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Archive for the ‘Market Research USA’ Category« Previous Entries Next Entries »Top US BrandsTuesday, February 10th, 2009
The most valuable retail brand in the United States has been revealed in a report just released by Interbrand. Walmart took the top spot by a huge margin, followed by Best Buy, Home Depot, Target and CVS. With a brand value of $129 billion, Walmart – which has made a concerted effort over recent years to understand its consumer base and has carved out a niche for value-driven shoppers – is, in fact, the most valuable retail brand in the world. The study also reveals that brand now accounts for 25% of the decision to shop at a particular store, so those who are prospering are the ones who understand the importance of their brand. In a recession, retailers who have a clear, well-positioned brand have a better chance of keeping their existing customers and enticing others away from their competitors. The key to a successful brand is to be able to adapt to the changing economy, yet continue to engage and deliver a unique experience to the consumer. A renewed focus on brand at this time will help companies to continue through the difficult days ahead. Further Expansion By B2B InternationalThursday, February 5th, 2009
Against current predictions of economic doom and gloom, B2B International shows signs of growth. At its UK head office in Bramhall, Manchester, the company has taken more floor space to accommodate new research executives, a larger in-house phone unit and expanded medical and educational research divisions. With a growing client base and a doubling in the number of staff at its Beijing office since opening in December 2006, B2B International in China has outgrown its original office space and will move to larger premises this spring. The North American operation, launched in June 2008, operates from a new office suite in White Plains, New York, and to date has amassed a turnover of nearly $1 million. B2B International provides a complete b2b research offering, with particular expertise in the fields of public and private sector research including chemicals, oil and gas, engineering, automotive, professional services, food and beverage and pharmaceutical. Each office has strong multi-lingual teams for undertaking projects throughout the world. An Economic Strategy For America And For BusinessMonday, November 17th, 2008
In a recent article in BUSINESSWEEK, the Harvard Business School guru on competitive strategy, Michael E. Porter, gave his view on why America needs an economic strategy. His article offers useful insights on the determinants of long-term prosperity for the United States and from this we can pick out many aspects that are pertinent to the long-term growth of business. We have extracted some of the key points and linked them to a business perspective:
To read the article, please click here. The Biggest Survey On The PlanetFriday, November 7th, 2008
In a topical Thursday Night Insight blog post, Caroline Harrison reflects on why this week’s American elections have resonance for marketers and market researchers everywhere. It probably hasn’t escaped your notice that the U.S. presidential elections took place earlier this week. Throughout Tuesday evening and into the early hours of Wednesday morning, the results from all 50 states, from the east coast of America to the west, trickled in to news networks and media broadcasting stations across the U.S.A. As I watched the drama unfold live on TV, it got me thinking. The election in the United States is arguably one of the biggest, most important, and eagerly anticipated ‘surveys’ on the planet. Yet there are certainly some parallels to be drawn between this kind of poll and the surveys we carry out for our clients. The first thing that struck me was the amount of detailed statistics available for analysis. Just a quick look at the exit polls conducted by CNN for New York state show the predicted voting behavior of so many different segments of society: you can study the trends by sex, race, age, income, education, political persuasion, or indeed any combination of these factors. Of course, similar statistics – and more besides – can be analyzed for every American state. Obviously it’s no secret that businesses – whatever their size and whatever their industry – are continually looking to understand buyer behavior; that is to say, what motivates consumers in their choices and their actions. Most organizations aim to segment the whole potential market into groups of like-minded individuals, one or more of which will form their core customer base. Only by doing this can they develop a clear strategy to meet the needs of the target market(s) they decide to serve. In much the same way, politicians know that they will never be able to appeal to all the different sections of society, many of which will have diverging or even conflicting values and opinions. Yet political parties recognize that they must try to understand how these groups differ, and assess the value they place on different aspects of a politician’s ‘offering’. Like companies, they can then try to satisfy needs and/or improve their current offering. With this in mind, a phenomenal amount of time, effort and money has been spent by the candidates over recent months and years to find out what their ‘customers’ want. Even more time, effort and money has then been spent in communicating and promoting how they will be able to provide better solutions than their competitors. Yet the same rules apply to politicians as corporations. By all means find out what people want so you can serve them better. Just beware of making promises you can’t keep. When in doubt, ask your customersFriday, October 3rd, 2008
Companies try many different marketing tools and techniques in their quest to increase sales. Caroline Harrison has recently noticed a particularly unusual promotion offered by one of America’s leading toothpaste brands. I’d like to make it clear from the start that there is more to my life than watching TV. Please don’t read too much into the fact that, for the second time in a month, I am writing a Thursday Night Insight article about a commercial I have seen on TV! However, once again a television advertisement caught my attention. The commercial in question was for Crest’s Whitening Expressions toothpaste. In it, Celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse is seen filming a commercial to promote the fourth and newest product in this toothpaste range. Whilst cleaning his teeth, he is so impressed by the bold flavor that he feels obliged to repeat his favorite catch phrase bam!” At this point, I have to say I was fairly unimpressed by the advert, not finding it the slightest bit amusing. Lagasse, however, was clearly struggling with the exclamation bam!” It just wouldn’t suffice; it simply wasn’t powerful enough to convey what he was feeling as he brushed his teeth with Whitening Expressions. When the director shouts cut” and they begin to discuss how the shoot is progressing, Lagasse explains his conundrum: This new product might be bigger than bam!” What could be bigger than bam?” asks an astonished assistant. Lagasse’s response: I dunno. Let’s ask America” And here we come to the part where I really started to pay attention. Because the advert ends with an invitation for the Great American Public to submit its own suggestions for a brand tagline. From September 15 through October 17, consumers can upload their suggestion on video to the YouTube website, capturing, in 10 words or less, what they feel to be the essence of this brand. Clever, huh? From the public’s point of view, there’s a real incentive to take part. An incentive in the shape of $5,000, a trip to New York City, and the chance to see your winning idea become a reality in a TV commercial. And those lazy Crest marketing executives? Well, they can just sit back, relax, and wait for the good ideas to come flooding in. America will come up with an ingenious, inspired, and creative strapline, and they won’t have to tax their brains or lift a finger. Of course, I realize that it’s not really as simple as that. Obviously a great deal of thought, discussion, hard work, and money has already gone into this campaign. What’s more, those cunning folk at Crest are actually employing some of the golden rules of marketing:
By using the YouTube website, the marketing team behind Crest is potentially appealing to a whole new group of purchasers. But by doing this, will they alienate their older, more established, or less technology-savvy customers? Maybe they will a little, but I doubt it will have much of a negative effect. Whilst the campaign may not be to everyone’s taste, I think those consumers who buy this brand of toothpaste week-in, week-out would be unlikely to stop because of this commercial. Any who do cease, will, I suspect, be far outnumbered by those who decide to give it a try for a once. As for those toothpaste purchasers who are not brand loyal and who switch between a number of different products depending on special offers, current promotions and the like – well I would hazard a guess that some may be tempted to buy Crest this week on the back of the hype and publicity surrounding this campaign. Of course, Procter & Gamble who manufactures Crest is not the first corporation to use the idea of a competition as a promotional tool, but it is still a fairly unusual and unique concept. What’s more, as technology advances and companies seek more creative and innovative ways to market their offerings, I feel pretty sure we’re only going to see more of this type of campaign. If you want to stand a chance of winning, click here to check the competition rules and find out how to submit your entry. Good luck! « Previous Entries Next Entries » |
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