Research Insights That Rock How to structure research that makes sense as part of your business development, strategic planning Marketing Jam '09 Saurage Research, Inc.

1. Research Insights that Rock
Susan Saurage-Altenloh
February 2009

2. Question #1
What do you want to know about your
customers and how they make choices?
dh h k hi ?
Nothing. I really don’t
care anymore
Something more recent
than 2003? Yes!
Everything: Inquiring
minds want to know!
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3. Question #2
How well do you convert research learnings
into action plans and business development?
i i l db i dl ?
Awful: it’s just too
difficult.
It gets done.
done
Barely.
Bravo! It drives our
bottom line.
3

4. Question #3
If you could get hear your customers’ thoughts
without breaking the bank, wouldja?
ih b ki hb k ldj ?
YES. I
YES In a Probably,
P b bl
heartbeat. but how?
Tempting.
Tempting Go away. I’ve
away I ve
Maybe I can given up.
budget for it.
g
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5. Susan’s research playlist…
• Clarify what competitive positioning is
and how to gauge it for your own
business
• Learn how to choose research that
generates insights
• Discover tools that reveal how
customers elect to use you or your
competition
• Learn how to leverage this new
knowledge for stronger positioning…in
any economy
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6. Definition: Positioning
• Noun: The place held by a
product/service in the client’s
mind…relative to other
competing products
• Verb: Efforts to create an image
or identity in the minds of the
target market…to convey
product value to customers
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7. Definition: Marketing Research
• Quantitative
– Measurable, structured projectable
Measurable structured, projectable, expressed in
numeric form
– Format: Statistics.
– It asks: How many?
• Qualitative
– Subjective, exploratory, open-ended
– Format: Metaphors, symbols, stories
– It asks: What? Why?
• Competitive Intelligence
– Gathering, analyzing, and managing external
information th t affects plans, decisions, operations
if ti that ff t l d ii ti
– Format: Interviews, info retrieval, market analytics
– It asks: Status, history
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8. Defining the Target Market
Why position to attract only a unique segment of the
market rather than use a ‘shoot-for-the-middle’
strategy?
• You are more likely to have an impact
– H l you make a d t iin th markett
Help k dent the k
– Provides your business with an identity
– Gives new customers a reason to consider you.
• You are more able t d f d your business
Y bl to defend bi
– Strong market position is difficult to topple
– Loyal client base is not easily dissuaded
• You can organically grow your niche
– Referrals, word of mouth, social networking
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9. The Basics of Market Positioning
• Define the market – relevant buyers
• Define the product space – attributes and dimensions
• Clarify perceptions of each product on relevant attributes
• Determine each product’s current location in the product space
• Position your product
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10. Case 1 – Defining the Space
• Define the market – relevant buyers
• Define the product space – attributes and
dimensions
• Clarify perceptions of each product on relevant
attributes
• Determine each product’s current location in the
product space
• Position/reposition the product
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11. Case 2 – Creating a Brand
• Define the market – relevant buyers
• Define the competitive space – attributes and
dimensions
• Clarify perceptions of selected components on
relevant attributes
• Determine new development’s current location in
the product space
• Position the brand
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12. Case 3 – Repositioning
• Define the market – relevant buyers & users
• Define the competitive space – attributes and
dimensions
• Clarify perceptions of each competitor on relevant
attributes
• Determine each competitor’s current location in
the product space
• Position/reposition the offering
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13. Case 4 – Redefining Process
• Define the market – relevant buyers
• Define the competitive space – attributes and
dimensions
• Clarify perceptions of services on relevant
attributes
• Determine each competitor’s current location in
the product space
• Reposition the organization
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14. Tools that Rule
• With customers:
– Simple onsite surveys
p y
– Roundtables, lunch & learns
– Direct ask, IDIs
– Online surveys (if permitted)
• With external markets:
– Quantitative surveys
Online, phone, email,
Online phone email direct mail
– Qualitative surveys
Focus groups, IDIs, OQR, ethnography
• With internal markets:
– Roundtables, lunch & learns
– Direct ask, IDIs
–E l
Employee e-pollsll
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15. What are the next steps?
• Understand your space
• Understand your market
• Know how clients and prospects perceive you
• Identify where your product fits currently
• Move it where the fit allows you to be unique
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16. Research You Can Use … Rocks!
You can contact me at ssaurage@SaurageResearch.com or on Facebook.
Read my blog: www RealitySpikes com
www.RealitySpikes.com
http://twitter.com/RealitySpikes
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17. About the Presenter
Susan Saurage-Altenloh specializes in designing research
strategies and producing results that meet clients' information
needs – completely and exactly. Susan has gathered actionable
data for a client list that includes nationally known medical
facilities, large manufacturers and refineries, prominent financial
institutions, municipal and national governmental agencies, and
advertising/ marketing firms.
The most notable ones – Tenet, Conoco, Cameron, the EPA,
HP/Compaq, Chicago Board of Trade, BP, Exxon, Dow, Siemens
Transmission Products and McDonald’s – include several Fortune
500 companies.
companies
Susan has authored several articles appearing in national and regional business
publications and regularly appears on television as an expert in market information and
research trends She is a graduate of the MBA program at University of Texas at Austin
trends.
and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Houston Baptist University.
You can contact Susan at ssaurage@SaurageResearch.com or on Facebook.
Read her blog: www RealitySpikes com
www.RealitySpikes.com
http://twitter.com/RealitySpikes
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