Archive for the ‘Nick Hague’ Category

« Previous Entries  

B2B International Set To Launch Consumer Market Research Agency

Deep See is a new consumer market research and intelligence company – from the stable of business-to-business specialist, B2B International

There are lots of consumer market research companies out there, so why choose Deep See? As the name suggests, Deep See promises to go to great depths to get to the bottom of what customers really think.

London-based Deep See is due to launch early April, and is headed up by Matt Powell. Powell is confident there is room in the marketplace for Deep See and relishes working on projects which will test products, seek opinions, probe customer satisfaction, assess markets and develop pricing strategies.

B2B International, as a leading specialist business-to-business market research consultancy, has launched Deep See to establish a foothold in the wider consumer arena and to meet increasing client demand to research the whole b2b2c value chain. By using B2B International’s established global network of offices, plus researchers and fieldworkers who converse in every language imaginable, Deep See sets out to reach anyone anywhere.

It is this international scope combined with the ability and knowledge to conduct research with all aspects of a company (from internal stake holders, through to distributors, through to consumers) that Deep See believes will differentiate it from other research agencies.

Some of the services that Deep See will offer include customer journey mapping, social media research, web site benchmarking, and customer segmentation. The former identifies each interaction that the customer encounters along each stage of the journey from cradle to grave; whilst Deep See’s social media monitoring tool keeps a detailed track on what is being said and written about a brand or campaign. Deep See believes these tools are most effective when applied together as part of a wide research campaign.

Powell joined B2B International in 2004 and has worked with high profile companies such as Autoglym, BAA, Balfour Beatty, BOC, Co-operative Bank, Gillette, Intel, Molson Coors, Microsoft and Travis Perkins. He says: “through Deep See’s international research and intelligent insight capabilities, we offer an added dimension. Thanks to the backing and resources of the world’s leading b2b market research consultancy, we already have a deep understanding of the whole supply chain and the issues that affect every area of a company, allowing us to analyse things in a way that other research agencies wouldn’t think of doing and offering a fresh perspective to a client’s business.”

B2B International director and founder, Nick Hague, says: “Deep See is another example of the diversification of B2B International, following 2011’s launch of our specialist creative marketing communications and brand agency B2B Marcomms.”

Follow the latest developments on Twitter: @DeepSeeResearch or @B2B_Insight

Posted in Consumer Research, Customer Journey, Deep See, Matt Powell, Mystery Shopping, Nick Hague, Social Media |
Comments: None Yet »

Please SHUT UP and get creative!

In this week’s Business Surgery Nick Hague comments on the importance of thinking time in order to be creative in today’s hectic modern world

Is it me or do we ever get any time to ourselves these days? Whether it is the constant ringing of calls, texts and emails from our phones and laptops telling us we have new mail/messages through to the relentless streaming of information via the media/social media – I feel like I never get time to think! In this modern world we seem to spend all our working hours in meetings and then do the real work when we get home in the evening.

My typical working day starts at 5.50am when I wake to take my dog for a walk and this is my most (only) valuable thinking time when I can reflect on the day ahead and what happened the previous day. I therefore read with interest about a soon to be released book called ‘Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking’. Although not the catchiest of titles a lot of what the author, Susan Cain, talks about does resonate with me. For example…

“Virtually all American employees spend time working in teams and about 70% inhabit open-plan offices where no one has ‘a room of one’s own’. We are in each other’s faces all the time, listening to each other’s (sometimes inane) conversations, and this constant interaction is exhausting and unproductive”

Isn’t this the main reason why we created open plan offices in the first place to be more productive and creative? It seems like it isn’t working! Think about it; when was the last time you went into a creative workshop and actually came up with a creative idea. We go through life going to monthly meetings and sitting with the same people in the same room and very often in the same chair! Is it any wonder we don’t think differently! It only takes one person to judge a creative idea and ruin a session so therefore how are we as creative groups meant to come up with new ideas and innovations?

Susan Cain makes an interesting point about introverts and their power of contribution to innovation:

“At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labelled “quiet,” it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society–from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer”

We all know that in any successful company there needs to be a good mix of personalities and skill sets that complement one another. However, maybe it is because of their gregarious and assertive nature that extroverts are not only the most noticeable in the workplace but maybe more successful at the interview process. However, if I think to my own experience at B2B International, some of the most creative people are those that are definitely more introverted rather than extroverted. Maybe introverts have had a hard time due to society deeming them shy and unsociable but in the publishers own words of ‘Quiet’…

“This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves”

So next time you want to think creatively, don’t get together as a team. Sit down in a quiet room, shut the door and turn off all electronic devices or even better still, go for a walk – you may just be surprised what creative thoughts you come up with!

Posted in Innovation, Nick Hague, The Business Surgery |
Comments: None Yet »

Business Surgery – Market Research Is Dead!

In our next Business Surgery, Nick Hague discusses how the world of market research is changing.

Market research is dead! Or at least it may be in its traditional sense. Times they are a-changing. For a long time at B2B International we have argued that delivering strategic insights is the key reason why companies commission market research in the first place; not for the sake of providing even more data. This is even more important in today’s world where data explosion has rendered marketeers paralysed.

Think of a ‘typical’ market researcher and in your mind you may conjure up a picture of either a back office fact finder or a lady with a clip board in the street wanting to find out what cereal you had for breakfast this morning. Of course, business-to-business research is very different to consumer research and we, at B2B International, would like to think we have broken the mould and bridged the gap between market researchers and consultants. However, whether carrying out consumer research or business-to-business research, a market researcher in the modern world needs to be a data analyst who can synthesize the myriad of datafeeds that are open to us today but more importantly pull out the key action points from a study to clearly inform a client what it all means and what the next steps should be.

Kevin Lonnie in his latest article, ‘The Limiting Adjective of “Marketing” Research’, talks about a changing market research world:

Even the AMA has dropped the word “Marketing” to promote their annual research conference. After 30+ years the “Marketing Research Conference” is no more; the event is now being called the AMA Research and Strategy Summit. When even the American Marketing Association is running away from the word “marketing” how many more hints does it take before we realize that the times are a changing?

With the increasing use of social media and a greater use of buzzwords like innovate, ideate, insight, collaborate and crowdsource being used; is this not a sign that the industry needs to act and become more like consultants:

While marketing research is and remains part of who we are, it no longer confines and defines us. Rather, we need to stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. We need to reclaim our rightful role as conduit to the customer and the guardian of rigorous scientific principles. But we also need to seize the moment and become strategists integral to our clients’ success.

Kevin argues that it is time for a name change for the industry: “a new descriptor for our industry, one that respects our past, but speaks to our present and our future”. Maybe, but I would argue that actions speak louder than words and in this modern world, the winners will be those that can walk the walk (rather than just brand labeling) and add value whilst delivering action to more readily meet the needs of client’s customers and deliver growth and differentiation for their organisation.

To read ‘The Limiting Adjective of “Marketing” Research’ visit click on the link.

Posted in Market Research, Marketing, Nick Hague, The Business Surgery |
Comments: None Yet »

Business Surgery – Building A Global Brand…… With The World In Mind

In the first of an exciting new series of articles by B2B International, Nick Hague asks you to take a seat in the Business Surgery where we will prescribe remedies to get your business fit and healthy. Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin…

I recently read with great interest the Financial Times Special Report on Global Brands. It backed up a lot of what I already knew about the importance of branding and what we continually preach to our clients; that investing, developing and managing a strong brand will not only differentiate a company from the competition but also result in increasing financial returns.

“The obituaries proved premature. In the era of austerity, complete with subdued consumers and cost cutting companies, big brands are flourishing…… investing in brands through recessionary downturns pays off.”

At first glance, the Top 5 global brands for 2011 as stated by WPP’s Brandz survey don’t hold many surprises:

It is only when you start to look down the list at the 9th largest global brand; China Mobile, that you start to get a feel for the changing landscape of brands in the global arena. Indeed, China brands figure strongly in this year’s Top 100 Brands including just in the top 50 the brands of ICBC (No.11), China Construction Bank (No.24), Baidu (No.29), China Life Insurance (No.33), Bank of China (No.37) and Agricultural Bank of China (No.43), but what does this really mean?

As stated in the report:

“China is on the verge of becoming a global brand powerhouse”

Or is it?

Is it really the case that the Agricultural Bank of China is a stronger global brand than Mercedes (No.50), Nike (No.57), Pepsi (No.63) or even Gucci (dropped out of this year’s Top 100) – I don’t think so!

Most of the brands mentioned are state owned companies and most have the positions in the Top 100 because of the scale they have in their home Chinese market. Of course, there are always going to be questions to the methodology of how such a top 100 is created – but what I do think it shows is the increasing consumption (and thus importance) of brands in China and indeed the other BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India & China) nations. For example, currently the brand Baidu will not mean much to Western people when Google is the most widely used search tool. However, with China’s internet growing in both influence and sophistication, could Baidu challenge Google for global supremacy in the future if they decide to look outside of China?

One thing we do know is that through globalization, the branding landscape of Western dominance is starting to change. Therefore, if you are thinking of rebranding or developing a new brand, focusing on the global picture rather than your usual country specific focus will deliver greater profit and growth in the years to come.

For more information on how B2B International can help your company’s branding strategy, visit it by clicking here or contact one of our branding team at brandingteam@b2binternational.com

Nick Hague 2011 ©

Posted in Articles, Branding, Nick Hague, The Business Surgery |
Comments: None Yet »

How to ‘WOW’ your customers

This week, Nick Hague demonstrates the importance of putting yourself in your customers’ shoes

Just the other week I was presenting at a conference in Venice, delivering findings for a client of mine who works in the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) industry as a distributor of all manner of goods from bearings, belts and pulleys through to motors, clutches and couplings.

A Bunch Of Flowers

My presentation was about changing what is already a good company to become a great company and, in wrapping up, I used a personal anecdote of buying a car and how in the past the bunch of flowers on the back seat of the car had left more of an impression than the car itself – small things can really make a difference!

As is often the case, discussions carried on following my session with people from the audience struggling to understand what, in their particular line of business, was the similar equivalence of the ‘bunch of flowers’.

After a couple of glasses of wine (just to lubricate the mind!) on the plane ride home, it got me thinking about why so many business-to-business companies can make and deliver excellent products but with a service experience that is inconsistent and can damage a reputation and relationship forever.

Thinking back to the many people I had spoken to during the two days, something clicked; most were technical people hired and promoted within the company because of their technical competence and engineering background. Until my session, their natural instinct was to continually focus on their internal processes to not only take cost out of the system but analyse what wasn’t working and fix it so to provide on-time delivery, every time, and remove any variances from the process. This may in the long run produce the faultless process but it won’t ‘wow’ the customer; it will just improve what they weren’t doing previously and, from all the research we carry out, we know that this doesn’t engender loyalty.

Of course, replication of systems is very important in the wider business context; that is why so many global organisations implement SAP and Six Sigma systems. However, these systems don’t create world-class service, and just meeting expectations won’t ‘wow’ the customer and leave a lasting impression. I would therefore argue that delivering a world-class customer service experience is more important than delivering the right product at the right price at the right time, as this is a given in any business.

The Zappos Model

For many of you that are based outside of the USA, you may not have heard about Zappos. Zappos.com is an online shoe retailer and through a mixture of e-commerce and world-class service, Zappos has grown to become the world’s biggest online shoe store on the back of a business model built on delivering the best customer service.
The company was founded in 1999 and was acquired by Amazon in 2009 for a reported $1.2 billion. What is the secret of this much talked about company? Well, much of the company’s rapid growth can be attributed to repeat customers and numerous word-of-mouth recommendations and this is a result of their loyalty business model and relationship marketing. Instead of putting their entire advertising budget into paid advertising, they invested the money into customer service and improving the customer experience. Therefore, the number one driver of their growth has been from repeat customers and word-of-mouth recommendations.

For all of you that don’t know, Zappos has a stated goal to offer “best service in the industry” – and it is this obsession with service that has reaped rewards. However, they don’t want to just deliver the best customer service in their industry; they have set aspirations to be the ‘online service leader’. At the moment, their service promotes the following benefits:

• Free shipping both ways
• A 365-day return policy
• A call centre that is always open

However, even though the company promises free 4-day shipping with all orders, they often deliver next-day anyway, so as to pleasantly surprise customers. It is these small delights that exceed expectations (like the flowers in my car) that will make customers loyal for the long term (and needn’t cost the earth!).

Doing Things Differently

As can be seen from the Zappos model and from my recommendations to my client, delivering a service experience really can be a differentiator in business today and can deliver many other benefits on the side, including increased profits and turnover, and a happier, more engaged workforce too.

Therefore, the next time you are dealing with a customer, ask yourself these three questions and put yourself in their shoes as to what they are thinking:

• How am I making them feel as a customer?
• What will they remember most about this experience?
• How likely are they to recommend us to others?

You never know! Changing the way you view customer service might just start changing the way you act and do business subconsciously in the future!

Posted in Nick Hague, Thursday Night Insight |
Comments: 1 Comment »

« Previous Entries