Create Personas That Actually Kill It
10 Apr 2025

Create Personas That Actually Kill It

If You’re Still Marketing to “Women 25–54,” We Need to Talk

Generic buyer profiles aren’t cutting it anymore. If you want your brand to resonate, you need to create personas that work. There are several market research services that can help bring personas to life.

A well-developed persona tells you who your customer is, why they care, and how to connect with them. But here’s the secret: the strongest personas aren’t brainstormed in a meeting room. They’re created through research.

That’s where market research services come in. When done right, they deliver personas that do more than sit in a PowerPoint — they guide strategy, messaging, product development, and media targeting.

Research Helps Develop Personas that Drive Results

Powerful personas are created from layered data, not assumptions. Start by interviewing internal stakeholders — your sales and service teams often know your customer better than anyone else. Their insights help uncover patterns worth exploring.

Next, analyze industry reports and existing customer data. Secondary research is a fast way to ground your understanding in macro trends and benchmarks.

Then, go outside. Social listening tools show what people really say online — their tone, frustrations, and preferences. It’s authentic and often surprising.

To validate what you’re hearing, layer in survey research. Large-scale surveys conducted through professional market research services help quantify behaviors, segment audiences, and pinpoint what drives decision-making. Want to go deeper? Use focus groups or in-depth interviews to bring emotion and context into the picture.

Whether you use one method or combine them all, the goal is the same: a well-rounded, deeply human understanding of your audience.

What a Strong Persona Should Include

Every persona should paint a complete picture. That means demographics, values, media habits, motivations, pain points, and preferred messaging. Include quotes, photos, and a backstory to make them feel real — not robotic. Keep it visual and easy to digest. If your team isn’t using it, it’s not doing its job.

Bring Personas to Life Across Your Organization

This isn’t just for marketers. Sales, product, creative, even HR — everyone benefits when they understand who you’re speaking to. Use personas to brief teams, guide campaigns, shape UX, and inspire innovation. The best ones are revisited and refined regularly — not created once and forgotten.

Why It Pays to Pay for Research

You can build basic personas internally. But when you invest in expert-led market research services, you gain depth, accuracy, and objectivity. Agencies bring fresh perspective, advanced tools, and strategic analysis that go far beyond DIY efforts.

Bottom line: smart brands pay for great research because it leads to better strategy — and better results.

Want Personas That Actually Drive Growth?

The real win isn’t just having a beautiful slide or a clever name for your persona. It’s creating something that feels alive — something that tells the full story of who your customer is, what they care about, and why they choose you.

A great persona doesn’t sit on a server collecting dust. It’s a living, breathing tool that anyone — from a media buyer to a product manager to a creative freelancer — can pick up and say, “I get it. This is who we’re talking to.”

That’s when personas stop being a box to check and start becoming the foundation for better, more human marketing.

Interested in reading more- Check out our blogs on segmentations:

The Art of Shopping: Love, Friendship, and 2025 Shopping Habits
06 Feb 2025

The Art of Shopping: Love, Friendship, and 2025 Shopping Habits

As Valentine’s Day approaches, romance is in the air! So is the love of shopping. According to Provoke Insights’ Winter 2025 Trends Report, shopping isn’t just a solo activity. For many, it’s a social experience shaped by relationships, optimism, and lifestyle. Our survey of 1,500 Americans, reflecting the U.S. population, reveals that 23% frequently shop with friends and family—especially parents, city dwellers, and those with an optimistic outlook on life.

So, what does shopping look like in 2025 for singles versus those in relationships? And how do their lifestyles shape what (and how) they buy?

Singles: Shopping Trends as a Social and Active Experience

The average single American is 37 years old, and 75% are optimistic about the future. Shopping is often an extension of an active lifestyle—one that includes exercising outdoors (45%), going to bars (16%), hitting the gym (28%), dancing (23%), and attending concerts (16%).

Also, singles tend to shop with friends and family, using these moments to bond over shared interests. They lean on their personal networks for purchasing advice, valuing product experiences before making decisions. Singles are likely seeking products that fit their active and social routines—whether it’s the best workout gear, trendy night-out fashion, or the latest must-have for their next concert or dance class.

Married Consumers: Shopping Trends for Elevated Experiences and the Home

Married individuals in the study skew slightly older, with an average age of 46. Those in a relationship have an even higher level of optimism. 79% say they are optimistic about the future. Their shopping behaviors reflect a blend of indulgence and practicality. They still prioritize fitness (43% exercise outdoors). Also, they are more likely to invest in experiences that elevate their home and lifestyle.

Compared to singles, married consumers are more likely to dine at high-end restaurants (31%), bake (48%), craft (20%), and take on home improvement projects (26%).

For them, shopping isn’t just about personal indulgence. It’s also about enhancing their home life, hosting, and creating experiences for their families. They rely on recommendations from their networks to ensure they are purchasing high-quality products that last, from kitchen appliances to furniture.

The Role of Love, Connections and Shopping Habits

Whether single or coupled, today’s shoppers are not making decisions in isolation. Personal networks remain the most trusted source of product information, with shoppers turning to loved ones for insights on quality and experience. For brands, this means word-of-mouth marketing is more powerful than ever, and fostering trust through authentic customer reviews and testimonials is essential.

As Valentine’s Day reminds us of the importance of connection, Provoke Insights’ findings reinforce that shopping—like love—is a shared experience. Whether browsing for the perfect date night outfit, the best kitchen gadget for a new recipe, or the latest fitness gear, shoppers are relying on their relationships to guide their choices.

Key Takeaways for About Shopping Habits

• Lean into social shopping experiences. Whether through in-store events or online referral programs, brands that encourage shared shopping moments can boost engagement.

• Prioritize peer recommendations. Customers trust friends and family over ads—make sure your brand encourages reviews, testimonials, and social sharing.

• Tailor marketing to lifestyle differences. Singles are more likely to seek out active and social experiences, while married consumers prioritize home and dining-related purchases.

This Valentine’s season, let’s celebrate not just romantic relationships but the friendships, family bonds, and social experiences that shape the way we shop. So invite a friend or love one over, pour a glass of wine, and hop on Amazon together.

Interested in reading more on market research and shopping habits? Check out our other blogs here. 

Are you interested in our market research capabilities? 

Testing 1…2…3: Quality Assurance in Launching a Survey
31 Mar 2021

Testing 1…2…3: Quality Assurance in Launching a Survey

An important consideration when conducting quantitative research is ensuring that you reduce the occurrence of errors as much as possible. Establishing processes to reduce errors in the methodology and ensuring high quality responses will help guarantee that a survey’s results represent the proper target audience for the given study. Neglecting to reduce errors or check for poor performing respondents can leave you with a spreadsheet of useless responses in need of replacement. Even worse, moving forward with your inaccurate results can leave you with the wrong impression about your audience, leading to wasted marketing dollars.

In addition to accounting for error when planning your study, error can be further reduced by checking technicalities within the survey throughout the survey’s lifespan. Here are some tips on what to keep an eye on when launching a survey:

  1. Test Your Survey Internally

    Before sending your survey out into the world, take it yourself. Ask your colleagues to take it too! Make sure that all of the programming within the survey is working correctly. Test multiple times with various combinations of responses. If a question is meant to reject unqualified respondents, test each answer to ensure that only the proper responses are let through to the next stage. Testing your survey will help reduce technical glitches and programming errors in advance of your launch.

  2. Soft-Launch Your Survey

    Gather a small portion of respondents before fully launching your survey. Take the sample and sort through their responses. Are unqualified respondents successfully completing the survey? Are qualifying respondents being prematurely ejected from the study? If you answer “yes” to either of these questions, it may be a sign that you should adjust the programming or targeting settings of your survey. Conducting a soft launch is a great way to catch these issues early, before too many responses fall through these cracks.

  3. Check Your Responses Regularly

    Throughout the time that your survey is live, sort through new responses and remove bad-quality responses. Look for signs that the respondent may have rushed through the survey without fully paying attention. Perhaps they gave short and repetitive answers to open ended questions. Maybe they gave the same rating to every question in a Likert scale. Whatever the reason may be, it is best to remove these respondents and find someone else to complete the survey so that your results are as accurate as possible. Doing this in small batches throughout the survey’s lifespan can help you save time. This can also help you avoid thinking you have reached your goal and closing the survey before suddenly needing to replace a large chunk of bad respondents.

Whether you are conducting research for yourself or for a client, you want to make sure that end results are as representative of your target population as humanly possible. Checking for quality and error at all stages will not only help you achieve this goal but will ensure that you do so in a timely and efficient manner. Keep these testing tips in mind the next time you launch a survey. Good luck!

Check out some of our other blogs on survey essentials and research methods:

  1. https://provokeinsights.com/4-watch-outs-when-conducting-a-survey/
  2. https://provokeinsights.com/6-things-to-watch-out-for-when-writing-a-market-research-survey/
  3. https://provokeinsights.com/quantitative-vs-qualitative-research/
Are you interested in our market research capabilities? Find more information here or email us at [email protected]

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When it comes to brand strategy, B2B marketers are looking outside the box–and outside of their own companies
25 Feb 2021

When it comes to brand strategy, B2B marketers are looking outside the box–and outside of their own companies

Provoke Insights brand equity research was featured in eMarketer Insider Intelligence report.

Provoke Insights sought to provide Insider Intelligence with crucial research on the under-reported field of B2B marketing. In particular, B2B companies, marketing experts, and sales professionals would find this article of interest to them. 

The report includes research conducted by Provoke Insights, as well as examples of best practices and case studies. Provoke Insights fielded an online survey to 472 B2B professionals in the United States, 184 of whom were marketing and sales professionals. 

One of the report’s biggest takeaways was that marketers at B2B companies tend to outsource marketing, particularly for logo design; 41% of B2B marketing and sales professionals look to other companies to develop this brand strategy initiative. Other relevant findings include: 

B2B companies should look to Provoke Insights’ findings as an essential snapshot of current marketing and branding trends. Having a well-defined and consistent brand allows companies to build awareness, establish trust with external and internal stakeholders, and take control of their reputations.

Rebranding Research for an Online Gaming App
18 Feb 2021

Rebranding Research for an Online Gaming App

Competition for online gaming apps is fierce.  A popular game with a famous IP is available on smartphones and via Facebook saw a plateau in new users. The game wanted to rebrand to become more relevant to prospects and current users. This case study outlines the multi-step research methodology that Provoke Insights used to provide the gaming app with a clear direction for the rebrand.

Marketing Problem

The gaming app, with over 10 million downloads, was interested in understanding what drives users to its game versus the competition. The game wanted to evaluate the current brand perception and its impact on awareness, consideration, downloads, in-game purchases, and long-term loyalty. 

The objectives of the research included:

  1. How consumers link the inherited brand name and its retail identity to the current iteration of the application;
  2. What drives emotional attachment to the game;
  3. How the game differs from the competition.

Market Research Solution

So, Provoke Insights proposed a two-phase research solution. 

Phase one was qualitative, to conduct sixteen in-depth interviews among current users. These interviews were used to uncover information before a quantitative stage:

  • Emotional drivers to the app; 
  • Detailed thoughts on the apps’ creative; 
  • How the app fits into their life;
  • Feelings about the name of the brand and whether they would support a rebrand.

The interviews were conducted among four groups of the app’s users, tiered based on their usage/money spent to get a range of users.

Phase two was an online survey among online gamers. The research was used to create a perceptual map of the app and its main competitors, test features of the game, evaluate different audiences within the online gaming world and further understand emotional drivers. 

Research Results

Going into the research, the marketing team was preparing to rebrand and clear up brand confusion. However, both the in-depth interviews and the research study found that the brand name was one of the main reasons people tried the game. Therefore, from the results, the game also realized that the brand confusion stemmed throughout the full gaming experience.  The brand needed to focus on how to provide a concise brand message across the game’s assets.

Are you interested in our market research capabilities? Find more information here or email us at [email protected]

In addition, read some of our past case studies here:

  1. Food Category Brand Launch: Secondary Research
  2. Marketing Strategy for a Major National Fitness Club
  3. Annual Ad Testing Campaign for OTC Drug Company
  4. Jewelers of America: Mixed Methodology Market Research Study

You can also read some of our blogs here

  1. Research Among Generation X
  2. Research Among Baby Boomers
  3. Valentine’s Day Marketing 2021, Falling in Love With Your Brand

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and finally, follow our social media accounts:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/provokeinsights

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/provoke-insights

 

Market Research Among Generation Z
16 Feb 2021

Market Research Among Generation Z

Generation Z is one of the youngest and most digitally adjusted generations. Colloquially called “zoomers” or “the iGeneration,” they likely have never experienced pre-Internet life. Generation Z ranges from 7- to 22-year-olds born between 1997 and the early 2010s. This article is the third installment in a five-part series on market research among generations by Provoke Insights.

Marketers must not underestimate the buying power of this young cohort. Though they are young, they makeup 40% of global consumers and have an estimated spending power of $143 billion. 

Generation Z is known for their short attention span, which averages around eight seconds. This, along with their ability to keep up with ever-changing trends, can be chalked up to the widespread accessibility of handheld smart devices at such a young age. Unlike Generation X or Baby Boomers, Generation Z is less loyal to specific companies and more willing to search around until they find something that meets their needs. 

Generation Z is known for their love of online spending, brand conversations, and personalized digital experiences. 

Major Events for Gen Z

A common misconception that brands hold about Generation Z is the assumption they are immature or unlived. However, though they are young they have experienced many serious events.

  • Gen Z-ers may not remember the September 11th terrorist attacks, but they were raised in its wake.
  • The release of the iPhone in 2007 marked a new era of handheld technology. Many Gen Z-ers’ first cell phones were smartphones.
  • Gen Z-ers were brought up with the rise of social media, and are likely keenly aware of social media marketing tactics.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many Gen Z-ers’ secondary and college educations. As the pandemic hit at such a formative time, the impact will likely run deeper among this cohort. 

Market research among Generation Z is crucial for brands looking to grow. As this is the generation of the future and if your brand wants long-term growth, Gen Z will play a crucial role. Therefore, if your brand is thinking about targeting this young audience, the key is interactivity. 

Gen Z-ers look for authenticity, sustainability, and accessibility. Market research among generation Z will allow your brand to understand how to be authentic, sustainable, and accessible. 

Retailers should aim for partnerships with direct-to-consumer and ecommerce brands, which can provide personalized shopping experiences. Collaborations with celebrities can make a brand stand out.  Also, partnering with social media influencers can bring in new Generation Z consumers. Appealing to all generations, including Gen Z, is absolutely possible with interactivity at the forefront.

Interested in learning more about the other generations? Check out our article researching Generation X here.

Are you interested in our market research capabilities? Find more information here or email us at [email protected]

Finally, read some of our past blogs and case studies here:

  1. Market Expansion for a Furniture Company
  2. Research Among Baby Boomers
  3. Research Among Gen Alpha

IF YOU WANT TO, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTERS HERE!

and finally, follow our social media accounts:

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Election Polls: Why You Need to Know What Margin of Error Is Right Now
22 Oct 2020

Election Polls: Why You Need to Know What Margin of Error Is Right Now

Why You Must Understand Margin of Error Before Reading Election Polls 

The term ‘margin of error’ is a common term when it comes to market research. However, this lexicon is always mentioned more in mainstream media around an election. With less than two weeks to go until the United States Presidential Election, ‘margin of error’ is no longer jargon but a common-use term that comes up in the press every day.

 

What is a Margin of Error?

The margin of error is the accepted standard within the market research industry for data reliability. It lets us know with a certain level of confidence that if the same research methodology was completed again the results would be within the same ‘margin’.

 

This is an overly simplified explanation of the term. The margin coincides with a statistically significant confidence level. The confidence level is usually tested at 90%, 95%, or 99%. For example, if the margin of error is +/- 2% and the confidence level is 95% – if the same survey was completed again among a random sample, 95 times out of 100, the results would be within two percentage points.  

 

What Does This Have to Do With the Election?

Many times you see, headlines such as Biden leads a state by 2%. However, the margin error is 3%. In these instances, it means that Biden is not winning but tied with Trump.

It is something to keep an eye on in the polls as the election approaches. The number of eligible voters starts to decrease (because there are so many polls happening in the days running up to the election and only a certain number of voters taking polls). This causes the sample sizes to become limited, and margins of errors start to rise. You need to keep an eye out for these in the last few weeks before the election to ensure that the polls are telling the whole story.

 

Is the Margin of Error the Only Error that We Need to Account for?

The margin of error can be misleading. It assumes that we have accounted for all errors. If survey results state that 25% of the population is going to vote for a particular candidate with a +/-2% margin of error, then we can safely say that anywhere between 23% and 27% of people will vote that way.

 

That is not the case. The margin of error allows us to understand the sampling error. However, other non-sampling errors can occur in market research, and it is essential to keep your eye out for them in polls:

 

  1. The way a question is asked can result in errors (e.g. leading questions, incomplete list of choices to choose from, double-barreled).
  2. Many questions ask about intent rather than attitudes or past behavior. That requires a further interpretation that can leader to errors (e.g. voting models).
  3. Bad respondents (people taking a survey too quickly and not reading the questions, doing ‘straight-line’ or ‘pattern’ responses). The research company often cleans these, but when research is done very quickly, they do not have time to remove all bad participants.
  4. Weighting survey sampling to match the population may be off (In the 2016 election, education was not weighted and caused the polls to be off)

 

The margin of error is critical to look out for but not the be-all and end-all of research errors. It is essential to analyze the methodology and ensure that the number of errors are limited.

Read more about political polling here: The Accuracy of Political Polling

Read some of our recent case studies and blogs here to learn more about business and consumer research:

  1. The Pros and Cons of Online Survey Research
  2. The Power of Census Data
  3. COVID-19 and Conducting Market Research

To learn more about Provoke Insights – Check out SlideShare:

Provoke Insights Market Research & Brand Strategy Capabilities

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What’s the Difference Between Quantitative vs. Qualitative
02 Apr 2019

What’s the Difference Between Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Before discussing the distinctions between qualitative and quantitative research, it is important to go back to basics. There are two types of research categories: primary and secondary research. The way to know the difference is simple – primary research is “not already out here”. While, you guessed it; secondary analysis is data that is “already out there”. There are thousands of examples of secondary research, it comes in the form of articles and databases such as Bloomberg, Lexisnexis, and Hoovers.

Learn Why Market Research is a Must for Businesses.

Both quantitative and qualitative research are types of primary research. So, what is the difference between quantitative and qualitative?

Qualitative Research

Qualitative, also called exploratory research, is directional in nature. Typically, this type of research assesses a small number of people. This kind of analysis includes mostly open-ended questions or observational research. Examples of qualitative research include:

Focus Groups

Focus groups are typically groups of 6-8 participants. An expert moderator facilitates each group. To have the most useful session possible, the moderator follows a guide that includes several open-ended questions.

Focus groups take place in facilities equipped for this type of research. The facility includes a table for participants and the moderator to gather around. The moderator usually sits at the head of the table. There is also a one-way mirror where the client and market research company sit and view the session.

The groups are recorded and transcribed. From them, the moderator along with the research team develop a concise report that includes key findings and quotes to back up conclusions.   

Conducting this research online is a way to reduce the cost and length of the qualitative research project. However, facial expressions or the tone of people’s voices is no longer possible to analyze when conducting the group’s virtually.

Ethnographic Research

Ethnographic Research is observational research where you view the subject in their environment. An example could be a butter company looking at how adults cook with the product at home. A study on how parents shops for children’s clothes at a retailer is another example.  Virtual reality is a new trend occurring in ethnographic research. By building virtual stores and in-home scenarios, it lessens the need to conduct this research in the space.

One-on-One In-depth Interview

Another exploratory research option can include individual interview sessions. This qualitative method can happen in person, via phone or even online. Often this option is beneficial when interviewing professionals such as doctors or discussing sensitive topics.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research, also called descriptive statistics, surveys a statistically representative portion of a population. For the results to be as accurate as possible, this method surveys a large number of respondents. The goal is to reduce the margin of error in your sample to be more confident in your results.

Unlike qualitative research, quantitative research uses close-ended questioning in order to garner numerical responses.

Developing a questionnaire is often tricky as survey writing is an art form. Errors in survey writing can often lead to inaccurate conclusions. Read 4 Watch Outs When Conducting a Survey to learn more about questionnaire writing.

Once the questionnaire is developed, respondents are invited to take the survey. When fielding is complete, the data is analyzed,this can also include advanced analytics techniques. The results are often shown in a deck that provides key findings, recommendations, and detailed findings with graphs and charts.

Today, quantitative research is most frequently conducted online, but phone and in-person are other methods used. For example, in many third world countries, the internet is sparse and therefore in-person interviews may be a more reliable source. See Conducting Research in a Third World Country.  

Many kinds of initiatives such as ad tracking, naming research, and segmentation research use quantitative research.

 

 

Conducting Research in a Third World Country
13 Dec 2018

Conducting Research in a Third World Country

Written by: Alannah Griffin 
Case Study: Conducting In-person Research in Vietnam 

Ever thought about conducting market research in a third world country? Certainly, it's not the easiest undertaking. And often, in order to do so, you need to think outside the box.

It takes a lot of effort, analysis, and critical thinking to curate any methodology. However, imagine trying to figure out how to research the threat of technology for motorbike taxi drivers in Vietnam.

Vietnam: Market Research in the Third World

In Vietnam, the primary mode of transport in cities is by motorbike. A common occupation for men is to be a motorbike taxi driver/xe ôm driver. A lot of xe ôm drivers’ livelihoods are now under threat with the onset of modern technology. Apps that use location intelligence are emerging and providing more cost-efficient, safer, and quicker rides for customers. In this day and age, on-demand service is a high priority for customers. The use of GPS and location intelligence is forcing traditional xe ôm drivers out of the market.

There are many different ways to conduct this research. As a result, when taking everything into account for this particular research study, the methodology consisted of qualitative methods to provide an in-depth assessment.

That is to say, the three qualitative research methods selected were:

  • Semi-structured interviews
  • Informal conversational interviews, and
  • Participant observation

In conclusion, we found that if drivers want to continue in the profession of motorbike taxi drivers, they must partner with the companies who have developed Apps using location intelligence. Therefore, if they do not do so, they will not satisfy customers, threatening their income source, and may be left behind.

Further, you must be thinking about what issues we ran into. So, what are common watch outs when conducting this type of research?

Having your interview guide well prepared and your target sample precisely defined before entering the field is essential to obtain the best and most accurate results.

Cultural issues.

A researcher needs to be prepared for situations where interviewees may be reserved towards them as a researcher due to the cross-cultural setting and their potential lack of trust.

Language barrier.

All interviewees who participated in the research discussed above were interviewed through Vietnamese. Therefore it was essential to have an interpreter to overcome the communication barrier during the qualitative research. The quality of the interpretation has an effect on the research results. Therefore it is vital to ensure that the interpreter is qualified and vetted for the assignment at hand.

Reasons Why Working with a Professional Will be Helpful

Research can be extremely time-consuming, especially with a large sample size. Often, when conducting research in a third world country, there are variables present that are beyond your control. Certainly, this is where a market research firm becomes a valuable asset with the knowledge and expertise to overcome these barriers.

Guide/Survey writing is a challenging task – if your company wishes to undertake surveys or interviews, you will need an experienced researcher to aid you in this writing process.
Market researchers have the experience to know how many interviews would be necessary to achieve data saturation. It is vital that you have guidance from a professional to get the recommended sample sizes for your study.

Market researchers identify key findings, themes, and conclusions. Their expertise in cleaning, analyzing, and ultimately making sense of data in order to produce more accurate, actionable results, and tell a story with the findings is invaluable.

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

  1. Blockchain & the Markest Research Industry
  2. I'm Just Not That Into You: Exclusivity or Bad Marketing?
  3. Is Your Research Stuck in the 1980s: Update Your Brand Tracker!
  4. Market Research Doesn't Need to Be Boring: Improve Data Visualization
  5. Tips For Building Brand Strategy for a Successful Brand
  6. What's the Difference Between Quantitative and Qualitative?

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Why We Love Advertising Research
10 May 2018

Why We Love Advertising Research

Written by: Carly Fink

I grew up in the 1980s, and cable TV was seen as a premium service. We had an antenna with only seven TV channels. There was no internet, social media, or smartphones. Ads were mostly aired or shown on television, radio, print, or out of home (e.g. billboards). If you had a fun jingle or a catchy slogan your ad would be seen and hopefully remembered. Everyone was using predominantly the same media channels. As a result, someone my age often remembers the commercials they grew up with… From Mikey from Life Cereal to the Anti-Drug Campaign – “This is Your Brain on Drugs”.

However, the advertising landscape today is much more diverse. On average, a person sees over 10,000 ads a day. A cable subscriber has access to an average of 200 TV channels. To complicate the media landscape, millennials are cutting the cable cord and watching streaming services such as YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu on their TVs and computers instead.

People do not sit and exclusively watch TV or videos anymore. They are often using their phone, tablets, and computers while watching programming which allows them to easily tune out commercials.

It’s not only streaming services that have complicated advertising. I love observing people and seeing how walking around in public has evolved. Now, you often see people taking smaller steps so that they can walk and access their phone at the same time. Or how many times have you waited on a long line at a retailer and not taken out your phone? This results in a major loss of eyes on out-of-home advertising, store’s window advertising and point-of-purchase advertising.

This makes it extremely challenging for a brand to stand out from the crowd. As a result, advertising research becomes more important than ever. Research provides so many opportunities for your brand to become more relevant, memorable, unique, and important to your consumer base. It is a smart way to get ahead of your competitors. From conducting secondary research to understanding trends to segmentation research to advertising tracking, there are multiple ways to be stand out and smarter about your advertising.

Creative Test – Research for an Ad Campaign
08 May 2018

Creative Test – Research for an Ad Campaign

Launching an advertising campaign is an expensive undertaking. While producing the creative is one cost, the media buy can increase the price tag extensively. Not only does the ad creative need to resonate with your potential customer but also stand out from the crowd — regardless if it is a TV commercial, print ad, or digital banners. The importance of research for an ad campaign lies here.

The average consumer sees up to 10,000 brand messages a day. Today, people are often consuming more than one media channel at a time. For example, consumers often watch TV while playing on their smartphone and working on their computers. As a result, it is harder for brands to stand out in this crowded space.

Therefore your message not only needs to resonate but also be memorable and persuade your audience to take action (e.g. learn more, go online).

There are also several pitfalls that agencies may not even consider when advertising. It is key not only for your advertisement to be memorable, but also appeal to your audience.  Sometimes the smallest nuances may have a large impact on prospects. Is the advertisement somehow offending your target audience? Often people do not realize that an ad may be culturally or ethnically insensitive. This is the importance of market research!

A word, a line, an image, or color may also prompt the consumer to think of another brand or industry. You need to make sure your creative idea works for your specific brand. Pretesting allows for instinctive/knee-jerk reactions from the audience and provides you with the safety net to prevent a campaign from having mishaps. It also provides recommendations and direction to further enhance your campaign in order to ultimately improve ROI.

How to pre-test?

Pre-testing can take many different forms.  Below are just a few examples:

Brand Concepts

The Highlighter Tool can be used to distinguish which areas of the concept are liked and disliked by your potential customers. Respondents can pick certain words that please them and highlight whatever has an alternative effect

Message Testing

Using the advanced analytics technique, MaxDiff, we can determine which message resonates most with your consumers. This trade-off analysis would tell which message will directly influence the target audience.

Initial Concepts & Messaging Combined

If you have many different images, messages, and support points, our Advertising Optimizer uses the advanced analytics technique, Conjoint Analysis, to find the perfect combination for your audience.

Print, Digital, and Storyboard Sentiment Testing

This technology allows the exact dimensions of a print or display ad. Respondents can click on what they like vs. dislike. You can also use this technology as multiple frames of a story to gain feedback for a commercial before it is in video format.

Commercial or Radio Concepts

As the video or audio plays, respondents click what they like vs. dislike and have the ability to provide feedback in real-time.

Research for an ad campaign is essential every time. What’s vital to remember market research before launching an advertising campaign is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That is why at Provoke Insights, we look at each campaign’s business objectives, target audience, industry, and the competition before developing a concise research plan.

It is worth your while to save time, money, and face to invest in research and get the creative right the first time.

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

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

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Keep on the lookout for more blog posts from us!

Types Of Research Every Advertiser Should Know
08 May 2018

Types Of Research Every Advertiser Should Know

Are you involved in your company’s advertising campaign? Do you work at an advertising agency? If so, market research may be key to enhancing your advertising initiatives!

Below, we will discuss four popular market research methods that every advertiser should know and we will synopsize why businesses should consider using it.

  1. Target Audience & Segmentation Research
  2. Creative Testing & Concept Exploration
  3. Research for Content Marketing
  4. Brand Tracking

 

Target Audience & Segmentation Research

Who is your target audience? Who has the highest propensity to not only purchase your product or service but also have the highest Lifetime Value?

If you are launching a new product or just reevaluating your audience, it’s time to know which segment is most profitable.

It is also important to consider segmentation  – your marketing and advertising can’t speak to everyone all of the time – you may want to prioritize cohorts or use a segmentation to optimize your media and messaging.

Creative Testing & Concept Exploration

Are you launching a new advertising campaign? Prior to launch,  test your creative and concepts. This allows you to leverage your advertising and messaging to its fullest extent without having to learn from your mistakes. If you think you might need concept testing or optimization of creative research – we have two blogs on them here and here.

Research for Content Marketing

Research for content marketing makes your brand a thought leader by using research to get press placements. Bring your research to life by using it as a catalyst for B2B and B2C awareness, engagement, lead generation, and conversion. Tactics include online videos, infographics, sales materials, email marketing, thought leadership pieces, press releases, and guerrilla efforts.

Brand Tracking

Have your advertising initiatives made an impact? That is why it is pertinent to start tracking your marketing initiatives even before you launch a campaign. Once the advertising is launched, the desired outcome is campaign memorability, consideration, likely to use and recommend. This type of research also gauges how it is performing compared to your competitors.

For all of the reasons mentioned above, businesses should consider market research for their advertising and branding strategy it is one of the most effective methods to improve your ad campaigns ROI (return on investment).

3 Common Misconceptions About Market Research
02 May 2018

3 Common Misconceptions About Market Research

Over the years, we have heard many false misconceptions about market research. However, three themes consistently stick out: 1) Anyone can conduct market research 2) Focus groups are always the best methodology 3 )Research is not worth the money. Below you will learn why these misleading statements are not still always the case.

1. Anyone Can Conduct Market Research

In today’s digital world, there are many free and inexpensive online tools. As a result, companies may feel it is a cost-saving to conduct research in-house over hiring a market research company. Cost-saving becomes a common pitfall that many businesses conclude and is potentially quite dangerous. Above all, a poor research strategy leads to poor results. As a result, it could even possibly provide the wrong marketing strategy.

Market research professional’s number one job is to reduce the number of errors in their quantitative, qualitative, and secondary data. In addition, these experts have years of training and know how to avoid mistakes. In addition, common errors include improper research design, inferior data collection methods, small sample size & design, and improper use of statistic procedures.

Furthermore, a third party conducting the research compared to an internal employee avoids any research biases. A person who is close to an issue or the everyday inner workings of a company may not have an impartial view when conducting the market research resulting in skewed findings.

2. Focus Groups Are Always the Best Methodology

Many of our clients love focus groups, and we often lead this qualitative research methodology. It provides an approach that favors the most in-depth, revealing, and personal responses. Another misconception about Market Research is that focus groups are the only way to go. However, this exploratory method is often costly and not necessarily the best approach to answer every research need. Given that this method only interviews a limited number of participants, the research is directional.

There are online tools that can help you with a host of online research strategies. It’s essential to question a large number of participants, get statistical results, and introduce qualitative methods to garner in-depth insights. These online exercises are great to test brand concepts, messaging, print and digital ads, TV commercials, and radio ads. Online research comes in at a faster rate and costs significantly less money than focus group research.

3. Research is not worth the money

Often companies focus on execution needs such as a new website, media buys, or commercials. Companies cut their budgets for strategies based on research. As a result, the marketing or business strategy can become compromised and based on only assumptions. While in the short-term, it may have saved a few thousand dollars, in the long-term, your business may not be effectively reaching your target audience. Prioritizing the short term will result in potential lost profits.

If there is a specific budget you need to work with, be honest with your research vendor. There are often cost-effective methodologies to help answer your business objectives. The best thing you can do is work on a thoughtful and reasonable strategy without cutting corners. And trust us: your brand will benefit because of it.

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

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

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Follow our social media accounts:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/provokeinsights

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/provokeinsights/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/provoke-insights

Keep on the lookout for more blog posts from us!

Segmentation Research and Creating Personas
02 May 2018

Segmentation Research and Creating Personas

Written by: Rachael Ryan

Segmentation studies allow you to walk in the shoes of different consumers, so you can really understand their buying habits and interests. We’re going to discuss the importance of research and how you can use a segmentation study to create personas.

What is Segmentation?

Segmentation is the process of conducting market research using a survey tool in order to group similar consumers by their purchasing habits, their common needs, and attitudes. Segmentation can take many forms, two of which are ‘Needs-based segmentation’ and the second is ‘Attitudinal segmentation’. Then advanced analysis such as conjoint analysis or hierarchical cluster analysis is often used on the data that is gathered.

Priorities

Once you have your segments, you can prioritize them. This can be done by determining who has the highest propensity to purchase your product as well as tell you how much they are willing to spend and each group’s lifetime value. This is invaluable information because then, your target audience will be the people who already want to buy your product and at a price that they want to pay. It will also allow you to understand the size of each segment, what percentage of the population they are and therefore you can understand each segment’s potential worth to you.

Segmentation will also allow you to find out what may have been missed opportunities in the past. You’ll be able to figure out which audiences are spending money on other similar items and what would make them switch their purchasing habits to your product/service. These segments can be targeted too.

Creating Personas

Once you know who your segments are, bring them to life, by creating a persona. If there are various segments – you can pick out the similar traits, beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and values they have and make one persona that you can then market to. It makes marketing to your segments easier, cheaper and more effective. We can see what your persona thinks and how your brand fits into that mindset.

Segmentation has many benefits and it is very important. But by creating personas you can walk in your consumer’s shoes. Name your persona (ie. Jack!), you can even draw them for everyone to see, understand their thinking and then you’ll know who you’re trying to get your message across to. When done right, it’s a great way to totally comprehend your segmentation and use it efficiently for every marketing strategy.

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

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

Sign up for our newsletters here!

Follow our social media accounts:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/provokeinsights

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/provokeinsights/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/provoke-insights

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

May 23rd, 2019: NYMRAD’s Q1 State Of The Market Report Arrives

April 8th, 2019: eToro survey finds millennials are leading the shift from stocks to crypto

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.

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Segmentation has many benefits and it is very important. But by creating personas you can walk in your consumer’s shoes. Name your persona (ie. Jack!), you can even draw them for everyone.
But by creating personas you can walk in your consumer’s shoes. Name your persona (ie. Jack!), you can even draw them for everyone to see, understand their thinking and then you’ll know who you’re trying to get your message across to. When done right, it’s a great way to totally comprehend your segmentation and use it efficiently for every marketing strategy.

The 3 Most Popular Blogs of 2017
03 Jan 2018

The 3 Most Popular Blogs of 2017

We are looking back on 2017’s most popular blog posts on Provoke Insights. That is to say, what did people want to read about regarding brand strategy, advertising research, and brand research?

Number 1: Tech Company’s Brand Strategy

Interestingly, the number one spot is Tech Companies… What’s Your Brand Strategy? An older blog of ours, we wrote this way back in September 2015. Firstly, that the internet loses nothing! Secondly, this blog becomes more relevant every day as the tech industry continues to grow at a rapid rate. With more and more technology-based brands launching, there is a need to have a consistent marketing strategy based on research and insights. However, we see tech companies who start with tactics first and result in a flimsy advertising plan. Having worked with several technology companies this year, we have learned that each brand has a diverse and unique need. Also, we see that more and more tech firms are making sure that they have the right brand strategy in place.

Number 2: Millennials and Jewelry

Likewise, our second most popular blog – Millennials, Fine Jewelry, and the Luxury Category – is an oldie but a goodie. During 2017, the piece gained traction, but was written in December 2016. To sum up, this article was popular because of the need to understand this generation’s uncommon spending habits within the luxury category. The media talks endlessly about how millennials behave, how to reach them, and what they’re buying. Consequently, this blog’s popularity may have stemmed from the need to understand better this generation that has caused such a stir. In addition, were so interested in the topic because we did a four-part research project with Jewelers of America in 2017. Meanwhile, it included qualitative research among suppliers and retailers, as well as a segmentation that highlighted millennials as a primary target for a national jewelry campaign. You can read more about that here.

Number 3: Market Research Trends

On the other hand, we wrote our third most popular blog in 2017 – 7 New Trends in Market Research in 2017. In this blog, we ran down a list of new technology and innovative ideas to revitalize a market research strategy. Moreover, we are happy to say our predictions were right and we used almost all of these trends in 2017 and planned to use more of them in 2018. As a result, these trends should continue into 2018 with the added rise of smartphone-based research. Applications on smartphones can track users locations, gender, age, purchasing habits, and app usage. So anybody can buy demographic data – there’s a possibility that market research firms will take advantage of it. Until there is a framework in place to regulate this – all of the data is fair game.

We would like to wish you all a Happy New Year from the Provoke Insights Team. Thank you for reading about our most popular blogs. We are launching our updated advertising research study at the end of January. Keep an eye out for new blog posts with original information from the research study about advertisers, in-house marketers, the pitch process, stress levels in the workplace, media, and advertising budgets, and much more.

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

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

Sign up for our newsletters here!

Follow our social media accounts:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/provokeinsights

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/provokeinsights/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/provoke-insights

Keep on the lookout for more blog posts from us!