Framing the Research Question

Previously I spoke about the iceberg principle which states that only 10% of a problem’s true nature is visible to decision makers. It is the 90% that lies below the surface that offers market researchers the greatest opportunity to do good for our organizations.In order to reach a comprehensive...read more

Quality in the Age of Followers, Retweets, and Likes

Quantification always seems to be the primary goal when talking about results and effectiveness, and with good reason. Anyone can quickly tell if one number is higher than the other, and there's no room for debates or opinions. But when you're inundated with followers and likes, retweets and repins,...read more

Fast Follow Up Matters (Best in Class Secret is Instant Alerts)

Think about your own experiences, when you are unhappy with a product or service and tell the company, what do you expect to happen? If you're thinking, "Nothing. Companies don't listen to customer feedback" I wouldn't blame you. But I hope you're more like me: I expect a response. But not a generic...read more

Tips for Building a Better Product or Service

Are products services and vice versa? There is a bit of confusion in the marketing waters nowadays about this issue. Essentially, from my humble perspective, there is little difference between a product and a service. Yes, it is difficult to load a service into your car and install it in your...read more

The Power of Segmenting the Market by Usage

In a recent post, I covered segmentation basics and briefly examined the debate around which variables are best used for the project. The point to remember is that marketing organizations can often benefit from multiple segmentations depending upon the end user (e.g. direct marketing, sales,...read more

There is No One Ring: Segmentation Basics

Well the good news is that I am back on the podium instructing another session of Market Research 101. Teaching brings many joys for me, one in particular is that it challenges me to go back over my practices and check to see if they are indeed ‘best practices.’ In a recent class session we began a...read more

Losing Customers with CRM

CRM technology is just like money - if some is good, a lot is even better...right? Not exactly. In fact, it is possible to invest too much in CRM and actually drive your customers away. David Taber explores his "top ten tricks" for throwing your customer retention program into the garbage with...read more

Are Companies Paying Attention to Customer Experience and Loyalty?

Recent statistics once again reinforce that customers are looking for exceptional customer service, and if they don’t find it one place, they will look elsewhere—customers have the power. According to research by Oracle in their 2012 CX Index Report ‘Why customer satisfaction is no longer good...read more

Making Customer Retention a Goal

Marketing as we know it is comprised of two primary functions – customer acquisition and customer retention. Much of the effort skews toward acquisition and its numerous strategies for lead generation, nurturing and eventual hand-off of qualified leads to sales. The volume of companies selling CRM...read more

Don’t Train Your Employees – Educate Them!

Poor customer service could land you a prime time spot filled with bad reviews on various social media channels for everyone to see. Customers have power, which means they can and will publicize both good and bad experiences, so exceptional customer service is necessary. You probably already know...read more
The Rise of the Smart Phone: Are you Leverging Mobile? 10 Tips for Mobile-Friendly Survey Creation