The number of true monopolies in the global economy is not that large. What this means to the rest of us is that we have to compete to sell our products and services. Competition can come from both global competitors and those homegrown in your back yard.To grow in a soft economy companies must be...read more

What is statistical significance anyway? The core of our survey data analysis should be directed toward generating consumer insights that are both meaningful and actionable. In order to achieve this joint goal we have to keep our eye on significance, both statistical and managerial.Previously we...read more

It is rare that as a marketing researcher I get to take a survey. That may sound odd, but more often than not one’s occupation is used as a screener. Most researchers don’t want other researchers taking their survey, even though they may be qualified on all other accounts. The rare occasion is the...read more

I recently taught a session of introduction to quantitative methods. The students brought up several excellent questions including a series on data types. There is no way of escaping at least a cursory chat on data types if you are involved in either consumer or B2B market research. The...read more

Harley Manning kicked off the last day of the Forrester Customer Experience Forum by reviewing some of the key takeaways from the day before, and this AWESOME song recorded by Ed Hadley and his team at Neolane: The presentations yesterday spent a lot of time on design, governance and culture. While...read more

As market researchers, we are tasked to conduct survey data analysis and extrapolate meaning from our work. This in turn will be used to support our organizations in the efforts of acquisition and customer retention marketing. When we dig into the details underlying our data, we are often confronted...read more

Do early responders look different from later responders? This is a question we need to ask when conducting market research analysis. In my experience early responders tend to be somewhat more favorable to the cause under study, but the percentages generally do not change significantly as subsequent...read more

How do you measure agreement? Measuring agreement is one of the most commonly employed practices in the realm of consumer and B2B market research. The questions at hand could be focused on agreement with a product concept, agreement with the main tenets in an advertisement, or to what degree a...read more

According to Dictionary.com integrity is defined as “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.” Our goal as market researchers is to provide actionable insights that can drive more effective marketing. This is true regardless of whether or not our focus is B2B...read more

April is International Customer Loyalty Month! It should go without saying that April should not be the only month you give customer loyalty focus. There are huge business benefits to creating loyal customers. However, Customer Loyalty Month should serve as a reminder to review your customer...read more