived lack of control and fears about advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI). Often women in older age categories, some may instinctively view these technologies through a lens of potential risks, having lived through significant technological and societal changes.
“At the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the supporters. They’re advocates, first adopters. They tend to be millennial men. They’re likely to already be using some automated features, and they’re first in the queue to try more. They don’t need to be convinced. Then you have the swing voters. They’re not for or against; they’re really not bothered.
“To bring about public acceptance of CAM, we need to target messaging appropriately. Supporters bring a positivity and openness. They can champion the technology. Alarmists need to be listened to, and have their concerns responded to appropriately and sensitively. Informing them about remote operators, humans still in the loop, can help assuage some of their fears.
“The two middling groups, the sceptics and swing voters, are arguably most interesting from a public acceptance perspective. Together, they represent more than a third of the target population. They’re not against, they just need to be convinced of the benefits, both for them and society – how a doctor’s appointment on their commute would be a real time-saver, or how self-driving can increase access to mobility for vulnerable people.
“Matching education to target groups is something we’ve been working on with governments and OEMs, but it isn’t straightforward. You might think Gen Z, the digital natives, would be really in favour, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. Alarmists are always going to be hard to convince, and there’s a danger that multiple messages might confuse people.
“Our final shock point on automated and shared mobility is this: Despite all the benefits, and even amongst those who trust the technology, most people still want to own a private vehicle.
“Many people still cherish the freedom and joy of driving, so for CAVs to win them over, they need to deliver an experience that’s not just better, but irresistible. Car ownership isn’t just about getting from A to B – it’s about convenience, personalisation, status, and control.
“To compete, CAVs must outshine these advantages and make themselves the smarter, more desirable choice. With some wary of a driverless future, it’s crucial to sell the dream first – focusing on the benefits, the convenience, and the possibilities that redefine what mobility can be.”
We’ll have more from Lacuna soon on one of the most contentious subjects in all road safety – the moment of machine-human handover. In the meantime, for further info, visit Lacuna Agency
