About Langston
The guiding principles that define us
Over time, every strong organization develops a point of view about what matters.
When it’s authentic, that point of view unfolds through experience. It is shaped by natural instincts, reinforced by real-world outcomes, and refined through reflection. Certain approaches prove themselves again and again. Certain behaviors strengthen partnerships. Certain ways of working make the work itself more meaningful.
At Langston, our Guiding Principles reflect those characteristics. They are not something we set out to invent, nor are they accidental. They emerged through how our team works, thinks, and shows up. Over time, we’ve chosen to recognize them, cultivate them, and hold ourselves accountable to them.
Together, these principles define how we work at Langston, and why we work the way we do.
Langston’s Five Guiding Principles
Our work is shaped by five guiding principles that function as a system. Each one describes a distinct aspect of how we approach our work; together, they form a coherent way of operating in the Consumer Insights space.
Passion & Curiosity: Driven to Discover
This principle reflects our deep, intrinsic curiosity and genuine love for the craft of research. It’s what drives us to ask better questions, explore problems from new angles, and continually push beyond what already exists, whether that’s in methodology, technology, or how insights are delivered.
Learn more about our commitment to Passion & Curiosity
Research Excellence: Consistently Bulletproof
Research Excellence is our commitment to rigor, reliability, and craft. It’s about matching real business questions with thoughtful, defensible research design, and delivering work that holds up under scrutiny every time, without exception. Importantly, Research Excellence reflects an intrinsic characteristic of our team and their natural inclination toward details, wonky dialogue, and nerdy pursuit of the proper way to do research.
Learn more about our commitment to Research Excellence
Impact: More than interesting
Impact speaks to our belief that insight only earns its place when it changes something. This principle pushes us beyond interesting findings toward clarity that informs real decisions, shapes thinking, and stays with organizations long after a project ends. It is rooted in our two favorite questions: So What? Now What?
Lean more about our commitment to Impact
Partnership: With you on the journey
Partnership reflects how we show up alongside our clients. It’s rooted in deep listening, shared responsibility, and long-term commitment. It means working together not just to answer questions, but to navigate complexity and drive meaningful outcomes over time. It also reflects our staying power as an extension of your team. We are in it for the long haul and invested in the personal success of our stakeholders.
Learn more about our commitment to Partnership
Empowerment: Enabling confidence through clarity
Empowerment is the cumulative result of the other four principles working together. When curiosity, rigor, impact, and partnership are consistently present, our clients are empowered to succeed in their roles. They are confident in the work, credible in their organizations, and effective in influencing decisions.
Individually, each principle describes an essential aspect of how we approach our work. Together, they shape our research, our partnerships, our technology, and how we support Consumer Insights leaders across every stage of their role.
In the articles that follow, we’ll explore each principle in depth, unpacking what it means, how it shows up in practice, and why it matters to our clients and our team.