Client: Specialty Roofing Products Manufacturer

Business Objective:

• Increase sales of client's specialty roofing product by:
  • Increasing awareness of the product and its performance
  • Proving its cost/benefit ratio

Our Approach:

• Created a "work center" for contractors to actually use the product in real-life setting to experience its benefits
• Contractors also completed a conjoint task among competing products with varying characteristics and prices to provide demand estimates for different market scenarios

Outcome:

• The demand model provided insights for gaining wider usage, leading to substantial share growth as a result of the marketing efforts that were implemented

Client: Global Trade Organization

Business Objective:

• Determine members’ satisfaction with services to identify where improvements are needed
• Measure increase in overall satisfaction and satisfaction with individual membership components to assist in attracting new members
• Determine the needs of student members as a guide for future program development

Our Approach:

• Online member survey measuring overall satisfaction and satisfaction with individual benefits of membership
  • Current professional members
  • Student members

Outcome:

• Research identified several key areas needing attention. Client revised several membership benefits, with some being significantly re-designed. Satisfaction study has been repeated annually to track progress and to identify areas requiring attention on continual basis.

Client: Multi-national Publishing and Servicing Company

Business Objective:

• Measure share of services among target legal professionals (attorneys, paralegals, purchase decision makers)
• Assess perceptions of client company and competitors on key performance dimensions
• Assess impact of recent product launches on customer perceptions

Our Approach:

• Conducted a multi-wave tracking study among the target population
• Measured changes in perceptions as a result of product and market developments

Outcome:

• Results confirmed strengthening of client's position due to recent activities and identified opportunities for future growth

Client: Package Delivery Company

Business Objective:

• Obtain demand and price elasticity estimates for alternative access channels in order to:
  • Align cost-to-serve and price/profitability
  • Shift volume out of unprofitable channels

Our Approach:

• Shipping managers took part in a conjoint measurement task in which they evaluated a series of scenarios, each described by access channels for each of the primary competitors in the market
• In each scenario, they allocated their (change in) demand among the competitors based on what was offered by each, using their current allocation as a reference

Outcome:

• The resulting model produced share estimates for each competitor’s respective channels under varying service and pricing scenarios
• These findings were used to make channel modifications that better met customers’ needs

Client: Competitive Energy & Related Services Company

Business Objective:

• Assess the current customer relationship and quantify attrition risks in a highly competitive market
• Critically evaluate the firms “value added” business strategy in a market having low barriers to supplier switching

Our Approach:

• Conducted a three-staged approach consisting of on-site ideation, a customer assessment followed by a broader market and competitive evaluation
• 500 telephone-based interviews among customers yielding key performance assessments as well as loyalty and risk of defection to a competitive supplier
• Broader market and competitive evaluation of 500 web-based interviews that included Max Diff analysis to identify competitive opportunities and threats

Outcome:

• Survey findings were used by senior management to identify directions for modifying the firm's operating and marketing strategies

Client: Leading Electric Utility System

Business Objective:

• To identify the optimal target markets for adopting a source of renewable energy that can be marketed at a premium to the current price for electrical energy

Our Approach:

• Conducted online survey of consumer and small/medium business customers, as well as non-customers, measuring interest in the program and its features
• Used conjoint analysis to estimate demand for alternative program offerings

Outcome:

• Research identified the most opportune target segments as well as the optimal portfolio for the program that should be offered

Client: Leading Energy Delivery System

Business Objective:

• To assess the continued participation in a renewable energy program given the context of nationwide economic conditions, particularly since these “green” initiatives cost extra each month
• To identify the next level of target markets most likely to adopt this renewable energy program particularly in light of consumers’ recalibration of their household spending priorities

Our Approach:

• Conducted online survey of consumer households who are currently active in the renewable energy program as well as a sample of e-panel households, who are aware of the program but not participating at this time, to measure interest in future program participation, priorities and tradeoffs for program features, and the identification of any barriers to participation
• Used a targeted set of closed and open-ended questions along with Maximum Difference Scaling to estimate priorities of program features

Outcome:

• Research identified the households likely to continue, potential churn in the current program customer base, as well as priorities for continuation.
• The next most opportune target segments were profiled and contrasted with the current program participants in order to unearth any conflict in priorities
• The identification of the “hot buttons” needed for effective marketing communications to attract new households without compromising current participants

Client: Fortune 1,000 Financial Service Company

Business Objective:

• To measure consumers’ image of the client brand relative to other leading brands across a range of industries

Our Approach:

• Conducted 15,000 online interviews nationwide to measure customer service perceptions of 40 national and multi-national brands
• Profiled client’s brand on select dimensions, both on an absolute basis and compared to other leading brands

Outcome:

• Survey findings were used by senior management to track how its servicing is perceived relative to the best in class and to identify operation and communication initiatives to improve performance

Client: Financial Services Provider

Business Objective:

• Identify the optimal configuration of a new co-brand product to be marketed to customers of a national retailer
• Demonstrate sufficient demand for the product to convince the retailer to partner with our client in offering the product

Our Approach:

• Qualitative research to explore initial reactions to the concept and needs for specific product features
• Online survey using conjoint analysis to measure demand for the product under alternative feature scenarios

Outcome:

• Retailer agreed to partner with our client
• Client proceeded with developing the product based on the optimal configuration identified in the research

Client: Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

Business Objective:

• Determine whether or not a new compound’s earning potential made acquisition advantageous

Our Approach:

• A conjoint analysis study was conducted among physicians who treat the disease state targeted by the new drug
• The cost, adverse events profile, regimen and other factors not yet established for the product were varied during the conjoint exercise
• A model was constructed to estimate share for the new product under various scenarios of interest to the client
• The shares predicted were translated into revenue estimates

Outcome:

• It was determined that the product’s potential revenue would not likely reach the level required to be deemed successful. The client chose not to pursue the new product further.

Client: Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

Business Objective:

• Determine what physicians felt were the most relevant comparators to be included in clinical trials for a new drug and which indications should be pursued for FDA approval

Our Approach:

• A custom conjoint analysis study was conducted among several physician specialties who treat disease states targeted by the new drug
• Approved indications and several pieces of clinical data available were varied during the conjoint exercise
• Hospital Pharmacists were also interviewed to determine their likelihood to place the new drug on their hospitals’ formularies, and with what status
• A model was constructed to estimate share or patients for the new drug under various scenarios of interest to the client
• The shares predicted across the specialties and indications included were translated into revenue estimates

Outcome:

• The clinical trials identified as most advantageous are currently underway

Client: Multi-national Pharmaceutical Company

Business Objective:

• To determine if there was sufficient demand to warrant investment by our client in a new vaccine

Our Approach:

• Simultaneously conducted national surveys with target consumers and physicians
• Built a multi-constituent model that estimated demand factoring in both “pull” (consumer initiated usage) and “push” (physician initiated usage) sources

Outcome:

• Modeling demonstrated insufficient demand to warrant investment, leading our client to discontinue development

Client: Manufacturer of Medical Imaging Devices

Business Objective:

• Determine how to design a next-generation (high-end) imaging device—which product features and at what price
• Estimate total demand for company’s product line—new entry demand along with cannibalization of existing products to get net incremental demand and profitability

Our Approach:

• Hospital and stand-alone clinics’ decision-makers took part in an online survey
• Discrete choice was used in order to estimate which features the decision-makers most wanted and how they choose among new and existing products

Outcome:

• The client introduced a new device based upon the results, the design of which corresponded to a balance between appeal (demand) and technical feasibility

Client: Business Services Company

Business Objective:

• Primary objective was to determine the appeal and potential profitability of a multi-retailer rewards program by…
  • Obtaining estimates of the numbers of subscribers to the Rewards Program under
  varying scenarios of who the participating retailers were, the types and amounts
  of the rewards offered and the annual fee (if any)
• Indentify the target audience (likely subscribers) profile
• For participating retailers, estimate the life (increase in volume by current shoppers) and shift (attraction of new shoppers)

Our Approach:

• Conjoint measurement, in which the retailers, rewards and fee were varied, was used to determine consumers’ likelihood to subscribe under varying scenarios
• The retailers evaluated for the program were tailored to each market
• Following the conjoint task, respondents estimated:
  • Additional dollars current shoppers might spend at their participating retailers (lift)
  • New dollars they would bring to participating retailers (shift)

Outcome:

• The resulting model produced subscription rate estimates for each individual Rewards program of interest:
  • Shopping behavior changes were also estimated by the model
  • Based on these estimates, there was insufficient interest/demand to proceed

Client: Tire Manufacturer

Business Objective:

• Determine the impact of a proposed price change on:
  • Manufacturers’ shares, revenues and profits
  • Large retailers’ shares, revenues and profits

Our Approach:

• Target respondents took part in a discreet choice task that included tire brand, tire features, retailer brand, and price:
  • To obtain brand price elasticity for all major brands to provide pricing guidance
  • To obtain retailer price elasticity estimate to guide and manage retailer relationships
• The offerings and retailers were tailored to the markets surveyed
• Expression of the tire prices were conditioned to ensure realism, based on complex relationships among brand, retailer and tire features

Outcome:

• The resulting simulation model accurately predicted both manufacturer and retailer price elasticities (as determined in post survey analyses)
• The manufacturer was able to take a moderate price increase with minimal share loss and solid profit gain

Client: Sweets Producer

Business Objective:

• Identify most promising new product concepts for further development

Our Approach:

• Online survey of customers and non-customers
• Randomize block design used to obtain detailed ratings of 26 new product concepts
• Ratings analyzed across six key consumer segments in order to identify product potential per channel and for current and prospective customers

Outcome:

• Client selected a subset of concepts and continued development to market

Client: National Transportation Company

Business Objective:

• Determine how best to configure new fleet of vehicles to maximize consumer interest and usage

Our Approach:

• Conducted an online survey using multiple recruiting methodologies--pop-up intercept for client customers and national consumer online panel for prospects
• Used conjoint analysis to evaluate consumers' preferences for a variety of features and functions that could be installed in new vehicles

Outcome:

• Client identified best configuration for new vehicles and placed order with manufacturer

Client: Voice, Internet and Video Services Provider

Business Objective:

• Determine which service bundles to offer (each’s level of demand)
• Determine how to price the service bundles

Our Approach:

• Both customers and non-customers (acquisition candidates) evaluated alternative bundles and price levels/structures in an online survey
• Discrete choice was used in order to develop a model to estimate up-trading by customers and acquisition of new customers. The model could also assess the impact of competitive actions.

Outcome:

• The results were used by the client to select the bundles and their pricing with the greatest promise; these were taken to market and met with significant success