“Does anyone really know who is answering those online
surveys … ?” – Product Development Manager

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

We are an evidenced-based marketing consultancy. Observation is our starting point and we are equally comfortable with qualitative and quantitative research approaches.

Cheap. Fast. Good. Pick any two. The dual promise of most web-based survey research boils down to a quick turn-around at a substantial savings over previous data collection methods. But what you gain in speed and reduced cost you may just as quickly lose in sample quality.

Quality is Not a Commodity. Unfortunately, many suppliers (and some less experienced clients) now treat sample like any other commodity offering: all sources are presumed to be equal and the only operative issue is the cost per completed interview. We disagree: sample quality is of fundamental importance in survey research. There is no substitute for interviewing the right respondents. It may cost a bit more, but that’s often the price of doing it well.

LET’S DO IT RIGHT…

Experience Where It Counts. Our focus on sample quality is just the starting point. We learned the trade working for some of the giants in the field and they taught us well. Starting with sample specifications and questionnaire design, through to the statistical analyses and – ultimately – the presentation of actionable recommendations: we insist on doing it right. A short selection of our principal offerings is presented below.

Brand Equity Tracking When consumers are asked to think about a category and then recall the first brands that come to mind, those brands that demonstrate prompt, unaided recall are almost always the category leaders. Tracking “top-of-mind” awareness is a key tool for marketing management: periodic awareness, attitudes and usage (AA&U) studies demonstrate a marketing program’s relative success in maintaining essential levels of brand awareness while communicating and reinforcing compelling brand messages. Learn more here …

Brand Equity Transfer Perhaps the clearest indicator brand’s equity is the ability of a brand to transfer core elements of its brand identity to new products and to command a price premium, or a substantial share of preference, in a new category. While working with a major marketer of consumer household products, we developed a survey-based tool, dubbed b-EXT, for directly measuring both aspects of brand equity. Learn more here …

Behavioral Segmentation The most important segment is the one defined by your loyal customers and those who have demonstrated a preference for your brand. Apart from their obvious good judgment, what makes them distinctive? The answer lies in comparing their attitudinal and behavioral characteristics to those of other possible consumer groups. Learn more here …

GOING BEYOND SAMPLE SURVEYS
 

Inspired Analytics… The bulk of our quantitative research is based on sample survey methods, but we don’t stop there. For several clients we have developed analytic tools built around sales-based indicators including:

  • Analysis of trends in same-store sales…
  • Same-store sales declines traceable to cannibalization v. competitive pressures…
  • Multidimensional mapping of product return patterns…
  • The impact on national sales over time associated with local media spends…

Granted, marketing analytics are not our main offering, but we always enjoy a challenge and the opportunity to stretch.

QUALITY STARTS WITH LISTENING …
 

Dialogue Generates the Most Important Data. Regardless of the quantitative approach under consideration, the process starts with discussing your information needs. We then develop a research design and an analysis plan that is specifically tailored to move your program forward.

We have been designing and fielding decision-oriented quantitative research for well over 20 years. We would welcome the opportunity to put that experience to work for you…  Please contact us for additional information about our quantitative research services.