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Archive for the ‘Market Monitoring / Tracking’ CategoryCustomer Satisfaction on the WaneTuesday, December 16th, 2008
A small third-quarter deterioration (0.1%) in aggregate customer satisfaction continues a decline that began in 2007, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) The ACSI is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States, which is updated quarterly. The recently-reported decline in buyer satisfaction has precipitated a softening of consumer demand, with household spending actually falling in the third quarter for the first time in 17 years. Yet in spite of the overall fall, a lot of companies have actually been working hard to improve their customer relationships. Professor Claes Fornell, who is the founder of the ACSI and author of The Satisfied Customer notes: For individual companies, customer satisfaction actually matters even more in a recession. Now is the time to make sure customers don’t leave and that margins don’t evaporate. Firms without strongly satisfied customers will face a very difficult challenge. To find out more about how B2B International can help you to measure and improve your customer satisfaction levels, click here. US Beer Sales Far From FlatWednesday, September 24th, 2008
As one of the principal b-to-b markets we research, how is the drinks industry faring in these troubled times? Well, since you ask, pretty well indeed! Whilst other sectors may be reporting tough trading conditions, it would appear that business is better than ever for beverage manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. One of the possible reasons for this is that whilst consumers are cutting back on the number of meals out they eat, they are instead opting for cooking at home accompanied by an alcoholic beverage or two.  Similarly, when consumers do venture out, they seem to be cutting back on more expensive tipples such as cocktails in favor of a cold beer. According to a recent survey by the Beer Institute trade group: More than 16 million barrels of domestic beer were sold in the United States in July, and annual sales through that month are up 1.4 percent, the largest increase since 1990, when the economy was headed toward a recession. A mature industry, with around $50 billion in annual sales, beer is America’s favorite alcoholic drink, with more than half the available market share. However, trade groups for the liquor and wine industries have reported similar increases in consumption so, all in all, things are looking good for the US drinks sector. To read more about this industry trend, please click here. 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. Opportunities In BloggingTuesday, May 22nd, 2007
The B2B Blog has been live for around 18 months now. Although many blogs have been around a lot longer, it is the past 2 years that have seen the biggest increase in the number of blogs, as web 2.0 grows at a phenomenal rate. This article from Research World magazine, written by Poornima Vijayan, looks at different types of blogs that are out their.
Market Research: Listen & LearnFriday, February 23rd, 2007  Standing still has never been an option. In fact, standing still, in today’s business environment means going backwards. Here is an essential toolkit for you to stay ahead… This chapter is excerpted from Harvard Business Essentials: Marketer’s Toolkit. This chapter assesses both informal and formal methods of market research and asserts that experienced marketers will use both. Decision makers who listen directly to dissatisfied or lapsed customers and pair those conversations with formal data will develop a more visceral idea of what their customers seek, resulting in more dynamic marketing campaigns. Click here to read the full chapter. |
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