Case Studies

Case Study: How do we re-energize our brand?

SITUATION
After experiencing flat sales during the 2009 recession, a regional eye care chain wanted to re-energize their brand, and refresh their 5-year marketing plan. Before they could determine the best direction for the brand, the client needed to better understand their current customer and evaluate their brand’s perception in the marketplace.

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
Telephone interviews were conducted to assess brand awareness across 17 markets and understand motivations and perceptions among current, lapsed and non-customers. The telephone sample included random interviews with current customers drawn from the client’s own database, as well as a random telephone sample of eyeglass wearers drawn from each of the markets.

RESULT
Interviews revealed that both customers and prospects placed a high value on their relationship with their optician. As a result of the findings, the eye care chain revised their marketing strategy to emphasize the patient/doctor relationship. The new branding campaign leveraged the professional credentials of their doctors as well as their community ties.  Now the brand is enjoying renewed growth and is looking for new markets in which to expand.


Case Study: Is our advertising campaign effective?

SITUATION
A haircare chain had been experiencing a slow decline in customer counts for a number of years.  To reverse the trend and drive traffic back to their salons, the chain hired an ad agency to launch a new campaign. To measure the campaign’s effectiveness the agency needed to track key brand position measurements— both pre and post campaign.

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
An online panel composed of men and women within select markets was used to measure key brand attributes including: brand awareness and familiarity, brand perception, experience and affinity scores, intent to return and willingness to consider.

RESULT
Traffic counts jumped 4% immediately after the campaign launched (but settled back to +1% or flat after the first month). The post campaign measurements indicated that while the new campaign increased brand awareness, familiarity, and affinity, the service and experience ratings for the brand remained flat.  As a result, the client continued their current marketing strategies and expanded their focus on specific operational strategies.


Case Study: Who is our customer?

SITUATION
A new management team for a hybrid “eater-tainment” center was charged with the task of stabilizing and upgrading the retail mix.  The dining and entertainment portion of the center was well leased and had strong performance, but the retail mix never took off.  The new management wanted an updated assessment of who their customer was, where they came from, how they used the center and what uses would attract these customers more often.

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
A customer intercept study was conducted at the center to collect customer demographics and shopping patterns. An online study complimented the findings and provided more in-depth data on market awareness, competitive shopping habits and retail preferences.

RESULT
The center discovered it had an impressive tourism draw, with 40% of the customers living beyond the six-county radius. The research also indicated that 1) The center’s customers sought a day-long experience, combining food, entertainment, and shopping into their visit and 2) Two core consumer segments were under-served at the center. As a result, the new management team reallocated the marketing budget and strategies, and developed a new merchandising plan for the center. Armed with the new trade area and customer profile information, the center is now attracting attention from key new-to-market national retailers, as well as local retailers interested in expanding their reach.


Case Study: How can we encourage our stores to focus on customer service?

SITUATION
A retail chain had been testing NPS (Net Promoter Score) as a way of tracking customer service performance in their stores.  Ready to roll the NPS program out to over 2,000 stores, they needed a partner who could help them track, report and analyze the results.

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
The Research Shop worked with the client to develop an automated reporting system by which the NPS results were processed and summarized into a standardized report by store, region and brand.  The reports were distributed monthly via an automated email system to store managers, regional managers and corporate stakeholders.

RESULT
Not only do all stores receive monthly and quarterly reports tracking their NPS performance, but the client has created an incentive system to reward high performing stores.


Case Study: How can we develop and manage a long-term research program for our entire portfolio?

SITUATION
To ensure that property-level management, operations and marketing decisions were based on solid customer information, a national shopping center developer planned to conduct consumer research for each center at least once every three years. With over 50 centers in their portfolio, the developer needed a partner to help them develop, manage and execute the on-going research program.

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
The Research Shop partnered with the client to develop a standardized customer intercept questionnaire and report, streamline the research process, ensure consistent execution across properties, and leverage the interpretation of information collected across the company.

RESULT
The client not only has up-to-date research at their fingertips, but also a national benchmark database which they can use to trend consumer behavior over time, deep dive into specific consumer segments, and compare/contrast centers against each other.  As an on-going project, the developer can identify shifting customer demographics and has a basis for redefining the trade areas for their centers.


Case Study: What is the best use of our research budget?

SITUATION
A professional organization, on behalf of its members, wanted to better understand how the recession had impacted consumer spending habits.  The organization was considering a series of intercept interviews at retail destinations across the US and Canada and were ready to commit to a six-figure budget. A committee member consulted with The Research Shop to determine if this was the most effective use of its budget.

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
Upon reviewing the client’s objectives and information needs, The Research Shop recommended an online panel as the most effective solution for data collection. The Research Shop partnered with the client to design the questionnaire and selected a national panel that could provide access to a high-quality US and Canadian sample.  The Research Shop programmed the on-line questionnaire, helped manage the study implementation and respondent quality, and prepared a final report for distribution to the membership.

RESULT
The client was able to collect the benchmark information they needed at a fraction of the original cost, and were able to do a six-month follow-up—and still come in under budget.


Case Study: Will the new ad campaign be relevant?

SITUATION
An advertising agency was encouraging their client to make a break from the standard home and yard visuals that their competitors had over-used, for a more contemporary, tongue-in-cheek campaign. The client, however, had concerns as to how the campaign would be received by their customers and prospects. The agency needed an unbiased opinion for their client (and themselves).

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
The various campaign approaches were tested with consumers using an online survey.  Homeowners were shown a selection of campaign visuals and asked to evaluate the appeal, clarity and key message points of the various campaigns.

RESULT
The consumer preference was very clear–they liked the tongue-in-cheek campaign.  Not only was it clever and memorable, but it established a unique point of difference for the client, setting it apart from its myriad competitors.


Case Study: How do we create a shared vision and plan for our team?

SITUATIONS
Getting the entire team on the same page is a common need and frustration across a variety of business entities.  The Research Shop has facilitated hundreds of SWOT or Strategic Planning sessions for shopping center teams, as well as retailers.

THE RESEARCH SHOP SOLUTION
While the impetus and outcomes may be different, the process is the same.  The Research Shop works with the client to understand their needs and clearly identify the desired outcomes, then develops a recommended agenda for client approval and facilitates and conducts the sessions. Meetings can range from a short two-hour managed conversation, to a day-long  or multi-day session.

RESULTS
The Research Shop has facilitated meetings for the following types of situations:

  • Focused attention for at-risk and/or top performing centers or stores
  • Brainstorming to address operational improvements or marketing strategies/tactics
  • Aligning expectations between ownership and asset management for third-party managers
  • Strategic planning to develop a shared vision, mission and 3- or 5-year strategy plan for retailers and shopping centers
  • Management team kick-off for a new shopping center, store, restaurant or business
  • Concept development for a new store, restaurant, or service business
  • Non-profit ideation and action planning sessions

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