Category — Branding

No doubt you’ve heard that Synovate is now part of the Ipsos Group. Over the past few months, we’ve been busy getting to know one another, combining our teams, and just making research a whole lot better for you. So now it is time to shine the spotlight on where the future is and invite you to engage with us on Ipsos’ blog. In fact, that’s the name of the blog! Ipsos Ideas Spotlight.

Fresh insights. Stimulating discussions. And great conversation starters. The Ipsos Ideas Spotlight is your source for frequent updates on what’s happening in the world of research and an open avenue for interacting with the research experts at Ipsos.

So go ahead…get in the spotlight. And check out our blog today!

Ipsos Ideas Spotlight

“Cancer Sucks” said one of the buttons on the nurse’s uniform.

This is not news.

But, as a market researcher facing more downtime, I started analyzing the button.  Grammatically, culturally, typographically.  And there are implications for how we present market research information.

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Recently one of my colleagues mentioned that Pizza Hut now offers free unlimited salads. We decided to give it a try for lunch and had differing opinions about the experience. I noticed that two of my Facebook friends were having a similar discussion online. One friend said it was good that companies care about the health of their customers while another friend argued that it was just a PR stunt and he “wasn’t planning to go there to eat some bland grass”. The topic was also trending on Twitter and forums in the same way as my colleague and I were talking about it face-to-face.

Brand trackers monitor people’s attitudes towards a brand over time using “traditional” survey techniques. Tracking studies are very useful, allowing us to identify changes in attitudes and measure the impact of marketing activities and brand strategy. I have been talking about how buzz tracking can provide brands with valuable insights about what people think and how they react and can be used as an early warning system. But can social media monitoring also predict attitudes observed from brand tracking?  And could these buzz results provide the same level of insight on brand performance without having to wait weeks to get more traditional survey tracking results?

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One of the main questions clients ask us is how they can use social media monitoring for their business. By now everybody recognises the importance of social media, but we need to be aware that there is much more we can do besides listening to and engaging with social media conversations. Used in conjunction with traditional research, buzz tracking can be a powerful tool for any company to generate ‘real-time’ insights about the things that matter to consumers, thereby optimising their communications and developing business strategies that connect with people.

• Early warning system: social media monitoring gives immediate feedback into how your brand is perceived, what is happening right now around your brand (eg: news, PR, a bad review) and how people are reacting to things you do. When Gap released its new logo, it was immediately hit with thousands of comments on Facebook and Twitter criticising the change and this resulted in Gap switching back to their original logo.

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I’ve been reading a lot about new ways of doing consumer research. There’s a constant buzz about the latest methodology breakthrough or innovation. In fact, that’s all I seem to hear lately and I don’t think I’m alone.

More and more a wide variety of categories are going through an avalanche of ideas and fads in the modus operandi these days. But I can assure you few of them are as affected as my industry: market research. No hint of provincialism intended.

I hear phrases on both extremes, from “market research is dead” to “this is going to be the biggest breakthrough in market research” on a daily basis (along with the routine “good morning” and “can I get a discount on this proposal?”).

In my view, market research is continually undergoing changes. Looking back in time, I see three primary eras of our industry.

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Dear readers,

The latest edition of Change Agent, Synovate’s global magazine for the marketing community, is now available. I have contributed an article about the consumers’ response to environmental and sustainability issues.

Please take a look by clicking here.

The main point I propose is that Brazilians tend to ‘outsource’ the issue of sustainability; the general attitude being: ‛Why should I change my life to save the planet if my neighbor does not do the same?’

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Unfortunately for most of us the holidays are long over (although many of our livers are rejoicing!). With 2010 a memory,  people are now making wishes and resolutions for this year. All of us are taking a look at ourselves and our lives, seeking to correct mistakes, recover the teen spirit, improve our relationships, go on a diet, hit the gym, quit eating French fries, etc…

But what has come of these resolutions so far? [Read more →]

I recently read an article on brand positioning when I came across something unusual. In the midst of all those matters already expected such as mission, values, soul, brand personality, appeared the aforementioned “unusual factors”: a hyperlink to purchase a manual “on how to manage and position brands”.

Look, nothing against tutorials, examples, tips and all details that can make an outsider or novice more informed about the wacky and challenging world of marketing. However, as this came across from a much respected magazine – which will remain unnamed – I stopped to reflect how our commercial interest may affect the subject of this article: positioning.

For those who now ask me why, I return with another question: Does it make sense for a prestigious business and a respected magazine to author a how-to brand manual? One more question, to reinforce my point of view: If the magazine is positioned for an audience that supposedly experiences marketing topics 24 hours a day, do they really need a manual?

I support the principle that it doesn’t. Especially because, as a Brazilian, emerging as the feature, I definitely expect our executives to be light years away from this reality. Second, I also suffer from the extreme commercial pressures for meeting budget, revenue targets, profitability, etc. But keep in mind that a slide in my trade policies may affect the company’s brand that I represent – and their customers.

However, if positioning is everything that involves the use and coordination of many communication resources to maximize the consistency and clarity of the brand message (source: magazine motto of this post), its commercial assets, even in times of pressure for budget, as in November, should they not follow their own advice?

I cheer this guide as really something amazing that teaches all interested parties to make marketing so perfectly that it shines! I do cheer a lot! I, as nonreader of this manual, will do something different, not combined with others like competitors. I will do something that I believe with soul and personality; things that you may not find in a how-to manual. And I will stand, surely, in another mental space.

You may not buy me. But you’ll certainly know why you did not buy.