Insights in Action
July 28, 2011
SITUATION—Need to Attract Non-Users
A manufacturer of do-it-yourself home maintenance equipment enjoyed a loyal relationship among Users, thanks to products—built with the client’s high manufacturing standards—that had a reputation for less maintenance, fewer repairs, and ease of use.
However, the client couldn’t expand market share without capturing more Non-Users who perceived the brand as “the product for the professional” and at a level of quality not suited for home use.
Our client realized that they needed to understand this market better to develop a complete inventory of marketing tools, including:
- New product features
- Distribution
- Sales messages
- Pricing
CHALLENGE—Understanding the Nuances of Non-Users
In our discussion with the client it became clear that there was a real need to understand Non-Users better, especially how to market to them. This lack of familiarity with Non-Users made it hard to define a tight, crisp research study.
It was clear to the client that Non-Users shopped differently than Users. Non-Users went through different sales channels and made purchase decisions based upon different expectations. The challenge was to set up research that could color in the gray areas between a User ...
July 20, 2011
New Research Indicates Big Risks, Opportunities for Health Insurance Providers
Providers will face new competitors, business models and customer demands; they will also enjoy new opportunities to grow and expand.
FGI Research just completed a study that was fielded in June and July, which was aimed at the emerging needs and preferences of health insurance consumers. We’re excited to post three preliminary insights and implications from our research.
- Insight: 40% of consumers might buy direct. As new options become available, 40% of employees would like to buy their insurance directly from a Payer instead of through their employer’s health plan.
Implication: The market for individual plans will increase substantially and include many consumers who have never had to research and choose among health insurers. Payers must increase their understanding of this “buy direct” segment and begin to formulate offerings and experiences that will earn their loyalty.
- Insight: 50% of consumers will research their options and 50% will consider switching. As the details of health care reform roll ...
June 3, 2011
Why Your Next Market Research Study Should Include Social Media Mining
Ten years ago, how would you have responded if a market researcher asked you the following…
“Would it be helpful if I listened in on hundreds of thousands (even millions) of conversations about your product, summarized the key findings, and used them to improve your research design and final recommendations?”
Let’s save some time. I know your answer. It’s an emphatic “Yes!!”
Fast forward to 2011. Most companies agree that social media has a lot of undirected potential to explore. This sort of online, anytime, ethnographic insight is available to anyone who has access to the internet. However, now a big concern is how companies can develop measurable ways of focusing this wealth of information into fact driven, actionable insights. With a little technology, research rigor and innovative thinking, it can be integrated into any type of market research initiative you may have.
So, have you made social media mining a mandatory part of your market research?
If not, let’s talk ...
February 18, 2011
How Segmentation Research and Custom Panels Can Improve Market Share, Profits and Customer Satisfaction
Plenty of people like hot tea. Many others love iced tea. Anyone for lukewarm tea? Didn’t think so.
Well, if you’re launching new products and expensive advertising campaigns without segmenting your customers, you might as well be serving lukewarm tea. Uh oh!
Too many companies develop products, services, features and ad campaigns that attempt to satisfy the “average” customer or the “average” preferences of their customers. Here’s the rub: there isn’t an average customer. Oh, you can generate a number that is the calculated average (or mean), but that’s just a number. It is not a customer. And it’s certainly not a real person (with real money to spend).
At best, when companies try to serve the mean, they under perform. At worst, they fail miserably. Let’s face it – real people don’t like lukewarm tea. They do like hot tea with lemon flavor. They do like raspberry iced tea. And these people will buy plenty of tea from ...
May 17, 2010
New ideas and spontaneous insights sprout in the “walled garden” of private online communities.
The focus group (online or in person) is a tried-and-true method for gleaning qualitative insight from a subset of your target audience. One of the most attractive benefits of the focus group is the presence of a trained moderator, who can direct and manage conversations so as to target specific questions. The answers to these questions can produce valuable insights that drive marketing decisions and fuel additional quantitative research, both of which ramp up business performance.
But what are your options when you need qualitative reactions from a larger group of people? Or if you’re not exactly sure what your focus should be? What if you don’t even know what issues you need to address? How do you reach your target audience and get them talking freely about what ...
Older Posts »
