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A unique suite of innovative proprietary online qualitative platforms helping you deliver the most impactful global insights Quirk’s Marketing Research Review CONTENTS May/June 2020 • Vol. XXXIV No. 3 DEPARTMENTS 6 Click With Quirk's page 32 8 In Case You Missed It... For marketing research and insights professionals 9 Insights Q&A page 40 11 Ask The Expert 14 Survey Monitor page 26 13 Top Tracking Research 46 Companies 70 7 Top In-Store Research page Companies 36 74 Calendar of Events IMMEDIACY WITHOUT INTIMACY IN-MOMENT ALTERNATIVES TO IN-PERSON RESEARCH page 85 Index of Advertisers PLUS What’s your naming strategy? 26 86 Before You Go… Tweaking your brand tracker Case study: Drinkworks Home Bar page Quirk's Marketing Research Review 4662 Slater Road | Eagan, MN 55122 70 651-379-6200 | www.quirks.com

ADVERTISING SECTIONS Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 13 Top Tracking Research Companies May/June 2020 Publisher • Steve Quirk Volume XXXIV Number 3 7 Top In-Store Research Companies www.quirks.com [email protected] | x202 Editor • Joseph Rydholm 54 Origin story [email protected] | x204 ON THE COVER Deconstructing the building blocks of Digital Content Editor • Emily Koenig brand identity [email protected] | x210 32 Immediacy without intimacy By Eric Villain News Editor • Sarah Freske In-moment alternatives to in- [email protected] | x212 person research 58 Mutually exclusive Audience Development • Ralene Miller By Zach Mullen Why short-term thinking and brand- [email protected] | x201 building don’t go together Directory Sales • Ilana Benusa By Phill Agnew FEATURES [email protected] | x213 62 Slices of life V.P. Sales • Evan Tweed 36 Looking for the right mix [email protected] | x205 How do you market an in-home Mining social media for product and Sales • Tammy Job cocktail maker? brand interactions By Tetiana Kutsa [email protected] | x211 By Sarah Freske European Sales • Stewart Tippler 40 No identity crisis here 66 Meet them where they are [email protected] | +44(0)7989-422937 A product marketer’s guide to How mobile research gets you closer eff ective product naming to consumers By Vardan Kirakosyan ••• moving? make sure By Sanjay Puri Quirk’s comes with you! Send change of address information 46 Tracking changes COLUMNS to [email protected] Five ways to innovate a brand 10 Trade Talk tracker Download the Quirk’s iPad, iPhone By Carly Fink Research is up to the task or Android app to view this issue. By Joseph Rydholm 50 Reasons to believe An interactive downloadable PDF of 24 By the Numbers this magazine is available at www. Why brand religions should guide quirks.com/pdf/202005_quirks.pdf. your research design Pitfalls of relying on passively By Niels Schillewaert and Angie Deceuninck collected data Follow us on Twitter @QuirksMR. By Mary Mathes 4 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com Deliver Same Day Results on Market Research Projects

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••• brand research Top brands should keep standard logos in social media ads ••• health care research hen it comes to ads on social media platforms, customers view well-known Wbrands most favorably when they see traditional, standardized logos instead Gene may make of altered graphic identities, says a report from Ball State University. “Does brand logo matter in social media marketing? The moderating role of Asians more prone brand logo and brand equity in brand evaluation,” recently published in the Jour- nal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, examined the use of logos and advertis- to drug side effects ing on social media. One hundred undergraduate sians – who make up more than 60 students participated in the Apercent of the world’s population experiment and evalu- – are at increased risk for a wide range ated mock Facebook of side eff ects from a variety of com- advertising from the mon medications used for everything brand. The study from gout to hormone replacement found that when therapy and depression, according to the brand value is a study recently published in Clinical high, standard- Translational Science. ization of the Asians are more likely to have cer- brand logo led tain genetic variants compared to other to more favor- ethnicities that put them at increased able attitudes risk for these side eff ects. In the major- toward the brand ity of cases that the study reviewed, the compared with adverse responses to medications were adaptation. In due to Asians more commonly being contrast, when the carriers of a particular gene, known as brand value is low, the HLA-B*15:02 allele. (This research there was no signifi cant referred to Asians broadly to be able to diff erence between stan- include a wide cross section of studies.) dardization and adaptation of University of British Columbia the brand logo. medical student Cody Lo, the study’s “In the case of Nike, it has the ‘swoosh,’ lead author, and collaborators at which is familiar to the target customers in social media advertising, as this will Stanford argue that a one-size-fi ts-all lead to higher perceptual fl uency and better evaluation of the brand,” says study approach to prescribing medications is author Sangwon Lee, associate professor of marketing in the Miller College of risky. Research groups have suggested Business at Ball State. “By contrast, the marketing managers of follower brands standardizing ways of classifying have more strategic freedom when it comes to revising the brand logo for social more specifi c ethnic groups. media advertising as target custom- For doctors, recognizing that certain ers are less likely to penalize brands eff ects may be more prevalent in Asian that introduce a newly designed brand populations can be very helpful in their logo. This fi nding is especially helpful daily practice. Part of the reason why this for marketing managers considering review was conducted was to give doc- redesigning their logo as part of a brand tors an evidence-based resource to help www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200501.aspx repositioning exercise.” inform their clinical decision-making.

8 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com ••• Insights Q&A SPONSORED CONTENT

‘This year, absolutely everything changed’ Perspectives from David Boyle of TMRE

What a year it’s been! With so strategies that we must all now much volatility and uncertainty, borrow from. There are three what is the role of insights that I’ve worked to emulate and professionals during this time? that have helped me. It was already hard to stay on First, build a network of friends top of the rapidly changing busi- who are in a similar role. I felt ness landscape, even with the alone for a long time until I constant flow of innovations started to meet like-minded coming at us from the insights people at conferences who I world. But this year, absolutely could call for ideas. everything changed. Second, understand how other Everything before will be seen people solve problems. Sit as “pre-coronavirus”: business through conference talks and needs, consumer behaviors and actively listen. Challenge your- the ways we build understand- self to find parallels with what ing to help businesses make you’re struggling with and ideas decisions. Post-coronavirus, this you can apply. It beats reinvent- will all be different. ing the wheel! The world is learning that brava- Third, innovate. Try small, do isn’t as powerful as building a cheap, quick pilots. If they careful understanding of what’s aren’t useful, kill them quickly happening. I see world leaders (you’ll still have learned valu- that started with the former informaconnect.com/tmre able lessons). It’s no exaggera- informa.com strategy now adopting the latter. tion to say that one out of five [email protected] We’ll also see a deeper corporate tests I’ve run has radically culture of building a true under- changed how I think about and standing of consumer needs and do my job. behaviors to solve business prob- Reevaluate everything. We’ve lems. We’ll see a cultural shift What advice do you have all run legacy projects that we where our work will be valued for researchers who haven’t don’t think are the best uses of been through recessions or our time. And we’ve all had new even more highly. I just hope we downturns? projects we want to undertake but can prepare ourselves for that Get really good at doing some- extra attention. haven’t been able to. We’ll have so thing. Work hard at it. Have a much new work to understand the Insights leaders were already skill you’re really proud of and dealing with pressure to do more new consumer and competitive with less. Are there any creative constantly challenge yourself to landscape that we’ll have to kill ways to do this? get better and better at that skill. lots of old projects to make capac- Absolutely! Even the best teams Stand out from the crowd. ity and use new tools and tech- were struggling, but they had What should insights profession- niques if we hope to keep up. als be focused on currently? Want your ﬁ rm to be featured in Insights Q&A? Contact [email protected] for more information.www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200566.aspx www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 9 Trade Talk By Joseph Rydholm, Quirk’s Editor Research is up to the task

nteracting with other people is one It’s hard to know whether the Iof the core ways we display (or in recent celebrations of qual-based some cases, refute) our humanity. It’s methods as welcome providers of color also, of course, a key part of the mar- and nuance to passive data are an keting research process. enduring trend or a passing fancy but At the time of this writing in early given the psychological impacts that April, most of us here in the U.S. are un- this outbreak will have on our lives, der some kind of stay-at-home order, lim- the ability to take deep dives is more ©Clare Pix Photography www.clarepix.com Joe Rydholm can be reached iting our in-person interaction to family important than ever. at [email protected] members or six-foot distances from How else can we fi nd answers to neighbors and those we may encounter questions such as: on trips to the grocery store. ing schools plummet, as the country While there are some hopeful • Will we change our saving and in- grapples with a generation of health signs (though it feels so wrong to vestment habits and replace planning care workers crippled by PTSD after the label death tolls that aren’t as bad as for an uncertain tomorrow with a horrors they have witnessed on the job? those of the day before as “hopeful”), carpe diem attitude? • Will disinfecting become a daily ritual, the prognosis for the next several • Will we travel more, after being giving rise to a host of new disposable weeks is bleak. And there are no guar- cooped up for so long, or less, want- products for cleaning all of the places antees that once this first major wave ing to stay home and close to our and surfaces we come in contact with? of infections subsides there won’t loved ones, lest another outbreak • Will a start-up make in-home be others that keep many forms of occur in the place we visit? health testing technology as com- research from being conducted. • Will the habit of ordering-in become mon as the mobile phone? As an industry, after some resis- even more entrenched because of the • Will food makers off er versions of tance in the early days of the internet, convenience and comfort or will we popular products in forms that have marketing research has been an enthu- all be so sick of our own kitchen tables longer shelf lives, are easier to pre- siastic adopter of technology, steadily that we are desperate to eat our meals pare or take up less space? developing tools to take advantage in new and more interesting settings? • Will companies rethink the need of tech’s facilitation of new forms of • Will we, after an initial explosion of to have so many on-site employees, interviewing, data collection and data buying fueled by pent-up demand, based on the experiences of millions analysis. As a result, when face-to-face transform into a nation of savers, who are working from home during marketing research eff ectively stopped scared to death of again getting caught the outbreak? following the coronavirus outbreak, my unprepared for months out of work? in-box was fl ooded by e-mails from the • Will homeowners and homebuild- More essential various tech-driven marketing research ers follow the prepper crowd and I have no illusions of a return to busi- fi rms touting their abilities to keep start adding bunkers and extra ness as usual any time soon, not with so uncovering insights for clients. supply-storage rooms to survive the many lives lost or permanently altered, next pandemic? so many variables still in play. But if • Will there be an explosion of interest we are able to get through this, I can’t in crafts and DIY, as mask-making think of another industry that will be and other skills become more than more essential to helping businesses, just useful hobbies? organizations and governments plan a www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200502.aspx • Will enrollments in medical and nurs- way forward than ours.

10 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com SPONSORED CONTENT ••• advice for researchers ASK THE EXPERT Expert answers to important research questions.

Has MR tapped the full power of insights, then there are likely fewer automation? than 50 companies who can be clas- sified as truly being automated. How utomation has forever changed can an agency or brand or organiza- Amarketing research. Technology tion distinguish the automation has led to scope and scale previously experts from those with software and unimagined. Consider the volume, marketing claims? breadth and depth of brands charted, 1. Automated survey processes and products compared, data points tested results. In general, most MR com- and panel members reached. The indus- panies do a good job of end-to-end try has moved from hundreds of con- data collection. However, automa- sumers comparing thousands of prod- tion allows for the building of big- ucts to tens of thousands of consumers ger frameworks than the old-school comparing hundreds of thousands of approach to marketing research. products simultaneously – and sharing With every step of the process their results in real time. automated – sample, procedure, Automation has also improved the insights and recognition – multiple work lives of researchers. Technology concepts can be tested at the same does not get tired in doing the simple time with no threat to quality. repetitive tasks required while conduct- 2. Investment in tech. AI and VR ing studies, increasing efficiencies will soon have the impact that and lowering the potential for human automation continues to have on Tsahi Ben Yosef error. It has also freed researchers to marketing research. Clients should SVP of Product Innovation Toluna focus on the parts of their jobs requir- look for companies that continue [email protected] ing knowledge and creativity. Machines to invest in technology. We ask can find patterns in volumes of data. questions to get answers, and the Today, human expertise analyzes the answers become our data points patterns for context, perspective and and then our models. AI and VR business implications. Soon technology will vastly add to our abilities to will support these functions as well, as collect, analyze and model data, machine-learning algorithms support as will the introduction of third- global needs, keeping consistency predictions and more. party data. around research methodology. Quality is also a factor as automa- 3. Automation, agility and quality. tion supports high quality standards. Moving faster and testing more Research industry experts know We can automate best practices around means nothing if there is a nega- that technology is crucial to deliver- sample and questionnaires, and tem- tive impact on the quality of the ing consequential business decisions. plated quotas are helping brands find results. Quality is protected when It is not an option to sacrifice agility targeted audiences faster and in more research methodology is embed- or quality, with automation playing consistent ways. ded in the enhancements – for a key factor in each. Rather, research example, automated or templated must continuously deliver value – the Automation will do more . . . and soon questionnaires that provide best results of automation, agility and If there are 600 companies claiming practices within a global organi- quality – apace with market move- to offer technology-driven consumer zation or an organization with ments and consumer preference.

Have a question you’d like to have answered? Submit it to [email protected]. Want your ﬁ rm to be featured as an expert? Contact [email protected] for more information.www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200555.aspx www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 11 “I was quite happy with your panel’s capabilities – as well as appreciative of myCLEARopinion’s level of service, and degree of patience, when we ran into trouble in ﬁ eld.” *B-to-B Market Research Manager

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discrepancy highlights a gap between the stated purpose of an organization and its “activated purpose,” or the way this notion is incorporated into the business and related processes. So, what’s holding businesses back? Purpose can feel more like a PR exercise than a legitimate business strategy according to 56% of respondents and half (50%) say their company lacks the capacity to put purpose at the center of their strategy. Another 51% say that purpose does not play a considerable role in their competitive set, while 28% do not even have a way to measure the impact of purpose. Purpose takes a hit from employees as individuals as well: while 63% of respondents believe that purpose is an important aspect of culture, only 24% believe that their company’s engagement with society impacts culture. ••• b2b research Despite varying perceptions on purpose, the study shows that purpose The path to purpose can be a significant factor in employee satisfaction, engagement and Study looks at how B2B companies are incorporating purpose inspiration; 73% of purpose-oriented employees report job satisfaction and urpose is top-of-mind for B2B tion falls within four main categories: employees are increasingly prioritiz- Pcompanies this year as organiza- greater success than those without ing purpose over money and achieve- tions work to integrate purpose into (82%), supports recruiting (75%), moti- ment in their careers. their structure. Ninety-three percent vates sales teams (73%) and shows values Together, values and purpose provide of companies say they are somewhere and character in action (51%). cohesion for culture and, ultimately, on the purpose journey, with 57% say- The study found that in most orga- direction for business growth. Nearly ing they are more focused on purpose nizations, the C-suite drives purpose two-thirds of respondents said pur- today than three years ago and 42% strategy, while HR and corporate pose is important to company culture reporting that they are still early in planning functions are responsible for and a quarter said purpose is the most the purpose journey, anywhere from implementation. important aspect. But these leaders also discussing purpose internally to as- While 86% of respondents say that believe values and people must precede signing teams to develop it. purpose is “important” to their busi- purpose. In a ranking of importance of Companies report a range of reason- ness, 29% report that purpose is “criti- components of a company’s culture, the ing for pursuing purpose but the major- cal” to all they do. Despite this, only majority of respondents ranked values ity of respondents report their motiva- 24% said that purpose is so integral to fi rst (80%), followed by people (64%), their business that it infl uences cul- purpose (63%), practices and policies ture, innovation, operations and their (48%) and engagement with society engagement with society. Additionally, (24%). This ranking also varies by about two-thirds of respondents don’t function as well – 90% of respondents think their purpose has a measurable in strategy and corporate planning www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200503.aspx positive impact on society anyway. This functions said that values are the most

14 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com Uncover faster insights through smart automation implementation

Many pressures are driving the need for speed valuable, more strategic and more important across all industries, including market research. to your business. Implementing a professional, We must deliver crucial, game-changing built-for-purpose SaaS platform to achieve your insights quickly, overlaid with best-in-class automation needs equals time savings, cost intelligence and context from multiple data savings and high quality. sources. Fortunately, with smart implementation of automation, we can start to forge a path to This doesn’t mean massive change and workflow accomplishing these lofty goals. disruption. You can take a staged approach to automation that is flexible enough to fit any Automation can help us by handling more manual, business model and grow with any size company. mundane and (let’s face it) boring tasks. When we If you work with a technology supplier that has a let the machine take care of data collection, data wide array of options, you can scale with an eye cleaning, charting and analysis, this frees us up to a future, more complete implementation. from staring at tables, making mistakes and other frustrations. We must start letting automation do Every company has a different business model. the heavy lifting in certain areas of our jobs. Some may work with fully managed services, while others may desire greater control with a DIY model. The key to success is finding a technology Current sample fielding solution that can offer multiple options. Eventually, models in market research as companies grow and need a more holistic approach, the adoption of a more fully automated Unfortunately, the path to automation is model is within reach. This is a model that can often wrought with false starts or insufficient digitally transform a business to prepare for the implementations. Our growing pains in this arena future, giving companies control and flexibility, have resulted in many processes that are “semi- ability to blend sample and achieve data automated” and stopgap approaches for speed continuity, and realise fast value at a low cost. Full that mean a whole new set of challenges. In some implementation is the perfect way to future-proof cases, organisations end up over-engineering market research businesses. solutions, with people and technology, and deal with unexpected pitfalls. It’s difficult to scale Automation is essential as market researchers because there are still people involved in portions strive to meet demands for speed, efficiency, of the process that should be automated, and quality and cost savings. Implementing it to this slows down delivery times. One solution is handle steps in the process where it can provide to take a staged or scalable approach that offers the most benefit leaves us free to do the strategic more options. thinking, add our expertise and discover the insights that are relevant to the business.

The golden path to sample automation Implementing the right tech stack that utilises Greg Dunbar best-in-class APIs, alongside existing tools and EVP, Enterprise Solutions integrations, is the only answer. This approach, coupled with streamlining operations for maximum efficiency, fast adoption and flexibility, is the right way to use automation. Ultimately, this makes the role of the market researcher more IN FOCUS // Survey Monitor

important factor supporting culture, use more than one paid social chan- compared to HR at 79%. nel say LinkedIn generates the best Who is the priority audience for results, followed by Facebook. B2B purpose? Employees – followed by Almost every agency (91%) in customers, shareholders, communi- the survey uses social media for ties, future talent and supply chain. organic content distribution. And More than half of respondents said agencies aren’t ignoring their owned employees are leading the call for channels: 86% use their company purpose at their organization, making website/blog and 78% use e-mail. it critical to involve them at every Another 61% take the opportunity to step of the purpose journey. In fact, speak at or attend events to market the study found that employees play- their business. ing a role in defining company pur- ••• content marketing Brand marketers often turn pose was the most-identified element to agencies for help with content of internal engagement at 81%. Giving Social media marketing but do agencies look for employees time off to volunteer was outside help when they’re market- a close second at 77%, followed by in the mix ing their firms? As it turns out, most purpose efforts being a clear source of don’t. Only 33% of agency marketers pride for employees (74%), excitement How agencies are using say they outsource any content mar- of employees to discuss company content marketing in 2020 keting activity. Of those who do, most purpose on social media (67%) and (71%) outsource content creation. Just employees leading the call to become gencies buy into content market- 23% are investing in native advertis- a more purposeful organization (55%). Aing in a big way for their clients. ing and sponsored content other than While customers are not always But how do they use content market- paid social and only 44% measure the core reason to develop a purpose, ing to promote their own businesses? content marketing ROI – but of those respondents do believe their orga- An article by Cathy McPhillips who do, 71% say they’re doing an ex- nization’s purpose plays a role in takes a look at Content Marketing cellent or very good job of it. engaging their customer base. The Institute’s annual study of for-profit Of all the verticals examined in least-targeted audiences for engage- agencies. One difference stands out the study, agencies were the least ment on the B2B purpose journey are – even jumps out – from when this likely to say they outsource. For supply chain (47%) and future talent segment was first studied for the 2019 example, 64% of manufacturing (54%). Survey respondents may be research. A whopping 76% reported marketers and 70% of enterprise indicating that supply chain issues using paid channels to distribute marketers (more than 1,000 employ- can be dealt with more effectively content to market their firm in the ees) outsource at least one content through strategies other than pur- previous 12 months. The previous year marketing function. pose (sustainability, pricing, etc.). only 59% reported using paid content When asked which three content The lack of attention paid to future distribution to market their business. marketing activities they thought talent is significant: Purpose has Agencies in 2020 are focusing on their organization would prioritize been shown in countless studies and the audience’s needs, with 71% of in 2020 when marketing their own interviews to be critical to Millennial respondents saying they prioritize business, agency respondents most employees, who will make up 75% of informational needs over their own frequently answered: focusing on the workforce by 2030. sales/promotional message. Eighty- content quality/quantity (50%), im- This survey was conducted online with- six percent say they are using con- proving content distribution/promo- in the United States by The Harris Poll as tent marketing successfully to build tion (47%) and improving the quality/ a collaborative effort between Harris, the brand awareness, while 76% say they conversion of their audiences (46%). ANA and Carol Cone ON PURPOSE among have a content marketing strategy Content Marketing Institute’s 2020 an- 259 B2B professionals. All qualified respon- (45% actually document it). nual content marketing research surveyed dents held a title of director or higher and Paid social media advertising is 230 for-profit agency respondents. represented companies in sectors including the top paid distribution method financial and insurance, health care and agencies use by far (83%). Of this allied industries, manufacturing, profes- group, the top two channels are sional services, technology and telecommu- Facebook (82%) and LinkedIn (58%), nications, and other. followed by Instagram (36%), Twit- ter (21%) and YouTube (12%). Over one-third (38%) of the agencies that

16 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com Survey Monitor // IN FOCUS

purchases via any digital device in a payments but also to display a trust- single click (PayPal), make in-store badge to shoppers – both of which purchases using their iPhone instead help boost conversions. of cash or credit card (Apple Pay) Visual Objects surveyed 983 digital pay- and exchange money among peers ment users in the U.S. to understand how in real-time (Venmo). The growing they use digital payment methods. popularity of money transfer apps coincides with a downward trend in cash use. According to McKinsey, the share of the world’s transactions in cash has dropped from 89% to 77% in the past five years. ••• fi nancial services In the U.S., only 30% of people always carry cash and 43% still use cash Can I Venmo you but only inconsistently or at random. The U.S., however, lags behind the rest later? of the world in its adoption of digital payments. According to The Paypers Study explores adoption of Digital Payment Report, credit re- ••• real estate research digital payment methods mains the primary payment method in the U.S. The widespread use of credit Home ownership n a recent article by Ian Heinig cards makes adopting a new payment Ititled, “Digital payment trends: system unappealing to some. across the ages How people use money transfer apps,” Despite this, consumers are warm- results from Visual Objects’ research ing to digital payments as a way to Generational differences highlight the rise of digital payment manage money with enhanced levels platforms and the global shift toward of flexibility, visibility and conve- and similarities in digital commerce that drives the nience. Most people use money trans- home-buying change. This is due largely to the wide- fer apps monthly (79%), followed by spread use of smartphones and the weekly (44%), less than once a month re Millennials becoming their prevalence of online shopping. (21%) and daily (14%). Digital payment Aparents? When it comes to Merchants are adopting digital pay- methods are most popular among choosing a home, the similarities ment services to deliver the stream- younger generations, with 52% of are striking. According to a study by lined shopping experience consumers users ages 18-34 and 47% of users ages Coldwell Banker Real Estate, almost expect. Although digital payments 35-54 using them weekly, compared to all Baby Boomers (91%), Generation X integrate easily into the busy lives of 24% of users ages 55 and older. (91%) and Millennials (92%) say that consumers, these services are at odds People’s primary concern with owning their own home is important with the mature credit system in the using money transfer apps is hacking – and at nearly identical rates. U.S., entrenched consumer habits and (41%), specifi cally the theft of fi nan- When it comes to picking a neigh- concerns about security. cial information and personal data. borhood, the generations mostly Most people say the main reason PayPal, Venmo and Apple Pay each agree on one thing: location. Eight they use money transfer apps is con- dominate their respective niche for in 10 (81%) Americans agree that venience (54%), followed by effi ciency online transactions, peer-to-peer ex- they value the location of their home (20%) and security (17%). The adop- changes and in-store payments. Most over the size, with all generations tion of this method is fairly new, people use Paypal (84%) then Venmo in agreement: Boomers (79%), Gen X with nearly three-quarters of digital (31%) and Apple Pay (23%) when mak- (79%) and Millennials (81%). payment users (73%) saying they began ing a digital payment but people also These generations also overwhelm- using digital payment methods in the use Google Play (16%), Amazon Pay ingly agree on the importance of living past fi ve years. More than one-third (11%), Facebook Messenger (11%) and in a safe neighborhood with both (34%) started using digital payments Square (8%) to a lesser extent. Boomers and Gen X at 98% and Millen- in the last one-to-three years. PayPal’s continued dominance is nials at 93%. Nearly three out of four A range of digital payment servic- rooted in the long-standing trust it Boomers (72%), Gen X (73%) and Millen- es exist, each offering users a conve- has built with both businesses and nials (73%) want to live close to their nient way to spend their money. For consumers. Websites feature the “Pay families. When family can’t be close to example, people can pay for online with PayPal” button to offer one-click home, the generations agree on how www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 17 to stay connected. Phone calls are the Millennials are nearly twice as sandwiched by the responsibilities of top choice across generations – Boom- likely as Boomers to say they would providing care and decision-making ers (77%), Gen X (66%) and Millenni- be more likely to purchase a home support for both dependent children als (64%) – calling on the phone beat with a white picket fence. Boomers, and aging parents. out texting and social media when it however, are more likely than Millen- The key insight from the survey comes to making faraway family mem- nials to say hardwood floors would shows that 80% of the Sandwich bers and friends feel closer to home. make them more likely to purchase a Generation is overwhelmed often or A majority (54%) of Millennials say home (53% vs. 35%). Carpeting is less constantly, which translates to five living close to bars and nightlife is im- popular among all three generations, out of seven days of the week. In fact, portant. Those numbers drop slightly with 20% of Millennials, 21% of Gen 84% of respondents indicated that for Gen X (46%) and Boomers (34%). X and 21% of Boomers saying that car- their retirement will be negatively Is avocado toast to blame? Paying peting would make them more likely impacted by their financial respon- down debt is the No. 1 reason some to purchase a home. sibilities to both children and aging Americans struggle to aff ord their The two most desired home fea- parents. The results from this survey fi rst home. Among those who have tures across generations are a mas- underscore the enormous stress that purchased a home, 26% cite this as ter bedroom with a private master individuals face when navigating the the main reason they struggled to bathroom and a fenced-in backyard. realities of caring for their aging par- aff ord their fi rst home, while just 6% Eighty percent of Americans say they ents and kids at the same time. cite spending on luxury items, 5% say prefer to buy a move-in-ready home Gender and income may play a dining out at restaurants and 5% say over one that requires any updating role in how overextended the Sand- travel. Spending on avocado toast – but what would they give up? Roughly wich Generation feels. Women (84%) and at restaurants in general – is not seven in 10 Millennials (70%) and Gen in the Sandwich Generation are more a barrier to home ownership. Sixty- X (71%) say they would be willing to likely to report feeling overwhelmed six percent of Millennials spent $0 sacrifi ce home size for a move-in-ready compared to men (75%). Additionally, on avocado toast in the previous year home. Boomers agree but at a lower 84% of respondents with an income of and only 15% spent more than $50 in rate (63%). $0-$49,900 report being overwhelmed the previous year. In fact, the average This survey was conducted online compared to respondents with an in- American spends only $35 per year on within the United States by The Harris Poll come over $150,000 (63%). avocado toast at restaurants. General on behalf of Coldwell Banker among 2,002 The areas where respondents help spending at restaurants and spending U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom out their aging parents the most in- on travel were tied for last when re- 543 are Millennials, 540 are Gen X and 569 clude health care decisions (60%) and spondents were asked if and why they are Boomers. fi nancial decisions (55%). Forty-three had trouble aff ording their fi rst home. percent currently assist their parents Millennials dream of more than fi nancially or provide physical care. just vacations and experiences – they Nearly 60% of the Sandwich Generation are also more likely to say they believe expect to fi nancially support their par- that, in their lifetime, they will live in ents or in-laws as they continue to age. their dream home (81%) compared to The Sandwich Generation could 75% of Gen X and 67% of Boomers. benefit from more support, specifi- When Americans who previously cally mental health and financial worked with a real estate agent were advisory services. When asked what asked why they did so, the most would help to reduce their stress, the common response was, “I wanted a top three choices selected by respon- trusted advisor to help me navigate dents include access to a mental the buying/selling process.” A major- ••• generational research health professional (63%), decision- ity (56%) of Americans who previous- making support from their family ly worked with a real estate agent cite Stuck in the middle (61%) and a financial advisor (57%). “excellent customer service skills” as The Sandwich Generation’s self-care one of the most important qualities The Sandwich Generation is also suffering. When asked what for an agent to possess. Excellent cus- activities are neglected the most as tomer service skills were defined as: shoulders fi nancial, familial a result of their responsibilities, the “kept in touch/followed up, explained burdens top three choices included self-care things well, made themselves readily (63%), sleep (62%) and financial available.” Sixty-four percent (64%) ew research from Haven Life In- health (43%). The Sandwich Genera- of Americans say they would prefer Nsurance Agency reveals that the tion would love more shut-eye. If to work with an agent affiliated with Sandwich Generation is struggling Sandwich Generation respondents an established national or local real physically, mentally and financially. were gifted one extra hour in their estate company; only 3% would prefer The study was conducted to better days, the majority of them would to work with a startup. understand the individuals who are spend it sleeping (50%), followed by

18 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com spending more time with their chil- their time on, the skills they’d like Nearly half (49%) of developers say dren (48%) and their partner (48%). to further develop and the chal- that security is integrated into the As a result of their financial lenges hindering their productivity. development process in the planning responsibilities, a majority of the While 82% of respondents say they stage before development begins and Sandwich Generation have had to frequently or sometimes spend their 33% say security is looped in once the adjust their retirement goals (55%), time modifying/maintaining software first iteration of the application is de- with 29% feeling that they will never applications, 41% say they would like veloped. By communicating with both be able to retire. to focus more time developing/build- lines of business management and Two-thirds of the Sandwich Gen- ing software applications. security personnel throughout the eration has life insurance. Given the Software development falls into software and application development enormous responsibilities of provid- three main buckets and survey respon- process, developers are positioning ing physical, emotional and fi nancial dents represent all of them: 68% are their tools and solutions for success. support for their parents and children, involved in full stack development, With frequent tech advancements, the Sandwich Generation seems to un- 21% are involved in back-end develop- security concerns and a shortage derstand the importance of fi nancial ment only and the remaining 11% are of time to focus on all necessary protection. Of those who don’t have involved in front-end development. tasks, it’s evident that developers life insurance, 66% said that being a When asked about the most experience challenges within their member of the Sandwich Generation important skills they need to be responsibilities. Tied for the top prevents them from getting coverage. successful in their current role, 62% two challenges are doing more with The study was conducted by Haven Life said problem-solving/troubleshoot- less staff and keeping up with new among 1,078 respondents ages 30-55 years ing skills. Interestingly, only 10% of technology advancements and skill old and who have dependent children and respondents claim to want to focus requirements (28%). Following close provide decision-making support or care for more of their time on troubleshoot- behind, 27% say that the availability at least one parent. ing operations issues over the next 12 of experienced developers is a top months. Ideally, they would like to challenge inhibiting their role. When take on a more strategic role and fo- faced with a job-related challenge, cus their time building and designing developers rely largely on peer com- new tools as well as researching new munication and easily digestible in- tools and solutions. Due to technology formation – 39% rely on peers inside modernization, 40% of developers say their company, followed by online they have a need for new program- communities and discussion forums ming/language skills and 39% say (36%) and blogs (34%). there is an increased need for new The study also looked at the cur- development tools and solutions. rent staffing levels of development Software developers are very teams. Close to half of developers much involved in steering technol- (46%) believe their team is adequately ogy investments – more than half staffed, while 17% view their team ••• technology research (56%) say they are involved during as being well-staffed and 36% report the research stage and 29% say they that their team is understaffed. We Challenges are consulted once a trial is in place can expect some staffing levels to and vendors are being evaluated. improve within the next year as 39% in software Only 11% of respondents said they are anticipate their in-house develop- never involved in the tech purchase ment team will increase over the next development process. It’s also important to note 12 months and 42% report their level that 81% are somewhat or very satis- will remain the same. Research explores roles and fied with their level of involvement The survey was conducted by IDG among during the technology purchase pro- the audience of IDG brands and partners responsibilities of software cess. Additionally, 73% say that their and is based on 364 respondents involved developers working relationship with business in the software development process within management is highly or somewhat their organizations. n recent research, IDG Com- collaborative which gives them a Imunications explored the roles voice when new technologies are be- involved in driving business forward ing evaluated. This changes slightly through software development. by job title and increases to 78% for These go beyond the traditional architects, 74% for engineers and developer title and responsibilities decreases to 68% for developers. appear to be growing. The study The research also found that these provides insight into the tasks devel- individuals have a collaborative opers are spending the majority of relationship with the security team. www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 19 all placed more importance on these sion makers agreed that it is impor- issues, putting enterprises on notice. tant for organizations to interrogate Most important to U.K. consumers was bias in their organizations and the that proper privacy protections are in data sets they use. It is particularly place during personalization (92.2% relevant for supervised learning and agreed) and yet only 82% of enter- machine-learning data sets where the prises indicated this was important, process of supervision allows brands indicating a serious gap that needs to change the way they do things. to be bridged for enterprises to truly This provides an opportunity to cre- gain U.K. consumer trust. ate diverse and inclusive teams to An increasing number of digital maintain various voices of change. A users are now mindful and aware of majority (79.5%) of IT decision makers ••• artifi cial intelligence the “value exchange” that occurs with agree that it is important that the a brand when they participate in a teams building and maintaining AI Personalization in digital experience. Not surprisingly, systems are diverse. the willingness to share personal in- With GDPR, the world began to see the AI age formation in exchange for a better ser- governments putting structure around vice was highest among Millennials, what and how data may be used. The Consumers seek with older generations less willing to report shows that 86% of consumers trade their personal information for do not want organizations tracking transparency in AI-driven better, more personalized service. data that they don’t have any use for services Data sharing leads to personalized and 92.8% of U.K. consumers said that services and in this function AI is they expect organizations to explain study commissioned by WP Engine extremely capable, such as being able what they are doing with their data. Afound that in an era of purpose- to push an ice cream advertisement to Thanks to advancements in natu- driven consumption, values – such as you while walking past an ice cream ral language processing and conver- transparency, trust and humanness shop on a hot day. Still, consumers sation AI, the capability now exists – are key drivers that unlock value in worry that this crosses the line into for chatbots and digital assistants to artifi cial intelligence (AI). obtrusive – 86.8% of U.K. consumers closely mimic their human counter- Despite previous years’ focus felt it was important that personal- parts. In fact, 56.4% of consumers on GDPR and privacy regulations ization doesn’t feel “creepy.” In re- surveyed indicated it’s important designed to give consumers power sponse, 77% of U.K. enterprises agreed that websites have a chatbot or digi- over their data, nearly half of U.K. that avoiding creepiness was crucial. tal assistant to help with customer consumers (48% according to a survey Ultimately organizations need to walk service and 82% of enterprises are by CIM1) still don’t know how brands the fine line where a person’s digital using AI in this way. However, 85% are using their data. They remain space must be respected in the same of consumers surveyed agreed that concerned about the privacy of their way as physical space. it should be made known when AI is personal information and online The research resulted in several used in chatbots and similar custom- behaviors. As consumers demand lessons for brands and agencies using er-facing applications. A majority that enterprises prioritize their data AI in the digital age. Enterprises are (85%) of U.K. consumers strongly protection and become transparent re- increasingly using AI-driven plat- agreed that companies have a respon- garding its use, collection and value, forms to make impactful decisions, sibility to disclose the use of AI in most enterprises have started having such as the allocation of jobs, loans chatbots and similar customer service these necessary conversations regard- or university admissions. Thus, there interactions. Seventy-seven percent ing the role of ethics, data protection is a rising concern from users on how of IT decision makers also agreed that and consumer rights. algorithms make these decisions, as when it comes to deploying customer Personalization systems tend to 92.7% of U.K. consumers feel it is very service chatbots, it should be made give way to trust and ethical concerns, important for organizations to be known to users that such a service both from a privacy perspective and transparent about how their data is is not facilitated by human agents, in terms of cross-device effi ciencies. being used for creating personalized demonstrating alignment between In the U.K., both consumers and online experiences. Keeping this in enterprises and consumers about the enterprises indicated a high degree of mind, organizations have identifi ed importance of this issue. importance regarding values issues, the need to incorporate the values of The study was conducted by the such as the protection of data privacy AI, primarily trust and transparency, University of London and Vanson Bourne and security, the expectation of orga- in their strategies. About two-in-fi ve on behalf of WP Engine and surveyed nizations being able to explain trans- (41.5%) of U.K. IT decision makers consumer and enterprise companies in the parently what they are using data for, say that it is very important to be U.S., U.K. and Australia. degree of personalization and a clear transparent about how they use AI to and direct value for the exchange of personalize user experience. data, to name a few. Consumers over- Additionally, 81.5% of U.K. IT deci-

20 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com

Nominations now open! You

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Celebrating the power u can’t win if you don’t enter!

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Nominations close July 8. of marketing research! // by the numbers Pitfalls of relying on passively collected data | By Mary Mathes

snapshot hen we at Thriveplan were fi rst Pentagon. This information didn’t come from Wthinking about how to design a big study draw- a human spy with an imperfect memory A tale of a hot dog ing on passive data, a story came to mind that reporting what he or she recalled seeing, this I had heard back when I lived in Washington, was objectively what was happening. stand, the Soviets D.C. It’s a Cold War-era tale, maybe just an Here’s the thing: that building? It was and the need for urban legend that tour guides tell visiting a hot dog stand. There were always people busloads of high school students every sum- milling around it because when the satellites ‘why.’ mer, but I still think it holds an important passed over at the same time every day, it was lesson for us as researchers as we approach most likely lunchtime. the growing trend of using passively collected I tell you this story because an emerging data in our work and what it can and can’t do theme we hear more and more from clients is for us. A cautionary tale, if you will. a desire to get away from “traditional surveys” There was a small building in the center that ask consumers to recall and report/ex- courtyard of the Pentagon back in the day. plain their behavior. There is a push to derive (There’s still a building there but this particu- consumer insights purely from the growing lar one no longer stands.) As the story goes, suite of passively collected consumer informa- the Soviet Union had missiles – nuclear ones, tion – such as scanned receipts, loyalty card no less – constantly trained on this building. data, digital activity tracking, etc. – that a They were convinced it was the entrance to an plethora of data providers now off er. underground bunker with a top-secret meet- Some clients fi rmly believe that passively ing room, with the whole Pentagon essentially collected data are a better way to reveal true, acting as a fortress around it. actionable insights about consumers’ behav- Why did they think this? Well, the Soviets ior, because they don’t rely on asking them had their own version of passively collected anything or on their faulty ability to remem- data: satellite imagery. Every day, their satel- ber. We’ve heard from clients who want to lites would pass over and take pictures of the rely solely, or as much as possible, on passive site and every day they would observe a pat- data, believing that any datapoint obtained tern of behavior in those images: there were by asking a respondent can’t be trusted. They always military officers going in and out of posit that the passive data is the “truth” and this building. From this data, they concluded that if you just look at enough of it, you’ll fi nd that clearly the building must be important. patterns that explain behaviors, and by exten- After all, it was smack in the center of the sion fi nd the keys to encouraging more of the behaviors that you want. At our fi rm, we’ve been cautioning against the sole reliance on www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200504.aspxww passive data, because we continue to prove that direct interaction with a respondent is still

24 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com // by the numbers

valuable in unlocking the why behind are far from being able to observe “tells” to identify the intrinsic motiva- their behavior, IF you do it right. everything that a consumer does, tions and costs expressed by individu- For me, the hot dog stand tale il- sees, hears or smells that might lead als and how they are impacted by luminates two big pitfalls of relying them toward a behavior. No one specific contexts of interests (e.g., solely on passive data: passive data company can off er that an online shopping journey). While complete of a picture. (And quite you’re not likely to get good data by 1) It can show you what consumers are frankly, I’m not sure I want to live asking people why they do what they doing but it can’t tell you why. We in a world where one can.) do, you can get them reveal the whys can see which websites consumers go they don’t even consciously recognize to, or look at what they put in their This is why we believe that even themselves – but only if you ask the shopping carts, but from passive data with the many benefits of passive right questions. alone we can only guess at why they data, you can’t get to the why of ob- This revealed knowledge can un- surf Facebook during their workday, served behaviors without some active lock an otherwise unattainable level for example, and what that says interaction with the people being of fi delity in our understanding of about their likelihood of responding observed. Now, we do agree com- consumers’ attention, thoughts, expe- to the ads they see in their feed (if pletely that simply asking them why riences, decision-making and actions. they notice them at all). they bought that product on Amazon And yes, it can also help make sense 2) The behaviors you can passively or clicked on that Facebook ad is of a myriad of behaviors observed in observe are not the only behaviors fruitless. But the idea that we can’t passively collected data, so we can that matter. The Soviets likely at- get them to reveal insights into what separate the truly important buildings tributed outsized importance to that drives their behavior via a survey in- from the hot dog stands. building because it was out in the strument is false. We do it every day. open, in full view. Similarly, with When done well, behavioral sci- Mary Mathes is the market intel director passive consumer data, we can only ence-backed research leverages neu- for Thriveplan, a Cincinnati-based insights and strategy firm. She can be reached at analyze what we can measure. We rocognitive and neuropsychological [email protected].

www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 25 13 Top Tracking Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

••• special advertising section 13 TRACKING RESEARCH COMPANIES

Consumers’ attitudes are constantly changing along with the world around them – and in cases of unprecedented change in the world, these attitudes are bound to shift by a wide margin. Tracking research, following the same segment throughout a length of time, is effective both at measuring this shift and understanding marketing implications that stem from it. BestMark Founded 1986 | 200+ employees Companies specializing in tracking research understand the Dana Stetzer, CEO importance of changing consumer attitudes over time and employ methodologies and services to better assess the impact of those attitudes and develop strategies to cater to them. If you are interested in tracking research to better understand your consumer, the following companies are here to help.

Since 1986, BestMark has helped businesses large and small improve employee and customer experiences to drive repeat business, loyalty and increased sales while turning customers into champions of their brands. We pride ourselves on continually leading and changing the landscape of our quirks.com/articles/2020/20200544.aspx industry with proven and innovative mystery shopping, intercept interview-

26 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com 13 Top Tracking Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

research is aligned with your objectives based on fully understanding stake- holder needs and adapting as priorities shift. We deploy a variety of techniques and methodologies to meet customers’ preferences for how they want to give feedback, including quantitative, qualitative, structured/unstructured and closed-loop systems. We’re skilled at incorporating modules as time- sensitive topics arise while maintaining trendability. Whether your needs include establishing or transitioning CX/EX, brand awareness/reputation ing, compliance auditing, customer or advertising effectiveness programs, satisfaction surveys and panel/focus The DRG ensures your tracker will drive group services. We draw from our action to support successful business arsenal of more than 600,000 shoppers, performance. interviewers, auditors and panelists, Phone 1-888-432-5220 providing coverage in more than 13,000 www.theDRG.com cities and towns throughout the U.S. and Canada. Working with Fortune 500/100/50 companies and a variety of other businesses in a wide range of The Dieringer Research industries, you will find that we thor- Group Inc. (The DRG) oughly understand operations, technol- Founded 1974 | 75 employees ogy and research, and we know what it Lanie Johnson, President and CEO takes to manage a successful customer experience program. Phone 1-952-922-2205 www.bestmark.com

The best tracking programs are those that effectively support strategic decisions. At The DRG, we ensure your

www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 27 13 Top Tracking Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

InnovateMR Founded 2014 | 110 employees Lisa Wilding-Brown, Chief Research Offi cer

InnovateMR of- Ironwood Insights Infotools fers a trailblaz- Group LLC ing collection of Founded 2017 | 35 Employees; 5 Call Centers Founded 1990 | 80 employees sampling tools Ant Franklin, CEO Brad Larson, Founder and CEO and technical solutions, elevat- Infotools is an ing insights and Ironwood award-winning empowering Insights Group software and researchers to leads the mar- services provider deliver Faster ket research for the market Answers™. Our industry by of- research industry experienced managed services team is fering a seam- with particular ready to apply out-of-the-box creative less integration expertise in pro- thinking for your B2B or consumer of all research cessing, analyz- sampling projects. We’ll ensure your methodologies ing, visualizing and sharing market project is delivered on-scope with the into one point research data. Working with some of highest level of data quality. Ready to of service. We the world’s best-known brands, as well hit the trail solo? Our DIY sampling assist corporate researchers, marketers, as boutique and large market research platform features an intuitive inter- marketing research firms and consul- agencies, our powerful cloud-based face to estimate feasibility and target tants with high-quality data collection software platform Harmoni loves large precise audiences. Launch and monitor and analytic services. Our platforms and complex tracking data and makes field progress all from one easy-to-use use the latest technology with cloud- it easy to link research and other control center. InnovateMR offers based servers and panel integration data sources to business questions. exceptional service and cutting-edge for increased production, quality and Updating data, analyses, visualiza- technology, providing a unique and ef- security. We maintain strict security tions and reports is largely done by ficient approach to sampling. and confidentiality controls. Services the machine, freeing you up to do the Phone 1-888-229-6664 include consultation, questionnaire fun part – finding the insight. We also www.InnovateMR.com design, sample sourcing, survey field- provide professional services to assist ing, data processing, analytics and and support you. reporting. Qualitative methodologies Phone U.S. 1-415-678-1987; include traditional and online focus U.K. 44-7718-670-995 groups, bulletin boards and in-depth www.infotools.com interviews. Quantitative methodologies include CATI/CAWI, online surveys and F2F interviewing, with international reach through vetted partners. We are dedicated to providing our clients with the best research solutions at reason- able rates. Call or e-mail today for “Insights that provide clarity and drive action.” Phone 1-602-831-1973 www.ironwoodinsights.com

28 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com 13 Top Tracking Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

The MSR Group OvationMR Founded 1994 | 165 employees Founded 2017 Don Beck, Ph.D., CEO Jim Whaley, CEO

The MSR Group Fast, Reliable is a full-service MSW Research Answers for research firm of- Founded 1968 | 200+ employees Insightful fering complete Art Klein, Partner and Co-President Research®. consumer and Where research- business-to-busi- ers find high- ness research ser- quality data vices. The MSR from global B2B Group specializes and consumer online survey audiences in customer experience management, to significantly improve study suc- mock-jury studies, brand awareness, cess rates. “Our mission is to expand advertising and creative testing, along opportunities for researchers to do the with a wide array of custom quantita- Impacting Business Performance for work they believe in and can stand tive and qualitative project offerings. over 50 years. Our research solutions behind, for their company, their com- In addition, we can provide you with are designed to evaluate and optimize munity and their cause.” We conduct groundbreaking verbal and facial campaigns comprising any combination tracking studies, segmentation studies, recognition AI technology to provide of touchpoints. We work from strategy conjoint studies, awareness and usage real time CX feedback to managers on development to all stages of creative de- studies, customer experience, political customer and employee sentiment – a velopment and in-market tracking. Our polling and much more. Our clients are powerful new tool to improve coach- behaviorally based products are proven independent research practitioners, ing, training and ensuring business through independent audits to help mar- consulting organizations, pollsters, compliance. Specifications: 150 station keters meet and exceed their business global market research companies, TCPA-compliant CATI call center, web objectives. MSW Research has developed nonprofits, NGOs and global brands. and IVR surveys, executive interviews empirical evidence for how communica- We provide sampling and supporting and focus groups. tions work that can accurately connect research services in every region of Phone 1-402-392-0755 or 1-800-737-0755 short-term sales and long-term brand the world. You can contact us today at www.theMSRgroup.com development to the performance of the [email protected]. individual and collective touchpoints Phone 1-212-653-8750 in the customer journey. Our process www.ovationmr.com is embodied in a suite of products that guides our clients and covers consumer, brand, advertising and tracking. We do this with a full array of world-class solutions including proprietary survey techniques, facial coding, eye-tracking, neuro measurement and media planning and forecasting. Phone 1-516-394-6000 www.mswresearch.com

www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 29 13 Top Tracking Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SurveyMonkey Founded 1999 | 1,200+ employees Random Dynamic Zander Lurie, CEO Resources Founded 2006 | 30 employees Paul Nnanwobu, CEO Schlesinger Group Founded 1966 | 1,000 employees Matt Campion, EVP Client Solutions Random Dynamic Schlesinger Resources LTD is Group’s quantita- a private equity tive team conducts frontline social, hundreds of U.S. opinion and and global track- market research ing studies with company with With panels from over 100 coun- consumers, health headquarters in tries built right into a robust survey care professionals Nigeria – as well platform, SurveyMonkey is a great fit and patients each as a U.S. subsidiary, Random Dynamic for market, brand and competitive year. Our dedicated teams consist of Resources LLC, a Delaware corporation tracking research. Using SurveyMonkey individuals with extensive experience limited liability company – provid- Audience, you can find exactly who in data collection as well as full-service ing market research services in more you need to reach with pre-profiled backgrounds. This combination allows than 35 markets across Africa, using targeting options or custom screen- Schlesinger to consult with our clients up-to-date qualitative and quantitative ing questions. It’s easy to launch your on optimal data sources, consistent data methodologies. With a strong focus own trackers, and if you need help sources across waves, and timing and on sub-Saharan Africa, we combine getting started, our research experts frequency of data collection. Survey our expertise and deep understand- can set you up with customized survey programming, data processing, reporting of African diversity to enrich your templates, managed deployments with ing, coding and charting are all in our research projects. Our vision is to be the exclusions and demographic quotas, wheelhouse in addition to being your leader in field research and operation and real-time results dashboards with data collection sample partner. Contact: management in Africa through unpar- one of our many data visualization Matt Campion at Matt.Campion@ alleled and timely service delivery, hon- integrations. Contact us to learn more SchlesingerGroup.com. esty and development of people. Our or to get a demo. mission is to provide high-quality data Phone 1-732-590-3110 [email protected] www.SchlesingerGroup.com svy.mk/quirks for superior decision-making for our clients to succeed. We have served various governments, international development agencies, international research agencies, companies and organizations within and outside the sub-Saharan African market. Phone 234-1-2952907; Cell Nigeria 234-803- 325-5099; U.S. 1-929-355-4831 www.random-dynamicresources.com

30 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com 13 Top Tracking Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 31 ••• qualitative research Immediacy without intimacy In-moment alternatives to in-person research

| By Zach Mullen

In the past month, how often have you been asked to give your opin- snapshot ion on something solely for the sake of discussion? Team Coke or Team Pepsi? Do you prefer Domino’s or Pizza Hut? Are you a PC or a Mac per- As circumstances dictate a temporary son? From sports to politics to The Bachelor, it can sometimes feel like move away from direct contact with we’re in a cultural cycle that embraces debate solely for debate’s sake. We don’t care who wins; we just want to talk about it. respondents, Zach Mullen looks at some As marketing research professionals, it’s in our nature (and our job Idescriptions) to formulate conclusions. We look at the facts, weigh our ways researchers can still get close. options and take a stance. And when it comes to business recommendations, we’re no stranger to sharing our opinions. Take the notion of in-person research as an example. In just the last few years, there’s been more of a push/pull on the pros and cons of this methodology than just about anything else within marketing research. One moment, it’s an outdated approach easily replaced with digital alternatives. The next, in-person is seen as the great human- izer, so ripe with empathy that no digital platform can replicate it. In any normal time, the debate over in-person would rage on. But with COVID-19, the battle is changing completely. As a member of the qualitative team at Burke, Inc., I have my own opinions on in-person. My team has theirs and I’m sure you have yours. But regardless, one thing is abundantly clear: In-person research is absolutely relevant in the market today. Around the globe, we continue to see high value in meeting respondents live and face-to-face. Researchers across industries consistently choose to observe consumers in-person, analyzing tone and expression in a way that a text response or transcript just can’t convey (yet). And, in the case of taste tests or touching/feeling physical stimuli, the needs of the research literally dictate the necessity of www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200506.aspx being in a room together. But what happens when the option for in-person research suddenly

32 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com seem to have totally sidelined the possibility of in-person research in its wake. Working at a custom research firm, it’s my job to assess the full landscape of methodologies and advise clients on what will best answer their business questions. Sometimes this means doing in-person research. Sometimes it doesn’t. When priorities change or extenuating circumstances like COVID-19 rapidly evolve, our qualitative team needs to be aware of what options best suit the needs of our client. But how do you decide? At Burke, we don’t tie ourselves to one particular proprietary platform or in-house service. Instead, we constantly evaluate the marketplace’s offerings so we’re able to curate and recommend goes away? Run qualitative research long enough and you will inevi- specific platforms, technologies or services tably be faced with situations where pivoting away from in-person is accordingly. It’s critical for us to be fully necessary. From our team’s experiences, the cause of abandoning the aware of the adaptable and agile alternatives idea of in-person usually falls under one of three scenarios: to in-person research. Timing. The timing of in-person can sometimes cause problems. So, is it possible to still make an in-the- Unlike online or over-the-phone methodologies, it’s pretty implausible moment connection without being physically for a respondent to complete a screener, drop the rest of their day and in-person? We say yes. There is significant drive themselves downtown to participate in a two-hour, in-person value in utilizing additional methodolo- focus group. Logistically, in-person works best when there’s a little bit gies. In many instances, alternatives to live of a runway to work with, timewise. Unfortunately, fast turnarounds research are great at replicating – and in and deadlines are more common than not, so it’s not always realistic some cases even enhancing – the in-person for in-person to align with a quick-turn qualitative read. experience. By exploring a new approach to Specifi c needs. At times, clients need a type of feedback from re- the same business questions, customers can search that simply cannot be replicated by in-person. Sometimes this still engage with their favorite brands but in a means “meeting respondents where they are” via passive data, online more convenient offering tailored to fit their channels or something more appropriate for a particular demographic. busy lifestyles. Recruitment plus demos. At the end of the day, in-person research Here are some of our top picks for in-mo- does not always fit the intended target audience. For harder-to-reach ment alternatives to in-person research. respondents like builders, physicians and B2B professionals, it is rarely feasible for them to come into a facility for research. As such, it is criti- Digital ethnographies cal to be aware of what alternative options exist when in-person just No in-homes? No problem. Digital ethnogra- isn’t in the cards for a tougher-to-get audience. phies can serve as a viable replacement for im- And then there’s COVID-19. As alluded to earlier, the coronavirus mersions when an in-home visit or shop-along pandemic has been the most glaring reason why in-person work has just isn’t an option. Digital ethnos offer the been cancelled or repurposed in the past few months. same face-to-face interaction that a regular At the time this article is being written, COVID-19 is changing ethnography does but, via technology, still al- the research landscape rapidly. We don’t know what the next week, low the researcher to get a tour of the pantry, month or year might look like but the virus has already begun to medicine cabinet or thoughts while shop- make massive inroads on the global economy. And while the effect of ping in-store. Typical ethnos are limited to a COVID-19 on the market research industry is still unknown, it does select handful of observers but when digital, www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 33 more of the research team can watch, that an in-person conversation would reaction is to follow the path of least observe and discuss via a virtual back- have and result in a meaningful one- resistance and just swap out one for room. Finally, in a rapidly-changing on-one conversation. As an added bo- one – an in-person focus group for an time, it can also give you a peek into nus, stimuli can still be presented to online focus group, an in-home visit what social distancing looks like for respondents through a simple screen- for a digital ethnography, and so on. consumers. share from the moderator – just like While there are minor concessions to Watch-outs: Even though there’s in-person. And with the comfort of be aware of here and there, for the real-time back and forth between their own personal surroundings, re- most part, each of these methodolo- moderator and respondent, digital spondents can often dive deeper into gies can act as a viable replacement, ethnos can, at times, be at the mercy their behaviors and feelings. answering the same business ques- of what the respondents choose to Watch-outs: Sometimes, respon- tions with minimal disruption to the show you. This can sometimes limit dents can feel a little too comfortable overall objectives. the opportunities for natural, obser- in their surroundings. We’ve seen However, before you jump to vational exploration. respondents take calls from their din- the one-for-one replacement model, What you can do: Challenge your ing rooms and offices but also in their consider the overall versatility. In moderator to come up with creative car (while driving) and even from our experience, these methodologies probes to get consumers to share their bathrooms. become exponentially more valuable beyond what they have planned to What you can do: Prep your team for when layered on top of one another. show you. how your moderator might handle Recently, one of our clients in the these unique situations. financial services industry came to Online bulletin boards (OLBBs) us with a series of questions aimed at Versatile and convenient, online bul- Web-based focus groups understanding a few of their specific letin boards have the flexibility to be Web-based video focus groups take segments. After internal conversation up and running quickly. By their very everything that’s great about a tradi- and collaboration with our client, we nature, they allow for thought-out tional focus group and move it online. settled on a multi-month, multimode responses to the questions you have Respondents (and researchers) still qualitative approach that did not uti- right now, in the moment. OLBBs get to experience a group dynamic, lize any in-person methodologies. can act as either a private diary or a rich with layered builds and diverse Here’s a brief overview of that public conversation and, given their opinions, but all parties are able to project to demonstrate how qualita- informal and conversational tone, contribute from the comfort of their tive research can be just as valuable, allow for frequent and seamless topic own homes. While research is live, when in-person is out of the equa- transitions as information needs teams have the ability to stream the tion: change. Online boards also allow re- groups in real-time and converse in a Research objective. In order to spondents to easily upload photos and digital backroom – opening the door help drive consideration of the client videos to help illuminate responses, for in-the-moment probing or shift(s) brand among pre-identified target express emotion and provide rich in direction. segments, we sought to understand context to open-ends. Watch-outs: The logistics of digital key financial needs and the accom- Watch-outs: Multi-day OLBBs often video groups can be a little harder to panying decisions. Specific goals result in a lot of content, so go in manage than the natural dynamic of- included identifying needs states, with an analytical plan for listening fered by in-person groups. To account brands/products considered, consid- and synthesizing the discussion. for this, we recommend reducing the eration drivers, how solutions are What you can do: Get your whole size of each group. selected and what success looks like. team involved with specific listening What you can do: Set up time for To build an understanding that went posts and debrief meetings to learn as dedicated technology checks a day beyond top-of-mind needs, we recom- you go. before the groups go live so that mended a longitudinal study span- respondents will be in the research ning approximately two months. In-depth interviews via telephone itself, not troubleshooting. Ensuring Methodology. An initial, three- (TDIs) or webcam (IDIs) a digital sense of comfort ahead of day qualitative discussion (online bul- Allowing for the same level of de- time will make your participants feel letin board) built an understanding tailed conversation between modera- more at home in the groups. of each participant’s unique financial tor and respondent, in-depth inter- mind-set – their background, goals views via telephone or webcam are an Viable replacement and aspirations, current financial absolute go-to for busy and hard-to- It’s easy to think of replacing in- situation and recent financial deci- reach audiences. TDIs and web IDIs person research with just one of the sions/plans. unlock the same personal connection above alternatives. Typically, the gut Then, respondents tracked all

34 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com financial activities for six weeks in a who they are and what’s important to Uncover the underlying ‘why’ personal diary. During the six-week them. Then, the six-week diary and In the past, being face-to-face with diary, we conducted two separate accompanying webcam interviews respondents has been a surefire way rounds of one-on-one in-depth in- identified a range of specific nuances to understand deep-rooted emotions terviews via webcam to dig into the and shared behavior when it came to and help uncover the underlying emotional drivers behind the finan- understanding triggers, information “why” behind human behavior. But cial activities logged. sources and consideration drivers. sometimes, that changes. Near the end of the six-week di- Finally, to contextualize all our Familiarizing your team with ary, the research team used all data findings, the ethnographies enabled a a suite of alternatives to in-person gathered to date and developed initial holistic understanding of the re- research is a twofold guarantee: Your hypotheses during a workshop and spondents as individuals, the impact team will be well-prepared for any brainstorming session. of family dynamics and what role disruptions should face-to-face data As a final stage, ethnographic cultural factors may have played on collection no longer be an option and qualitative interviews were conduct- their decision-making. your collective capacity for address- ed with select respondents to further By employing multiple approaches ing any research objective will be explore and refine the hypotheses of qualitative, we understood these significantly expanded. developed in the consideration map consumer segments on a much deeper While methodologies may sometimes planning phase. and more cohesive level. In the end, shift, the need to understand consumers Results plus conclusions. The the client was able to offer custom- on a deeper level does not. Be ready. initial three-day qualitative discus- ized financial services for these sion (OLBB) provided a solid founda- particular segments and, ultimately, Zach Mullen is a senior project tion to ease respondents into the help them meet their financial goals manager with the qualitative research department at Cincinnati-based project and for the research team to in new and unique ways. research firm Burke, Inc. He can be build a meaningful narrative around reached at [email protected].

www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 35 ••• new product research Looking for the right mix How do you market an in-home cocktail maker?

| By Sarah Freske

Disruption, with all of the chaos that the word implies, is generally snapshot seen as a good thing if you’re the one causing it. However, marketing a disruptive product comes with a variety of its own hurdles and the For research into its Home Bar product, ways in which companies overcome these barriers to reach consumers Drinkworks wanted consumers to drive can make or break a product. Drinkworks, a joint venture between Anheuser-Busch InBev and the process. Keurig, had just launched its own disruptive new product, a single- Dserving cocktail maker called the Drinkworks Home Bar. The product was available for purchase in five brick-and-mortar stores all located in St. Louis. In preparation for a move into additional expansion markets and ultimately a national launch, Drinkworks wanted to optimize its product and marketing strategy – but in order to do this it needed to understand which aspects of its current strategy were working well and which were not.

Make the user the hero To accomplish this, the company partnered with AMC Global, a research fi rm with experience helping launch products. It was critical to Drinkworks that insights were gathered from actual purchasers of the new product, but with very few units in market, the company knew this would be an incredibly challenging task. Drinkworks knew that it wanted to design a research process that enabled the consumer to drive decision-making. In fact, one of the “Five Principles” of Drinkworks is to make the user the hero, so this involvement was crucial. With this in mind, the company planned to use a test-and-learn approach to gather insights and improve its product. The research plan began with AMC Global’s PFU (purchaser follow-up) methodology, which gave the companies a way to recruit a robust sample www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200508.aspx of new product purchasers immediately after launch and understand

36 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com case studydy

Qual and quant angles Using AMC Global’s ResponseCash PFU (purchaser follow-up) methodology, the companies recruited the very fi rst purchasers of the Drinkworks Home Bar to participate in online or mobile research during the initial test market launch. The ResponseCash system uses in-pack or on-pack survey invitations to recruit purchasers of new products into survey research. For their participation, respondents receive a prepaid cash-card incentive. For this research, survey invitations were designed and placed in product packages prior to the product being shipped to stores. Additionally, Drink- works leveraged a signifi cant incentive ($80) in order to recruit a quantitative base size of actual product purchasers, even when only a their experiences with the product over time. Using a variety of quanti- few hundred machines had been sold. tative and qualitative methodologies, the companies conducted research This method of inviting and incenting to better understand the purchaser/user perspective and the shopper respondents ensured a robust and representa- perspective, as well as the broader, market-level perspective. tive response to the survey. A sample size of 180 Beyond tools and methodologies, an ongoing challenge for the purchasers participated in the fi rst phase of research was the need for agile insights at a near-constant pace. “Drink- the research. These hard-to-reach respondents works’ goal is to learn from every consumer touchpoint and allow the in- would have been impossible to fi nd via more sights to drive decision-making,” says Jessica Bolger, director, consumer traditional methods such as online panels. This insights, Drinkworks. “Because these decisions are being made every day, methodology also allowed the companies to we often don’t have the luxury of time. We need to provide accurate and follow up with purchasers over time. Here, pur- actionable insights that are senior-management-ready within hours and chasers were recruited to participate in three days instead of weeks and months.” phases of research corresponding to key usage periods – immediately after purchase, after six Real consumers in real moments weeks and again after six months of usage. The newness of the product, as it turns out, did not end up being a Because Drinkworks had a desire to con- barrier to the research. Because the most critical aspect of the research nect with real Drinkworks buyers on a deeper program was to talk to real consumers in real moments, the disruptive level, it also utilized shop-alongs and in-home quality of the product could be overcome in testing. For most studies, ethnographies. “Qualitative insights would consumers weren’t actually presented with the product. Instead, the be a critical supplement to the quantitative companies reached consumers as they experienced the product in market research and help to bring the consumer – from seeing it in store, to trying a sample, to buying it, setting it up at experience to life for the organization,” says home and using it over time. Erin Russeck, EVP, corporate strategy and When recruiting target buyers for broader objectives and introduc- innovation, AMC Global. “Immediately following them to the product, Drinkworks shows a traditional concept and ing the launch of the Drinkworks Home Bar, descriptive video for the product. The video simulates what a consumer shop-alongs and in-home ethnographies were might fi nd when shopping in a store or on the Drinkworks website. conducted in order to see consumers’ experi- Therefore, it provides the same information that consumers would natu- ences with the Drinkworks system fi rsthand. rally have prior to buying in market. Specifi cally, we sought to gauge purchasers’ fi rst impressions of the Home Bar when they www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 37 research Drinkworks found that it was reaching its intended target of consumers of alcoholic beverages. Home Bar purchasers had an understanding and appreciation for the uniqueness of the product, citing nov- elty, convenience, value for entertainment and the wide variety of drinks as the top purchase motivators. The product had also gained some buzz, with many consumers in the initial market learning about it via word of mouth. Finally, purchasers liked the drinks and were ultimately satisfied with the product. The research also enabled Drink- works to improve certain aspects of its product and marketing strategy. For example, as a result of this research program, Drinkworks modi- fied the Home Bar’s quick-start guide to ensure that the setup process was clear and frustration-free. The company also improved its sampling and demonstration strategy in order to ensure that it reached a relevant target and drove conversion. Finally, it developed various strategies for in- The Drinkworks Home Bar is a single-serving, pod-based drink maker for cocktails, beer and more. creasing consumer value and driving NPS scores. Specifically, Drinkworks made changes to the price and promo- purchased in-store, brought it home, the market, as well as what attri- tion strategy, the innovation pipeline set it up and used it for the fi rst time.” butes were most associated with the and brand communications. In addition to understanding the brand. To learn more, the companies product’s launch through initial buy- conducted a multi-wave attitude and On the consumer’s level ers, Drinkworks also wanted to better usage study with alcoholic beverage While the disruptive nature of the understand sampling and demonstra- consumers timed with critical mo- Drinkworks Home Bar could have be- tion efforts in the first launch market ments in the launch. come a barrier to the product’s launch in order to optimize the sampling Finally, it leveraged actual pur- in additional markets, Drinkworks strategy moving forward. From the chasers from the PFU and recruited avoided this outcome by truly getting initial stages of the research, the target consumers to conduct custom on the consumer’s level to understand companies hypothesized that sam- research including qualitative focus the motivations of those who were pling and demos would be a critical groups and conjoint research in order already deciding to purchase the component of the marketing plan in to inform the innovation pipeline. product. This enabled the company to driving purchase. Not only was this “Even the most challenging studies not only capitalize on those aspects product disruptive, but it also came at were successful,” says Russeck. “For of the product that drew consumers a high price point and it was reason- example, within the first few weeks in but also remedy any pain points able to assume that consumers would of launch and with less than 500 ma- that arose within the entire purchas- want to try it before buying it. Using chines sold, we were able to recruit ing process – from when a potential SampleTrak, Drinkworks sought to a quantitative base size of 180 actual buyer first laid eyes on the product to confirm this hypothesis while also product purchasers to participate in when they brought it home and tried better understanding the role of our research program.” it out for themselves. sampling on strategy. Specifically, This outcome was the direct result Drinkworks needed to understand Strengths and weaknesses of Drinkworks’ desire to “make the who it was reaching through the sam- As planned, the research helped user the hero” – which the company pling efforts, as well as the impact on Drinkworks to uncover some accomplished by gathering insights conversion to purchase. strengths and weaknesses of the from purchasers through the entire Drinkworks also wanted to know Home Bar launch. Many of the find- buying and usage process and even how successful it had been thus far in ings were positive signs for the new beyond – enabling consumers to drive building awareness and purchase in brand. For instance, through the decision-making.

38 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com

••• brand research No identity crisis here A product marketer’s guide to effective product naming

| By Sanjay Puri

As companies evolve and grow their businesses, it’s no secret that their snapshot product and service off erings are likely to expand as well. While growth is great for businesses, the expansion of product portfolios often requires The author details his firm’s quest to companies to reevaluate their approach to how they defi ne their brand develop frameworks and guidelines for and go about naming their products. When companies start, there is typically one product and one company. naming new additions to its product Many times, the name of the company and product are identical. As compa- Anies attempt to address additional customer challenges, product portfolios portfolio. grow. As a result, companies fi nd themselves grappling with how to provide a way for prospects and customers to navigate an increasingly broad portfolio of products to fi nd the specifi c solutions that fi t their needs. When a company is small, employees are few and products are even fewer, employees communicate constantly. The people who define messaging are also the ones building the website and possibly selling. How- ever, as companies and products grow, and functional organizations are formed, opportunities for misalignment multiply. A product might show up as one name on product collateral, a slightly different version on the website and a completely different name on a sales invoice. Even though these deviations appear minor (and correctable) early on, they always (absolutely always) get worse! The company I work for, Avalara, recently experienced this exact dilemma with our expanding product portfolio. As my team and I began researching with analyst fi rms and other B2B SaaS companies on how to, quite simply, name our expanding portfolio of products while stay- ing aligned with our brand promise, we quickly learned that there is no ready-made guide to product naming. It was clear to us that we were going to have to pull together disparate frameworks and methodologies to develop our own product naming principles. www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200509.aspx However, it also became rapidly clear to us that before defi ning the naming principles, we would have to fi rst establish and understand several

40 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com issue regulations and businesses work to stay compliant using spreadsheets and other manual processes. The creation of marketecture is not merely a graphic design exercise. It requires a solid understanding of the company’s products, how they align with customers’ pain points and how they solve those problems. It also requires alignment with internal organizations including product management, sales, solutions consulting and others to ensure that there’s general agreement on how we’re going to describe the company to external audiences.

Create a product catalog Similar to the approach taken for a marketecture, the next step is to create a product catalog, foundational elements, including our marketecture, product catalog, brand which is an outside-in representation of a architecture and product naming rules. company’s products and services. The product catalog is not how a company views its products Clearly define the market externally but how you want your customers The fi rst step in the product naming process is to defi ne your company’s and prospects to view your product off erings. marketecture, which is a simplifi ed, outside-in representation of a com- To begin cataloging products, you must fi rst pany’s place within the market. Creating a marketecture allows your team establish how you will defi ne categories in a to clearly defi ne the market in which your company operates and highlight hierarchical fashion, beginning with the cat- where your products fi t in the overall market landscape. egory itself and all the way down to individual If done correctly, your marketecture should enable you to easily products themselves. By creating an agreed explain to someone outside of your company your market, business and upon framework of defi nitions for categoriza- product value-add. For example, Avalara is a provider of tax compliance technology, which is a piece of the Figure 1: The Avalara tax compliance suite broader tax compliance market. We sit in between Customer Governments 600+ pre- businesses and governments built integrations with (see Figure 1) to help man- common Tax calculations Tax returns Tax document business management applications age nearly every aspect of Expanding tax types including sales & use, fuel & energy excise, lodging & occupancy, communication, cross-border, VAT/GST, Brazil Advanced the tax compliance process, API for existing Services including understanding custom applications changing tax legislation, Technology platform managing tax calculations Tax engine and returns, managing tax notices and supporting audit Tax content responses. The tax compliance market is historically a End-to-end tax compliance very manual process-driven market where governments www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 41 Term Billable Defi nition the corporate brand. In this scenario, the corporate brand elevates the Market Category No The industry your company operates within as defi ned by valid third parties. product brand through association and is typically utilized by acquisitive com- Product Suite No Everything your company does, including the complete set panies who intend to keep the acquired of products, services, and add-ons that serve customers. brand alive due to its brand equity. For Product Category No A class of products solving a specifi c market need in a example, Google acquired DoubleClick similar fashion. and AdMob and then referenced the Product Subcategory No A subclass of several products within a product category acquired products as DoubleClick by solving a market need in a similar fashion. Google and AdMob by Google. Interest- Product Yes A thing or service that includes features and functionality ingly, Google’s organic products con- that performs a complete function. tinue to maintain a sub brand strategy Product add-on Yes Functionality that is added to a product, and billed for (e.g., Google Search, Google Cloud, etc.). separately, to create incremental benefi t not available in The fi nal, and perhaps most unique, the associated product. category is the individual brand. In (Named) Product Feature No Included functionality within a product that creates this architecture, there is no corporate unique and high-value benefi t. brand attached to the product brand. Each product maintains its individual tion, your organization can more easily value of the product is. brand that is distanced from the cor- determine the appropriate category for porate brand entirely. An example of new products as they come to market. Understand the framework this architecture in action is Atlassian. An overview of this hierarchical ap- The next step in laying the foundation While the company has numerous prod- proach to defi nitions is shown in the for product naming is to understand ucts that are widely known and used by accompanying chart. the brand architecture framework your companies, many users may not even Once you have these defi nitions es- company follows (sometimes without be aware that certain products (such as tablished including whether customers even knowing it). A brand architec- Confl uence, Jira, Trello, etc.) are owned pay for it or not (denoted by the Bill- ture is a framework that guides how by Atlassian due to the branding style. able column), you can begin creating a corporate brand relates to a product When it comes to brand architec- your product catalog by structuring the brand. There are many variants of the tures, companies have the ability to framework around the major product framework here; it is less important evolve and shift from architecture to categories. For Avalara, our main prod- which framework you follow than to architecture as their business evolves. uct categories include tax calculation, follow some framework. Popular companies like Amazon and tax returns, tax document management The fi rst type of brand architecture Google both started out as a master and professional services. is the master brand strategy. The com- brand and have evolved over time After each product has been mapped pany invests all resources and equity into a sub brand and endorsed brand, to the appropriate product category and into a single corporate brand. Workday respectively. The brand architecture subcategory, your catalog should also is an excellent example of this type you choose depends on a range of fac- map out the key market attributes that of brand architecture. The company tors, including the brand awareness of align with each product. For example, only leverages its corporate brand for your company, the industry you are in, these attributes can be created by ask- all of its products and solutions. In your product set and more. For Avalara, ing a series of questions, including: fact, Workday barely mentions product we have adopted a sub brand strategy names on its web pages or collateral. because the added association of our • What size business is this product A second type is the sub brand corporate brand helps prospects and relevant to? architecture. Under this framework, customers to know that each of our • What specifi c business challenges the corporate brand provides strength products are tied to our commitment of does the product serve? to the product brand, while keeping the “Tax compliance done right.” • What regions of the world or country corporate brand as a priority. A prime is the product most relevant to? example of this architecture in use is Distinctiveness/Descriptiveness Amazon. The company attaches the continuum Establishing a product catalog al- corporate brand to each of its product A common framework used by market- lows businesses to create a framework names (e.g., Amazon Alexa, Amazon ers for product naming is, quite inter- that is based on an outside-in view Prime, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Market- estingly, derived from the U.S. Patent of its solutions. Creating this type of place, etc.) because the corporate brand and Trademark Offi ce’s articulation of framework allows people across the provides an added layer of brand aware- the Distinctiveness/Descriptiveness business to better understand the prod- ness and customer confi dence in the continuum. This continuum starts from ucts themselves and the categories they products and services being provided. the least distinctive to the most in fi ve serve. This also enables your marketing The third category is the endorsed steps: generic, descriptive, suggestive, team to push products and solutions to brand strategy. Companies that lever- arbitrary and fanciful. the market in a way that makes it clear age this architecture enhance the Generic. A generic approach to to customers and prospects what the product brand by endorsing it through product naming means that a brand

42 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com want to steer the customer conversations instantly past defi ning what you Figure 2: What are the brand architecture framework options? are selling to the diff erentiation with Continuum a competitor. On the other hand, each Master Brand Sub Brand Endorsed Brand Individual Brand

There Is Only The Corporate Brand The Product Brand There Is Only of the other naming types (descriptive, The Corporate Brand Provides Strength to Product Brand Enhanced By Corporate Brand The Product Brand(s) suggestive, arbitrary, fanciful) requires C C C C you to do some sort of education and

P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P Brand Priority Strategy Strategy Priority Brand a.k.a. Branded House, Monolithic a.k.a. House of Brands, Umbrella defi nition around the product itself. Additionally, as you move from descriptive to fanciful, the process around Corporate Brand

C defi ning and explaining product names becomes much more involved. With each naming type comes an added Product Brand

P layer of marketing investment, which

2 increases the costs around advertising, marketing collateral and general brand uses a name that describes the product First, it’s clear that the product has awareness for the product. category with clarity. In this ap- something to do with mail, specifi cally For Avalara, our company has proach, you use the most well-known e-mail since it is a digital product. The a combination of product naming and widely accepted terms to name playful nature of the product name principles used in our portfolio. At and describe your product. Workday points to the value-add the product of- the company brand level, the name is a good example where products are fers, which is making e-mail marketing Avalara is considered fanciful due to named Financial Management, Human easy for everyone. the fact that it is a made-up word and Capital Management and Financial Per- Arbitrary. An arbitrary approach there are no other Avalaras. At the formance Management, where merely to product naming uses a framework product level, we have historically reading the product name clearly de- where a product name needs to have no chosen descriptive and suggestive scribes the functionality of the product. tangible connection to the functional- names. However, as we went through Descriptive. A descriptive approach ity of the product. However, the word this self-examination, we also de- to product naming is essentially a itself is widely known and accepted. cided that we wanted to start moving generic approach with a little twist. Slack is a perfect example of this type towards generic/descriptive names for Under this approach, you want to make of product naming. While this name our products in the future. With a dis- it clear and obvious what the product has no clear connection to the commu- tinctive name such as Avalara, it made is, but do so in a way that makes the nications functionality, the product is sense to minimize the cognitive load product name unique and allows you to instantly recognizable due to its success associated with the product names. associate your product name with the and the uniqueness of the name. As part of our analysis, as we re- service it provides. Fanciful. A fanciful product name searched other B2B SaaS companies and A few popular examples of descrip- is one that has no current meaning and how they manage their brand and prod- tive product naming include Gmail, is often a made-up word. The benefi ts uct naming relationships, we discovered Word and Photoshop. In each of these to this approach are that your company that a large number of them appear to be examples, the company has branded the has the ability to own the word and navigating (intentionally or otherwise) product in such a way that it is clear trademark it. An example of this ap- towards a master brand brand architec- what the solution provides and allows proach is the digital task management ture and generic product naming. consumers to associate the product system Trello. The product name has no At the end of the day, products name with the service. So, instead of clear meaning but has been marketed should be used as support elements to Microsoft naming its product simply in such a way that it is now synony- your company’s overarching brand. “word processing,” the shortened mous with the service Trello provides. The way through which you name your branded name, Word, makes it clear products should not compete with the what the product does and who the Determine the implications company brand. Each product should product is owned by. Each of these product naming types measure up to the company’s mission Suggestive. A suggestive product comes with its own level of implica- and promise to support the overarching name makes it a little more playful and tions on the business. You can generally strategy of the company. does not exactly describe the product. determine the implications by answer- With this approach, brand names are ing the following questions: Ensure consistency highly suggestive of what the product Before you can begin applying these does but use abstract names to capture • How much eff ort will it take to create principles at your company, you must the attention of customers without awareness of the product name? fi rst defi ne rules for how you create compromising their ability to under- • What’s the defensibility of the prod- product naming principles to fi t your stand the intent of the solution. uct name? business. These rules are critical to en- For example, MailChimp is a sugges- sure consistency across all products in tive product name for several reasons. When using generic names, you your portfolio. Oftentimes, these rules www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 43 summary includes a scoring rubric that Figure 3: Operationalizing our product naming principles measures the eff ectiveness of each pro- posed product name to understand how Clarify Buyer Evaluate Search Terms each name compares to one another. This summary is shared with the brand trust approval for review and feedback. At this point in the process, the committee will Product Mgmt. Naming Brief Clarify Use Case Evaluate Sales Terms Product Marketing Summary Brand Trust Approval either approve your recommendations or provide feedback for additional testing and request a counterproposal. While the product naming process Clarify Portfolio Impact Test Terms – from the beginning with the naming brief to the end with approvals – can >20-40 hours per be lengthy, it demonstrates several product launch things, including the complexity that © Avalara CONFIDENTIAL & PROPRIETARY surrounds product naming and the will be very simple, so it’s important product fi ts within the current port- commitment of the leadership team in to not overthink when creating your folio; and what other market insights, being thoughtful about how new prod- guidelines. For example, after all of like competitive positioning or selling ucts are introduced into the market. our analysis and thinking, our product channels, have impacted the naming. The product naming process involves naming rules were as follows: The naming brief is the founda- buy-in from multiple groups across One company. Product names tional element that removes all of the a company and is not just limited to should be cohesive and fi t the com- things that a customer or the market in marketing. With that being said, each pany’s larger narrative – for today and general doesn’t necessarily care about product naming endeavor should be tomorrow. Avalara’s fi rst rule is “One so that you can focus on how to bring viewed as a company-wide project. It’s Avalara,” which helps ensure that each the product to life in a meaningful way. critical that product marketers leverage product name supports our narrative of Once the naming brief is in place, the insights, tools and processes cre- “Tax compliance done right.” there are several work streams that ated by other teams to help ensure that Customer-centric. Product names begin behind the scenes, including: product naming is aligned to help move should refl ect the customer’s natural your company toward a more consistent language. The language used should • analyzing buyer persona research to voice when communicating your brand explain what a product does or does not clarify the target audience and buyer story. On the other hand, other market- do as well as the value it provides to the characteristics; ing teams should leverage the agreed- audience. How a product is named can • clarifying the use cases for the upon product naming principles for your either speed up the process of customer product to understand how it can be organization across ongoing programs, understanding or slow it down. specifi cally used by customers; campaigns, internal tools, events and Global relevance. Depending on • understanding the impact on the more to help fi ne-tune messaging and the size of your company, your product portfolio and where the new product align closer to the brand promise. names should work across all markets, fi ts in; both where you are currently present • identifying the natural language On the right track and where you plan to expand to. search terms that prospects and It’s important to remember that there Find your fi t. Identify the right customers will use to search for the is no one-size-fi ts-all approach to product naming principle that allows solution the product provides; product naming. Each company has you to explain the product value propo- • evaluating the sales teams and their a unique mission, product set, value sition. For Avalara, moving toward a calls to understand how the name proposition and culture that all impact generic/descriptive approach is critical can be used to increase conversion the architectures, frameworks and for us to be able to explain the value of rates; and principles needed to clearly defi ne and the product and easily tie it to the Ava- • testing the audience to understand articulate your product names. As you lara brand, which is where we have to how the general audience responds to begin identifying which product nam- focus a large portion of our marketing the product names. ing principles align most closely with eff orts with brand awareness. your brand, keep in mind that as long Once you have rules set in place, All of this data can be very deep or as prospects and customers are willing the fi rst step in operationalizing your surface-level depending on the amount to accept your name and the associated product naming principles is to create of information your team needs, the messaging, then you’re on the right a naming brief, which is a two-to-three- product type, etc. track toward success. page document that grounds the organi- Following the completion of the work zation on a number of items, including: streams to understand all of the implica- Sanjay Puri is vice president, product what the product is; who the customers tions of the product and how to best marketing, at Avalara, a Seattle-based provider of tax compliance technology. He are that it serves; what pain points the utilize the name, the team should create can be reached at [email protected]. customers are experiencing; how the a product marketing summary. The

44 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com

••• brand research Tracking changes Five ways to innovate a brand tracker

| By Carly Fink

In today’s saturated marketplace, it is diffi cult for a brand to be heard. The snapshot world is awash in products and services. Private labels are competing for market share. Channels have multiplied exponentially. Media consump- Carly Fink offers tips for bringing brand tion habits have undergone a sea change. trackers up to date. As a result, tracking brand equity and advertising eff ectiveness is more crucial than ever. Marketers are looking for guidance on how traditional trackers can Ibecome more relevant in today’s world, given the following challenges: how consumers are interacting with media and technology; globalization; and big data. Media consumption. The amount of time spent online has quadrupled in the last 10 years, with total internet usage coming close to the amount of time spent watching TV. Dual-screen or even tri-screen is the new normal. For example, a person often sits on their couch watching TV while typing on their computers and looking at their phone. The average person accesses their phone 96 times a day1. Not surprisingly, digital usage impacts how a consumer interacts with a brand. The traditional consumer purchase journey has to be reassessed to refl ect this online media consumption. No longer is it a simple task to understand what drives awareness, conversion and ultimately longer loyalty. The current brand or ad tracker needs to be analyzed to determine if it refl ects the digital behaviors of their consumers and prospects. Globalization. A brand’s distribution and marketing messages are now more easily accessible across the world, underscoring the need for a unifi ed marketing message. It is vital to understand what resonates across the globe but also assess regional demands. Though a unifi ed brand is essential, there also needs to be a local-specifi c understanding to build unifi ed ideas. Brands need to take into account individual market www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200510.aspx nuances, challenges and interpretation into cohesive insights. When it comes to global trackers, separate trackers are often costly and informa-

46 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com the individual needs of a brand. Incorporat- ing what makes a brand unique helps the data become more actionable. Quick weekly meetings are an essential way to make sure that everyone is on board with the status of the project. Each quarter, in response to a quickly evolving digital landscape, the team should discuss what questions need to be continually tracked and if any part of the survey requires tweaking. With today’s survey technology, real-time results are an easy way to check the tracker’s status. This lets marketers look at results when needed but there must be a suffi cient number of respondents to make decisions that impact communication initiatives and respondents still need to be checked for quality. Continual tracking can allow for results to tion is slow to capture. Brands are looking for ways to have one global be evaluated at any time throughout the year. tracker that also takes into account regional diff erences. This longitudinal methodology is benefi cial for Big data. With so much information available, it is hard to understand brands with signifi cant media budgets or large how to interpret all of it and link multiple sources together. Marketers volumes of transactions. Paired with real-time question how trackers fi t with their other data sources. tracking, continuously fi elding results allows While brands are so focused on immediate results, trackers provide for assessment during any given period regard- an outlook of success long-term. Marketers are looking for their track- less if it is a week or a full year. ing initiatives to go the extra mile to help address global initiatives, incorporating additional metrics, and the role technology has in the 2. Modularity consumer purchase journey. Wanting research with a smaller price tag and a To address these concerns when it comes to this type of quantitative larger scope is a popular request (and seems like research, there are fi ve ways that brand trackers can be more innovative. a daunting and unrealistic ask). Creating one tracker for either multiple countries or multiple 1. Operational fl exibility products or audiences is often a cost-eff ective The fi rst change focuses on how to become a more agile researcher. The solution. However, the key is to make sure the No. 1 concern from clients in regard to tracking is that they feel the client has realistic expectations. In a modular research is not fl exible enough. While fl exibility means diff erent things approach, the tracker needs to be uncomplicated to every marketer, it most often refers to the speed of delivery of results and changes between waves should be minor. and the ability to change questions based on shifting needs. Depending on the budget, a way to decrease cost Changing survey questions in a tracker should only be done when is to limit the number of open-ended questions. there is clear communication between teams and a strong rationale for For example, modularity can be in the form why the questions need to be changed. The goal is only to modify ques- of using one tracker for several countries. If a tions if it is essential to the brand. It is recommended to have a kickoff brand decides to have a multi-country tracker meeting with researchers, marketers and key stakeholders to launch a in place, it must use a global synthesis process more fl exible tracker that allows the changing of survey questions. Goals that incorporates individual market nuances, of this meeting are to make sure that objectives are aligned and determine challenges and local interpretation into cohe- what is working (and what’s not) with the current tracker. The meeting sive insights. Without these regional changes, should discuss the consumer sales funnel, key trigger points to purchas- results may skew incorrectly. ing the brand and specifi c shopping behaviors that need to be captured. When it comes to one tracker for global Often, trackers focus on standard tracking questions vs. understanding initiatives, having a localization specialist who www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 47 is also a market researcher is criti- The survey is fi rst developed in try trends and information featured cal. Combining these two (research English with client feedback to make in press coverage. knowledge and localization) not only this type of modularity work. Once For example, if a competitor sud- ensures work runs smoothly across all the wording is approved, the research denly had a significant increase in countries but also that the research is is then translated into each region’s awareness, looking at outside data accurate and takes into account all cul- local language. At this point, any local points can explain the reason behind tural nuances. This specialist checks diff erences are earmarked to make the change. Did the competition in- that objectives are met and learning sure they are accounted for in the crease ad spend? Did the brand have is developed with consistency and analysis phase. To ensure accuracy, it more press than usual? depth across markets. The process also is reviewed by a separate third-party includes determining and employing reviewer after translation. When 5. Correlating outside data survey scales that take into account results are out of the fi eld, the local- Lastly, when it comes to ad tracking cultural diff erences across countries. ization specialist reviews the data to specifi cally, longitudinal quantitative make sure regional diff erences are not data can be correlated with ad spend due to cultural nuances. dollars (your brand’s and the competition’s). If marketers have access to the 3. Modifying the pathway for the competitor’s media spend, it can be digital landscape integrated with a tracker. As technology advances, the consumer Using advanced analytics, the shopping funnel becomes more com- difference in media spend can de- Piece plex. The traditional shopping behavior termine if there is any correlation has been transformed into a labyrinth between the difference in awareness, of multichannel interactions infl uenc- consideration and purchase. Market- of ing customer decision processes. ers can use this information to de- Building a brand that consumers termine if their creative and specific love still includes measuring aware- media buys are working. Mind ness, emotional association and sales For example, in Q2 a company may drivers. But brand-building in the have increased its spending on paid digital age also includes tracking search as well as radio. In this scenario, how prospects and customers utilize combining media information with media channels (e.g., search, You- tracking results can show that paid Tube, banner ads, TV commercials). It search did not correlate to an improve- is critical to see how this multichan- ment in brand awareness. However, nel behavior of buying impacts brand investment in radio commercials did relevance, experience and visitors’ improve awareness. Results become desire to return to these sites. very actionable to the brand. Now the The research now needs to break company’s next steps are to determine down the decision journey to identify if it is using the right targeting or cre- critical points of infl uence, regardless ative for paid search or if perhaps the if they are online or offl ine. It should medium simply does not work. On the show the role of the brand and the com- other hand, it may want to invest more petition in these primary areas. Points in radio advertising. Market Research is about of infl uence in the consumer decision Regardless if any of these innova- finding key information journey include strategic touchpoints, tions are right for a specific brand, that will provide a competitive edge, content expectations at these touch- the key is to stay in constant commu- improve sales, points, friction points and desired nication with their research team so or help refine a message or product. experiences for the customer. data can be optimized to be as actionable as possible. That’s why you call us. 4. Contextualizing tracking (outside We are the experts information) Carly Fink is president, head of strategy and in helping you find With so much data available, there research, at New York-based research firm Provoke Insights. She can be reached at those pieces of the puzzle. is more opportunity to connect the [email protected]. And that’s truly peace of mind. dots that the tracker leaves unjoined. Additional information can bring REFERENCE Qualitative ▼ Quantitative more depth and context to what is 1 Asurion-sponsored survey by market research Field Services▼ Recruiting▼ Facilities happening in the industry. Trackers firm Solidea Solutions conducted August 18-20, 2019, of 1,998 U.S. smartphone users, can help explain the “why” behind compared to an Asurion-sponsored survey 206-241-6050 the information by also looking at conducted by market research company OnePoll Seattle ▼ Portland ▼ Las Vegas between Sept. 11-19, 2017, of 2,000 U.S. adults [email protected] business KPIs, social listening, media data, web and search analytics, indus- with a smartphone.

48 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com TRANSFORM YOUR INSIGHT TEAM IN 2020

If you have the The IMA is the world’s leading authority ambition to on transforming corporate Insight teams. transform your We provide our members with inspiration Insight team, and guidance through benchmarking, please contact us: publications, advice, training and forums. info@insight- Membership options are available to suit management.org all Insight teams. ••• brand research Reasons to believe Why brand religions should guide your research design

| By Niels Schillewaert and Angie Deceuninck

No two brands are the same. They have diff erent objectives, serve diff erent snapshot needs, are in diff erent stages of their product life cycle, face diff erent levels of competitive intensity and are run by diff erent marketers with their Whether you’re a devotee of one or own strategies. So why is it that we measure them the same way? Why do a believer in multiple, brand and market researchers have the tendency to push standardized research approaches across brands regardless of context? marketing religions can offer useful NBranding research – as varied as segmentation and positioning, brand guidance. archetypes, distinctive assets, advertising optimization and testing, packaging research and brand tracking – is aimed at measuring brand success and performance. Yet what defi nes brand success and how can you measure it? Every marketer needs to build, craft and grow strong brands. Many books have been written capturing marketing theories, frameworks and models on how to build future-proof brands. They provide brand owners and marketers with a framework on what defi nes brand success, which drivers to pursue as well as which key dimensions drive brand growth. Furthermore, they give insight into which metrics and KPIs to consider when measuring brand strength. This abundance of visions and beliefs causes a lot of confusion amongst brand owners and marketers on which strategy to pursue and how to defi ne brand success. Yet in this abundance of complex choice, focus is crucial. This is where the notion of religions kicks in. Religions have emerged because people want to have an explanation for phenomena that cannot be explained or are very complex. A religion is a line of thinking and “a pursuit followed with great devotion.” Similarly, as this defi nition points at, brands can benefi t from choosing a brand strategy framework to guide them in everything they do. In that sense brands need commandments (e.g., to gain understanding and alignment on brand strategy as well as measure brand foundations to www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200511.aspx support knowledge and instruction). Marketers and insight professionals need to contemplate (e.g., to develop your brand and translate it into brand

50 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com consumers. Building brand equity through the notion that retaining a customer is cheaper than acquiring a new one, backed by consistent integrated marketing communications, is at the core of this religion.

The penetration religion ”Sales growth won’t come from relentlessly targeting a particular segment of a brand’s buyers; this fantasy is harming marketing eff ectiveness.”– Byron Sharp

This school of thought challenges the classic thinking by introducing new marketing “laws” focusing on market penetration through acqui- sition of customers (not retention) based on mental and physical availability. activation, communication and packaging). And they need to show devo- The relationship religion tion – to consistently behave according to the commandments and track the “Emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclu- performance of the brand and measure the impact of the marketing mix. sions.” – Donald Brian Calne, neurologist Those who have taken a course in marketing were probably introduced to Philip Kotler’s principles of marketing and branding. For This brand philosophy highlights the im- those who have not, Kotler talks about STP (segmentation, targeting portance of building a long-lasting emotional and positioning), the importance of differentiation and the creation of connection with consumers to achieve loyalty a unique selling proposition. Kotler is the godfather of modern market- from the heart and beyond reason, where ing and he and other thinkers like Kevin Lane Keller and David Aaker these relationships are coherent with inter- have laid the foundation of what we could label as the classic religion. human relationships. Just like the classics in food and music, this thinking is still of great value today, with many brands using it as a framework to set up their The experience religion marketing plans or brand strategies. “Welcome to a new era of marketing and service in which Yet in the postmodern world this Kotlerian thinking is being chal- your brand is defi ned by those who experience it.” – Brian lenged by new beliefs and visions of how to grow a brand. This has mainly Solis, digital analyst, speaker and author happened due to consumers being more informed and knowledgeable, often empowered by technology and social media. There have also been Building memorable experiences forms the new vogues in business and marketing theories by several thought leaders, foundations of this brand religion. Experiences e.g., around System 1 and System 2 thinking. According to some of these surpass physical products consistently but also experts, brands need to stop segmenting and focus on the entire market to have exclusivity, play on multiple senses and guarantee growth, while others appraise the empowered role of consumers focus on creating delight. where they become the voice of the brand. We found that we can bundle these various streams of thought in fi ve brand religions. The infl uencer religion “A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is; it The classic religion is what consumers tell each other it is.” – Scott D. Cook “There is only one winning strategy. It is to carefully defi ne the target market and direct a superior off ering to that target market.” – Philip Kotler This brand religion follows a strategy of marketing “through” not “to” people. There is a The foundation of modern marketing, emphasizing the importance key role for disciples (macro, micro or natural of segmenting the market and diff erentiating a brand in the minds of infl uencers) who generate online as well as www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 51 offl ine word-of-mouth to create a ripple Outlines how one should thinking and test if assets are strongly eff ect for growing the brand. measure and uniquely associated to a brand – Each of these frameworks provides No two brands are the same, nor e.g., by means of putting participants a diff erent viewpoint on what defi nes should they be measured the same under time or cognitive pressure. brand success, what to aim for and way. The choice of brand religion Brands that pursue the relation- which key performance indicators to (mix) not only shapes how one defi nes ship religion, on the other hand, will pursue. The graphic summarizes the brand success, it also outlines how one focus more on the emotions that are key principles or commandments, if should measure brand and communi- triggered by an ad. The relationship you will, per religion. cation performance. religion stipulates that ultimately While they all preach diff erent Consider advertising research, consumers are driven by emotions and beliefs, in the end, all brand religions where many approaches focus on ad feel emotionally connected to brands. serve the same purpose: growth in liking and recall. What defi nes a good The goal of a brand is to build a brand- sales and creating shareholder value. advertisement depends on the brand consumer relationship. Therefore, As Mahatma Gandhi said: “The vari- strategy and thus the brand religion advertising here is aimed at building ous religions are like diff erent roads framework. A brand that follows the and strengthening that emotional con- converging on the same point. What penetration religion will focus on nection with consumers. The research diff erence does it make if we follow a creating ad messages that strengthen design will not focus on assets but diff erent route, provided we arrive at its “mental availability.” This school of rather on emotions by, for example, the same destination?” thought emphasizes the importance of using an indirect measure like facial What is important is that all distinctive assets (i.e., brand identity coding or an implicit association task to stakeholders within a business align on elements like colors, slogans, logos, avoid rationalization. which brand framework(s) to pursue etc.) that signal the brand name to A diff erent research approach is and set off in the same direction. consumers and hence serve as memory also needed for brands pursuing the Regardless of the choice or mix, clar- shortcuts, allowing consumers to make infl uencer religion strategy. Here the ity is key as strategy is also choosing buying decisions rapidly and easily. focus of the ad is to fuel conversations what not to do. A clear brand religion These assets allow a brand’s commu- around brands, requiring research defi nition (or mix of religions) forces nication to work eff ectively. Brands focus on the conversation potential of all stakeholders to act consistently, it should use these assets in communica- an ad. It is clear that, depending on clearly defi nes brand success and which tion (and packaging) consistently in one’s strategy, advertising has a diff er- key performance indicators and metrics order to build memory structures in ent focus and therefore must also be to pursue to assess performance. the consumers’ minds over time. The measured diff erently. research design should refl ect this The same can be said for trackers.

52 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com beyond the Kotlerian thinking. If brands are shifting brand strategy frameworks, why are trackers still refl ecting the classic marketing principles? Trackers should be seen as a composite of all metrics and KPIs that are important for brands to assess the extent to which they are on par with their brand strategy. Rather than considering a tracker as static and unidimensional, it should be a modular build-up where the KPIs refl ect the relevant dimensions of brand success. In essence, what one measures and how one measures it all link back to one’s brand strategy. All brands are different and brand success is defined differently. Before starting research, it is essential to understand what Trackers serve as the ongoing fi nger on around measuring the brand funnel. brand religion (or mix thereof) is the pulse, gaining insight into how a This is a typical framework from the right for your brand. brand is performing in line with brand classic religion, which emphasizes strategy. However, trackers are probably that it all starts with building aware- Niels Schillewaert is co-founder of one of the most static, repetitive and ness, to then move to consideration, research firm InSites Consulting. He can be reached at niels.schillewaert@insites- unidimensional research solutions out trial, usage, preference, ending with consulting.com. Angie Deceuninck is there. If one were to compare two ran- loyalty to build brand equity. While the managing director at InSites Consulting dom brand trackers, chances are they classic thinking is still relevant today, US. She can be reached at angie. would be characterized by a similar we see many clients shift away from [email protected]. research design and often be centered these principles, embracing new beliefs

www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 53 ••• brand research Origin story Deconstructing the building blocks of brand identity

| By Eric Villain

As researchers, we often talk about brands in the abstract – their snapshot core values, their ideologies and their equity, as if these were curren- cies that could be traded on the open market. But the truth is that, Consumers’ relationships with brands without a connection to consumers, a brand has nothing that we can can run deep. Eric Villain looks at a discuss or measure. In fact, we could argue that there is no such thing as a brand in the absence of something called a consumer – no story way to frame and think about those without a reader or an audience. AWe also know that the metrics of branding have been static since relationships. well before the digital revolution. Concepts like equity and value date back to the 1950s, if not earlier, when the number of brand touchpoints was still definable and consumer interactions with brands happened under predictable conditions – seeing a billboard, watching a TV com- mercial or encountering a product on store shelves. In fact, one can go way back to the middle ages and look at signage on pubs as an elemen- tal form of branding (prior to widespread literacy). Today, brand and consumer interactions have multiplied to an extent too extreme to get our heads around. Throughout the day, on our phones and laptops and smart speakers, we encounter brands. The line between sponsored and organic content becomes blurrier all the time, as “hidden” product references seep into things we would never consider to be advertising. Our impressions of brands consist now of so many random elements that concepts like equity can seem forced or overly simplified. To return a level of clarity and practicality to the art of branding and brand measurement, we need to strip away long-held assumptions and return to the true core of brand meaning – the emotional relationship with the consumer. We need to go beyond brand models to understand how brands develop in the first place – the building www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200512.aspx blocks of brand identity. Consumers develop a holistic understanding of brands across all

54 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com – which launched decades ago as a low-cost entry into the marketplace. Even after recent years of quality accolades and product improvement, residual Brand Dimensions still exist. It is taking years for consumers to shed these aspects of brand meaning and see XYZ as a quality vehicle maker. Part of the thinking around the idea of Brand Dimensions was borrowed from a very different discipline – the pioneering work and publications of neuroscientist Antonio Damasio. To quote Damasio, “We are not thinking machines that feel; rather, we are feeling machines that think.” His concept of “somatic markers” recognizes the important connection between emotion and decision- making. Our point of view is that his theory touchpoints, based on personal experiences, and those experiences col- and work can be applied to how brands de- lectively lead to a gut feeling about a brand, something seemingly baked velop in our minds and hearts. into our cells but actually consisting of specifi c moments of engagement Somatic markers – established through and interaction. Fundamentally, this is our experience economy. reinforcement of key messages and experiences – create a shorthand that is convenient Truly know the brand for making choices and decisions. They bypass This new, instinctual model of branding consists of what we call Brand cognition and direct us toward quicker deci- Dimensions – positive and negative impressions that come before eq- sions and seemingly advantageous options. uity in the timeline of brand relationships. Brand Dimensions are dif- The bias that somatic markers create can be ficult to dislodge; once all brand experiences have gelled in consumers’ shaped by communication – if we figure out minds and consumers feel they truly know the brand, it can be very how to hack the marking process. difficult to change that perspective. Similarly, Byron Sharp’s seven rules to Consider the case of a long-established car maker – let’s use the brand growth – cited in his classic book How name ABC – that positioned itself as top-quality and luxury in the Brands Grow – place “refreshing and re- 1980s. Ad campaigns, elite sports sponsorships and TV show placements building memory” at the center of the brand sent the message that ABCs were exclusive and sumptuous, creating development process. Brand Dimensions are hooks in the minds of consumers of every class. The fact that those of the sources of brand memory and they need to us who were alive then were kids and young adults – still impression- be consistently stimulated and reinforced to able and inexperienced – set the hooks deeper in our psyches. maintain solid consumer relationships. More recently, however, ABC vehicles have won fewer accolades; The Brand Dimensions framework starts rumblings about performance issues have been heard in the market. ahead of traditional brand equity KPIs, Yet, for most consumers, the Brand Dimensions that ABC deployed long peeling down to the thoughts and feelings ago will continue to override any intellectual information that the that make up a brand’s impressions. These brand may have dimmed its luster. insights can help brand managers: reinforce This is because Brand Dimensions developed into one overriding positives; adjust communication to combat construct, lodged in emotion and instinct, not knowledge and discern- negatives; and go beyond tracking attributes ment. These dimensions are the heartstrings that brands tug on, the (which are key yet do not tell enough of the roots that reach beneath thinking and connect products to the fiber of core brand story). consumer identity. Conversely, consider another imaginary automotive brand – XYZ www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 55 Three categories characteristic energetic packaging sure your communication is consistent We can separate the experiences that and messaging but for a product that and considered. With digital advertis- leverage Brand Dimensions into three would “take you to a new high of ing so aff ordable, it is tempting to put core categories: reinforcing, expanding calm.” But Mr. Zing’s Brand Dimen- out a few ideas and see what sticks and dissonant. Let us illustrate them sions were too well established and but this would be a grave error. Com- through the story of a hypothetical this discordant offering never caught munication that does not stick may soft drink manufacturer, Mr. Zing, on with consumers. actually hurt the development of which has established itself with high- positive dimensions; things that do energy, very sweet sodas. Mr. Zing has Getting consumers to talk not produce positive connections may been around since the 1990s, introduc- The key to uncovering Brand Dimen- also produce negative ones. ing diff erent fl avors but keeping to its sions is to get consumers to talk Accentuate the positive. If there guy-focused, hyperactive identity. about their feelings and experiences are positive connections forming the Reinforcing experiences are consis- with the brand. These results go dimensions, continually reinforce tent with existing Brand Dimensions, beyond traditional brand attributes them. Leverage these connections strengthening neural connections and personality dimensions to which to extend brand meaning into other and reinforcing existing responses. people respond. We can get at these categories and SKUs. Mr. Zing does not need to do much to kinds of insights by: Be realistic about the challenges remind people what it stands for – of brand shifts. Small brands that 15-second commercials and six-second • using projective techniques that have not had strong experiences or Twitter reminders featuring skate- reveal underlying territories occu- communication to form the emotional boarders and soccer stars reinforce the pied in the dimensions (usually fol- dimensions of a brand are easier to company’s dimensions eff ectively. lowed up by why people imagined change and shape. Well-defi ned brands, Expanding experiences push the that brand that way) – generating while hugely valuable in some ways, brand to a meaning that is consistent the thoughts and feelings consum- are harder to move. A brand with nega- with its image but still refined or ers have about the brand; tive dimensions will take time to move enlarged in some way. As the coffee • putting consumers in a specific – do not be discouraged. Redouble your craze kicked in, Mr. Zing introduced situation where they might experi- eff orts, keep to your North Star, to your a Hyper-Latte that combined espresso ence the brand; brand vision. Fighting cognitive dis- flavoring with an extra jolt of caf- • characterizing the brand through sonance takes time and eff ort. feine – making its brand more appeal- references to people, places or Monitor your dimensions. You ing to adults as well as teens. things; and need to understand what makes up Dissonant experiences are in- • having consumers discuss diff erent your brand meaning and to whom. congruous with existing dimensions experiences they have had with the Has anything slipped into it over and must overcome them to make an brand – e.g., fi rst experience, best ex- time? Have consumers taken your impact. This can involve changing the perience and most recent experience. brand to a different territory? (And is personality of a brand, what a brand that a good thing?) stands for, the look and feel of adver- Through these techniques, we can Above all, respect the power and tising and connections to distantly construct the world in which each potential of brands – they are the building related categories. brand resides in the consumer’s mind. blocks of business relevance and are irre- Mr. Zing decided it could not resist placeable touchstones for consumers. the CBD phenomenon – but the idea What can we learn? of relaxation was completely counter So what can we learn from a dimensions Eric Villain is managing director, to its established image. To bridge the view of the marketplace and consumers? marketing effectiveness, at research firm gap, Mr. Zing introduced a Mellow Act carefully when your brand is GfK North America. He can be reached at Meltdown flavor, which featured its young. When launching a brand, make [email protected].

56 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com How will they change the world? Let’s find out together MREF is sponsoring this class of students, now in third grade, through their 12 years of school in Haiti.

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OUR MISSION To unify, inspire and activate the marketing research community to focus its collective resources to educate children and youth worldwide. ••• brand research Mutually exclusive Why short-term thinking and brand-building don’t go together

| By Phill Agnew

It’s a familiar picture for many working in a large corporation. They’re snapshot in the boardroom of a multibillion-dollar company, their CFO is present- ing the numbers and it’s not great. They’d been in line for a big bonus but Access to more timely data can be a sales are just below the goal to meet the quarterly target. hindrance instead of a help, Phill It looks like they’ll be waving goodbye to their hopes of a bonus. Unless they do something radical in the short term to boost sales, like a Agnew says, by overamplifying the Iquick price promotion or two-for-one deal. Sure, it might not yield long- importance of the now. term benefi ts to the business but it would defi nitely help in the moment and get them closer to meeting the quarterly target. While this way of thinking might seem shortsighted, it’s common- place for organizations that are under ever-increasing pressure to meet ambitious targets and show profi tability. A recent study by McKinsey found that two-thirds of executives believe short-term pressures have increased1 and as a result we’ve become more focused on short-term wins. A clear example of this is the average holding times for shares. Back in the 1960s, shareholders would typically keep hold of shares for one year; today, it’s less than six months.2 In fact, 80% of CFOs3 at the world’s largest companies would willingly sacrifi ce long-term values for tactics that hit this quarter’s goals. This tactic, according to Gareth Price’s thesis Thinklong,4 places huge pressure on marketing, which has inevitably led to CMOs having the shortest job expectancy in the boardroom, averaging at just three-and-a-half years.

Doesn’t bode well for brand-building The problem with this focus on short-term thinking is it doesn’t bode well for brand-building. The types of tactics it encourages – sales promotions, short-term comms and cuts to marketing spend – all damage brands in the long term. www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200513.aspx Instead, organizations need to invest in long-term thinking around

58 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com in our product, or opportunities to go after. But we’re human and that’s not how we naturally operate – this infl ux of data, if unmanaged, can render research ineff ective, falling miles short of its transformational promise. Robert Metcalfe, an assistant professor at Boston University, wrote a fascinating paper on the paradox of constant data. His paper looked at the decisions that stock traders made based on the amount of data they were given. If we’re thinking of traditional market research in this scenario, we could safely assume that the more data these traders had, the better their decision- making would be. But that wasn’t the case. When traders were given less information, they were more likely to invest in riskier but higher- profi t stocks. Meanwhile, the data-fuelled brand-building and realize short-term goal-hitting doesn’t supersede traders were more risk-averse and quick to sell long-term growth. stocks as soon as they started to drop. In his book How Brands Grow, Bryon Sharp neatly details the problem In all, the traders with less data actually had with some short-term approaches. He explains why organizations should a much higher profi t of 53%. This isn’t as simple be cautious about using price promotions to drive sales. His analysis as being about the amount of data but rather shows that sales promotions often do bring in a short-term spike in sales. what we touched on earlier, that how data is This happens because the promotions bring in non-frequent buyers. Cer- gathered and analyzed makes all the diff erence. tain buyers switch between brands and tend to buy whatever is cheapest on the market, resulting in a short-term gain. Same value propositions However, this means when the promotion ends, sales immediately re- Back in 2008, comparison sites all looked pretty turn to their regular level. These promotions mean a smaller margin, so in similar. Go Compare, Moneysupermarket, Con- order for the brand to gain profi tability, it needs to secure long-term future fused and Comparethemarket all focused on sales with these tactics, but that’s not what they deliver. functional benefi ts, like how much they saved Seeing as sales promptly return to normal after the price promotion the average consumer. This made a lot of sense ends, brands often generate no lasting value from these short-term activi- at the time; after all, these are important ben- ties. A much smarter approach is to create long-term plans that actually efi ts. But everyone was claiming the same value add compounding value. propositions and so they didn’t generate any long-term value of diff erentiation. Acting on the value In 2009, Comparethemarket decided to take a Part of the problem is the huge wealth of data we get from market research diff erent long-term approach. Rather than com- agencies and market research technology and our approach to fi nding and municate rational benefi ts, it followed a more acting on the value of this rich data. emotional route. It created Aleksandr Orlov, the Gone are the days where we’d get a monthly or quarterly view on brand meerkat who owned Comparethemeerkat. recall. Now we can see day by day, or even hour by hour, customer feedback In the ads, Aleksandr complained about from online panels or distributed surveys. There’s still traditional qualita- how the wrong visitors came to the site, ex- tive research, which needs to be built on a foundation of hard, diverse data pecting to find car insurance. Gone were the and analysis, but now there’s also social media data and survey results – rational benefits and the stats on how much which should complement one another. money you could save – but the results were This never-ending fl ow of data should benefi t us. It should reveal fl aws considerably positive. www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 59 After this move, Comparethemar- ket rose from the fourth-ranked site to the fi rst in terms of consideration and spontaneous awareness. Quote volumes went up by 83 percent and the company achieved its 12-month objectives in nine weeks, according to Richard Shotton’s analysis.5 Ten years on, Comparethemarket still uses the same campaign and still sees positive results. It’s leading the market, it stands out compared to small competitors and its campaign even inspired other competitors to follow similar themes (see Go Compare’s opera singer). Sticking to a long-term strategy pays off . about the brand has dropped dramati- A good acid test to apply to your cally compared to previous years. own business is to look at the last Circumvent this problem A short-term, daily focus would survey, focus group or other type of Marketers and market researchers miss this insight entirely. It might research project you conducted. Did it should broaden their focus and start lead a marketer or analyst to assume build on historical results? Did it last to set longer-term goals for their work that the brand perception is negative longer than a month? Did it check to in order to circumvent this problem. and that short-term campaigns are see how consumer views and opinions Specifi cally, they should start lobbying needed. But taking a step back and have changed over time? If it only ana- for practices that encourage long-term analyzing your brand on a wider time lyzed a snapshot of how your consum- investment and remove measures scale reverses the picture and provides ers felt then it will probably cause that don’t relate to long-term value the context needed. more harm than good. creation. For measurement, brand marketers need to stop conducting Advice is clear Context is vital market analysis on their brand on a When it comes to eff ective market When it comes to building a brand, short-term, one-off basis. research, the advice is clear: monitor long-term approaches will always Take this example. If we look at long-term trends before short-term trump short-term thinking. And when conversations around a brand that shifts; use historical data to add con- it comes to measuring your success, was the subject of some unfl atter- text to daily or hourly insights; focus context is vital. A long-term view of ing news in the last seven days, the less on instant, one-off surveys and data, preferably by the year, is key to picture might be bleak. Negative invest in longer-term variations; and seeing if trends are really developing. conversation could be on the rise, build up a wealth of historical data to And a contextual look at competitors is growing by double-digit percentages compare with ongoing data. useful for setting benchmarks. week on week. Based on this seven-day There aren’t specifi c metrics you What’s best, then, is to take a step analysis, there could be some knee- should monitor in every situation. That’s back and check that the vantage point jerk reactions. But if we broaden the better set by those who know the prod- that you’re looking at the data from time period we look at, it might be a uct and brand. But this advice should gives you the most far-reaching and diff erent picture entirely. In fact, we help steer you away from metrics that clearest view. might see that negative conversation will warp your decision-making. Phill Agnew is director, product marketing, at Brandwatch, a London-based social intelligence company. He can be reached at [email protected].

REFERENCES 1 “Measuring the Economic Impact of Short- Termism,” McKinsey Global Institute, February 2017. 2 NYSE Factbook via Forbes (“Stock market becomes short attention span theater of trading,” January 21, 2011). 3 “Value Destruction and Financial Reporting Decisions,” by John R. Graham, Campbell R. Harvey and Shiva Rajgopal. 4 Thinklong by Gareth Price via podcast Sweathead with Mark Pollard. 5 The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton.

60 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com

••• brand research Slices of life Mining social media for product and brand interactions

| By Tetiana Kutsa

Market research is essential in fi nding and understanding competitors, snapshot customers and market niches. Once a company has information about consumers’ needs, complaints and expectations, it can tailor its prod- Adding image analysis to your ucts and services to be more competitive in the market, increase ROI explorations of social media data can and win customer loyalty. Beyond data gathered from traditional research, social media is an uncover potential new product ideas, inexhaustible source of consumer insights, where people talk about Mvarious aspects of their online and offl ine life, share their opinions and the author says. Caution: this article experiences and complain and praise products or services. This article may make you crave ramen. will use an example of instant ramen to explore how social media intelligence tools can help brands explore product usage and uncover potential innovations and marketing breakthroughs. In our view, there are fi ve reasons why social media intelligence improves market research. 1. Absence of the “interviewer effect” Social media intelligence software can help avoid the infl uence of the interviewer on the data. Users post visual and textual context based on their feelings and emotions, triggered by a particular situation, offering abundant customer insights that could uncover many opportunities for further research. 2. The volume and data reachability Social media intelligence software collects and analyzes millions of data points from thousands of sources daily. Thanks to the rising internet penetration into our lives (it has almost tripled for the last 10 years) researchers can monitor the activity of various socioeconomic groups in the social media landscape according to their interests, income, etc. 3. Retrospective data Historical data is kept in the system even if users delete it, which www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200514.aspx allows researchers to fi nd the original sources. 4. Verifi cation of conventional research methods

62 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com they said about the noodles. With the help of AI-powered social media intelligence software and image recognition tools, research was conducted in order to identify a typical consumer of instant noodles, including their interests and consumption moments. Two million word-of-mouth mentions in total, and roughly the same number of images, were analyzed, including brand mentions on social networks, forums, blogs, review sites, online media. The research period was January 2, 2020 to March 2, 2020. The data was gathered worldwide in English and Russian. We employed

Social media data allows you to not only form hypotheses but also to supplement the conventional analytical results with additional data. 5. Visual analytics Simple text monitoring isn’t enough. Social media intelligence solutions that incorporate visual insights can be used to detect previously unknown customers and product usages which might go undetected with traditional tools. Visual analytics is a feature of social media intelligence software for monitoring pictures. While social monitoring tools analyze text mentions, visual insights (VI) work with images. The system collects the images that are related to the topic and analyzes their context. A word cloud illustrates numerous insights such as people (women, men, toddlers, etc. ), action – what they’re doing (eating, standing, selling), the scene – in what setting (city, supermarket, a park, etc.) and with which object (computer, noodles, an appliance, etc.) they are interacting. These insights shed light into why people buy or ignore a brand or a spam deletion, dataset sampling, sentiment and particular product. content analysis, visual content breakdown and In addition, apart from detecting objects, scenes, colors, people Twitter-followed pages exploration. and action, VI also recognizes brand logos. Logo recognition can boost AI-powered visual analytics detected three marketing research and analysis by providing visual information about target audiences: students (young people under the customers’ preferences – even if they didn’t type a single word about the age of 20), e-sports athletes, and women on a brand in their social media post. The ability to identify logos from a diet (20-50 years old). The research gathered pictures, in the absence of any accompanying text, opens a world of pos- their perceptions, attitudes towards the prod- sibilities for the analysis of consumer-brand interactions. uct and expectations of how the noodles can be consumed and improved. Moreover, it discov- Instant-noodle case study ered popular trends and uncovered opportuni- In order to conduct research on instant noodles, social media mentions ties for new product launches. and user photos were collected. The search query included two key- Apart from the gender of people depicted words: “noodles” and “instant noodles.” Afterward, machine learning in social media images, visual insights helped algorithms were applied to analyze user messages to understand what to detect more accurate customer personas www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 63 • We found out how customers really eat the noodles. Interestingly, some prefer to drink them or eat them as a snack during class.

• Instant noodles were often detected in pictures with iPhones and other expensive gadgets, dispelling the myth about noodles as only being popular among the lower socioeconomic classes because they are a cheap meal.

Expectations and opportunities: The young users follow cultural trends and they expect noodles manufac- turers to modify their packaging and taste to suit needs and wants of teenagers and students who prefer ready-to-eat foods. Moreover, they are actively insisting on noodle brands launching a new product (noodles as a dry snack) since some eat noodles during class or a break. E-sports players. There are more than 18 million e-sports players chatting online and sharing photos with noodles. These people spend around 16 hours per day in front of a laptop screen. They rarely have time to eat, thus instant noodles is their favorite ready-to-eat meal – quick and nourishing. The research found:

• Laptops and keyboards next to the noodles. Most of the e-sports athletes eat right next to their computer (even expensive MacBooks!) and they risk spilling the noodles on the keyboard. Potentially valuable insight: create packaging that prevents spilling.

• Most e-sports players eat two packs by identifying age and occupation. noodles are a quick, cheap and nour- of noodles in one sitting. They ex- Once the system collected a suffi cient ishing meal. For some (24%) it’s a dry pect a bigger portion size and more amount of user-generated content – snack, a hangover remedy and a way sauce to make the noodles more including customers’ posts, reviews, to escape routine. Most young girls nourishing. photos and screenshots from social (47%) enjoy the noodles as a guilty media – the researchers looked deeper pleasure and a cheat meal. Women in the 20-50 age group who into the data and revealed the follow- AI-powered fi lters were applied to are interested in losing weight. These ing information. see if there were any insights that can women avoid the sauce, which is calorie- Students and young people un- help researchers understand the audi- dense, but eat egg noodles because they der the age of 20. When we analyzed ence better. Here are some of them: are lower in carbs, exotic and tasty. the mentions and students’ photos, we Also, the analysis of images shows that found that for every second student, • Instant noodles are a part of a children love the noodles and it’s the instant noodles are lunch, while for cultural code (’90s fashion). Young only food they would eat without extra every tenth student it’s a staple diet. people love taking selfi es with them. pushing from their parents. For the majority of students (92%) The analytics revealed that 88% of

64 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com feel at the moment of using a product, giving researchers another way to add depth and color to their data. In the example of instant noodles, visual analytics helped identify the target audience and understand their perceptions and expectations. The system collected and analyzed user-generated images, which uncovered opportunities for product improvement and can serve as an inspiration for marketing and promotional ideas. This is just one example of a case where a social media intelligence software with visual analytics can help deliver a deep dive into understanding buyers’ interests and means of communication and interaction with women post and share recipes with with recipes or a recipe along with calo- a product. Researchers might want noodles, share ideas on how to make rie calculation on the package would be to consider leveraging traditional the noodles less calorie-dense and a great supplement to the product since marketing research and the analysis fatty and discuss Asian recipes. Their this category of women love experi- of both the text mentions and visual expectations are straightforward since menting and sharing their successful analytics to explore how customers the main desire is for instant noodles yummy dishes online. Moreover, if chil- really feel and how they use the prod- to be lower in calories but also remain dren enjoy food, companies can modify ucts in their lives. something kids want to eat. (Image the ingredients to make the noodles a analysis revealed that the women healthy option for children. Tetiana Kutsa is chief marketing officer frequently posted pictures of their at YouScan, a developer of social media monitoring and analytics tools. She can children eating noodles for lunch and At the moment of using be reached at [email protected]. dinner “with gusto.”) Social media intelligence software can Expectations and opportunities: A blog detect insights into how customers www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 65 ••• mobile research Meet them where they are How mobile research gets you closer to consumers

| By Vardan Kirakosyan

We’ve all felt the shift. Recent world events have impacted buying behav- snapshot ior. Forever. Consumers, who were already moving to mobile apps and the web for purchasing, are now buying household goods online. Nearly The author draws on a coronavirus overnight the retail world, as we know it, changed. example to demonstrate the use of As researchers, we rely on consumer behavior to help our companies make better decisions. Yet the insights we provide are only as good as the mobile research. data we can collect. In today’s economy, we must meet consumers where Wthey’re spending their time and where they’re buying. And more and more these days, they’re on their phones. Sharing all kinds of mobile data. That data is powerful. Think about it: Using the smartphone, we have access to in-the-moment, meaningful, validated opinions from consumers. While they’re in the midst of searching, evaluating and buying.

People were concerned Researchers have actually resisted the change. We now have the chance to fi x that and mobile research will be the way we do so. In 2017, a research crisis was declared.1 People were concerned. The most common methods to collect insights weren’t working the way that they used to. Specifi cally, there were issues with:

door-to-door surveys: expensive, intrusive2 paper-and-pen surveys: slow and hard to review3 telephone surveys: less than 6% answer4 online surveys: only 49% of respondents were satisfi ed5

Enter mobile research. Today, a whopping 81% of the U.S. owns a smartphone.6 And they spend more than three hours a day on their www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200515.aspx phones. That’s an easy-to-reach, collective and representative audience. The idea behind mobile research is to use smartphones to reach con-

66 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com of this study? With that in mind, you can craft a compel- ling questionnaire alone or with a research provider. Either way, your questioning should be designed to meet that primary goal. For example, in the wake of COVID-19, consumer spending has shifted. To understand the impact, we decided to research buying behavior. The goal was to track the purchases of essential versus non-essential items at big- box retailers. We expected the virus to reduce non-essential spending. On the other hand, we expected food and toiletries would increase, as consumers prepared for a possible quarantine. Not wanting to rely on the questionnaire alone, we chose to leverage behavioral data as well. sumers. It isn’t tied down by in-person interviews, landlines or desktop We’ll share more about behavioral research computers. It moves with the people you study. a bit later. As an example, let’s look at a major cell phone brand that was in a Pick your audience. In mobile research, tough situation. It was tracking consumers to its stores but struggling to your audience lives in an app. That app is get a complete picture of the people likely to buy its brand. Specifi cally, how you connect with consumers’ smart- it couldn’t get an accurate sample of males, young people and Hispanic phones. When consumers download the app, Americans using any of the four methods above. they’re sent a survey, asking for their demo- Missing a majority of its target market meant a higher incidence rat- graphic data such as age, income, ethnicity, ing and higher costs. It also meant that the company had to ask detailed relationship status any potentially many questions to identify the make, model and carrier of people it could other pieces of data. reach. Collectively, the challenges limited the accuracy of the research. All of their data points are stored in the It solved the problem by switching to a mobile research tracker. app. This gives you, the researcher, fl exibil- Like a typical brand tracker, this research continued to follow the ity to profi le your ideal target audience. You company’s consumers but gave it the ability to open up the panel to choose exactly who to include as a panelist. 81% of the U.S. population who owns a smartphone. For the COVID-19 panel we needed men and This meant that the brand could now access 10 million daily con- women 18+. The app gave us 1,133 participants, sumer journeys via a market research app. It was able to meet its target split 48% male, 52% female. The primary age market needs, find out exactly what make, model and carrier partici- range was 18-44 years old. Participants were pants had – without asking – and increase its incidence rating. With a screened on knowledge of coronavirus and a mobile app, it is also tracking online and app behavior. retailer visit within 30 days. Stated data was collected with a 13-question survey via the Do three things Surveys On The Go app. We fielded and col- You need to do three things to make mobile market research work for lected data in two hours. your projects: identify the need; pick your audience; add behavioral Here are examples of the stated behaviors data. We’ll take a look at each one to get you comfortable with the they shared. In Figures 1 and 2, percent change platform as a whole. was used to calculate increase/decrease from Identify the need. Any good research project starts with a goal in February to March waves. mind. Mobile research is no different. It’s simply a weapon of choice, We see consumers stocking up for a quar- focused on acquiring accurate data and insights. So, you’ll start in antine, based on increased purchases of hand the same way you always do, with a simple question: What is the goal sanitizer (80%), household supplies (65%), non- www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 67 app, or doing an online activity. That’s Figure 1: Stated behaviors on high-traffic visits behavioral research. 1/1/20 to 3/4/20 Here’s an example of behavioral research with COVID-19. We tracked total 30-Day Lift in Decline of Consumer Visitation visits to Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club 140% and Costco. Each participant was geo- 120% located through GPS using the Surveys 100% On The Go app. A visit was defi ned as 80% going a listed retailer from January 60% 1, 2020, to March 4, 2020. Visits were 40% tracked week over week. 20% Figure 3 shows their behavioral 0% Shopping malls Airports Grocery stores Fast food restaurants Casual dining restaurants

-20% data. Stated and behavioral data, Visit somewhat less frequently Visit much less frequently together, shows us a massive shift in

1 consumer spending. Once COVID-19 was declared a pandemic9 there was up to a 32% lift Figure 2: Stated behaviors on social interaction in visits to big-box retailers. When 1/1/20 to 3/4/20 combined with the stated data, we are given a very detailed picture. Consum- 30-Day30-Day Lift in Decline of Social InteractionInteraction ers are clearly preparing for a poten- IncreaseIncrease DecreaseDecrease TotalTotal 300%300% tial quarantine.

28%28% 250%250% At the same time, in-store pur- 25%25%

74%74% 200%200% chases decreased in home décor (31%)

150%150% and clothes (32%). We’d expect consum- 19%19% 92%92% ers to decrease non-essential in-store 100%100% spend as they focus on food and sup- 50%50% 23%23% plies, if they believe they’re about to 0% -7%-7% quarantine. -50%-50% WearWear fafacece mamaskssks Wa Washsh hanhandsds moremore Limit friends & familfamilyy LimitLimit strangersstrangers Work remotelyremotely LimitLimit goinggoing out O Otherther What’s interesting is that we still 2 see non-essentials being bought – consumers are just buying them online instead of in-store. Figure 3: Tracked visits to big-box retailers Hearing and seeing consumer 1/1/20 to 3/4/20 behavior – in one place – is powerful. Stated surveys allow us to tap into the voice of the customer but behavioral data, delivered by mobile research, gives the credence we need to be sure our research picture is accurate.

Final thoughts Market research is personal. We’re in the business of working with real Percent change was used to calculate increase/decrease from week over week from 1/1 through 2/26. people. And we need to get even more personal if we want to improve the results of our research. It’s not enough perishable foods (49%) and face masks Consumers can’t remember every- to base important business decisions (35%). Generally, respondents were thing. So, if we only ask them to state on guessing who consumers are, what preparing for two to four weeks, which their behavior and they can’t really they want or why they want it. explains the buying shift at big-box remember what they did, it puts the en- To do that, we need to talk to real retailers, where they can buy in bulk. tire project at risk of being inaccurate.8 people in real-time. That’s what mobile Add behavioral data. The real Mobile research has a solution. research does. And that’s why it is difference in mobile research? Here, the research is being done on an forging a new union between behav- Behavioral data. Behavior-driven app connected to GPS on the smart- ioral and survey data. Mobile research research is the ability to see what phone. When a consumer moves, the brings big data, consumer journeys consumers do rather than rely on app knows it. And the app can now and survey data together. stated data alone. The reason it’s so send a survey to that consumer in real- It’s a single home for reaching a important is that it eliminates fraud time, right as they’re walking into (or representative, fi rst-party consumer and recall bias in one step.7 out of) a location, interacting with an panel. It’s consumer understanding

68 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com 7 https://mfour.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Predict-Future- Figure 4: Impact of coronavirus in-store – increased purchases Behavior-and-Impact-Revenue-Guide. 1/1/20 to 3/4/20 pdf?utm_source=hs_email&utm_ medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--pkXkynKZ- Q: What items have you increased your purchases of? ZOGnpcNMS9Xb4Setr_lnsbufV8knul76gp- y7NXRGhibH5uXHcubNrwJ2XTg29 8 https://go.mfour.com/blog/fl awed-recall- means-fractured-data-use-geolocation-to- solve-memory-decay 9 https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/10/dow-fu- tures-point-to-a-loss-of-more-than-400-points- after-tuesdays-surge.html

Figure 5: Impact of coronavirus in-store – decreased purchases 1/1/20 to 3/4/20

Q: What items have you decreased your purchases of?

Figure 6: Impact of coronavirus on online purchases 1/1/20 to 3/4/20

Q: What items are you purchasing online?

Wakefi eld, 1998 based on reality. We’re excited to see 3 Peter Ward, Taralyn Clark, Ramon Zabriskie, our industry continue to expand, and 2014 benefi t from, the latest technology. 4 https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/27/ phone-polling-crisis-1191637 Vardan Kirakosyan is vice president of research at research firm MFour, 5 https://go.mfour.com/hubfs/ebook/P2P_eB- ook_2018_FINAL_print.pdf Irvine, Calif. He can be reached at [email protected]. 6 https://mfour.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Predict-Future- REFERENCES Behavior-and-Impact-Revenue-Guide. 1 https://go.mfour.com/hubfs/ebook/P2P_eB- pdf?utm_source=hs_email&utm_ ook_2018_FINAL_print.pdf medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hk7DDSU- uhjnH-aDfP-hnglZDUyMUIeEUr13sXC78yAVez- 2 Corey and Freeman, 1990; Taylor, Wilson and W6XTVoYpffVu2p0NYzz4wzCH www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 69 7 Top In-Store Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

••• special advertising section 7 TOP IN-STORE RESEARCH COMPANIES

Where better to reach shoppers than in the places where they shop? In-store research catches consumers as they make critical purchasing decisions, and the insights gathered through related methodologies enable companies to make important choices about packaging, placement and more. As shopping attitudes and behaviors continue to shift, the landscape of in-store research will shift too, and a quality research partner will help ease this transition to a new consumer climate. ath Power Consulting Founded 1997 | 60+ employees The following companies employ a range of methodologies to meet Frank Aloi, CEO your in-store research needs – from the supermarket and beyond. From face-to-face techniques such as shop-alongs and intercept We’re ath Power interviewing to tech-driven methods like virtual ethnographies Consulting and and eye-tracking, these companies are well-equipped to handle we’ve been provid- your in-store research needs. ing our clients with exceptional CX, EX and UX research and training solutions in the U.S. and Canada since 1997. We believe our purpose is to provide clients such an ex- traordinarily positive experience working with us that it leaves no doubt we will help them achieve the same within their own organizations. We assess, we quirks.com/articles/2020/20200533.aspx align and we help our clients achieve: better customer satisfaction, enhanced 70 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com 7 Top In-Store Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Confero Founded 1986 | 48 employees Elaine Buxton, CEO

Confero’s user experiences and vastly improved customized employee engagement. Need a larger solutions research department or more employee measure, th training? a Power Consulting can be monitor and part of your team. report on Phone 1-978-474-6464 employee www.athpower.com performance, brand presentation, auditing, customer satisfaction surveys customer experience, user experience and panel/focus group services. We and compliance. The firm has deep draw from our arsenal of more than experience with complex omnichannel 600,000 shoppers, interviewers, fielding, data integration, brand auditors and panelists, providing representation at retail and on-the-spot BestMark coverage in more than 13,000 cities rewards programs. In addition, fully and towns throughout the U.S. and integrated tech allows for crowdsourced Founded 1986 | 200+ employees Canada. Working with Fortune insights for quick projects. It also Dana Stetzer, CEO 500/100/50 companies and a variety allows for more robust, engagement- of other businesses in a wide range building, crowdsourced insights from of industries, you will find that we Since 1986, BestMark has helped loyal customers while in-store. Confero thoroughly understand operations, businesses large and small improve earned a Stevie Award for Customer technology and research, and we know employee and customer experiences Service Consulting Practice of the Year what it takes to manage a successful to drive repeat business, loyalty and is WBENC-certified. Confero offers customer experience program. and increased sales while turning mystery shopping services on-site, on customers into champions of their Phone 1-952-922-2205 the web, on mobile devices and through www.bestmark.com brands. We pride ourselves on recorded telephone calls. continually leading and changing the Phone 1-800-326-3880 landscape of our industry with proven www.conferoinc.com and innovative mystery shopping, intercept interviewing, compliance

www.quirks.com May/June 2020 // Quirk’s Marketing Research Review 71 7 Top In-Store Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION goods and more. If your business requires bilingual research, we proudly staff a team of experienced market researchers fluent in spoken and written English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Creative Consumer Chinese, Farsi and more. Whether your Research focus is on the United States or abroad, CCR can program and host your surveys Founded 1976 | 83 employees; 13 full-time; 70 part-time online, whether you need pre-screeners Patricia Pratt, CEO or even a combination of telephone and web interviewing. Our resources Decision Analyst Inc. allow us to thoroughly conduct studies Founded 1978 | 150 employees Creative Consumer quickly and inexpensively – no matter Jerry W. Thomas, CEO Research (CCR) is what the size. Maximize your business the most respected with the CCR market research and market research consumer insights team. Decision and consumer in- Phone 1-281-240-9646 Analyst sights firm, provid- www.ccrsurveys.com provides both ing accurate and qualitative actionable data and quantita- for better business tive in-store decisions. Using proven techniques, research we work with a variety of industries services. We including B2B, health care, consumer offer a variety of qualitative and ethnographic services for shopper research including: traditional in-person ethnographies, virtual ethnographies, ride-alongs, shop-alongs, video diaries and in-vehicle video. Decision Analyst’s quantitative shopper research services include in-store intercepts, online simulated shopping, employee research and sales analysis and data mining. Our moderators can recommend the data collection technique best-suited to your research needs. Decision Analyst has over four decades of experience in marketing research and delivers highly analytical and decision-oriented insights. Phone 1-817-640-6166 www.decisionanalyst.com/services/shopper- insights/

72 Quirk’s Marketing Research Review //May/June 2020 www.quirks.com 7 Top In-Store Research Companies SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION truth as well as inspiring insights that reveal new ideas, opportunities and ways to do business. Other firms will tell you what they’ve found – at InsightFarm, we’ll help you understand what those findings mean and InsightFarm Inc. what options they offer, and we’ll help Founded 2003 you go from insight to action. Kelley Styring, Founder and Principal Phone 1-503-554-5567 Informed Decisions www.insightfarm.biz

Group Inc. InsightFarm can help you find new Founded 2004 | 13 employees opportunities for Colin Valdiserri, CEO growth through real-time learning from real people. From shop-alongs and in-store interviews to in- store ethnography and mobile video uploads, we bring a Informed Decisions Group Inc. is a fresh, creative approach to everything full-service behavioral insights firm we do. As a result, you can count on us specializing in shopper research. IDG to provide you with the unvarnished has been innovating in-store research for 16 years by leveraging our proprietary mobile eye-tracking analyses, retail ethnography, unique unobtru- sive shop-alongs, basket metrics and shopper intercepts. Our combination of qualitative, quantitative and behavioral methods has led to breakthrough insights for POG, package, display and in-store communications research. When in-store permissions are not viable, we have the only life-sized touch-interactive 3D virtual aisle that is portable to anywhere in the world. This affords our clients the ability to measure shopper behavior in any market or scenario. Phone 1-440-454-0399 www.idg-consulting.com

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%QWPVGTKPVWKVKXGVJKPMKPI Visual semiotics: Shouting without 'XQNXKPI%:OGCUWTGOGPVCV 4GHTCOKPITGUGCTEJDCUGNKPG YQTFUs|34%#EWTCVGFUGUUKQP Progressive assumptions Michael Sack, Founder and Owner • Brand Mona Stronsick, Director of Market Research • Susan Fader, Insight Navigator • Fader & Kinetics LLC Progressive Insurance Associates Todd Trautz, Chief Innovation and Solutions Mike Franke, Senior Market Research Analyst • 1HƂEGT• Maru/Matchbox Progressive Insurance How to leverage research to build The privacy paradox %NQUKPIVJGGZRGTKGPEGICR meaningful brands 4GI$CMGT North American Regional Diagnosing your gap and Emmanuel Probst, SVP, Brand Health Tracking Ambassador • ESOMAR identifying the best strategy to and Adjunct Professor •+RUQUCPF7%.# close it %WVVKPIGFIGTGUGCTEJKP 4JQPFC*KCVV%JKGH5VTCVGI[1HƂEGT75#• Clear AI for automated insight CUUQEKCVKQPUCPFPQPRTQƂVU M&C Saatchi generation Hitting the goals and making a Suresh Kumar, Head of AI Solutions • Palo Alto pRTQƂVqKPCPQPRTQƂVYQTNF Purdue University Masterbrand: Research Center (PARC) John Laprise, Market Research Manager • Finding the essence Radiological Society of North America David Moore, Market Research Consultant • The impact of cultural codes on Lisa Herceg, Director, Business Insights, Research 2WTFWG7PKXGTUKV[ • National Association of REALTORS consumer behavior and brand Keri Downs, Consultant • Brandtrust 4CPFC7NCPMKGYKE\ Market Research Analyst • 'VJCP$TCFGP VP of Marketing and Media • relevance Society of Actuaries 2WTFWG7PKXGTUKV[ Shruti Saini, Senior Director, Brand Strategy and Insights • Anheuser-Busch

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Sessions as of February 6, 2020; additional sessions online www.TheQuirksEvent.com $GOQTGVJCPCHQTIQVVGPHQQVPQVG+ORTQXGVJGCEVKXCVKQPQH research and insights in your organization 8CPGUUC4QFFCO Manager, Shopper Insights and Analytics • Constellation Brands CHICAGO AUGUST 26-27, 5QOGVKOGUNCTIGTGUGCTEJRTQLGEVUETGCVGHCPVCUVKENQQMKPI 2020 TGRQTVUCPFRQYGTRQKPVUNKFGUDWVVJG[UGGFKURTQRQTVKQPCVGN[ UOCNNCFQRVKQPYKVJKPCPQTICPK\CVKQP#PFQWVRWVUHTQO TQDWUVTGUGCTEJUQOGVKOGUIGVQXGTUJCFQYGFD[QPGQTVYQ UVCVKUVKEUHTQOVJGTGUGCTEJKPUVGCFQHKNNWOKPCVKPICEVKQPCDNGKPUKIJV*QY ECPYGDGVVGTEQPPGEVKPUKIJVUVQCEVKQP!#PFJQYECPGXGPVJGOQUV EQORNGZRTQLGEVUFGNKXGTUCNKGPVCEVKQPCDNGUQNWVKQPU!-GGRVJGTGUGCTEJ *CEMKPINKHGUJKHVU*QY##42 OGVJQFUTQDWUVCPFOCMGVJGFGNKXGTCDNGUOQTGGODTCEGCDNG has taken a leadership role in partnering with brands in launching innovative insights #NKUQP$T[CPV Consumer Strategist, Media and Multigenerational Families Expert • AARP 9JKEJQPGKUPQVNKMGVJGQVJGT!6JGFKHHGTGPEGUDGVYGGP7: .KUC%QQRGT Senior Vice President • RTi Research and market research .QTK$KVVGT CEO • The Business of Aging %CTC9QQFNCPF Market Research Manager • eMoney Advisor Evan Eiswerth,5WRGTXKUQT7UGT'ZRGTKGPEG• eMoney Advisor Decoding signal vs. noise: How 6QDGVVGTKPHQTOVJGFKIKVCNCIGOCTMGVTGUGCTEJCPFVJGOGVJQFQNQIKGU Microsoft uses proactive insights JCXGCFCRVGFKPOCP[YC[U#PGYDTGGFQHTGUGCTEJGT to stay ahead of the curve has also formed out of the digital age to focus on user Tanya Pinto, Director, Customer and Market GZRGTKGPEGFGUKIPCPFWUGTEGPVTKEFGXGNQROGPV Research • Microsoft 6JGIQCNQHVJKUUGUUKQPKUVQJGNRFGƂPGVJGUKOKNCTKVKGUCPFFKHHGTGPEGU Marc Goulet, Vice President • Russell Research DGVYGGPCWUGTGZRGTKGPEGTGUGCTEJGTCPFOCTMGVTGUGCTEJ Driving change and lessons learned %JWEM5JCTR CEO • Sharpr /CT[%QNNGGP*GTUJG[ Vice President Consumer Learn where to focus your media From story to glory and Marketplace Insights • Nestlé spend Jeffrey Henning, Executive International • MRII Eva Gott, Vice President, Research • Savanta 4CRKFN[GPCDNKPIDTGCMVJTQWIJ How the sausage gets made: KFGCUHQT$CTKNNCYJKNGDWKNFKPI The generation of responsible A recipe for brand growth in a capability shoppers – Does Gen Z put their mature category -KV$WTVQP Brand Manager • Barilla *GCVJGT%JTKUVOCP Director, Lean Growth • The money where their activism is? Irina Zilberman, • Protobrand Garage Group Meg Weltzer, • Tyson Foods Ally Aleman, SVP Qualitative Research • MarketCast *QYOWEJGPLQ[OGPVECPCP Julie Arbit, Global SVP, Insights • VICE Media The implicit playbook: Develop indulgent snack really bring when a competitive advantage by life gets in the way? Gaining clarity through on- appealing to your consumer’s demand behavioral research Keren Novack, VP of Client Services • Curion subconscious .KUC5CZQP4GGF Director, Global Sensory • Mars Greg Stucky,%JKGH4GUGCTEJ1HƂEGT• Wrigley Thomas Fandrich, Co-Founder and Managing InsightsNow &KTGEVQT75• quantilope Sarah Kirkmeyer, Sr. Director Client Partnerships • InsightsNow We are what we...feed our kids? /KPFOQFGNKPI+FGPVKH[KPI%JGG\ The what, where and why of $GJKPFVJGEWTVCKP2GTURGEVKXGU It’s distinctive attributes today’s grocery purchases from corporate insights leaders Terrae Schroeder,*GCFQH+PUKIJVU75#• $GUU&GXGPQY Director of Marketing • Kellogg’s Tyler McMullen, President and CEO • ProdegeMR Tim Hoskins, President • Quester MarketVision Research Maureen Lawer, Senior Director, Data Solutions • $GEM[5JWNV\ Vice President, Qualitative • ProdegeMR MarketVision Research 1XGTEQOKPICETKUKU*QYKPUKIJVU have saved the past decade’s %NGCPNCDGNp$GVVGTHQT[QWq How technology helped Irwin OQUVJKIJRTQƂNGETKUKU consumer trends and generational $TQJVTCPUHQTOVJGKTDWUKPGUU 4GZ4GRCUU President • Research America differences $QD4QYG EVP • Irwin Broh Dan McGinn, CEO • McGinn and Company #PVLG5CTFQ Senior Research Analyst • GutCheck

www.TheQuirksEvent.com Sessions as of February 6, 2020; additional sessions online 4GCNKV[8QKEG6WPGKPVQPGY Tapping organizational perspectives Garnette Weber, COO • itracks change to increase market Kathy Fitzpatrick, VP Business Development • research relevance itracks CHICAGO %JTKUVKPG-GNNGT Program Manager, Customer AUGUST 26-27, Monika Wingate, CEO and Centricity • MassMutual Co-Founder • Digsite 2020 Heather Vossler, Director of Insights and Innovation • Hormel Foods 4GCNDWUKPGUUGZCORNGQHVGZV /CP[ analytics in action: Takasago organizations +PVGTPCVKQPCN%QTRQTCVKQPECUG CTGUGGMKPI out agile study approaches Normand Peladeau, President, CEO • Provalis Research /CTMGVTGUGCTEJOGGVU7: CUVJG[ adjust to research: Understanding the the accelerating pace of $G[QPFVJGUETGGPGT4GFWEKPI interaction between NPS and innovation. As a result, fraudulent and disengaged usability metrics insights teams are shifting to respondents 4CPFCN4KGU Research and Analytics Manager, agile research methods that IBM CIO Design • IBM CNNQYVJGOVQUKOWNVCPGQWUN[ Adam Dietrich, Vice President • CloudResearch Leib Litman, Co-Founder, Director of Research • DWKNFVGUVCPFNGCTP+PVJKU CloudResearch RTGUGPVCVKQP*QTOGN&KTGEVQT )GVVKPIVQVJGHWVWTGƂTUV*QY of Insights and Innovation to identify early trend signals to *GCVJGT8QUUNGTCPF&KIUKVG Product data, meet in-context support bold bets in innovation %'1/QPKMC9KPICVGYKNN research – a product development in product development and FKUEWUUJQYEQODKPKPI dream category management VJGTKIJVVQQNYKVJCPCIKNG .K/GK4WCP Senior Manager, Knowledge and Mark Garratt, Partner and Co-Founder • TGUGCTEJCRRTQCEJGPCDNGU Insights • fairlife in4mation insights Keren Novack, VP of Client Services • Curion VGCOUVQSWKEMN[IGVKP Stuart Schwartz, Managing Director, Client context learning and deep Growth • in4mation insights consumer insights. From feeling to doing: How to turn empathy into tactics that grow brands ,KO%JCUVCKP Co-Founder and Human Insights 7 steps for building a scalable DIY Strategist • RealityCheck TGUGCTEJRTQITCOVJCVKPƃWGPEGU business growth Viewer disrupted: The psychology Morgan Molnar, Head of Product Marketing and of media engagement Insights • SurveyMonkey Mark Doherty, Vice President, Practice Leader • Chadwick Martin Bailey Everyone wants to be heard, no one wants to be studied! New breakthroughs in wearable How brands are leveraging eye-tracking conversational methods for Sylvia Knust, Director of Research • Tobii Pro deeper experiential insights Matt Kleinschmit, Founder and CEO • Reach3 Insights Panning for gold: Using AI and Dara St. Louis, SVP and Founding Partner • machine learning to ensure the Reach3 Insights purity of your data /KEJCGN/E%TCT[ CEO • PureSpectrum %JQQUKPIHTQOCHGCUVQHQRVKQPU How to integrate qualitative tech Embracing the new world of data for maximum impact privacy Kelley Styring, Principal • InsightFarm Erin Avery, Senior Vice President, Global Jason Horine, Vice President Client Solutions • Schlesinger Group Marketing • Vision Critical

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10 minutes with... Julie Loving Insights Director, TherapeuticsMD

You’ve worked in a variety of industries – CPG, entertainment, pharma. How does this diverse background infl uence your role at TherapeuticsMD? The culture here is very entrepreneurial. You will never hear, “We don’t do it that way,” or “It wasn’t successful in the past.” This receptiveness to new ideas and methods allows the insights team to bring in techniques that truly help make better business decisions and help us more deeply understand our consumers/customers. The only technique you can’t do in pharma is a concept product home use test – that is the clinical trial.

g We’ve used almost all techniques here that had beginnings in consumer package in v goods. This includes co-creation – a fancy word for brainstorming. We had one that o L included men and women in a session all around menopause! We’ve also done very lie Ju robust segmentation of all of our customer groups, and have initiated marketing investment modeling

Of all the market segments you’ve researched, is there one that seems more open to participating in the research process than others? “Our online Honestly, women’s health. Women feel isolated and confused as they enter menopause and really don’t feel that they have anyone to talk to. In every consumer communities around workshop I’ve done, the women exchange e-mail or phone numbers after – we’ve created a safe support group for them! Our online communities around women’s health reportedly are the most active and interactive – including our community of women’s health health care professionals!

Do you have any tips for researchers looking to launch their fi rst online reportedly are the most community? Set expectations in your organization about what the community can and can- active and interactive not do. Our online communities have essentially replaced all qualitative. We use them for optimizing creative, copy and messages, as well as doing deep dives to learn about our women and health care professionals. How do they feel about their – including our lives? What are the challenges? What are the rewards? The communities are not for quantitative evaluative decision-making unless it is so crystal clear how partici- community of health pants feel about the topic. What new methodologies or tools do you hope to use in the coming year? care professionals!” Biometrics. Given the categories we work in, we really need to appeal and break through on an emotional level.

Read the full interview at www.quirks.com/articles/2020/20200522.aspx.

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