Marketing Research Case Histories

Below is a list of case studies detailing some of Decision Analyst’s experiences from innovation and qualitative research to quantitative research to advanced analytics and predictive analytics. You can view each article by clicking on the title.

A Decision Analyst Proprietary Panel of Users Category: Tanning Products Methods: Proprietary Panel; Custom Research Panel; Tracking Research; Qualitative Research; Quantitative Research; Attitude, Usage, & Behavior Research Summary: A large consumer-packaged-goods company wanted to gain insights into two consumer groups’ attitudes, usage, and behaviors toward tanning products, over a period of 16 months.
A Fistful Of (Electronic) Dollars Category: Gift Cards Methods: Market-Share Tracking, Consumer Trends Summary: Our client, Retailer A, a Fortune 100 company and one of the gift card market-share leaders, was interested in better understanding its competitive place in the gift card market, as well as understanding the gift card purchase decision and gift-card redemption experience. Decision Analyst recommended using quantitative surveys among both purchasers and recipients to capture gift card market share, as well as a deep dive into the motivations and behaviors surrounding a gift card purchase.
A Hair-Raising Global Tracking Study Category: Beauty Products Methods: Product Awareness and Usage, International Research, Product Attributes, Incidence, Customer Target Profile Summary: An international innovator of premium beauty products targeted to women wanted to better understand hair care needs and product usage among females in four countries. This research was conducted to help the company develop targeted marketing initiatives, enhance product offerings, and understand targets for new products.
A Model of Customer Loyalty Category: Insurance Methods: Advanced Analytics, Brand Equity Modeling, Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty, Customer Loyalty Modeling, Customer Loyalty Simulator™ Summary: A financial holding company desired an equity and loyalty evaluation of several insurance company brands. Using an online survey, consumers evaluated insurance company brands on a battery of attributes. Decision Analyst’s Customer Loyalty Simulator™ was integral in empowering the client to make decisions about how to improve the brand. First, a customer loyalty model provided the client with customized latent-class factor models, and regression models were developed using the survey ratings. Once these models were programmed into the Customer Loyalty Simulator™, the client learned the value of its brand compared to the competition and identified key attributes that impacted equity and loyalty.
A Rose of Any Other Color... Category: Children's Toys Methods: Package Testing, Virtual Shopping, Advanced Analytics, Quantitative Research, Shopper Insights Summary: Recently a major toy manufacturer was challenged by its management team to grow sales of its top brand. The brand's marketers faced a big challenge and were considering a bold (and potentially risky) change to help shift the brand’s growth trend upward. Consumer research was carefully crafted to understand shoppers’ reactions to the revised packages and ultimately revealed that the proposed changes would benefit the brand.
Advertising Testing Among Hispanics Category: Retail Methods: Advertising Research, Hispanic Research Summary: Our client, Retailer B, noticed that Hispanics were increasingly part of their target market. Recognizing the revenue opportunities that the Hispanic market represents, Retailer B wanted to increase their market share among Hispanics by developing advertising campaigns targeted towards Hispanics. A large retailer, Retailer B, wanted to evaluate television, print, and radio ads among Hispanics in the U.S.
China: A New World of Possibilities Category: Skincare System Methods: Time-Extended™ Online Focus Group, Global Research, Research in China Summary: A multinational personal-care products manufacturer was interested in expanding its skincare business in China and wanted to identify the unique needs and applications to deliver a pipeline of skincare products specially designed for Asian consumers.
Combining Survey Choice Modeling with Customer-Database Predictive Modeling Category: Utilities Methods: Advanced Analytics, Customer-Database Predictive Modeling, Hierarchical Bayes Choice Modeling Summary: Decision Analyst’s client wished to directly predict the receptivity of its customers and prospects to a wide variety of promotion and pricing features of electricity plans. In particular, a very flexible prospect model was desired to use in targeting specific customers and prospects with specific offerings, based on demographic variables available within their customer database.
Concept Testing Category: Automotive Aftermarket Methods: Concept Testing, Purchase Motivation, Brand Positioning Summary: The target market was fast-growing. Competitive brands were already beginning to occupy space on retailers’ shelves. The decision the client needed to make was whether to relabel and slightly reformulate its current product, or keep the original formulation as is and create an all-new sister product to meet the specific needs of the new market segment and the client’s retail partners. The primary objective was to measure consumer acceptance and purchase consideration for the two product concept alternatives.
Consumer Packaged Goods Brand Tracking Category: Consumer Packaged Goods Methods: Advertising Awareness, Advanced Analytics, Attitudinal Research, Brand Awareness, Key Driver Analysis, Tracking Research Summary: A new, domestic manufacturer of hand and power tools wanted to measure and track awareness, attitudes, and usage of brands within the tool category over time. An online survey was conducted to establish baselines for awareness, ownership, and general attitudes for the client’s brand as well as competitive brands, and then repeated once a year at the same time as the benchmark study in order to measure changes in the category over time.
Database Analytics: Developing Strategic Value from a Consumer Affairs Database Category: Food Product Manufacturer Methods: Database Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Geospatial Analysis, Data Cleaning, Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction Summary: A major international manufacturer of a food product sold in grocery stores had a database of consumer contacts going back several years and consisting of several million records. The Consumer Affairs department believed the database was underutilized as merely a tactical resource for dealing with consumer complaints and inquiries. The department wanted to develop the strategic value of the database and also wanted to improve methods used to deal with consumer inquiries and potential problems. Using sophisticated data cleaning and exploratory methods, geospatial analysis, and standard market research analysis methods, Decision Analyst was able to illuminate patterns in the data that impacted product development and testing, and target marketing.
Determining the Relationship Between Consumption and Household Income Category: Utilities Methods: Advanced Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Predictive Analytics Summary: A major utility company wished to understand the relationship between consumption of their product and their clients’ household income in order to address pricing issues raised by the regulatory authority. Specifically, the hypothesis was promulgated that lower-income households used more of the client’s product. A formal test of this hypothesis was needed.
Games People Play Category: Electronic Games Methods: Focus Groups, Depth Interviews, Projective Techniques, Motivational Research Summary: At the dawn of the digital age, a major international manufacturer of electronic systems and components assigned a team of engineers to develop digital games for the new electronic devices then emerging. The engineers viewed this as an opportunity to convert checkers, chess, and similar board games into electronic versions. Consumer research revealed a far vaster realm of opportunity, a fantasy world beyond the imaginations of the engineers.
Getting Carded Category: Gift Cards Methods: Customer Loyalty, Awareness and Usage, Customer Satisfaction, Tracking Study Summary: A multinational food and beverage chain wanted to measure over time the awareness and usage of its frequent user/gift card program and its impact on customer loyalty. This research was conducted to provide strategic direction for improving the overall effectiveness of the program as a customer relationship tool—to drive customer acquisition and retention, and to grow revenue.
The Global Celebrity Index—An International Star Search Category: Health and Beauty Aids—Cosmetics Methods: International Online Survey, Custom Indexing Methodology Summary: A major multinational cosmetics manufacturer set out to identify a universal celebrity spokesperson who would best represent its brand across various global markets. Decision Analyst was tasked with designing the methodology that would determine the ideal spokesperson for the company. Decision Analyst developed a comprehensive index score based on over 15 distinct variables, such as personal attributes, familiarity, and fit with the brand that helped to differentiate between the celebrity candidates and to select the best representative.
Hotel Services Innovation Program Category: Hospitality Methods: Qualitative Research, Ideation, Quantitative Research, New Product Concept Development & Refinement, Advanced Analytics, MaxDiff Latent Class Choice Model Summary: A major hotel chain was interested in developing relevant and actionable new products and services designed to target the business traveler, and to project potential market appeal for each concept. We addressed this need using Decision Analyst’s Insights & Innovation Group to identify and develop new product and service concepts. Once the new product and service concepts were developed, Decision Analyst then used quantitative research combined with advanced analytics to identify the new concepts with the best potential for success.
I Beg Your Pardon? (The Value of Unexpected Research Results) Category: Business-to-Business (B2B) Electronics Methods: Profiling, International Research, Business-to-Business (B2B) Research, Attitude/Awareness/Usage Research, Diagnostic Research, Problem Solving, Teamwork Summary: A leading device manufacturer discovered that previously-held beliefs about the philosophical differences between U.S. and Italian office workers that were driving marketing simply weren’t accurate at all. The research that was originally designed to identify how to penetrate a market was ultimately used to identify how to encourage switching from a competitor’s product.
Ingredients for Success: A Global Look At Health And Beauty Care Ingredients Category: Health and Beauty Care Methods: International Research, Analytical Modeling Summary: A major multinational consumer health-and-beauty product manufacturer wanted to determine and anticipate the next big “ingredient” that could revolutionize its segment of the health-and-beauty industry. Leveraging the American Consumer Opinion® Online panel, Decision Analyst’s proprietary panel of over eight million members worldwide, an online survey was conducted across several countries. Qualified respondents were asked to rate and rank an extensive list of ingredients, while assigning them into the different categories of personal-care products to which they were best suited.
International Advertising Research Category: Retail Automotive Fuel Products Methods: Concept Testing, International Advertising Research Summary: A global, retail automotive fuel products company was interested in testing its magazine and TV advertising in several countries in an effort to drive improvement in brand awareness, familiarity, and sales.
Key Drivers of Store Sales Category: Retail Methods: Advanced Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Sales Predictive Modeling Summary: Decision Analyst developed a predictive model of store sales per square foot from customer-satisfaction surveys, 9.4 million records of store transactions, shopper demographics, employee/staffing data, and store-a-graphics (format, size, age of store). The model was used to identify key drivers of sales and indicators of store performance, enabling the client to prioritize stores for improvement initiatives.
Leveraging Concept Testing Category: Organic Food Manufacturer Methods: Concept Testing, Brand Name Testing, Packaging Research Summary: A large organic-foods manufacturer had to decide how to package, name, and introduce a healthier product formulation targeted to moms with young children. R&D was making great strides on a new and innovative package design that would not only make the product more fun and convenient, but would also generate a significant “splash” in the market. However, this new package design still needed some fine-tuning. Finally, would a “kid-oriented” product name have greater appeal than the “flagship” name?
Look Before Leaping Category: Salty Snacks Methods: Concept Testing, Product Testing, In-Home Usage Testing, Pii® Product Improvement Index, Volumetric Forecasting, Sales Forecasting, Conceptor® Forecasting Models Summary: A salty snack manufacturer worked with a subcontractor to develop a completely new salty snack product. Decision Analyst conducted a large concept test, followed by in-home usage product tests for each major flavor of the new salty snack, and forecasted in-market sales volume with its Conceptor® forecasting models.
Market Evaluation Category: Automotive Methods: Market Evaluation, Quantitative Research, Market Overview Summary: A multinational automotive manufacturer (OEM) with no previous experience in the U.S. market was considering whether or not to attempt to introduce an all-new vehicle into the U.S. The need was to gain a fundamental understanding of the U.S. owner and intender of vehicles in one particular segment of the market. The client needed to gain an understanding of the market dynamics (including competitive strengths and weaknesses) and customer characteristics, in order to determine whether or not they were in a position to serve the U.S. market effectively.
Market Mix Modeling: Measuring Return from Advertising in the Fresh Food Industry Category: Fresh Food Manufacturer Methods: Advertising Research, Promotion Research, Marketing Mix Modeling, Econometric Modeling, DecisionSimulator™ Summary: A major manufacturer of a fresh food product sold in grocery stores had spent $250,000 in the previous two years on advertising and $1.2 million per year in promotion allowances. The company believed it understood how to manage promotion allowances and how much return to expect in terms of sales. However, there was a question about the return on advertising expenditures: that is, how much stimulation of sales could be expected per Target Rating Point (TRP) of advertising?
Mother Knows Best Category: Childcare Products and Accessories Methods: Concept Testing, Product Testing, In-Home Usage Testing Summary: A niche company specializing in childcare products and accessories tasked Decision Analyst with conducting multiphased research in order to gain a better understanding of the target market. The research was designed to help diversify, expand and improve the product line, and, ultimately, to refine and optimize the growth strategy that would allow the company to develop into a global brand.
Never Trust an Engineer Category: Electronic Calculators, Mathematics Training Methods: Focus Groups, Depth Interviews, Ethnography, Telephone Survey Summary: A large, worldwide manufacturer of electronic components and devices developed handheld calculators and mathematics training program for children in the first, second, and third grades. Field visits by the engineering team confirmed that the new calculators were terrific, and that the children were deeply engaged and emotionally involved with the devices. Senior marketing managers wanted to know how to market the new calculators and training program, and hired Decision Analyst. The research revealed some surprises.
New Car Clinic Category: Automotive Methods: Advanced Analytics, Discrete-Choice Modeling, Focus-Group Qualitative Research, Quantitative Static Clinic Summary: A multinational automobile manufacturer sought to introduce a new vehicle into a segment of the market that technically did not exist at that time. Since the automobile market is intensely competitive, the rewards for being one of the creators of a new segment are large. However, because the investments required to develop, manufacture, and market an all-new vehicle are also very large, the ability to reduce risk and accurately forecast sales is crucial.
Not-So-Secret Identity Category: Premium Packaged Goods Methods: Depth Interviews, Projective Techniques, Motivational Research, Survey Research, Advanced Analytics, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Packaged Goods Summary: During the economic boom of the mid-1990s, sales rose for new and old products alike. Marketers were benefiting, especially in the premium packaged goods industry. Our client’s brand was among the first of its kind, had been on the market for decades, and had maintained market share, yet our client wanted the brand to do more than just survive. They saw the booming economy and consumers’ growing interest in premium packaged goods as an opportunity to refresh and strengthen the brand’s identity. Our consumer research identified “key pillars” for the brand, which have helped propel it far beyond previous success and into new markets around the world.
Online Qualitative, Time-Extended™ Category: Casual Dining Methods: Casual Dining Positioning, Menu Evaluation, Online Depth Interviews, Time-Extended™ Online Qualitative Research Summary: With dinner being a key strategic opportunity for a major casual-dining restaurant, scores from quantitative data were significantly lower for the restaurant than its main competitors, and the company used online qualitative and ethnographic research to uncover current perceptions of the brand, menu choices, food, and service. Time-Extended™ online depth interviews were conducted to provide an intimate understanding of the consumer relationship with the brand and its current menu offerings.
Optimizing ROI in Banner Ad Design Category: Retail Methods: Predictive Modeling, Market Simulation, Advanced Analytics Summary: A large, online retailer decided to purchase banner ads on various websites within three different geographies. We applied an experimental design and choice modeling to optimize the color scheme, ad size, and geographic scope of the banner ads.
Plush Perceptions Category: Retail—Toys Methods: Qualitative Research, In-Person Focus Groups Summary: An American video production and distribution company had been marketing a line of plush toys to accompany its popular children’s television show; however, sales were not as brisk as management had expected. Therefore, the company needed to explore consumer attitudes, usage, and perceptions of this type of toy, in addition to how well it fit with the characters and storylines from the well-loved television show.
Positioning Test with Segmentation Category: Kitchen Appliance System Methods: Positioning Test, Market Segmentation, Latent Class Cluster Analysis Summary: A major consumer-packaged-goods company and a large appliance manufacturer had jointly designed a system to deliver a superior finished product, compared to traditional ways of preparing the product. Before bringing the new product to market, the manufacturer wanting to develop a positioning that was compelling and different than their competitors.
Predicting and Optimizing Website Lead Generation Category: Online Lead Generation Methods: Correlation/Cluster Analysis, Predictive Modeling, Cross-Validation, Simulation Modeling, Advanced Analytics Summary: A large U.S. military service branch uses websites to attract young men and women as potential recruits. By providing a form to be completed by those interested in a military career, data is captured that helps the military branch with recruitment. Predictive analytics was applied to data obtained from forms filled out on the website, page views, and lead generation. The resulting predictive models were used to adjust relative spending on different clusters of Web pages, maximizing ROI in terms of lead generation.
Purchase Probability Modeling: Lead Classification System For a Cloud-Based Product Category: B2B Software Methods: Purchase Probability Modeling, Predictive Modeling, Business-to-Business (B2B) Research, Sales Lead Classification, International Research Summary: An international, high-tech software company wanted to boost sales of its business-to-business hosted software service. A logistic regression model was developed that predicted the likelihood that a prospect would consider subscribing to the hosted service. The model was incorporated into an interactive scoring tool that allowed the sales force to enter prospect responses for each of the model predictors and forecast the likelihood of prospects to accept an offer of service. After the model was validated by the client company, the model was implemented across its sales force.
Qualitative Research Among Unacculturated Hispanics in U.S. Category: Prepaid Services Industry Methods: Qualitative Research, Hispanic Research, In-person In-Depth Interviews Summary: A large U.S. company believed that unacculturated Hispanics might represent a viable target market for its services, but marketing efforts to this segment had largely failed. The firm asked Decision Analyst to propose research that would lead to an improved marketing strategy to reach and convert unacculturated Hispanics in the U.S. Decision Analyst proposed and conducted a series of in-depth personal interviews in Texas and California. The learning from this one study helped the company completely reshape and reorganize its marketing and sales strategies for the unacculturated Hispanic market.
Retail Point-of-Sale Tracking Category: Retail Methods: Point-of-Sale Surveys, Tracking, Customer Satisfaction Monitoring Summary: A major retailer needed a way to better understand the experiences of their customers in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
Retail Sales Forecasting Category: Fashion Retailing Methods: Retail Store Location Analysis, GeoAnalytics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Summary: A national retail apparel chain sought help from Decision Analyst in identifying new market opportunities. The chain felt that major metropolitan areas offered limited growth opportunities, and wondered if smaller towns might be viable for its retail stores. Decision Analyst combined survey research, competitive analyses, and geographic analyses and modeling to forecast sales of new stores in smaller markets.
Sell Those MBA's Category: Graduate Education Methods: Syndicated Data Analysis, Secondary Data Analysis, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), GeoAnalytics, GeoMapping, Site Selection, Sales Forecasting, Concept Optimization, Choice Modeling, DecisionSimulator™ Summary: A major university in a large midwestern metropolitan area offered an array of MBA graduate degrees at its downtown campus. Its Executive MBA (EMBA) program was the most profitable, and the university sought to expand this graduate offering. Decision Analyst was asked to help identify optimal locations for satellite classrooms to offer the EMBA degree. The results revealed complex interactions among the site-location variables.
Strategic Global Research: Qualitative Research in China Category: International Retail Methods: International Research, Strategic Research, Depth Interviews, Ethnographic Research, Focus Groups, Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research Summary: A U.S.-based retailer wanted to evaluate an emerging market as part of their long-term expansion strategy. This research was undertaken to provide strategic direction for markets in China.
Taking Advertising to the Next Level Category: Discount Retailer Methods: Quantitative Research, Brand Awareness, Advertising Awareness, Tracking Study Summary: A large discount retail chain wanted to measure company brand and advertising awareness as well as consumer attitudes over time. This research was conducted to help the company identify ways to make their advertising more effective in driving store visits and sales.
Time-Extended™ Online Qualitative Research Category: Vehicle Loan Financing & Services Methods: Time-Extended™ Online Qualitative, Online Qualitative Research in a Bulletin Board Format Summary: An industry-leading, Web-based company that specializes in financing and servicing new and used vehicle loans for customers with less-than-perfect credit wanted to develop a targeted advertising campaign with their primary customers. Online, Time-Extended™ depth interviews were conducted to provide an intimate understanding of the consumer relationship with the service and reveal key drivers in the auto loan decision-making process. The learnings from the interviews have been used as a foundation in forming messaging for television advertisements, as well as for exploring new communication strategies to better suit changing customer needs.
Uncovering the Paramount of Grooming Category: Personal Care and Grooming Methods: Time-Extended™ Online Forums, Home Usage, Online Journaling Summary: A multinational personal care manufacturer had developed a revolutionary home grooming product. A pilot version of the product had already been successfully launched in the French market the previous year, and preliminary results were promising. Realizing the great potential of this product, the manufacturer decided to develop a newer, more sophisticated and user-friendly version of their grooming product. Decision Analyst was tasked with designing and conducting a two-phased research approach that would meet this goal. Striving to surpass the competition, the company made testing competitors’ similar products the focus of the research. The learnings would then be used to produce a superior, top-of-the-line grooming product.
Using Market Research to Create Compelling Thought Leadership and Earn Industry Respect by Lisa Huck, Director, Global Research, Plantronics and Vickie Cole, Director, Technology Research, Decision Analyst Inc. Originally presented at IIR's The Market Research Event 2010, this presentation summarizes the results of an executive communication survey conducted by Decision Analyst on behalf of Plantronics. Technological advances in communication have changed our world and our workplace is beyond question. However, some have gone so far as to proclaim that email or text communication is actually preferred over voice, a position we felt should be investigated. Taking a “pure research” position, we devised a research plan to compare and contrast communication modes, and gauge their relative value to Team Knowledge Workers in both business and personal situations.	Download PowerPoint Presentation
Using Exploratory Research to Formulate Quantitative Research and a Discrete Choice Modeling Design Category: Auto/Captive Financial Services Methods: Exploratory Research, Quantitative Research, Discrete Choice Modeling, In-Person Focus Groups, Simulated Purchasing Decisions Summary: The Captive Finance arm of a Global Auto Manufacturer had historically relied on a traditional approach to developing new business, utilizing the value of its automotive products as the primary conduit for attracting customers. The client was looking for new ways in which to grow and add value to its business.
Utilities Customer Satisfaction Category:Utility Methods: Customer Satisfaction, Customer Segmentation, Business-to-Business Research, Consumer Research Summary: A major national utility company was suffering from low customer satisfaction ratings and needed a plan to identify problems and address the issues in a timely manner.
Volumetric Concept Testing Category: Toy Industry Methods: Volumetric Concept Testing, Latent Class Choice Modeling, Calibration, DecisionSimulator™, Online Simulated Shopping Summary: A toy maker developed several toy concepts and wanted to know which of them should be taken to market. During an online survey, respondents were taken through two shopping exercises and made purchase decisions based on the available toys. Several latent-class choice models were developed measuring price and product utilities. Calibration to external sales data was applied to improve the reliability of volumetric estimates. After calibration, the total volume estimates were loaded into a DecisionSimulator™ that enabled the client to make toy selections based on potential units and revenue.

If you would like more information on Marketing Research, please contact Jerry W. Thomas by emailing jthomas@decisionanalyst.com or calling 1-817-640-6166.