Examples
The insights from our research help you make the best decisions for your company. And we work with you to create the best solutions to existing challenges. Some examples follow.
Restaurant and food service
The challenge:
A leading fast-food brand experienced difficulty as it tried to expand into an untapped market. The brand faced rejection from consumers – this, despite the fact that fast food had witnessed robust growth in that region and that our client’s brand was embraced throughout much of the remainder of country.
The process:
To understand why this was happening and how to aid our clients in gaining access to this new market, we adopted a multi-dimensional, consumer-centric approach.
We recognized a need to conduct exploratory work to determine why fast-food consumers shunned our client’s brand. We also knew that we had to gain a better understanding of the in-store experience and its impact on the consumer’s perceptions of brand.
So, we started the fieldwork in a focus group environment and then relocated to a nearby fast-food restaurant (owned and operated by our client) where we shared a meal with our participants. By combining direct observation of the dining experience with guided group discussion, we were able to identify the key variables that affected perceptions of the brand.
The result:
We delivered insight that helped our client reposition the brand, gaining both traction and customers in the markets that had previously eluded them.
Consumer products
The challenge:
A high-end knife company, known for its innovative design, wanted to expand into the kitchen cutlery market with a new product line – in doing so, moving into an established and crowded market where it was a relative unknown.
The process:
Our client wanted to understand both the perceived benefits and also the potential barriers before moving forward. In order to do that, we gathered information about the way consumers use kitchen cutlery and about their preferences.
We conducted a series of in-home visits with “amateur” chefs and culinary enthusiasts, documenting kitchen layout, inventorying cooking equipment and appliances, and discussing key cutlery features. Because we felt that hands-on experience would lead to richer insights about the product line, we watched as each person tried the new knives and we listened as they described their impressions.
The result:
Our analysis described the chief obstacles facing the company as it pursued the new market and also identified several key product-related benefits that could be leveraged to overcome the obstacles. In order to target the attention of the target consumer and convert them, the client revised their marketing communication strategy and reworked the product line.
Technology
The challenge:
A global technology company wanted to weave brand communication elements into PC usage, but had concerns about the impact of the post-sales branding strategy on the brand image.
The process:
We used both quantitative central location testing and qualitative breakout sessions – and were able to gather projectable data, analyze results in real time, and then explore consumers’ specific reactions. To better understand usage behavior and people’s reaction to the branding events, we also observed novice and expert computer users, visiting their homes and offices.
The result:
In analyzing results from the multiple inputs, we identified the inherent risks and rewards of implementing the proposed strategy. The client was able to make a more informed decision about the best course of action for their brand.
