Post on 20-Aug-2015
BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC
Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research
Best Practices in Innovating within Market
Research to Reach Consumers: How New Tools, Technologies and Approaches Improve
Understanding and Communicating with Consumers
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Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary pp. 4-20
Research Overview pp. 4
Universe of Learning pp. 5
Innovation Widely Dispersed but Thinly Seeded pp. 6
Key Findings pp. 7-20
II. Universe of Learning: Key Demographics of Participating Companies pp. 21-23
III. Innovation in Marketing Research Approaches pp. 24-28
IV. Innovation in Marketing Research Tools pp. 29-66
Using Innovation to Update the Use of Analysis Tools for Key Market Research Activities
V. Marketing Research Trend Changes – Qualitative Trends pp. 67-74
VI. Marketing Research Trend Changes – Quantitative Trends pp. 75-80
VII. Emerging Market Research Tools in Non-Pharma Sector pp. 81-88
VIII. Communicating with Consumers pp. 89-91
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Table of Contents
IX. Trends in Consumer Communication pp. 92-98
X. Evaluating Direct-to-Consumer Marketing pp. 99-101
XI. Lessons Learned and Pitfalls to Avoid pp. 102-106
XII. Appendix pp. 107-118
XIII. About Best Practices, LLC pp. 119
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Topics Included Study Overview
Innovativeness of MR Tools for:
Forecasting
Patient Flow Mapping
Positioning
Segmentation
Brand Research
Concept Testing
Brand Awareness
Customer Insights
Direct-to-Consumer
Tactic Testing
Target Product Profile Testing
Utilization of Emerging MR Tools
Effectiveness of Consumer Marketing Tools
Best Practices, Pitfalls & Lessons Learned
Research Objective: New technologies are
transforming how consumers educate themselves
and make critical purchasing decisions.
Correspondingly, across industry sectors the
consumer marketing playbook and marketing
research analysis approaches are evolving to
better identify winning tools and techniques.
This cross-industry study addresses topical issues
that include new media for interacting with
consumers, new qualitative techniques for insight
mining and new quantitative techniques for
research data analysis.
Methodology: Best Practices, LLC engaged 59
Market Research leaders at 58 companies through
a benchmarking survey instrument. Of the 58
participants, 41 were from non pharma segment.
In addition, research analysts conducted executive
interviews with eight selected respondents to
collect qualitative data and insights.
Research Project Objectives, Methodology & Results
Best Practices, LLC conducted this cross-industry benchmarking study to identify current and
evolving approaches for consumer marketing and marketing research techniques and tools. This
study contains extensive qualitative data.
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59 Benchmark Participants Represent Nine Industries
Benchmark Class
Fifty-nine benchmark survey respondents from 58 companies participated in this study. More than 40
percent are directors, VPs, and C-level and a third are manager level. The rest fall under “other.” The
participants represent more than nine industries with pharma the largest segment at 30%. To add
qualitative depth to the study, eight interviews were conducted with market research leaders.
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Pharmaceutical Benchmark Class Non-Pharmaceutical Benchmark Class
Sekisanchi LLlC
R2Business Solutions
(n=18) (n=41)
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Innovation Has Many Faces in Consumer Market Research
The “Innovation Insights Story” in Consumer Marketing Research reveals ongoing evolutionary change –
rather than revolutionary disruptive technology change. Innovation is broad reaching, incremental and
assumes various forms through tools, technology, process improvements and hybrid adaptations of
proven practices.
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Examining Innovation
Across Consumer
Marketing Research
Landscape
3. Innovation Is Widely Dispersed But Thinly Seeded: 80% Of
Venues Are Seed Beds With 5% to 12% of Companies Innovating
At Most Research Milestones 4. No Single Company Has Cornered the Market on M.R.
Innovation
5. Innovation Hot Spots Exist In Customer Flow Mapping,
Segmentation & Concept Testing. Innovation Has Many Faces:
Process, Tools, Hybridization, Deeper, Faster & Cheaper
2. Innovation Is Evolutionary / Incremental Across the Market
Research Process
6. Seed New Innovation Projects Where It Most
Benefits Your Existing Brands & New Products
1. Most Companies Rate Themselves Low on Market Research Effectiveness &
Innovation
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Qualitative Key Findings: Mobile Research and Online Tools
Improving Report Presentations Enhances Engagement: Finding innovative or fresh ways to
present reports/studies – such as formats like Prezi or the use of dynamic visuals – is an important
way to keep staff and internal stakeholders engaged.
Mobile Research Will Be a Key Tool for Market Research in the Future: Mobile research, with
its rapid delivery of point-of-care and point-of-sale data, will be an important tool for marketing
research in the future. Thirty-six percent of the Non-pharma Segment is using it either sometimes
or frequently.
Online Communities Offer Bottomless Pool of Consumer Insights: Online communities are a
valuable qualitative source of consumer insights and yet the tool appears to be underutilized. Sixty-
one percent of the Non-pharma Segment said they use them either sometimes or frequently.
Social Media Listening Is Another Underutilized Tool: Social Media Listening is another
underutilized tool that can inform market researchers across many topics, including product
positioning, brand awareness and customer insights. Fifty-two percent in the Non- Pharma
segment don’t use it.
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The following key findings and insights emerged from interviews and qualitative survey responses in
this study.
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(n=59)
Q1. Please identify which industry sector your company represents
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Industry:
Pharma, 30%
Finance, 2%
Healthcare, 10%
Consumer Goods, 3% Marketing/Market Research Agencies,
15%
Electronics, 2%
Services, 15%
Telecommunications, 5%
Other, 17%
*Others:
Utilities
Education
Postal
More than 9 Industries Participated in Innovation Study
The benchmark study group was anchored by biopharma and market research agencies. Healthcare (non-manufacturers), telecommunications, services, consumer goods, finance and electronics companies also participated in this marketing research innovation study.
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Q. If you do not feel you have a highly effective market research organization, rate what factors are impeding your
effectiveness?
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Effectiveness Obstacles (Non-Pharma):
n =
37
36
35
36
36
33
35
23 61%
51%
48%
33%
25%
23%
6%
16%
4%
40%
30%
33%
42%
37%
39%
19%
35%
9%
21%
33%
33%
40%
56%
65%
Other
Too Much Reliance on Qualitative Data
Too Much Reliance on Quantitative Data
Not Enough Attention to Online Tools/SocialMedia
Outdated Analytical Tools
Lack of innovation
Not Enough Staff
Not Enough Budget
Not a Problem Minor Obstacle Major Obstacle
Non-Pharma Spot Many Hurdles to MR Effectiveness
The segment of non-pharma companies identify many impediments to Market Research effectiveness. They wrestle with budget, staffing, lack of innovation, outdated tools, inattention to social media and over-reliance on quantitative data.
% of Respondents
*Other Major
Obstacles Cited:
• "Company does not
care about customer
opinions”
• "Don't know how"
• "Driving own
agenda, sucking too
much resource away
from business issues
into own Insight
world"
•"Lack of knowledge
(how-to)"
• "Need for improved
data visualization"
• "Not enough
knowledge of the
clients business" *
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Positioning Lacks Innovation Across MR Processes
Q. Please rate your perceived innovativeness on the following market research dimensions for Positioning:
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Positioning Excellence:
n=
40
40
41
40
Innovative:
5%
3%
0%
3% 25%
20%
28%
20%
73%
80%
70%
75%
3%
3%
5%
Reporting and Communicating
Analysis and Interpretation
Data Collection
Methodologies and Tools
Not Innovative Middle of the Road Innovative
% of Respondents
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Quant and Qual Working Together Create Synergy
Innovation in market research doesn’t have to be a new tool or methodology – it can come from finding ways to combine work streams to reduce job timelines. One participant thought having qual and quant teams work closer together would accomplish that goal.
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“We do see where qualitative is starting to inform quant where it didn’t before. I’ve been in
the offices of most major market research firms in the world and there’s usually a keypad
door separating the qualitative teams from the quantitative teams.
We’re seeing that change with online ‘qual’…we’ve got the technologies that allow us to
bring people out of a large segmentation study, a customer satisfaction survey, and bring
into a qualitative discussion for a deeper dive with them. That’s allowed the quant-qual
teams to co-mingle on these projects.
It is unbelievably common where you do a segmentation study and find some unexplained
thing and go through the keypad door and say, ‘Qual team here’s something to go
explore.’ Well that can take months…today we’re radically reducing those timelines by
giving them technology that the quants can run themselves or that makes the quant and
qual teams work together very closely.” – Chief Innovation Officer
Qualitative Component
Quantitative Component
Merging to
provide more
realistic Insights
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Q. Rate the effectiveness of various tools, technologies and channels that you use to communicate, educate, and inform
consumers in your chosen markets:
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Consumer Marketing & Communication Tools (TBC):
n=
26
24
26
25
24
TBC Segment: Customized E-Mail Campaigns Top Second Tier of Consumer Communications Customized e-mail campaigns topped the second tier of the list of tools, technologies, or channels that organizations use to communicate with consumers. Sixty-nine percent of participants felt e-mail was either somewhat or very effective.
% of Respondents
54%
36%
19%
29%
19%
4%
8%
4%
4%
4%
17%
28%
23%
21%
8%
21%
20%
46%
33%
54%
4%
8%
8%
13%
15%
Viral Marketing (marketing communicationdesigned to be passed around among users)
Online Channels /Sponsorships (YouTube,Blogs)
Social Media
Consumer/Patient Advocacy Groups
Customized e-mail campaigns
Don't Use Very Ineffective Somewhat Ineffective Somewhat Effective Very Effective
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SEO Part of Doing Business in U.S. Marketplace
One of the important – and dynamic – online consumer marketing tools is Search Engine Optimization. While it can bring hundreds, if not thousands, of customers to your business, the SEO rules of search engines like Google are constantly evolving.
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“We have a lot of secondary reports
about where consumers go to get health-
related information. In this day and age,
consumers go to the Internet and, for the
most part, people just to go to a search
engine and type something in and see
what comes up.
Whatever you’re selling, you better come
out on top, otherwise they’re probably
not going to find it.”
- Senior Specialist,
Global Market Research
Rules for SEO Success
More Focus on Keyword
Portfolio than Ranking
Create Problem Solving Content
Publish Content on
Quality Sources
Use Social Media for
Distribution & Promotion
of Content
http://www.inc.com/aaron-aders/new-rules-for-seo-success-in-2013.html
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Best Practices, LLC 6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
www.best-in-class.com
About Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics, and winning strategies of world-class companies.
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