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Archive for the ‘Industrial Research’ Category« Previous Entries Next Entries »Why Go Stateside? What B2B International Can Offer America (2/2)Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
B2B International’s latest office is about to open in New York, USA. At a time when all talk in the media is of a stuttering US – and indeed worldwide – economy, why are we heading Stateside now? As detailed in yesterday’s blog post, UK-based business-to-business market research expert B2B International opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in China in 2006. This came about on the back of massive demand from clients to find out more about the opportunities offered by Asia-Pacific markets. Yet, interest in European and American markets has never been stronger for us. In particular, both the market research we conduct into North America and that carried out on behalf of our US clients, continue to be hugely important. In 2006, the overall global market for market research was worth £12 billion. Over a third of this was generated in North America (source: ESOMAR Industry Report 2007). ESOMAR describes the North American market research industry as “a model of resilience and reinvention”, for turnover has increased year on year. The USA is, of course, the hub for many global corporations. In spite of current technologies enabling people in all continents of the world to communicate in real time, ‘local’ research agencies have a distinct advantage through their understanding of local markets, their ability to speak the right language and their presence within the same or similar time zones. Through opening an office on the continent, B2B International’s multi-lingual team will be on hand to better serve North, Central and South American clients. We have previously worked for a number of the top 50 companies in the USA (as ranked by sales), and many of the biggest companies in the US operate in sectors in which we have great experience – in particular the oil & gas, chemicals, IT, and pharmaceuticals & healthcare industries. With the global sector expertise we will be bringing with us, our New York office will meet the needs of not only our existing clients but also other organizations – whether multinational, national or local – across many industrial sectors. The Challenge of REACHFriday, April 25th, 2008
In his first Thursday Night Insight post, research executive Russell Clarke assesses the challenges brought about by the new REACH legislation. In business-to-business market research, we need to have a thorough understanding of the challenges that are faced by our clients and their respective industries. Being profitable, building customer relationships and raising awareness of the brand are regular challenges for all companies. Every so often, however, an industry faces a new challenge that has a major impact on every aspect of its business. The new REACH EU legislation is a perfect example of this. REACH (or Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) is a new system for controlling chemicals within Europe. The legislation aims to provide detailed information on potentially harmful chemicals throughout the supply chain. It potentially affects any company which is importing a substance into the EU on its own, in a mixture, or in a finished manufactured product on or above 1 tonne per year. This simple fact means that a huge proportion of the industrial market is affected. Under this legislation, companies must provide a revised Safety Data Sheet for each "substance" and register this with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). An outline of these costs that was released in December 2007 indicates that registration will cost up to €31,000 for each individual substance. Registration will be phased in over a period of 11 years. Whilst there are discounts available for companies wishing to submit joint applications and for SMEs, it is clear that this will be an expensive exercise for all concerned. When you take into consideration the range of products manufactured or supplied by the large organisations within the chemicals industry, you start to see the kind of resources that will be required to comply with REACH. Aside from the technical and administrative implications, a great many businesses will also be considering the ramifications this legislation will have on their supply-chain and on their customers. For further information on the REACH legislation the following websites may be useful: Differentiation Through Being GreenFriday, February 22nd, 2008
In the first of a new series of posts from the researchers at B2B International, director Nick Hague looks at how b2b companies can make a greater play of their environmental credentials, and set themselves apart from their competition. For the last 10 years a lot of the market research projects we have carried out have been in commodity markets e.g. chemicals, gases, additives, power, paper. All these products are undifferentiated, even though their corporate positions are not. There is no doubting that differentiation, of either a product or service, is a source of competitive advantage. As the product becomes more different, categorization becomes more difficult and hence draws fewer comparisons with its competition. This therefore allows you to up-sell your product and not compete primarily on price (as is the usual trap for the average salesman). The huge opportunity to create a special position in any market is through marketing. A distinctive position is highly desirable as it creates a customer value position at a high level that puts a supplier into the “consideration set? – the shortlist of companies or brands that are considered as a possible supplier. There can be few people who remain unconvinced of the need to reduce our harmful impact on the environment. Until a few years ago the environment was a small dot on the radar screen. Today that dot has grown in size and influence and is becoming an increasing necessity to prove when pitching for new clients, sourcing suppliers or selling to customers. "Green" claims are not uncommon in today’s consumer markets, but within business to business markets this is untapped territory with no immediate companies that spring to mind having sought this position. Sustainability and the environmental friendliness of b2b companies is destined to grow much more in the years to come. Whoever can build a unique and strong position, taking the environmental high ground in a particular market will definitely differentiate themselves. However, don’t fly the green flag just because it is fashionable. All initiatives and statements need to be substantiated and not just used as another marketing tool. In other words, greenwashing (misleading customers about a company’s environmental practices) should be avoided. Green policies and practice need to be treated with the seriousness the issue deserves. For more information on product differentiation, have a look at the following links: A Stanley Tool Found in Nearly Every Tradesman’s BagWednesday, November 21st, 2007
A new study by B2B International for Stanley Tools examines the use of certain hand tools within various trades, how tradespeople choose tools and what features they look for. The Importance of Brand Quality and robustness are the key requisites for tradesmen when purchasing hand tools but equally, how the tool feels when held is of equal importance – for instance, the weight for hammers, and comfort for knives and screwdrivers. Brand and perceived performance are also important drivers that impact on the purchasing decision, but this is dependent on the value of the hand tools. When it comes to replacing old favourites, lower value tools such as saws and tape measures are replaced most frequently (every 3-6 months), whereas higher value tools such as hammers and spirit levels are only replaced every 2-3 years. For these items, brand plays a large part in the purchasing decision. The Strength of Stanley The Stanley brand is over 160 years old and still has a DNA that reflects its origins. Measuring and hand tools were some of the earliest products made by Stanley and they are an important feature of the company’s portfolio today. Since its formation, the Stanley brand has been synonymous with quality tools (and the ubiquitous Stanley knife), so it is no surprise to find that they are still the preferred choice for knives, tape measures and screwdrivers. For many years, Stanley’s competitors have concentrated on specialist tools for the trade; e.g. Estwing for hammers and Stabila for spirit levels. However, with Stanley’s recent brand marketing offensive via their Fatmax range, we have seen Stanley closing the gap on tools such as saws, spirit levels and hammers. B2B International Director Nick Hague was in charge of the research and was impressed with the brand infiltration of Stanley:
After one and a half centuries in the marketplace, and with younger tradesmen continuing to choose Stanley tools, the brand seems to be going from strength to strength. Online Leadership Portal – Part 2 of 2Monday, September 24th, 2007
Online resources for leadership Key words and phrases used on the various sites reflected these differences. Website buzz words amongst SMEs were development, entrepreneur, business planning and advice; for corporates it was challenge, innovative, best practice and cutting edge; words such as innovative, community and good practice were common on public sector sites; and the voluntary sector used development, support, improve and understand. The layout and aesthetics of websites also varied: conservative and professional for the private sector, plain and dull for SMEs, happy and inviting for the voluntary sector, and old fashioned and cluttered for the public sector. Having researched what was out there online, focus groups were undertaken to gauge interest in online resources: people from corporates showed most interest in using online resources on leadership; in the public sector there was a tendency to use formal academic programmes for leadership training; the concept of leadership appears newer to the voluntary sector; SMEs are least likely to engage with leadership issues as they are more focussed on management and keeping up-to-date with regulations; students see a strong role for web resources though they expect sophisticated use of technology. Forum respondents were asked what would make them use an online resource: • functionality – such that the site was easy to use, site search is essential, good navigation links, personalisation All this feedback collected by B2B was able to provide decision-making information for the NLA who then advised designers of the online portal so as to be able to embrace these opinions and also respond to the different requirements. The future Thoughts on the site in the future focussed on a platform portal with self-selecting sector options. Ideas include: • more bespoke solutions tailored to the needs of specific users or sectors B2B director Carol-Ann Morgan is manager of the research. She believes that the NLA site is the only one that addresses all business/industry sectors and can also engage all levels of management from shop floor to boardroom. “This site pulls all the different elements together as one complete resource. It is easy to use, when and where the individual wants. It allows ideas, best practice, information and leadership advice to be shared for the benefit of all and it encourages individual and cross-sector networking. In fact, it does what it set out to do, ie promote distributed leadership.” About The Northern leadership Academy – www.northernleadershipacademy.co.uk. The NLA’s interactive leadership portal has been developed to help individuals and organisations based in the North improve their leadership skills through a raft of specialist content and interactive resources. Once registered, individuals can create personal profiles and engage in peer-to-peer networking, access a comprehensive directory of leadership resources, have the opportunity to participate in e-learning courses and sign-up to highly rated personal development programmes such as ‘Windmills’ and Harvard’s ‘Manage Mentor’. The portal hosts a series of industry-specific channels for those working in the private, public, community and voluntary sectors. Managed by industry professionals, these channels offer dedicated forums, discussion areas, audio-visual tools, event calendars and other content specific to these sectors. « Previous Entries Next Entries » |
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