NorthWest MRA Topline - Spring 2012

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The NorthWest Marketing Research Association

Spring 2012

Newsletter of the NorthWest MRA

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IN THIS ISSUE

Message from the President Jeff Spitzer

Editor’s Note Brian Parker

Feature Case Study: Dub’s Research for Cafédirect

Upcoming Events - NorthWest MRA Educational Conference in Portland

- Joint Educational Conference in Las Vegas

New Year’s Eve in San Francisco

Financial News & Notes

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The NorthWest Marketing Research Association P a g e | 2

Spring 2012


Message from the President Jeff Spitzer

pril 25th is Administrative Professional’s Day (formerly Secretary’s Day). A day to recognize and

show appreciation for the administrative professionals in your life who help you stay organized,

on task and keep the sales calls at bay.

Of course there are other days throughout the year to honor the other people in your personal life –

Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and Valentine’s Day for your sweetie. But just as you shouldn’t rely on

Valentine’s Day to express your appreciation for your honey bunny, we shouldn’t rely on any of these

other days to show these people how important they are to us in our lives.

This is equally important in the workplace. As we get busy with looming deadlines and client

demands, it’s easy to let the stress mount and forget how much we rely on each other to get the job

done right. Taking the time and effort to show your appreciation for your co-workers and other

business associates is an important part of maintaining a healthy work relationship. Just a few kind

words, a card, a note – any little thing at all to show your appreciation will go a long ways in building

a positive workplace.

Try it today, you might just make someone’s day.

Jeff Spitzer

Universal Survey

President, NorthWest MRA

P.S. In case you weren't already aware, the NorthWest

Chapter now has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and

LinkedIn. Take a moment and connect with us!

A

“As we get busy with looming deadlines and client demands,

it’s easy to let the stress mount and forget how much we

rely on each other to get the job done right.”

Jeff Spitzer

NorthWest MRA

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Spring 2012


Editor’s Note Brian Parker

In this issue of Topline we decided to try something a bit different. We typically include an article

from a respected member of the market research community, but this time we decided to switch it

up with a case study on a project carried out by Dub for Cafédirect—an ethical coffee brand based in

the United Kingdom (page 4). I feel it makes for an interesting read and serves as a nice change from

the norm.

Lots of great things are happening this time of year. Conference season is in full swing for us market

researchers and I’m personally looking forward to the Joint Educational Conference next month in Las

Vegas (page 9). We also have the Northwest Spring Educational event coming up in Portland (page 8),

as well as the National MRA conference coming up soon in San Diego.

I’d like to thank Elisabeth Geddes and Meredith Ahlberg for their help with this issue. On top of all the

fun stuff going on, everyone seems to be stretched a little thin so I appreciate them sticking with me

on this.

As always, we are looking for contributions to the future issues of Topline. As you can see from this

issue, we aren’t resigned to just articles. We are happy to consider anything that would be of interest

to our members.

Brian Parker

President, watchLAB Studios

Editor of Topline

If you would like to submit something for consideration, or

would like to help out in any way, feel free to contact me at

[email protected].

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Spring 2012


Feature Case Study Dub Studio’s Research for Cafédirect

Research Company Dub Studios

Client Cafédirect

Industry FMCG (Fast-moving consumer goods)

Products UpClose™

Challenges

• An Innovative way to engage consumers

• Generate new product ideas

• Deliver a cost-effective research and

innovation portal

Implementation 4 weeks

Results

• Continuous consumer dialogue

• Enhanced innovation capability

• A new research culture

• Better decision making

• Major cost savings

• The creation of valuable social capital

Background

n the past, marketing decisions were made based on information gathered from a variety of

sources: forums, online texting groups, video-conferences, and consumer communities. Today it is

possible to more easily spec what seems appropriate for different issues and participants using

software and online platforms. An online platform offers greater flexibility over the long term and it

makes it easy to combine approaches. As a result, a few key participants in

a longer-term community can be asked to participate in mini-focus groups

and tasks can be analyzed alongside forum responses and blogs, for

example.

Following extensive brand segmentation, Cafédirect—a leading ethical

coffee brand—recently sought a new way to engage its consumers and

deliver fresh insight. With the goal of growing the number of shoppers and

increasing the frequency of purchases among two key consumer segments,

they turned to Dub to help build a new research community utilizing an

online platform, one that allowed them to connect with their target

consumers, garner opinions, share concepts, and build valuable

relationships every day.

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The Brief

efore developing their solution, Cafédirect’s insight team completed a rigorous segmentation

study to better understand their consumer typologies. Up until that point, they had relied on

traditional project-oriented research and emailed surveys for insight. Although useful, a new research

solution was needed that would be more cost effective and capable of delivering research faster.

With the mission of finding a new way of engaging Cafédirect consumers, as well as a select few non-

consumers, Dub set the following research goals:

• generate new product ideas, develop concepts

• conduct in-home and on-site product testing

• explore usage patterns across the categories they operate in

• develop marketing campaigns

• test ad concepts and digital content

• create content to support trade sell-in

• deliver new social collateral for use in future marketing initiatives

Furthermore, this project involved developing a community strategy and research community

platform that would:

• support qualitative and quantitative research methods

• encourage conversations among consumers and staff at Cafédirect

• be private and invite-only since much of the information being to be shared was confidential

• be easy for consumers of various ages and experience to get involved

• deliver a new digital brand experience that consumers would enjoy and even take partial

ownership of

The Solution

ub customized their online research community platform UpClose™, to embody the look and

feeling of a social network. This custom online research community platform provides features

such as blogs and discussion forums, brainstorming exercises, surveys, live chat rooms, and polls. It is

a place where participants are able to personalize the space, create rich profiles and start their own

discussions, as well as participate in a range of research exercises.

For a community to be successful it needs to enable group members to feel part of something unique

and exciting—a place they had a hand in creating. An emotional bond is beneficial for the success of

B

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members staying active and happily taking on the identity of the community for themselves. For

these reasons and more, the community’s name was a key component.

As such, the Cafédirect community was aptly named Cafédirectors’, playing on the fact that the

research community members were encouraged to take ownership of this space. This name was

selected to give its members the notion that they were a select bunch—a group with a voice and a

say in the future of the brand.

To ensure high participation rates, as well as rich and insightful online conversations, Dub’s team

provided training to Cafédirect’s Community Managers and designed a recruitment strategy to

identify initial members and create an effective process by which introducing them to the

community. Rewards and incentives for participation were critical, so a strategy was created as to

how best to manage this exchange and the creation of motivational drivers.

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Knowledge and Insight Sharing

t was important that the solution made it easy for the Cafédirectors’ Community Managers to

share and disseminate the knowledge and insight they gleaned with the business stakeholders.

Dub implemented two of their products to facilitate this: a Notepad solution and ‘UpStream’ curetted

content feature.

Community Managers can tag, annotate and disseminate insights at the press of a button, keeping

stakeholders informed in a convenient and accessible way. Streams of actionable insight are kept

alive for longer, with ongoing internal discussion supported by way of a digital insight channel.

The Results

• A continuous dialogue with target consumers

• The ability to ask consumers a wider range of

questions which previously possible due to time and

budgetary restrictions

• A new culture of research and consumer-centric

development

• The community’s new pivotal role to help achieve

strategic business objectives of objectives alongside

more traditional research by becoming even more

consumer- and shopper-focused

• Quicker turnaround of research and lowered business

costs

• Validation and support of alternative research

methods

• Rising community membership with minimal effort

• Increased awareness of the brand’s marketing

activities

• Innovative approach to building consumer

relationships

• A platform for innovation

• Better, more insightful business decisions

• Social research harnessed within the business that fuels social capital

• Major cost savings over bespoke solution development

• A flexible, adaptable research resource that the brand owns

• A dramatic sea-change in the way research is used within the business

I

“The community has enabled

us to ask our customers a

wider range of questions

which we perhaps wouldn’t

be able to before because of

time and budget restrictions.

This has ultimately fostered

more of a research culture

and consumer focus with our

business.”

Insights Manager, Cafédirect

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Upcoming Event NorthWest MRA Educational Conference in Portland, Oregon

May 8, 2012, 8am - 5pm

arket researchers are smarter than you think. We demonstrate cognitive skills that make us

stand out in the business world: using tools, solving problems, having self awareness, and the

ability to communicate insight through storytelling.

This year’s annual NorthWest MRA conference returns to OMSI in Portland

during their “Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think” exhibit. As the OMSI

exhibit will explore how animals’ environments have shaped their thinking

abilities and the evolutionary link between human and animal thinking, this

conference will be exploring the evolution of research tools and techniques

in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

The full day—8am to 5pm—includes lunch and will be followed by a social networking mixer.

Written proposals for program presentations are currently being accepted and must be received by

March 23, 2012 to be considered. Presentation topics should ideally fall within the following areas:

Business management, Research, and Legal.

We expect up to 100 marketing research practitioners to attend, including data collectors, research

companies, research users and suppliers to the industry and presenters gain visibility, recognition and

increased knowledge from the experience.

The submission of proposals is not limited to MRA members, so if you know anyone who can speak

on a topic of interest to MRA members, please let them know about this great opportunity. Please

remember that speakers do not receive direct compensation for speaking engagements, although full

conference registration and lunch will be provided.

Please come help us win the national MRA’s “Best Educational Conference” award for a 4th time!

For information about presentation proposal submissions, contact Amanda Durkee, Senior Research

Consultant, Zanthus, 971-404-0275 ext. 104, [email protected].

M

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Upcoming Event Research in Action: Producing Results

The 26th

Annual Joint Chapter Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada

April 11 – 13, 2012

Topics and Speakers Include

An Overview of US and EU Privacy and Data Security Laws

Helen Christakos, Attorney, Greenberg Traurig LLP

The Measurement of Emotion through Facial Expression

Maggie Pazian, President, Visual Emotion LLC

What Are We Really Learning with Neural Measurement?

Jerry Johnson, CEO, Nimbus Online

Understanding the Context of Brand & Product Mentions Online

Alkis Papadopoullos, Chief Technology Officer, Voxco, Inc.

Understanding Gen X,Y & V: Trends That Will Impact Your Business

Jane Buckingham, President, Trendera, Inc.

Attracting the Hispanic Market: The Approach & Additional Segmentation

Emilio Vargas, President, Marketing Excellence, Inc.

*Speaker Topic TBD*

Roberto Coppola, Corporate Strategy & Market Research, International Gaming Technology

Early Bird Deadline: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

egister early at Planet Hollywood (877-244-9474) and receive the conference rate of $99 per

night! Use Room Code SMSMR2. All early bird registrants will be entered into a drawing for a

chance to win a 2012 SWMRA Educational Forum Registration.

Visit http://www.northwestmra.org/vegas2012 for more information,

or visit http://www.swmra.org/2012LVCReg.aspx to register.

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Past Event New Year’s Eve Party in San Francisco

he 2012 New Year’s Eve celebration kicked off the beginning of a fantastic year at Butterfly on

Pier 33 in San Francisco. Overlooking the San Francisco Bay (including a glimpse at a visiting

cruise ship!) attendees were treated to

delicious appetizers, potent cocktails, and

thought-provoking conversation with both

new faces and familiar friends.

Guests chatted freely, discussing business

ideas—such as new ways to streamline

internal processes using cloud computing—

while also sharing personal stories. “It was a

wonderful evening. It was great to finally put

faces to names of old colleagues and meet

new industry contacts,” recounted one guest.

The evening was so delightful,

some guests even found

themselves staying much longer

than expected. Ken Roberts,

President of Cooper Roberts

Research, Inc. reported only

intending to stop by for an hour,

“but the other attendees were so

engaging I stayed for almost four!”

Heather McEneany, Director of watchLAB Studios summed up the evening nicely when she said: “In

the busy-ness of business it is always a pleasure to connect with colleagues on a personal level,

hearing about their families, travels and interests. It definitely brings a deeper grounding to our local

market research community. Plus, Michaelyn and Katherine chose a stellar venue – even arranging a

glowing in-port cruise ship for our view!”

Speaking of that cruise ship, here’s a little fun fact: The in-port ship we saw was the P&O Aurora

which started its recent trip in the UK and is making a 98-night around-the-world jaunt, stopping at

41 different ports across the globe. That gets our vote for the next MRA conference! Who’s in?!

T

“In the busy-ness of business it is always a pleasure

to connect with colleagues on a personal level,

hearing about their families, travels and interests.

Definitely brings a deeper grounding to our local

market research community.”

Heather McEneany

Director, watchLAB Studios

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Financial News & Notes Profit & Loss

Marketing Research Association, NorthWest Chapter

July 2011 - January 2012

Total

Income Annual Sponsorship

Event Attendees

Event Sponsors

Membership Dues

Total Income

$6,250.00

$640.60

$700.00

$2,310.00

$9,900.60

Expenses

Bank Charges

Dues & Subscriptions

Event Expenses

Event Expenses - Facility

Legal & Professional Fees

PayPal Fees

Recognition/Awards

Taxes & Licenses

Website

Total Expenses

$60.00

$69.65

$2,839.24

$1,425.30

$500.00

$257.50

$50.81

$20.00

$195.66

$5,418.16

Net Operating Income

Other Income

Interest Earned

Total Other Income

Net Other Income

$4,482.44

$2.92

$2.92

$2.92

Net Income $4,485.36

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Spring 2012


Financial News & Notes Balance Sheet

Marketing Research Association, NorthWest Chapter

As of January 31, 2012

Total

ASSETS Current Assets

Banks Accounts

Total Current Assets

TOTAL ASSETS

$51,446.76

$51,446.76

$51,446.76

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Liabilities

Total Liabilities

Equity

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

$51,446.76

$51,446.76

Contact Information NorthWest Marketing Research Association

Mailing Address NorthWest MRA c/o CfMC

547 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94501

General Enquiries [email protected]

Website northwestmra.org