Quirk's Blog

Grammy survey hit a few sour notes

Posted on 02/20/2012 by Joe Rydholm

So, last week I received a quick mobile survey asking me about the Grammy Awards. The first question asked me if I watched the show. Yes, all of it; yes, part of it; or no were my choices. I did not watch it and so I answered accordingly.

After gauging my opinion of Lady Gaga’s outfit (which I of course didn’t see, since I didn’t watch the show, but at least the survey showed me a picture so I could form an opinion) the next question asked me which of the performances I particularly enjoyed, from a list of about 20 acts. Since I had not watched the show, I scrolled to the bottom of the list, assuming a “did not watch the show” answer option would eventually appear. None did. Thinking perhaps that choosing no answer could fulfill the same function, I tried to move on to the next question. A cheerful-seeming message popped up on my screen: “Ooops [sic] . . . Looks like you forgot to fill out a necessary field. Please go back and fill out the highlighted areas.”

Er, no, looks like YOU forgot to give me the chance to indicate that I didn’t see any of the performances. Plus YOU also seem to have forgotten some of the necessary rules of survey design, such as, after the respondent indicates he or she has not done something or seen something, don’t then ask them for their reaction to it! And, after you incorrectly program your questions, don’t place the blame on the respondent for trying to find some way to work around your mistake!

Many researchers view mobile interviewing as the next great research frontier to explore but if we don’t avoid mistakes like these, respondents won’t be coming along on the journey with us.

Posted in Marketing Best Practices, Mobile Interviewing, Quantitative Research | Comment

Instincts and industry: Is it ever OK to go with your gut?

Posted on 02/16/2012 by Emily Goon

The annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York draws to a close today and while I have no real reason to pay close attention, it’s always fun to see how the styles change; get a first look at what trends I can expect to see more of in the upcoming seasons; and of course ogle all the beautiful and shiny things that I will never own.

When I see stills or clips from the shows, mostly I vacillate between thoughts of “How did they come up with that?!” and “Who thought that was a good idea?!”

This year I was reminded of an Ad Age article by Rupal Parekh on December 9, 2011 that quoted Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour telling CBS News, “I don’t really follow market research and in the end I do respond to my own instincts.”

I think most people would agree that haute couture and the looks featured on the runway and in Vogue typically aren’t meant for everyday wear but surely marketing research has its place even in artful industries, no?

For those who are expected to set the trends – not follow them – how are decisions made? On the whims of designers and chief innovation officers and their teams of yes-men? Or are they guided by research? What kinds of research and people-watching are best-suited for ahead-of-the-curve decisions? Without research, do decision makers run the risk of alienating the general public or missing the mark entirely? Are those missteps more easily forgiven and forgotten in “creative” fields?

Clearly Anna Wintour has some good instincts, as proven by Vogue’s success in her 24 years at the helm, but not everyone is as lucky. Have you ever ignored the research and followed your instincts? Were the results favorable or disastrous? How do you know when is the right time to go with your gut?

Posted in Brand and Image Research, Consumer Research | Comment

Consumers view giving feedback as part of their job

Posted on 02/09/2012 by Quirk's Staff

A Consumer Pulse study of over 1,400 U.S. consumers conducted by Boston researcher Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB) and Denver-based iModerate Research Technologies looked at why customers complete customer satisfaction surveys and what they expect from companies and brands in return.

The study found customers give feedback as part of their “job” as a consumer, with 57 percent saying they do so to help improve the company. And customers don’t see themselves as passive but rather as empowered, active participants in helping companies improve how they do business.

When customers do have a negative experience they expect feedback or a response from the company and most often this is not what they receive. The research shows that only 35 percent of consumers recall getting a response from a company the last time they shared a negative experience.

“Customer satisfaction research is about much more than the data you get back. It’s about the opportunity to engage and often recover your customers after a bad experience,” said Jeff McKenna, senior consultant at Chadwick Martin Bailey, in a press release. “Most companies asking customers about a recent experience don’t take advantage of this opportunity to turn a service failure around. There is a real disconnect between the research and the action that needs to be taken; closing the door before closing the loop is a missed opportunity.”

The desire to help companies improve, and widespread dissatisfaction with companies’ response were also two common themes in iModerate’s one-on-one conversations with 21 Americans over age 18. In the words of respondents:

“The hope for change is definitely a motivator; I would not want someone else to have a bad experience.” – female, 25 to 29

“If the business wants to know how they are doing for their customers, then it is good to help them by giving them feedback, whether positive or negative. And that makes you feel like perhaps you have helped them.” – male, 40 to 44

“If they’re going to respond, I’d like it to be specific enough that it looks like a person read my comments and is responding to what I said. Not just a ‘thank you, have a nice day’ kind of response.” – female, 45 to 49

The positive news for companies is that half of customers complete satisfaction surveys to share a good experience, versus 35 percent who do so to register a complaint against the company. When companies respond personally, they have a chance to reconnect and deepen their relationship with their customers.

This study was done as part of Chadwick Martin Bailey’s self-funded CMB Consumer Pulse program. A report with additional findings from this study is available as a free download. Data was collected from 1,481 adults (aged 18 and over) via a nationally representative online survey questionnaire within the U.S. by Chadwick Martin Bailey in October of 2011. In addition, iModerate Research Technologies conducted one-on-one online conversations to gain a deeper understanding of what motivates consumers to participate in customer satisfaction surveys.

Posted in Consumer Research, Customer Satisfaction, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research | Comment

Following up: Customer-sat survey addresses employee-coaching problem

Posted on 02/08/2012 by Emily Goon

A popular topic on this blog over the past year has been customer satisfaction surveys and their accompanying issues. Among these is the issue of employee involvement, when workers inform a customer about a survey. Whether it’s a cashier reminding the customer that the company “strives for fives” or a car salesman stating that his bonus depends on top-box scores, the integrity of the survey risks being compromised if there is even the slightest prodding or coaching.

It’s a much-discussed subject and it seems that researchers – and their clients – have taken note.

I recently filled out an online customer satisfaction survey for a national retailer to receive a discount on my next purchase. Near the end of the survey, after asking if a sales associate had alerted me to the survey (one had), the next question was this:

Did an associate ask you to respond to this survey in a specific way?

Color me shocked! It was the first time I’d seen a question like this. After speaking with a few of my colleagues, I learned that other companies have also recently hopped on the protecting-data-quality bandwagon.

I have to say, it’s a delight to know that, through whatever means, the concerns of researchers and survey-takers are being heard and acted upon. After all, it’s all in the name of better data and happier respondents.

Have you seen similar questions in recent surveys? What other questions and safeguards could be put in place to help the cause?

Posted in Customer Satisfaction, Marketing Best Practices, Quantitative Research, Research Industry Trends, Survey Development | Comment

Is a two-question survey still a survey?

Posted on 02/06/2012 by Steve Quirk

In the last month, I took both of my cars to the dealer for regular service. For my Mercedes, I waited in their lobby while the car was serviced. I was offered gourmet coffee and cookies and was able to use their free Wi-Fi. At the Ford dealer, the work was going to take longer, so I was offered a free loaner for the day. While waiting for the loaner I sat in their lobby. They offered free soda and cookies.

In both cases the cars were finished when promised and all repairs were completed with no issues. In my mind both service experiences were equal. It’s the post-service surveys that set the dealers apart.

A day after the service at Ford, I began to receive a daily e-mail asking me to complete their customer satisfaction survey. I put it off for a few days, knowing it would take a few of my precious minutes, but I finally got around to it. It was a typical survey, asking me about topics such as: the ease of making the appointment; the friendliness of the service adviser; the cleanliness of the facility; the quality of the service adviser’s communication skills; was the car ready when promised? In all, the survey took about seven minutes.

A day after I took the Ford survey, I received a call from the Mercedes dealer for their customer satisfaction survey. The woman on the phone asked just two questions: Was the work done to my satisfaction? Would I return for future service? My answer to both was yes. The survey took 15 seconds.

I was surprised at how brief the Mercedes survey was, but after thinking about it, I liked it. It was short and to-the-point. If I had had a problem, I would have let her know or I would have called the dealer earlier.

While I realize that Ford collected much more data and used well-established techniques, is the conclusion not the same from both surveys? One satisfied customer, who will return for service.

My experience with these surveys also raised these questions:

  • Should Ford do a shorter survey, or does the amount of information it gleans from its survey justify the time and effort it asks of its customers to take it?
  • Does Mercedes not ask as many questions because, as a luxury automaker, it is required to have higher service standards than other automakers?
  • Did the Mercedes dealer really capture all of the data it needed?


What are your thoughts on the merits of the two-question satisfaction survey?

Posted in Consumer Research, Customer Satisfaction, Data Collection/Field Services, Interviewing | 5 Comments

Big Data? C-suiters don’t know what to do with it

Posted on 01/30/2012 by Quirk's Staff

A survey of C-level business executives in the United States and Europe found that 62 percent don’t have a strategy for effectively using the customer-originated data flowing through their networks. The survey, conducted by Coleman Parkes Research for Opus Research and sponsored by Empirix, was based on conversations with 200 executives.

As businesses migrate to multichannel, multimodal strategies for communicating with customers, using Web, phone and social media channels, these efforts place unprecedented strains on a network’s infrastructure. They also generate huge streams of data that contain valuable insight into customer activity and preferences. But only 38 percent of respondents believe they are in a position to make the most of the data generated by customers and prospects with their current systems.

“Use of mobile devices and social media is creating voluminous amounts of personal data which executives regard as an underutilized asset, especially when it comes to real-time interaction and e-commerce,” said Dan Miller, senior analyst, Opus Research, in a press release. “The wealth of customer-originated information can help companies achieve stronger customer loyalty and better market position; however, our research shows that most C-level executives lack confidence in their companies making the most of the data. They are familiar with social CRM and ‘Big Data,’ yet many are only beginning to craft a strategy for staffing and investing in IT infrastructure to closely link personal information, network data and metadata to offer better customer service, support loyalty programs or influence product development and refinement.”

Additional findings from the survey include:

• The need for more mobile strategies – Approximately 60 percent of executives stated they did not have a strategy in place to manage network data from mobile users. Only 17 percent of executives who have a strategy in place to leverage the data thought it to be effective.

• Thirty-nine percent of respondents stated they rarely use data since they lack the support to efficiently sift through it to make it more meaningful.

• Europe and U.S. differences – Less than 50 percent of executives in Europe believe their IT departments can handle the surge of data, while two-thirds of U.S. executives are confident their IT departments are prepared. And U.S. executives are more apt to use information to influence company activities, including creating efficiencies or designing new products.

A white paper on the study is available here (registration required).

Posted in Customer Satisfaction, Quantitative Research, Social Media and Marketing Research, The Business of Research | Comment

Maybe Jack Bauer will save the (marketing) world after all

Posted on 01/23/2012 by Joe Rydholm

Fascinating AdAge MediaWorks article on Kiefer Sutherland’s upcoming Fox series Touch, which will simultaneously launch in March in more than 100 countries fueled by a massive global marketing effort from Unilever.

The mind boggles at the work that must have gone into the project, from the ad buys to the dubbing of the dialogue. As the article notes:

Unilever’s media buy for the show will encompass Europe, Asia, Latin America and the U.S. Touch will appear in more than 160 markets, on such outlets as Global Television in Canada, Sky 1 in the U.K., ProSieben in Germany, Yes TV in Israel and Channel One in Russia. Fox International Channels is launching Touch in 64 countries throughout Latin America, Asia and Europe.

Obviously, few entities could easily mount similar projects in the near future. But now that the template has been made, it’s easy to imagine future endeavors that link hit shows, global brands and worldwide audiences in ways that could transform (and revitalize) the rapidly fragmenting media and marketing landscapes.

Posted in Advertising Research, Brand and Image Research, International Research | Comment

JCPenney learns to play the Google way

Posted on 01/18/2012 by Emily Goon

In the vast expanse of Internet acronyms, SEO is king. Many companies have a dedicated SEO specialist, have hired SEO consultants or are at least doing their part to boost their rankings. After all, it’s Google’s world – we’re just living in it!

Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut to SEO domination, which retailer JCPenney learned the hard way in 2011. According to a press release from Kenneth C. Wisnefski of SEO company WebiMax, Google flagged JCPenney in February 2011 for violating Google’s search algorithms by using a paid-link strategy that helped their search engine rankings. This, however, was identified by Google and JCPenney’s links were booted to the last page of search results for their respective keywords.

Ouch.

To help repair some of the damage done in 2011, JCPenney executives have announced plans to roll out a new marketing plan next month. No specifics have been shared other than JCPenney plans to overhaul of the product lines it sells and introduce new pricing.

In its December 2011 search engine market share report, Reston, Va., research company comScore Inc. noted that over 12 billion searches were conducted in November alone. Although November represents the onset for the holiday shopping season, these numbers stay +/- 5 percent throughout the year. Last year, Google released data indicating 90 percent of consumers conduct online research when buying goods and services.

Given these circumstances, is it possible that Google can control a company’s future online? Does SEO dictate the course of a marketing campaign? Should it? Are marketers compromising brand and creative integrity to toe the Google line? Is it worth it? How will SEO impact marketing research? Could researchers help find a balance using all the necessary keywords while still communicating a meaningful marketing message?

Posted in Research Industry Trends | Comment

Paper calls for packaging to lead patient adherence

Posted on 01/16/2012 by Joe Rydholm

European associations NVC Netherlands Packaging Centre and HCPC Europe have released an interesting position paper that calls for more marketing research on the potential role of packaging in improving patient adherence.

A few highlights…

The last point of contact between the patient and the health care providers is not the
dispensing pharmacist but the pharmaceutical packaging. The packaging can represent
a huge barrier when the patient/consumer arrives home and opens it, but at the same
time packaging may significantly contribute to the improvement of patient adherence in
medicine, for instance through communication and the use of intelligent packaging.
Concordance is the base for compliance, adherence and persistence. It is therefore
essential that patients get positive information about their treatment to achieve the
level of understanding of their condition which leads to concordance. This information
can be provided by a number of means, packaging being one of them.

A number of success factors for using packaging have been identified to improve patient
adherence.
- Take point-of-consumption as starting point for packaging design.
- Apply available and possible newly developed communicative and behavioral
insights into packaging.
- Use packaging to facilitate and stimulate positive feedback loops between patient
and health care providers.

The paper suggests necessary actions from various players:

• The pharmaceutical industry should direct basic research funding to innovative packaging concepts.

• Packaging designers and suppliers must develop and adapt technologies used in other packaging areas (such as consumer packaging) to benefit health care packaging.

• Health care (co)financing organizations should investigate and discover clear cost-benefit analyses of improving packaging and governmental organizations should facilitate experiments to test actually doing so.

Posted in Health Care Research, Packaging Research, Pharmaceutical Research | Comment

Tell us your research conference plans for 2012!

Posted on 01/10/2012 by Emily Goon

Most researchers would agree that attending trade shows and conferences is an important part of the profession – to get educated, to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry, to meet your peers and to build the foundation for future business relationships. As an editor, I also go hoping to scare up a story idea or 10!

Quirk’s keeps track of most industry goings-on in our online event calendar (quirks.com/events) but with myriad events from Shanghai to Miami, each with its own specialty, it can be hard to decide where our travel dollars will be best spent!

At Quirk’s we have our go-to shows that we can usually be counted on to attend but we want to know: What are your favorite industry shows and conferences to attend? Which shows stood out in 2011? What did you like about them? Which shows could use some improvement? What topics are overdone and what would you like to see more of? Which shows will you be sure not to miss in 2012? And don’t forget to tell us why!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment