So, you brought a new idea to the market. You have even gotten it funded. However, long term success is determined by finding the correct audience, identifying the right unique selling point, and understanding your purchase funnel. Research is a crucial way to make sure that your marketing dollars are spent correctly (and not wasted). Market research (at its best) is directly related to your marketing strategy. 

There are multiple steps in the research process that are important to take to make sure research is strategy-based. It’s not just your research methods, as any research could be used to inform marketing but it’s the overall approach to your research that will make sure that your marketing dollars don’t go to waste.

The Market & The Consumer

When launching a new project, there are two areas to consider: Where should you launch your product? And who are your customers?

So how do we answer these questions? Before commissioning any expensive primary research, it may be best to analyze secondary research (information that is already out there). For example, in a recent blog, we detailed the power of census data. You can learn a lot from existing studies!

Second, survey research gives an in-depth look into consumer insights. Surveys should be designed around a topic and with a clear strategic goal as a result. In other words, a company looking to design an ad strategy can use survey data to find out which media their target customers use, and advertise through those channels.

Third, qualitative research (e.g. focus groups, in-depth interviews) bring your consumers and data to life. In this type of research, you see people’s expressions and hear the consumer’s tone of voice. It also allows you to probe deeper into questions your company might have about consumer behavior.

Having a Clear Process so it Doesn’t go to Waste

Before even getting into the research, it’s very important to map out a timeline and the process of your research and stick to it. Marketing strategy depends on clarity, and having a step by step plan to accomplish the research is the first step to a direct conclusion (without any waste). 

Setting out time for each step, and understanding what each step in your research process is are key to obtaining results that help inform your strategy.

Having Clear Objectives: Spending your Marketing Dollars

One of the most important steps in this process is to map out what you are looking for. What are the objectives of the research? What will you do with the research? Make sure you are not researching for the sake of researching, research for a purpose. For example, if your research is too broad, you will end up just reporting facts without any actionable strategy points.

Conclusion

Clear objectives, clear processes, clear distinctions, lead to actionable strategy! It’s important to have clarity when conducting your research in order to have actionable results. You don’t want to muddy the research, or else you will not have actionable results that will ensure an efficient marketing strategy. 

Want to read more from Provoke Insights, find some more blog posts linked below:

1. 2020 Trends: Advertising & Marketing Industry
2. The Power of Census Data
3. A New Way to Test Significant Differences
4. Fin-Tech: How to reinvigorate your brand in a sea of sameness
5. Research Norms: What are they and what they can tell you
6. How Black Friday Can Hurt Your Brand

Read this excerpt for a blog from our series on Generation Alpha!

“Knowing your audience and prospects is a key way to improve your profitability! As a result, different generations have different behaviors, attitudes, and preferences. Thus, understanding the generation gaps will help you understand the needs of your customers. Generations give marketing strategists an easy way to target and focus their methods. 

Baby Boomers do not want to see texting acronyms; they are swayed by clear video, they care about their in-store experiences, and they like to compare prices. On the other hand, Millennials want to care about the product they’re buying, and want to have a positive impact on their community. In addition, Generation Z (those born after Millennials and before 2010) is most influenced by social media, as that’s where they receive most of their news.

There is a new generation on the block! Brands need to know how this audience differs from their current audiences. Provoke Insights will be releasing a three-part blog series to help marketers understand the newest generation, to reinvigorate interest. Generation Alpha, the children of Millennials, are making waves recently in the news. Coupled with their Millennial parents, a marketing buzz has started to precipitate around the arrival of these youngsters. But how do they differ from their parents? In other words, what differences will there be in marketing to Generation Alpha versus marketing to Millennials?”

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Happy New Year, everybody! As 2019 and the past decade comes to a close, a new one begins. And as is a tradition here at Provoke Insights, time for our annual advertising and marketing trends article. In other words, a comprehensive look at what can you expect over the next 12 months. That is to say, what are in-house marketers and ad agencies up to?

A Decade of Change

The 2010s were a decade of change in the marketing and advertising world. Ad spend has shifted almost entirely to digital, in large part due to social media. Advertisers spend around $30 billion on advertising on social media. And advertisers spend a total of $57 billion on programmatic advertising (includes banner ads and advertising on Google and Amazon).

Surprisingly, video advertising is the end of decade trend for online ad spend, as connected video advertising is expected to reach $6 billion by 2021. It comes as cable cutters have driven down television’s stranglehold on the media marketplace.

5G’s Impact on Trends

The first big invention of the 2020s will be 5G. 5G is the upgraded cell service technology that will make phone speed incredibly fast, and is going to be further integrated in 2020. A study even projects that sales of 5G devices will increase to 73.7 million units by the end of the decade’s first year! 

How will this affect advertisers? Well, phone streaming is going to hit incredible high speeds, with better sound, and higher definition. Now advertisers will have to react to the market by developing more interactive creative, with high-resolution graphics and better sound. This leaves possibilities for a whole new wave of creative advertising to try and hold consumer’s attention. 

Amazon: How will Retailers Respond?

Amazon may have killed retail this last decade, as their online shopping service is now ubiquitous, and in-person retailers have notably struggled to keep up. What Amazon may have done best is integrating with brands to sell their products and taking a piece of the profit in the process. 

However, 2020 is the time that companies fight back against the omnipresent online technology giant. For example, Microsoft will be launching cashier-less checkout and dynamic pricing displays. The company Neighborhood Goods specializes in partnering with companies to create pop-up shops, which have made an impact as apart of the new experience-based shopping economy. And the Canadian direct competitor Shopify’s launch of fulfillment services makes it a strong challenger. Will they have a shot of dethroning e-commerce king? Unlikely, but they sure will try!

Research Trends

As the marketing world shifts, so will the world of research. And the research world is getting much more creative. As so much spend has shifted online, and as surveys generally have shifted online, new technologies are allowing market researchers to be more creative in how they collect information. 

One of these new trends is online artificial intelligence focus groups. New companies that have created focus groups that utilize AI are taking the research world by storm and allowing researchers to conduct larger focus groups and get results in real-time. Focus groups can consist of dozens of people now, take less time, and be conducted online from anywhere. Other utilizations of online surveys are launching, as quick surveys on websites as pop-ups are becoming more and more popular. Look for that to continue in 2020.

We hope you had a refreshing holiday season and are recharged and ready to go in the new year!

Sources: 

Fisher, Lauren. “US Programmatic Digital Display Ad Spending.” Nov. 21, 2019. Available at: https://content-na1.emarketer.com/us-programmatic-digital-display-ad-spending

Ryan, Jillian. “Ten Key Digital Trends for 2020 What Marketers Need to Know in the Year Ahead.” Dec. 9, 2019. Available at: https://content-na1.emarketer.com/ten-key-digital-trends-for-2020 

Read some of our most recent blogs here!

1. Research Norms: What are they and what they can tell you
2. How Black Friday Can Hurt Your Brand
3. Why Trends are so Important in Marketing
4. Experiential Marketing & Retail

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The last census that the US conducted cost the country $13 billion. It is no surprise that the census data is important.

So, what is the census?

The census is mandated to be carried out every 10 years by the US constitution. It counts all people – citizens and non-citizens. It is also mandatory to respond to the census so that the government will have an accurate count of the population. This serves as the backbone of fair political representation and it plays a role in many other areas of public life.

The information that is produced by the census is some of the most reliable data that exists because it is the only research study that encapsulates the entire population of the United States. As a result, companies including market research firms find this information vital. The statistics provide information such as gender, age, and household income. Also, it is possible to drill down the data by state, country, city, or even zip code.

Below are some examples of how market researchers use the extremely useful resource of census data:

Quotas

Market researchers use the census break down of the population to ensure that their sample is representative of the demographic make-up of the population that the study is targeting. In some cases, researchers use a sampling technique called weighting to help ensure accuracy.

Projections

When conducting survey research, often new segments or audiences are found. Using the census information, a researcher can calculate an estimation of the size of the population.

Where to Find the Census Information

The Census data is easily accessible to everyone. It is data that you have free access to, no matter who you are. The information is readily available here data.census.gov

The platform was recently updated and now includes several tools to analyze the data. Below outlines how to use the new website.

How To Use the New Census Database

The new census database makes it easy to find what you’re looking for with a table of options to mix and match from. There are a couple of ways to start your search. For example, if you are looking for general demographics and all of the different census surveys, click on the “View Tables” option on the home page. This will come up with a table and an option to pick a particular survey to view. This is the simplest way to get the general information if that’s what you are looking for.

On the other hand, if you are looking to dig deeper into a particular category, use the advanced search, shown in the figure above. There is a range of filters for you to look at it, including years and geography. Within the geography, you can make your search as broad as the whole country, and as granular as a census tract, giving you many options.

Topics are within these filters, where you can choose between different categories, including the economy, education, employment, living arrangements, health, housing, and more. Once you choose a topic and geography, the platform will direct you to a corresponding table for what you picked.

The table feature is very easy to use. However, there are still a few glitches with downloading tables when you want to. Hopefully, because this is a new system, it will be fixed in the near future!

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What are Research Norms? 

You have a survey result that says 67% of respondents state that the advertisement shown in the research is unique. What does that mean? Is that good compared to ads that are currently out there? That is where norms come in! 

In market research, norms (also called normative data or benchmarks) are established baselines to compare your data against. It allows you to determine if the results are above or below par. They are particularly popular in advertising and brand testing.

Going back to our initial example, two-thirds of respondents stating the ad is unique sounds excellent. But what if the norm for uniqueness is 80%? Consequently, 67% doesn’t sound so great anymore!

How Do We Get Norms?

To calculate and properly use norms, you have to use the same survey method and phrasing each time you run a survey. That way, the variables are the same over time, and there isn’t bias in your calculations. 

Norms can be established in multiple ways. You can have benchmarks against previous waves of your own research. A market research vendor can have an aggregate of all the surveys commissioned by clients that ask the same questions. These norms can also be sorted by industry.  

How Do We Use Norms?

We use norms to interpret the state of the market and how advertisements or concepts test relative to other ads or campaigns, respectively. 

Norms give market researchers the context to fully understand, interpret, and present new results based on the same standards. When working with a market research company, it’s essential to ask about the norms in their directory. If they do have norms you are looking for, you may want to include those norms in your survey. At Provoke Insights, we have a growing norms database, with answers on a wide range of attributes in an assortment of industries.

Issues with Norms

As with any market research method, if you aren’t too careful, you may misinterpret survey results and commit unfortunate blunders. From changes in trends to norms not testing the full competitive landscape, may negatively impact using these benchmarks. A blog post published by the Insights Association does outlines the issues to look out for when it comes to collecting and interpreting norms.  

However, overall norms can be beneficial in better understanding of how brands and advertisements compare against the rest of the market.

Want to read more from Provoke Insights, find some more blog posts linked below: 

Why Trends Are So Important In Marketing

Experiential Marketing & Retail

Check out an excerpt from our blog on why trends our important in marketing below!

“Let’s go back a few years to 2007. Especially, why don’t we think about GPS technologies. Back in the day, Garmin and TomTom were the two biggest GPS technology producers, and both were paid for services. But, both brands were sideswiped by Google who began offering free navigation via an iPhone app and on the web. As a result, in just 4 weeks, the valuation of these companies dropped! Can you imagine if these navigational systems had followed the trends that were happening outside of their narrow industry? Just imagine: we might be using our Garmin maps app on our phones for directions today! Thus, understanding trends is critical for a brand to stay fresh and competitive. ”

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Check out our most recent features in the news media:

September 11th, 2019: 40% of U.S. Millennials prefer crypto investments in the event of a recession: eToro Survey

July 31st, 2019: Jewelry Is About to Get its Own ‘Got Milk’ Ads

July 1st, 2019: 22 Top Advertising Research Companies 2019

Keep on the lookout for more blog posts from us!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! For brands, that means one thing; the looming arrival of Black Friday and Cyber Monday are imminent. These discount days are some of the busiest days of the year for some brands, but these price-driven events are not necessarily the best for business. Depending on your target audience, these days can hurt brand equity.

So, How Can Black Friday Hurt Brand Equity?

There are a couple of ways that Black Friday and Cyber Monday can cause more harm than good. While in the short-term, these big discount days may drive sales, in the long term, these days can change consumers’ brand perception and brand loyalty.

Brand Perception

Brand perception has mostly been an issue for brick-and-mortar stores. Consumers take a dim view of large companies forcing their employees to give up time with their families on Thanksgiving. Some retail stores open their doors are midnight on Thanksgiving day, meaning the employees have to give up their Thanksgiving evening to be at the store. Walmart even went a step further by allowing the rush to start at 10 PM. Many customers (some of whom might be those who shop at the store year-round) consider the companies to be greedy.

Brand Loyalty

If a company is severely cutting prices and known to be severely reducing costs, then it will become known for that. Over time, customers become less loyal to the brand, knowing that the full price they see at the beginning of November will be slashed in the last couple of weeks of November. So, while sales might break all records on Black Friday, the transactions in the lead up to Black Friday have actually been lower, and it might have implicated throughout the year too.

Customers and Black Friday
While it may be a relief to get a percentage of the price discounted for Christmas gifts and technology that you’ve been eyeing up for months and months now, do not let Black Friday fool you. These days are designed to trick you into impulse buying (that you otherwise would never have done) and have one aim… To separate you from your cash. Bear that in mind as you get ready to get in line or online on Friday!

Brands Can Research How This Will Hurt Brand Equity

It is important for companies to conduct market research on how these discount days can impact your brand equity. Market research will determine how your customers will react to these sales in the short- and long-term.

Want to read more from Provoke Insights, find some more blog posts linked below:

Why Trends Are So Important In Marketing
Experiential Marketing & Retail

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Check out our most recent features in the news media:
September 11th, 2019: 40% of U.S. Millennials prefer crypto investments in the event of a recession: eToro Survey
July 31st, 2019: Jewelry Is About to Get its Own ‘Got Milk’ Ads
July 1st, 2019: 22 Top Advertising Research Companies 2019

Keep on the lookout for more blog posts from us!

Tracking Competitors

To begin with, let’s use our time machine and head back to 2007. In particular, think about GPS technologies. Twelve years ago, Garmin and TomTom were the two biggest GPS technology producers. At the time, Garmin was only looking at what TomTom was doing when it came to its competitors and TomTom was only tracking what Garmin was doing. 

As both brands were tracking other GPS navigational systems, they were sideswiped by Google who began offering free navigation via an iPhone app and on the web. 

As a result, in just 4 weeks, the valuation of these companies dropped! Imagine if these navigational systems had followed the trends that were happening outside of their narrow industry, we might be using our Garmin maps app on our phones for directions today. 

Understanding trends is critical for a brand to stay fresh and competitive. Keep these market research methods in mind to best follow the market.

Secondary Research

Maybe the most important method when it comes to understanding trends is Secondary Research. Secondary research is finding research that is already available. It is a great low-cost option to study industries that your business is not currently in. For example, if you are a bus company- you may also want to follow airplane trends. This way you can have a full picture of the transportation landscape.  In addition, secondary research can also keep you up-to-date regarding the latest technologies. 

Certainly, if GPS technologies were following how Google was developing their GPS technology for free use, they would have seen the way the trends were going. Consistently conducting comprehensive secondary research can always give you a state of the market and allow you to look at non-direct competitors to make sure that you’re not going to be blindsided the same way these GPS companies were.

There are a lot of free secondary research tools out there such as Google Trends and JWT Intelligence.

Brand Tracker

When it comes to understanding the market and landscape, nothing beats a brand tracker. A brand tracker is a survey that is conducted over time that evaluates a company and its competitors’ performance. In addition, the survey typically includes questions to evaluate if a company’s objectives are being met. The key to brand trackers is to not only follow your direct competitors, but also looks like those who may indirectly influence sales.

Among other things, brand trackers test the awareness of brands in the market space of a product. If Garmin and TomTom were using a brand tracker, they would have had a broader understanding of the market, and any trends that they might need to understand. The key to a brand tracker is both a comprehensive list of competitors, the actions that they are taking, and their reception from the public.

In conclusion, it’s vital to use market research to understand trends. Without staying up to date, your business might be swept out from beneath you. And if you are using shoddy methods instead of comprehensive research, you may fall to the wayside as well.

Want to learn more about Market Research? Here are some blog posts to check out!

1. How to Avoid Advertising Mishaps
2. Virtual Reality & Qualitative Research: Fad or Here to Stay?
3. 6 Things to Watch Out for When Writing a Survey
4. Marketing Strategies for Generation Alpha: the Newest Generation

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/provokeinsights

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Check out our most recent features in the news media:

September 11th, 2019: 40% of U.S. Millennials prefer crypto investments in the event of a recession: eToro Survey

July 31st, 2019: Jewelry Is About to Get its Own ‘Got Milk’ Ads

July 1st, 2019: 22 Top Advertising Research Companies 2019

Keep on the lookout for more blog posts from us!

The Retail Landscape is Changing: Experiential Marketing

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Likewise, this quote can be applied to the hundreds of retail spaces closing their doors and moving to e-commerce. In other words, while many large retail stores are closing their doors, it might be important to ask, is this the only way to stay ahead in today’s changing marketplace? 

Accordingly, as many large stores are shutting their doors, Nordstrom is expanding. Last month, the luxury retailer opened a brand new New York City Flagship store. Not only is it unique for them to be opening a brick and mortar store at all, but it also opened a very unique store. As a result, the flagship is an experiential retail experiment. 

What is experiential retail?

• Much like experiential marketing, experiential retail is an immersive experience. 
• The concept aims to engage customers rather than sell to customers.
• The customers’ senses should be stimulated by the experience.
• It should go beyond what customers expect of a retail store. Something that they will consider shareable. 
• The space should accommodate events and services, not just products. 
• These events and services should accommodate the target audience’s real needs.

The Nordstrom location includes a martini bar in the middle of the shoe department, stroller cleaning, and appointments with a personal stylist in the styling lounge. It ticks all of the boxes. There are services, and events to keep the customers engaged. The entire space is aimed towards their target audience and should definitely exceed their expectations.  

The company threw a grand opening party and invited Instagram influencers. Namely, it felt like you entered the club where anyone who’s anyone should be seen. In addition, other companies in NYC have done something similar to their stores to stay relevant – Levi’s, FAO Schwartz, and Timberland just to name a few. 

Experiential Marketing in the Changing Marketplace

Experiential marketing is just as important to go along with these new stores. Particularly, it is a well-known fact at this stage that Millennials prefer experiences over things. Therefore, it is important for this generation to experience the brand to be won over by it. To sum up, this is why experiential marketing can be key too. As a result, the same rules apply as above. 

In conclusion, is experiential marketing the right move for your brands? In short, it is key to better understand your target audience. Thus, survey research or focus groups is a key method to better understand what your customers are looking for. 

Looking for more? Check out our other blogs on Millennials:

The Difference Between Generation Alpha & Millennials

Here is a brief excerpt from the article:

“Knowing your audience and prospects is a key way to improve your profitability! Different generations have different behaviors, attitudes, and preferences. Understanding the generation gaps will help you understand the needs of your customers. Generations give marketing strategists an easy way to target and focus their methods.

Baby Boomers do not want to see texting acronyms; they are swayed by clear video, they care about their in-store experiences, and they like to compare prices. On the other hand, Millennials want to care about the product they’re buying, and want to have a positive impact on their community. In addition, Generation Z (those born after Millennials and before 2010) is most influenced by social media, as that’s where they receive most of their news.”

Millennials, Fine Jewelry, & the Luxury Category

Want to learn more about Market Research? Here are some blog posts to check out!

1. How to Avoid Advertising Mishaps
2. Virtual Reality & Qualitative Research: Fad or Here to Stay?
3. 6 Things to Watch Out for When Writing a Survey
4. Marketing Strategies for Generation Alpha: the Newest Generation

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Forrester announced that consumers HATE advertising and that advertising budgets are transitioning away from traditional platforms to platforms such as Google, YouTube, and Facebook. Disliking an ad is nothing new! 

Why?

The difference today is that it is significantly harder for brands to stand out from the crowd. Consumers hate ads even more because they are popping up everywhere and they all seem the same.

It’s more important than ever to be shrewd and calculated in how you advertise. You do not want consumers to see your paid advertising and feel discouraged or angry. How can you stand out from the crowd? Keep these five keys to understanding the current advertising landscape in mind when launching your campaign.

1. People are consuming content differently.

Content is consumed on devices regardless of if it is an iPhone, TV, or computer (Cord-cutting today is switching over to YouTube TV). 

In the past, traditional television advertisements were guaranteed to hit a large section of the audience. But in today’s world, there are so many different channels for content consumption that your brand has to have a wider strategy. Even on television, on-demand viewing has cut down advertisement time and priority significantly.

2. From multiple social media apps to hundreds of TV channels, there are just more media channels than ever before.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat are just some of the social platforms with a huge reach, a reach that is now much larger than any television program. Advertisements are an immense part of the experience of each of these social networks, both in terms of paid advertising, and company accounts that post their own content. 

The problem with the first form of advertising is that ads show up with markers that they are ads. As discussed earlier, consumers hate ads. But combined with organic social media content, it’s a good plan to use as many social media platforms as you can to reach as wide of an audience as possible. 

3. So Much Content!

Google rewards brands for producing more blogs, videos, and articles by providing brands with better SEO. So, when you produce organic social media, your own videos, and your own articles, Google will help you reach more consumers in the search engine. Paid advertising on platforms is one strategy; search engine optimization as a result of constant content is another to add on top. 

The best way to reach people is to be constantly creating and promoting. Traditional advertising needs to be in conjunction with content, because that’s what people want to see, not advertising.

4. Diversity and differences are acknowledged, and we can target better than ever before.

No longer is everyone watching the same ten channels with the same commercials playing over and over again. Advertising is tailored to the consumer. So not only are you smart to operate on different social platforms, but you can target the consumers that are most likely to buy your product. And advertisements need to include different races, ethnicities, and sexualities.

How do you know who your target consumer is? Market research, of course! Segmentation and persona development reveal not only the demographics of your audience, but their media usage as well. As a result, your advertising is much smarter, cost-efficient, and directly correlated to sales.

5. Brands have more competition as there are more and more brands.

It’s important to be vigilant because there are more brands than ever. Keep creating and advertising in order to stand out from the crowd. Content is key to avoid frustrating consumers who hate ads. There are ways to target properly to do your best to get to consumers. And keep on creating!

Want to learn more about Market Research? Here are some blog posts to check out!

1. How to Avoid Advertising Mishaps
2. Virtual Reality & Qualitative Research: Fad or Here to Stay?
3. 6 Things to Watch Out for When Writing a Survey
4. Marketing Strategies for Generation Alpha: the Newest Generation

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Back in 2017, Pepsi ran an ad where Kendall Jenner partook in a march and approached a cop with a can of soda. It looked like Pepsi was trying to get involved in movements such as Black Lives Matter for commercial gains. As a result, it was almost immediately pulled off the air, and the company released an apology. In short, this was an advertising mishap of extraordinary levels and was deeply offensive.

Mishaps

Unfortunately, dozens upon dozens of advertisers make these mistakes each year, turning consumers off their product or service and offending potential buyers. Usually, ads like these, especially by big companies, end up forcing apologies, and only last on the airwaves for a few days at most. As a result, the bad press leads to poor sales, negative engagement, and a whole array of issues. Who wants that?

However, these sorts of advertising disasters can be avoided. Namely, doing your due diligence on developing and researching your advertisements before you place them is key. Most importantly, research is the most important thing you can do to avoid a situation like the one that Pepsi created.

Research, Research, Research

The main way to make sure your advertisements don’t fail miserably is to conduct research. In short, advertising research encompasses so much of the process of developing your brand and advertising campaigns. 

First, you can assess the ad itself through ad testing, copy testing, video testing, and message testing. This is the easiest way to make sure that an ad is being received well. You can develop a survey that shows the advertisement to the respondent, and asks them what they think. This gives direct feedback that helps you improve your advertisement, and will uncover any potential red flags consumers might have. You can do this simply by asking questions, or even use a highlighter tool so that respondents can specifically point to what they do and don’t like about the ad.

By conducting brand tracker surveys over time, you will have a clearer vision of your brand. A clearer vision of your brand will mean clearer advertising messages, and less chance that you will dip into the areas that offend.

You could also use an ad tracker. Ad trackers are vital to your advertisements, and should start before you even start your campaign. Surveys can be used to track ad campaigns and gauge consumer reaction. Not only will you be clearing up any potentially touchy areas of your ads, but you will be gaining insight into what customers might really enjoy. They also help understand how advertisements develop and test over time. As a result, you can see if something that was well received at one point is now poorly received.

Focus Groups (and Alternatives)

Additionally, conducting focus groups in order to get immediate and in-depth feedback on your advertisements and campaigns can be a deterrent to faux pas advertising. However, it isn’t always the best methodology. That doesn’t mean they aren’t insightful and important, especially when it comes to testing ads. In addition to a tracker, a focus group can go a long way.

Consequently, there are new alternatives to in-person focus groups that are less expensive, but also will help you achieve your goal of immediate response to an advertising campaign. New online focus groups that utilize artificial intelligence are making the rounds, and allow for immediate response to questions, advertisements, and images prompted. This is another safeguard to make sure no offensive material is getting out in the name of your brand.

Avoiding Advertising Mishaps

Together, these forms of research can help you have a much clearer vision of what will attract your customers. Not only will you clear any potential problematic advertisements, but you will be able to frame creative in order to drive support for your brand and product.

Want to learn more about Market Research? Here are some blog posts to check out!

1. What’s the Difference Between Quantitative vs. Qualitative?
2. Virtual Reality & Qualitative Research: Fad or Here to Stay?
3. 6 Things to Watch Out for When Writing a Survey
4. Marketing Strategies for Generation Alpha: the Newest Generation

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Do you truly understand who your competitors are? Have you analyzed which brands are direct competitors, as well and who are indirect? Do you know all of their product/service offerings? Has your company conducted market research on the matter?

It is vital to track your competition so you can stay ahead and know what the white space is. You would be shocked to know how many brands do not know where to start when asked about their competitors. Countless companies have never conducted a competitive analysis. 

Many brands only look at their main competitors without looking at smaller/quick-growing companies or brands in different industries but offer similar services. For example, Gartner and TomTom navigation systems were caught off guard when Google Maps provide the same service, but for free. Within just a few weeks of the introduction of Google Maps, the navigation systems valuations dropped considerably.

This type of intelligence gathering helps companies improve efficiency, growth, and profit through accurate information gathering and thorough analysis. 

Competitive Analysis Checklist

The first step will be to identify your direct competitors. Once you have that decided, you should explore the following areas about each of your competitors:

• Market potential 
• Trends and opportunities in the market
• Advertising landscape, this should include the following:
  • Current offline advertising
  • Digital advertising
  • Social advertising
  • PR/communication initiatives
• SEO
• Current key message
• Supporting points
• Tone, look and feel
• Call to action
• Ad spend
• Websites

A great place to start this process is with the competitors’ websites. Analyzing websites is the most accessible information for everyone. Get back to basics, look at the layout, look & feel, products/services offered. From here, it will be possible to decide on what you like and dislike, what you perceive to be working and what is not.  

In addition, it is crucial to look at Ad spend. Ad spend is not as easily accessible as the websites, but it is an essential part of competitive analysis. Your product may be better, and the message might be on target, but your competition may significantly outspend you when it comes to advertising. This number will explain a lot in terms of awareness and market penetration. If you cannot compete when it comes to an advertising budget, it will allow you to focus your budget on the correct channels. 

How to Conduct Competitive Analysis

Secondary research is a great way to conduct this type of analysis. However, it is a significant undertaking and can take hours of work. There are also parts of the research that will be most accurate if you ask consumers directly about the competition (e.g., survey and focus groups). It is often necessary to get a research company involved because, other than the website analysis, most of these insights are on secondary databases. Plus, those with strategy experience have a better perspective of analyzing the data and providing insights on the white space and areas of concern. They often recommend where you need to tweak your current marketing plan.

When to Analyze the Competitive Landscape

By conducting this analysis at least twice a year, you can better understand what is happening with the competition. You will be sure to keep up with them and if they are making any changes to their marketing initiatives. You can determine their strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to understand better where you stand and what your differentiator is. All of the information that you gather from a competitive analysis will work towards enhancing the brand’s strategy. 

What Next?

If you want to learn more, check out our other blogs on topics that will help your company when it comes to research:

Types of Research Every Advertiser Should Know

The Importance of Secondary Research When Launching a Brand

If you’re thinking of hiring a market research company to conduct your competitive analysis for you, this blog may be helpful to you: 

Questions to Ask a Market Research Company

Political Polling

There has been a lot of buzz in the media about a Fox News political poll that claimed that most Americans are in favor of impeachment. Before we can continue, this comment is about the survey and analysis, not about politics. The political beliefs of Provoke Insights will not be included in this post!

Mary Kay Linge from the NY Post wrote an article yesterday saying that a Fox News Political Poll was incorrect and that it skewed higher among democrats. Then Ms. Linge re-based the data to match the current number of affiliated Democrats in the United States. As a result, the figures showed that the number of Americans that are in favor of impeachment does not make up the majority.

How to Accurately Re-Base

Now, Mary Kay Linge, the thinking was correct, but you cannot just re-base the numbers like that. Firstly, Linge uses numbers by Gallup to re-base, but she does not provide the date of the study or the name of the study that she obtained the data from. For example, the survey she was comparing could have been a few years old or only surveyed a small number of respondents. For something like party affiliation, we would check the number of people registered with each party by state rather than another poll. This way, you know your numbers are accurate. Otherwise, we would look at non-profit data sites such as Pew Research for the information.

When conducting a political poll, you need to make sure that all of your quotas are accurate. So, we look at the US Census and make sure that the poll is in proportion with the US Census in regards to age, gender, income, ethnicity, and geography. Then, you can make sure it is accurate in regard to party affiliation.

What Question Are You Asking

The survey question is important. You need to ensure that the questions accurately line up. For example, someone may have registered as a Republican a long time ago, but today considers themselves an Independent. Therefore, look to see if the question wording says, “do you consider yourself..“ or if it says.. “are you registered as..”. While this may seem like a nuance, it is a vital part of polling correctly.

As many political polls have certain party affiliations or are created for a news station that is left or right-wing leaning, we have to always go back to the source and question how the data was collected. Often, we find that polls are conducted too quickly or include party-biases. As a result, the data may not be as accurate as we like.

Going back to Ms. Linge’s feedback, we think she wanted a quick rebuttal rather than looking at the data accurately. Was the survey wrong? We went to Braun’s website to read the poll, and unfortunately, it was not on the site. The best way to see inaccuracies is to understand the methodology, sampling practices, and the data to see if something is skewed.

For more information, you can read the article here. Also, go to American FactFinder to easily access census data. 

The New Kids on the Block

As if we didn’t feel old already, time to get to know Generation Alpha. We already felt old when it came to Gen Z! We don’t recognize any of these celebrities under the age of 25. If you think the same, get ready to feel even older! 

As we mentioned previously in our blog series, Generation Alpha is almost here! Still, their influence is well and truly here in the form of Millennial parents (aka. Millennial spending power)! It is time to get to know the group that will soon take over the spending power worldwide.  

What We Know About Generation Alpha

So, this generation has been around for almost nine years. What do we know about them so far?

• The only generation to have been born entirely in the 21st century. 
• There are more than 22 million Millennial parents, giving birth to about 9,000 babies every day. 
• Their birth dates started in 2010. So, the majority of the generation are still babies. The older Alphas will begin to make independent decisions around 2025. 
• By the time 2025 comes around, the generation will consist of 2 billion people. Before we know it, this group will be the largest generation. 
• This generation already has celebrities and influencers to look up to and be influenced by Ryan ToysReview, a seven year old toy reviewer, has over 18 million subscribers.

How and Why You Should Start Putting Yourself on Generation Alpha’s Radar

It is said that children under 12 years old influence their parents’ purchases — this is worth up to $670 billion per year! On the other hand, while it is essential to try to understand this audience, it is also important to do so ethically. Marketing and advertising to children can gather backlash. However, to do so properly, you must understand the audience that you are trying to target. 

1. Start with research – you have two options here. Conduct research among the children (which may prove time-consuming and expensive) or communicate with the Millennial parents. Check out our latest blog titled “How to Research to Generation Alpha”.
2. Now that you understand the parents of Generation Alpha, the ones who have the purse strings, you can communicate with them. 
3. Allow the kids to advocate for the brand. This generation is up to 9 years old, and they can decide for themselves if they like a brand or product. They have voices and are not afraid to use them – see: Ryan ToysReview. 

Tidbit: 

Once a year, in Ireland, the youngest generation is given a voice via The Late Late Toy Show, hosted by Ryan Turbridy. This show is an annual ritual and allows the brands targeting children to have children display the product (toy) on National television, with a full audience of over 2 million! So, if you want to do business among Generation Alpha  in Ireland, you know where to start!

There is a lot to learn about the up and coming. We encourage practicing caution before going full steam ahead and marketing to Gen Alpha. As the old saying goes – Look (research) before you leap!

If you would like to read more information on this audience, we have even more blogs written on the topic. This is the last part of a three-part series:

• The Difference Between Generation Alpha and Millennials
• Marketing Strategies for Generation Alpha: The Newest Generation

Check out some of our other recent posts from our strategy and advertising research blog here:

1. Blockchain & the Markest Research Industry
2. Is Your Research Stuck in the 1980s: Update Your Brand Tracker!
3. Market Research Doesn’t Need to Be Boring: Improve Data Visualization
4. Tips For Building Brand Strategy for a Successful Brand
5. What’s the Difference Between Quantitative and Qualitative?

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Check out our most recent features in the news media:

September 11th, 2019: 40% of U.S. Millennials prefer crypto investments in the event of a recession: eToro Survey

July 31st, 2019: Jewelry Is About to Get its Own ‘Got Milk’ Ads

July 1st, 2019: 22 Top Advertising Research Companies 2019

Keep on the lookout for more blog posts from us!

Provoke Insights is a full-service market research firm. We help build and grow brands using multiple market research methodologies including qualitative, quantitative, and secondary research. We hope to work with you in the future.

Who is Generation Alpha?

Everyone is talking about the Alpha Generation, the children born after 2009. The oldest in this cohort is just ten years old, and many are still in diapers! As the children of Millennial parents, marketers are eager to learn more about this generation. Let’s talk about how to research Generation Alpha.

Not surprisingly, given their age, not much research has been conducted about this group. Companies often decide not to execute primary research with kids due to the challenges it poses. However, just because this audience is young, doesn’t mean we are in the dark when it comes to information.

There are two ways to learn more about this audience:

1. Though rare, it is possible to research those ages six to ten. However, you need to be incredibly thoughtful and follow strict COPPA guidelines. This method is a bit more costly and more time-consuming than the other option. You will also need the Alpha Generation participants’ parents to assist with the research process. It is important to note that it is challenging to conduct quantitative research among children younger than five years old. In some cases, in-depth in-person interviews or focus groups may be feasible with this age group. 
2. You can garner insights from the Alpha Generation parents. Learning from parents is a quick and more cost-effective way to gain insights. Though influenced by their children, parents are the ultimate purchase decision-makers when it comes to buying items for the Alpha Generation.

Research Among the Alpha Generation 

Primary research tools, such as online surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, are possible. However, some caveats need to be considered. Firstly, researching Generation Alpha is more costly. Also, extra time is required, as it takes more time to recruit these participants, as well as to execute the study.  

You will also need to think like children when developing the research design. Children have less concentration and have difficulty with abstract thoughts. 

Ad research among the Alpha Generation needs to be:

• Very easy to understand and engaging
• Questionnaire/guide design needs to include age-appropriate questioning and wording 
• Parents need to be part of the research process to help explain the questions or directions. 
• The directions should also help parents gain feedback from their children that is actionable and descriptive
• If a survey, the scales needs to be relatable and include engaging pictorial survey scales
• Of course, everything needs to be COPPA compliant (Children’s Online Privacy Protect Rule). Along with general data compliance rules such as GDPR, COPPA requires disclosures and approved consent from both the child and parent before conducting the research. During the disclosure process, the research topic needs to be revealed, as well as how the data will be used. 

Research Among the Alpha Generation Parents

Given the extra time and cost to research the Alpha Generation, it may be too daunting or not feasible. Don’t worry! You can gain a lot of information from the parents (often Millennials). Millennial parents love talking about their children and could be an excellent proxy to learn about the newest generation. 

Research among parents has less rigorous rules regarding compliance, and the cost is typically much lower than conducting studies directly among the children. As mentioned, parents are the ones with the wallets, so they play a significant part in the purchasing process.   

To learn more about the Alpha Generation, you can read these blog entries:

• The Difference Between Generation Alpha and Millennials
• Marketing Strategies for Generation Alpha: the Newest Generation

Don’t stress out about your Generation Alpha Research. Take a breather and see who the famous Generation Alpa actors are. There are only a few now, but you can find them on this list.