Market research methods to answer all your questions and tell the full story

Marketing Directors The

Why?

Personal and business

Vital that research

has business credibility

Increasing corporate

Changing consumer attitudes

and demands

9 out of 10 decisions made by

‘judgement’

accountability

competitiveness

Our research methods are designed to help you get and stay ahead …

Forward looking

Challenging

Collaborative

Creative

Understand context Too narrow a focus can miss valuable big picture context (for example on possible alternatives or substitutes for your products)

Consumers’ perspectives are often limited by their own natural

frame of reference and experiences

Consumers have latent creative ability and can be used to develop

not just evaluate solutions

and shape stronger marketing or ‘brand’ strategies …

Marketing objectives

Positioning strategy

Determines what we want to achieve (customers and

products/services)

Determines desired customer take-out/experience

Marketing mix/ brand encounters

Making the promise/ setting the expectation

Product/ service

development objectives and

strategy

Promotion objectives

and strategy

Pricing objectives

and strategy

Distribution/ delivery

objectives and strategy

Physical environment

objectives and strategy

People objectives

and strategy

Process objectives

and strategy

Delivering the promise

Broad and specific action plans

Source: The Marketing Director’s Handbook.

Working together we’ll hypothesise issues and opportunities to explore ..…

What we know we

know

What we know we

don’t know

?

What we don’t know

we know

?

What we don’t know we don’t

know

??

Clever research sampling helps diagnose issues and opportunities ….

Lapsed

Unaware

Aware

Tried

Loyal Loyal customers vs. triallists will reveal product strengths Loyal/tried vs. aware (but not

tried) or unaware will reveal promotion weaknesses Loyal vs. lapsed

customers will reveal product

weaknesses

Source: The Marketing Director’s Handbook

Customers/ prospects

Using multiple research methods provides comprehensive insights on what consumers think and feel …..

For example….

Innovative pre-tasks immerse, prompt detailed consideration, information recording and idea creation …

Santa Claus Challenge Digital Scrapbooks

Understanding the customer journey reveals relationship drivers and barriers

Customer journey

Strength of customer

relationship with brand

Lapsed

Unaware

Aware

Tried

Loyal

Advocate

Terrorist

Delivery

Source: The Marketing Directors Ltd.

Relationship driver

Sourcing Selection Purchase Usage Repeat purchase

/usage

Relationship inhibitor

‘Ethnography’ reveals detailed contextual and behavioural understanding …..

Stills from a video film showing

rudimentary and much required denture care by proud, health

and image conscious

consumers in Poland, Russia and Hungary…

Source: Denture care study, Eastern Europe

… simple adverts (brandcepts) express and uncover needs, brand benefits and features ….

They appear real and are

understood by consumers; they provoke, engage, excite and help

reveal new positioning dimensions

Source: Drama school development study

… ‘productcepts’ or ‘servicecepts’ bring products and services to life …

New product or service

stimuli help consumers

understand, critique and build ideas

Source: Food and toiletries development studies

Rigorous analysis clarifies the way forward …

Who and what are audience needs and wants?

PICK ME UP/BOOST

ENHANCED EXPERIENCE

ESCAPE/ DREAM

FEAR OF ‘LOSING’

REWARD (GIFT/TREAT)

PASS TIME

RELEASE (RELAXATION)

MAKE MONEY

What are brand strengths, weaknesses, features and benefits?

Marketing

By determining consumer drivers and barriers...

Stopping smoking seen as a major event and achievement -

evidenced by recall of the precise date and time ….

Smoking initially driven by a desire to

look ‘cool’

Increasing taxation and cost of cigarettes increase propensity to give up smoking - most prevalent early

April

Smoking prohibition on long haul flights -

reveals need for short term de-stressing

solutions eg nicotine quick fixes

Smelly clothes and perceived social

exclusion of smokers – all increase propensity

to give up

Onset of physical shakes, (nicotine ‘cold

turkey’), and perception of being

beaten by a large cigarette - bring health

worries to a head

Smoking seen as a means of relaxation, escape and cocooning from

the world - all are tangible benefits that encourage the habit

Smoking behaviour reinforced by social acceptance, being

part of a club and being seen to be ’different’

Source: Smoking cessation timeline Interviews

By spotlighting innovation opportunities…

Evidence & Relevance of Insight: • An estimated 100,000 a year pick up some form of

infection while in UK hospitals • MRSA is now endemic in almost all UK hospitals • According to the National Audit Office, 9% of patients in

NHS hospitals are suffering from an infection acquired while on wards or in surgery. This causes up to 5000 deaths annually and costs the NHS £1bn / year

• Overall the healthcare sector accounts for 4.1 million litres of paint sold and food / catering and agriculture accounts for a further 4m litres

Insight Under pressure from the media and consumers, the

Government, and Health Service, want to improve hygiene standards in hospitals. There is a need to eliminate bacteria

on surfaces, equipment and in the air

Source: Building/decoration product innovation study

Application / Opportunity:

• There is a strong latent and unfulfilled need for surface solutions to improve hygiene in hospitals, care homes, and places such as schools and catering establishments, in order to prevent the spread of infection and disease, eg. e-coli, MRSA

• Potential new products include surface cleaning and preparation materials through to complete

coating systems, for example, that inhibit or kill bacteria, that are environmentally friendly / reduce

‘out-gassing / risk of ‘sick building’ syndrome

By determining the most appealing, distinctive and credible communication messages….

Very Positive

Positive

Appeal

Female Male

Customer type

A fun, sociable and inclusive experience, and ability to learn from the

best are the most appealing and credible

messages

Source: Drama school development study

...the most appealing and distinctive ‘product’ features…

Low

High

Appeal

Medium

Dream

Teams

Hot

Gear

How

to do

tricks

Competition/

Quiz

High

Latest

Football

News &

Gossip

Stand out

Letters Country

reviews

Interviews/

profiles

Stadium

reviews

TV/radio

listings

Cartoons

Comedy

Photo

Features

Posters

Football

scores

and stats

Source: Magazine development study

Quantifying product appeal….

% respondents

Question: Which of the following pasties is most appealing to you? Base : 112 respondents (non pasty rejectors)

40%

16%

12%

8% 8%

6% 4%

3% 2%

Source: Cornish pasty taste test

.. optimum price, volume and profitability …

Volume m and Profit £m

Price

Highest profit

potential at price £2.99 - £3.49; higher

degree of price sensitivity

Source: Cornish pasty price/trade-off study

Econometrics analysis enables the quantification of causes and effects and creation of predictive models

Source: Statistical analysis of GRO sales / price 2000-2011 and removing other variables. NB: Changing assumptions will change the forecast

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Sale

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Actual sales and predicted sales

Actual Sales Volume

Predicted/Forecast SalesVolumes

All provides clear insights and direction to improve, promote and build your business or brand

Watching your research last night was very informative and amongst

the most useful time I’ve spent working for our organisation.

Departmental Manager,

Dept for Education

That is the most insightful and useful piece of work that

I’ve seen in my life.

Managing Director,

BBC Worldwide

Comparing your work with that of another agency I worked with recently is like comparing a Premiership team

with a Sunday pub league side.

General Manager,

Energy company

What sets us apart

• Researchers and marketers with

decades of experience dedicated

to meet your needs

• Collaborative, trustworthy,

inspiring to work with

• Totally tailored and creative

qualitative, quantitative and

secondary research methods

• Superior analysis and marketing/

commercial skills to add extra

value

• UK and international individual and

small business partner network to

assure quality and value

Call Guy Tomlinson on +44 (0) 1628 400699 to find out how we could help you: The Marketing Directors The Old Barrel Store Brewery Courtyard Draymans Lane Marlow Bucks SL7 2FF Tel: +44 (0) 1628 400 699 (Main) www.themarketingdirectors.co.uk Email: themd@themarketingdirectors.co.uk ©The Marketing Directors 2013