Research Can Save You Marketing Dollars
The great unknowns, in marketing as in life, can cost you big time. Research can help you make an informed decision, whether you are trying to learn about customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, products, markets or competitors. Insights developed through research drive good decision making. Companies can save millions by changing how they view research. Research is a valuable investment not a necessary evil. And finding the right research partner is the first and most critical step.
Research, properly developed and executed, is a tool that can help you grow your brand and your company – and help you avoid costly business mistakes in the process.
When should a company do research?
There are a number of motivating factors for a company to invest in research. Some of the most common applications for research are: customer satisfaction surveys, market share and competitive analysis and new market or product launches. Research is also the backbone for brand identification and creating messages that will resonate with target audiences.
Why should a company do research?
A company should do research because is financially prudent, and to develop business or market intelligence upon which to act or make decisions. In most cases investing in research is far more cost effective than making a marketing mistake. Rarely does a company or a product get a second chance.
Everyone is familiar with the research book sitting on the shelf. How can companies avoid that pitfall?
To die-hard researchers, that is one of the saddest realities of the business. It is almost painful to watch a company invest in research and then apply it half-heartedly or not at all. That's why working with a marketing communications company as partners leading your research efforts is imperative. They will help guide you to applying the research and maximizing its value.
What are the three biggest advantages to research?
There are numerous advantages to investing in research, so the answer is somewhat dependent on the motivating factors for doing the research. However, there are some commonalities for conducting research: to better understand your market, to learn how to engage with your target audiences both through pinpoint messages and tactics for delivering that message, and to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty.
What three things should companies do to maximize the success of their research projects?
First companies would ideally invest in a third party objective research partner. Secondly, to view research as a critical component of their overall marketing communications plans. Thirdly, companies should involve key decision makers as part of the decision to invest in research this helps to ensure that the results are adopted and implemented.
What types of research does HRB provide?
On behalf of our clients we research customers, non-customers, prospects and employees. We conduct competitive analysis, product testing and market research. We test electronic, print and online advertising. We’re on the cutting edge with Web usability testing. We also utilize secondary research such as psychographics and demographics to supplement primary research.
Have HRB clients actually saved substantial sums by investing in research?
Yes. We were asked by an out of state healthcare organization to research the construction of a new clinic outside its primary metro area. The organization was poised to spend several million dollars to build and staff the facility. It wanted to do market research to see if the local residents would use it. Our research clearly showed that local residents would not use the clinic, and it was not built.
What companies has HRB and our research team conducted for?
We have conducted research in a number of industries: healthcare, retail, banking, engineering, universities, manufacturing and other special interests.
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?
Qualitative research such as focus groups, in-depth one-one interviews and Web site usability testing are utilized to draw out how the audiences connect with the company, product or ads. We choose to draw upon quantitative research techniques such as telephone, online and mail surveys when statistically projectable measurements are desired. Image and perception and customer satisfaction studies are typical applications for quantitative research.
What are the steps in a research project?
The first step is to clearly identify what the goals are for the research starting with what do we want to find out and why do we want to know more? Then, second, moving on to how will we use the research? Once these questions have been answered then basic questions can be answered like who to research and how. Once the methodology and target audiences have been identified then the survey or research instrument is developed. Oftentimes, the tool is tested before it goes out in the field. Then there is the actual fielding of the research followed by tabulating and analyzing the results and summarizing the findings. Finally, there is the implementation of the findings, which might manifest itself in various ways such as creating a brand position, launching a product, kicking off a campaign or posting a new Web site.
How do you start a research project?
Put simply, you start by identifying your goals – why and what you want to know more about the subject to be researched and partnering with a research expert that can drill down into your research and bring it to life.
When is the best time to do research?
Obviously, at HRB, we believe in the value of research and on a daily basis we’re incorporating research into our clients marketing communications plans. Yet, there is another valuable point to be made about when companies should invest in research—that is now. In a down economy companies should turn to research to help make decisions that will not only be smarter and more relevant, but also position the company to increase market share as the economy recovers. Oftentimes, companies aren’t as busy during a down market and have the time to focus their research efforts.
Jim Thebeau is a partner at Henry Russell Bruce, a strategic marketing firm with offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa. HRB has performed research for a number of companies and organizations, including the American Rental Association, KJWW Engineering, RK Dixon, Mercy Medical Center, Waldorf College, the University of Iowa, Trinity Healthcare, VenueWorks, Modern Woodmen of America and dozens of other leading companies. Thebeau can be reached at 319-298-0242 or at jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com. To learn more about research, visit www.hrb-ideas.com/research.
Jim Thebeau
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
http://www.hrb-ideas.com/
319-298-0242
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Trade Show Marketing
Five Simple Steps to Trade Show Success
By Jim Thebeau
“Our trade shows and special events cost a fortune and rarely generate any results.” That’s a familiar lament at many companies that rely on these activities to introduce new products, generate sales leads or just show up simply to show their customers they are present.
If your company is not seeing a return on these substantial promotional investments, the problem may be related to planning and execution as opposed to the actual show or event.
In my 20 years of trade show experience, first as an exhibitor and later as a public relations advisor to clients, I observed more show problems than successes when it came to measurable results or creativity. It seems a lot of exhibitors go to shows, put up a table and some brochures, play a video and then sit down and wait for the prospects to come rolling into the booth. In a world where the average show attendee takes less than 10 seconds to decide whether or not to visit your booth, this approach is not likely to generate a lot of success.
Successful shows begin with detailed planning that starts months in advance.
Step 1. Determine what you want to accomplish with the trade show or special event. Do you want to generate sales leads? Get prospects to see a new product? Provide a company briefing on new activities? Host a special side event for a few special prospects?
Step 2. Next, develop a plan to support those goals. For example, if you want to generate leads or launch a new product, you should plan to promote your presence at the event via direct mail, advertising or public relations weeks in advance. It often pays to tie a drawing or contest into these promotions to get qualified leads to your event. Get creative during this process. To get highly valued prospects to attend a special event at one of their trade shows, one of our clients engaged us to create a unique mailer. We developed a Mission Impossible-themed piece with a personalized message on a digital recorder and sent it to 100 invitees. Nearly 50 of them showed up for the event. The client was delighted.
Step 3. For prospects to develop an interest in or to buy your product, they must believe it has value to them. Remember - they buy benefits, not features. You should talk to your customer, not at them. Pre-show promotions and booth graphics should point out key benefits. For instance, if you are selling GPS personal navigation devices, you don’t want to hand out a spec sheet listing minute details about the technology. You would be better served to plant a single thought in the prospect’s mind, such as “Locate your hotel in Chicago in less than 30 seconds.”
Step 4. Integrate your key messages and supporting visuals into everything you do. Everything should look as though it goes together. Simplicity is your friend. Avoid clutter to avoid making it too difficult or complicated for the attendee to understand your message.
Step 5. Once you return from the show, it’s time to follow up with your leads. One industry source indicates that up to 79 percent of all show or event leads are never followed up on. Your best chance at converting a trade show lead into a sale is in the first few days after the show. Set up a system for your marketing or sales team to sort through the leads and assign specific leads to specific team members for follow-up. You can even draft a response letter before the show begins to save time on responding to leads once you return to the office.
The next time you have an event, plan ahead and follow some simple guidelines that can lead to a successful event. If management wants to know the value of your company’s attendance, you will be better prepared to provide the answer.
Author Biography
Jim Thebeau is a partner and the director of public relations and a partner at Henry Russell Bruce, a strategic marketing firm that uses research, brand-building, advertising, public relations and Web strategies to help clients grow market share, generate new business, create brand loyalty and measure marketing results to build and support its clients’ brands. HRB, founded in 1973, has offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa. For more information, visit www.hrb-ideas.com.
Jim Thebeau
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
www.hrb-ideas.com
By Jim Thebeau
“Our trade shows and special events cost a fortune and rarely generate any results.” That’s a familiar lament at many companies that rely on these activities to introduce new products, generate sales leads or just show up simply to show their customers they are present.
If your company is not seeing a return on these substantial promotional investments, the problem may be related to planning and execution as opposed to the actual show or event.
In my 20 years of trade show experience, first as an exhibitor and later as a public relations advisor to clients, I observed more show problems than successes when it came to measurable results or creativity. It seems a lot of exhibitors go to shows, put up a table and some brochures, play a video and then sit down and wait for the prospects to come rolling into the booth. In a world where the average show attendee takes less than 10 seconds to decide whether or not to visit your booth, this approach is not likely to generate a lot of success.
Successful shows begin with detailed planning that starts months in advance.
Step 1. Determine what you want to accomplish with the trade show or special event. Do you want to generate sales leads? Get prospects to see a new product? Provide a company briefing on new activities? Host a special side event for a few special prospects?
Step 2. Next, develop a plan to support those goals. For example, if you want to generate leads or launch a new product, you should plan to promote your presence at the event via direct mail, advertising or public relations weeks in advance. It often pays to tie a drawing or contest into these promotions to get qualified leads to your event. Get creative during this process. To get highly valued prospects to attend a special event at one of their trade shows, one of our clients engaged us to create a unique mailer. We developed a Mission Impossible-themed piece with a personalized message on a digital recorder and sent it to 100 invitees. Nearly 50 of them showed up for the event. The client was delighted.
Step 3. For prospects to develop an interest in or to buy your product, they must believe it has value to them. Remember - they buy benefits, not features. You should talk to your customer, not at them. Pre-show promotions and booth graphics should point out key benefits. For instance, if you are selling GPS personal navigation devices, you don’t want to hand out a spec sheet listing minute details about the technology. You would be better served to plant a single thought in the prospect’s mind, such as “Locate your hotel in Chicago in less than 30 seconds.”
Step 4. Integrate your key messages and supporting visuals into everything you do. Everything should look as though it goes together. Simplicity is your friend. Avoid clutter to avoid making it too difficult or complicated for the attendee to understand your message.
Step 5. Once you return from the show, it’s time to follow up with your leads. One industry source indicates that up to 79 percent of all show or event leads are never followed up on. Your best chance at converting a trade show lead into a sale is in the first few days after the show. Set up a system for your marketing or sales team to sort through the leads and assign specific leads to specific team members for follow-up. You can even draft a response letter before the show begins to save time on responding to leads once you return to the office.
The next time you have an event, plan ahead and follow some simple guidelines that can lead to a successful event. If management wants to know the value of your company’s attendance, you will be better prepared to provide the answer.
Author Biography
Jim Thebeau is a partner and the director of public relations and a partner at Henry Russell Bruce, a strategic marketing firm that uses research, brand-building, advertising, public relations and Web strategies to help clients grow market share, generate new business, create brand loyalty and measure marketing results to build and support its clients’ brands. HRB, founded in 1973, has offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa. For more information, visit www.hrb-ideas.com.
Jim Thebeau
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
www.hrb-ideas.com
Sunday, December 21, 2008
TV One-On-One
My friend, Julius Hunter, a former anchor and reporter for CBS News, has written a new book in which he gives me a mention and used several of my photographs. The book, TV One-On-One, his fourth or fifth, was published in October 2008. It presents a behind-the-scenes story about some 100 interviews he did over 33 years with famous people, including Milton Berle, Colonel Sanders, Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Hoffa, Ike Turner, Barack Obama and presidents Ford, Carter, Regan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II.
My tie to Julius, and the story in his new book, was the death of Pope John Paul I and our trip to Rome in 1978 to cover the funeral and selection of a new pope for CBS News.
Hunter and I both started our journalism careers in 1970 at NBC affiliate KSD-TV in St. Louis, my home town. I was fresh out of the University of Missouri (Columbia) journalism school with a degree in broadcast journalism. I became a freshman news writer for the joint radio and TV news operation at KSD - a dream job straight out of college. And he was the first African American reporter hired by the station.
A few years later we both ended up at the CBS owned and operated station, KMOX-TV in St. Louis. It was one of five such CBS owned stations in the US. By then, Hunter was the prime anchor and I was the 6 pm news producer.
Hunter had traveled to Rome with another field producer in September 1978 to cover the death of Pope Paul VI, and to follow the St. Louis Cardinal, John Carberry, who would cast a vote for the new pope.
The new Pope, John Paul I, held the office for only 33 days before dying at the age of 66 of a heart attack.
I got the call to be the field producer for Hunter for his second trip as we went back to Rome to follow Cardinal Carberry and his peers as they selected the new Pope. It was an exciting opportunity for a 31 year old writer/producer with a three-month old daughter, Alexis, who, along with my wife, I had to leave for ten days.
Hunter's book recounts our adventures in interviewing Cardinal Carberry on tape multiple times to gain insights on his votes for the new Pope, as well as some feature stories on Rome and the locals who took full advantage of the search for a new Pope by selling all types of buttons, pins and other memorabilia commemorating the event.
It was a highlight of my journalism career to travel to Rome to cover a Pope's funeral. I documented the trip with more than 150 color slides, some of which Hunter used to illustrate his story.
On our last day in Rome, we traveled to the Colesieum and sat in about row 42 from the "stage" and chatted - Hunter, the videogapher and sound man and me. I took a bunch of photos. Only when I got home did it become obvious that not of those shots turned out because the film had not threaded properly on the take-up reel.
Hunter's book, TV One-On-One, is available from Gashouse Books. He mentioned me by name on page 238.
Jim Thebeau
jthebeua@hrb-ideas.com
www.hrb-ideas.com
My tie to Julius, and the story in his new book, was the death of Pope John Paul I and our trip to Rome in 1978 to cover the funeral and selection of a new pope for CBS News.
Hunter and I both started our journalism careers in 1970 at NBC affiliate KSD-TV in St. Louis, my home town. I was fresh out of the University of Missouri (Columbia) journalism school with a degree in broadcast journalism. I became a freshman news writer for the joint radio and TV news operation at KSD - a dream job straight out of college. And he was the first African American reporter hired by the station.
A few years later we both ended up at the CBS owned and operated station, KMOX-TV in St. Louis. It was one of five such CBS owned stations in the US. By then, Hunter was the prime anchor and I was the 6 pm news producer.
Hunter had traveled to Rome with another field producer in September 1978 to cover the death of Pope Paul VI, and to follow the St. Louis Cardinal, John Carberry, who would cast a vote for the new pope.
The new Pope, John Paul I, held the office for only 33 days before dying at the age of 66 of a heart attack.
I got the call to be the field producer for Hunter for his second trip as we went back to Rome to follow Cardinal Carberry and his peers as they selected the new Pope. It was an exciting opportunity for a 31 year old writer/producer with a three-month old daughter, Alexis, who, along with my wife, I had to leave for ten days.
Hunter's book recounts our adventures in interviewing Cardinal Carberry on tape multiple times to gain insights on his votes for the new Pope, as well as some feature stories on Rome and the locals who took full advantage of the search for a new Pope by selling all types of buttons, pins and other memorabilia commemorating the event.
It was a highlight of my journalism career to travel to Rome to cover a Pope's funeral. I documented the trip with more than 150 color slides, some of which Hunter used to illustrate his story.
On our last day in Rome, we traveled to the Colesieum and sat in about row 42 from the "stage" and chatted - Hunter, the videogapher and sound man and me. I took a bunch of photos. Only when I got home did it become obvious that not of those shots turned out because the film had not threaded properly on the take-up reel.
Hunter's book, TV One-On-One, is available from Gashouse Books. He mentioned me by name on page 238.
Jim Thebeau
jthebeua@hrb-ideas.com
www.hrb-ideas.com
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Touching Tag Line
Modern Woodmen of America
We are all part of a family! HRB used the power of family values to help Modern Woodmen of America, one of the nation’s largest fraternal financial service organizations, connect with its key audiences.
To help increase brand awareness and provide communications materials to its agents, HRB developed a tagline that spoke directly to their customer’s family values: Touching Lives. Securing Futures. From there we developed an entire campaign, incorporating TV, radio, newspaper, outdoor and magazine ads.
Did it work? A quick study six months into the campaign showed that name association by consumers had increased by 14 percent.
Jim Thebeau
We are all part of a family! HRB used the power of family values to help Modern Woodmen of America, one of the nation’s largest fraternal financial service organizations, connect with its key audiences.
To help increase brand awareness and provide communications materials to its agents, HRB developed a tagline that spoke directly to their customer’s family values: Touching Lives. Securing Futures. From there we developed an entire campaign, incorporating TV, radio, newspaper, outdoor and magazine ads.
Did it work? A quick study six months into the campaign showed that name association by consumers had increased by 14 percent.
Jim Thebeau
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Five Reasons to Work With an Agency
As information channels and screens proliferate and attention spans shrink to nanoseconds, marketers find they have to work harder to get and keep the eyes, ears and minds of their customers focused on the message.
Today, it may be all about one-to-one and relationship marketing, but if your messaging is unclear or too long, you risk losing the interest of your customers and prospects. This is the point in marketing where agencies can provide a helping hand.
Why, exactly, would you want to work with an agency? Here are a few reasons it might make sense for your company.
1. Serious agencies or marketing firms position themselves as independent, third party communications experts that are in business to solve marketing problems. Independent means they are not tied to any specific advertising or promotion media. Third party means they look at your particular marketing challenge objectively and help you solve it by finding the best message and the best way to deliver it to the target audience.
2. Agencies tend to think in ways that marketers don't. Marketers may struggle to come up with new themes, ideas and concepts to promote their products and services. While the agency staff may have produced many ideas over the years, your project is new to them and they will bring a fresh approach to the marketing problem. Outside insights can be valuable and helpful and shorten your time to roll out the concept or idea.
3. After working with dozens of clients in dozens of industries, agency professionals may actually have a very good handle (following some downloads and insights from you) on how your customers think. These creative teams have not lived with the company day and night. In a sense, they don't know too much and can bring you tantalizing concepts that cut through the clutter and deliver your precise and powerful message with impact.
4. Use an agency on a consulting basis to review your ideas, concepts and plans. You don't have to form a permanent, contractual relationship to get some great new outside thinking. Ask senior members of the agency staff for a few hours of time to discuss or review your approaches to a new marketing theme, the launch of a new product or just putting a fresh face on your marketing messages. You may come away with some valuable new ideas that will more than pay for the agency's time.
5. As the pace of business life accelerates and marketing staffs become leaner, outsourcing certain marketing tasks may actually help you get more work done. Outsourcing opportunities are especially relevant for repetitive tasks such as producing email marketing materials, Web site optimization, newsletters, direct mail and collateral. Though the agency professionals may never know as much as you do about your company and its products, they can take on recurring tasks and make sure they are done on time and on budget - letting you focus on your larger, primary marketing objectives.
Don't be afraid to contact an agency and talk with principals or senior staffers about your marketing challenges. Most agencies or marketing firms do not charge for one or two meetings with your team to get a download on the issues or challenges you face. And, most provide detailed estimates or proposals that marketers must sign before any work begins. Legitimate agencies are always willing to discuss timelines, deliverables and billings at any time. If you don't see details you want in the estimates or proposals, ask the agency to add them before you sign off. Don't work with an agency without signed estimates and timelines so you can avoid performance issues later.
Jim Thebeau
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
www.hrb-ideas.com
319-298-0242
Today, it may be all about one-to-one and relationship marketing, but if your messaging is unclear or too long, you risk losing the interest of your customers and prospects. This is the point in marketing where agencies can provide a helping hand.
Why, exactly, would you want to work with an agency? Here are a few reasons it might make sense for your company.
1. Serious agencies or marketing firms position themselves as independent, third party communications experts that are in business to solve marketing problems. Independent means they are not tied to any specific advertising or promotion media. Third party means they look at your particular marketing challenge objectively and help you solve it by finding the best message and the best way to deliver it to the target audience.
2. Agencies tend to think in ways that marketers don't. Marketers may struggle to come up with new themes, ideas and concepts to promote their products and services. While the agency staff may have produced many ideas over the years, your project is new to them and they will bring a fresh approach to the marketing problem. Outside insights can be valuable and helpful and shorten your time to roll out the concept or idea.
3. After working with dozens of clients in dozens of industries, agency professionals may actually have a very good handle (following some downloads and insights from you) on how your customers think. These creative teams have not lived with the company day and night. In a sense, they don't know too much and can bring you tantalizing concepts that cut through the clutter and deliver your precise and powerful message with impact.
4. Use an agency on a consulting basis to review your ideas, concepts and plans. You don't have to form a permanent, contractual relationship to get some great new outside thinking. Ask senior members of the agency staff for a few hours of time to discuss or review your approaches to a new marketing theme, the launch of a new product or just putting a fresh face on your marketing messages. You may come away with some valuable new ideas that will more than pay for the agency's time.
5. As the pace of business life accelerates and marketing staffs become leaner, outsourcing certain marketing tasks may actually help you get more work done. Outsourcing opportunities are especially relevant for repetitive tasks such as producing email marketing materials, Web site optimization, newsletters, direct mail and collateral. Though the agency professionals may never know as much as you do about your company and its products, they can take on recurring tasks and make sure they are done on time and on budget - letting you focus on your larger, primary marketing objectives.
Don't be afraid to contact an agency and talk with principals or senior staffers about your marketing challenges. Most agencies or marketing firms do not charge for one or two meetings with your team to get a download on the issues or challenges you face. And, most provide detailed estimates or proposals that marketers must sign before any work begins. Legitimate agencies are always willing to discuss timelines, deliverables and billings at any time. If you don't see details you want in the estimates or proposals, ask the agency to add them before you sign off. Don't work with an agency without signed estimates and timelines so you can avoid performance issues later.
Jim Thebeau
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com
www.hrb-ideas.com
319-298-0242
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