Leveraging Proprietary Solutions to Get Answers You Need
Every market research project we conduct is uniquely designed to meet your needs, but in some case finding the solution requires inventing a more creative and precise research approach or tool. That’s when we tap into our toolbox of proprietary solutions. Here are a few examples of techniques we’ve created:
Laddering For Brand Identity and Product Development
Traditionally, companies have used the laddering research technique for enhancing their understanding of brand identity—often for developing advertising messages. We’ve adapted that approach so you can also use the knowledge derived from laddering for strategic product development. We’ve developed a laddering style that puts research participants at ease—allowing them to “ladder” features to their ultimate core value.
Discover how we used laddering to aid Nissan’s Infiniti product development.
Out-of-the-Box Experience (OBE)
Out-of-the-Box Experience (OBE) is a research technique we created to aid technology companies in designing training materials and user guides for customers buying their new products.
With OBE, timing, viewing, examining, and critiquing both the assembly process and the user manual allows you to improve the manual and even tweak packaging elements prior to production. Our worry-free research methodology greatly minimizes the stress on technical support and customer service professionals after new product introductions.
As part of the research, respondents participate in a mini-packaging communications test while waiting for an OBE interview. This approach doubled each respondent’s value to the client beyond the objectives for this type of study.
“It was so interesting to see first-hand how much difficulty consumers representing our target market had assembling one of our products. OBE is pretty basic research with such obvious benefits. My own experience with assembling various products over the years suggests that all companies would do well to take the time and spend the money it takes to do such research. It improves customer satisfaction; and saves money down the line from reducing returns, eliminating many of the anticipated help desk calls, etc.”
~Howard Furer, Market Research Director, Plantronics, Inc.
Brand Franchise Extension (BFE)
For Zwillinger Research, BFE is another tool in our box of techniques that help companies develop new products and services. We’ve adapted Dr. Edward Tauber’s methodology and made it our own, using it when traditional product concept ideation might not be sufficient to attract new markets for high profile brands. We further extended BFE to help companies develop new products, which would most successfully leverage brand equity, attracting increased sales without cannibalizing existing product lines. As Dr. Tauber has said, BFE “is a method for a company to enter a new business through the leverage of its most valuable asset–the consumer awareness, good will and impressions conveyed by its brand name.”
We’ve proven the effectiveness of the technique by successfully having used BFE to assist our clients. Castle & Cooke, Levi Strauss, Hershey’s Grain Division, Paramount Licensing Division and Madison Square Garden Productions, among other companies have entered new branded categories more quickly and successfully than would have been possible if they had developed a new brand and done so without diminishing sales of existing products in their traditional categories.
See how we applied the BFE approach for Castle & Cooke’s Dole brand.
Let us develop a proprietary solution that meets your unique research needs.
Contact Michele at mz@zrglobal.com or 1-818-906-7562 today.
