Latest comment pieces
Experimental phase
The advance of technology and online research platforms provide an opportunity for the market research industry to return to the rigour of its social science legacy, says GfK’s Colin Strong.
Tracking at the crossroads
Brand tracking needs to change, says Millward Brown’s Gordon Pincott – moving from single bulky studies to carefully structured, coherent and connected programmes.
On trust, truth and transparency
The American Association for Public Opinion Research put some big methodological issues under the microscope at this year’s annual conference in Boston. Researchscape’s Jeffrey Henning reviews the highlights.
Happy never after
Legendary ad man Jeremy Bullmore knows how to get the worst out of a client. He tells all in this exclusive column, first published in Impact Magazine.
How to 'market' market research
Craig Scott, a marketing capability director at Brand Learning, offers his top tips for selling insights within a business.
MR and VoC: getting the balance right
There is a role for both market research and voice of the customer programmes within organisations looking to improve customer loyalty and retention. But how should companies balance the two approaches? Wale Omiyale explains all.
Are millennials paying attention?
Vision Critical’s Hannah Mumby follows up ‘The great Gen Y debate’ with the results of a study showing how millennials are engaging with the survey process.
Focus groups: Kill or cure?
Engage Research’s Andy Barker explains why The Mix’s Tash Walker is wrong to try to kill off focus groups. They might smell a bit funny, he says, but they’re not dead yet.
What clients want
Research buyers are challenging suppliers to address their unmet needs. We pick our favourites so far, ranging from data visualisation to category disruption.
Delivering Impact
For the past four months, the team at Research-live.com and its publishers MRS have been developing a new quarterly magazine. Welcome to Issue 1 of Impact.
From the blogs
Ronald McDonald had a farm and he used it for brand advantage
At first glance, the decision by McDonald’s to open up some of the British and Irish farms that supply beef and eggs to its UK restaurants to selected consumers appears to be a clever, carefully crafted PR exercise to take advantage of the horsemeat debacle.
When focus groups go bad
Via The Onion: Malicious Focus Group Convinces Marketers Cinnamon Mountain Dew Is The Next Big Thing.
Engage with consumers, don’t market to them
There’s a Holy Grail for brands and retailers: to embed themselves so much with the families that make up their core demographic that their place in the family shopping basket is secure. Some try this through sporadic, tactical promotions which tap into interests and trends – collect tokens for a free tennis lesson, for example – whilst others try to create initiatives that lead to deeper, longer term engagement.
Putting everything into promotions risks unbalancing the marketing mix
New research from the British Promotional Merchandise Association says that half of the British public have taken action after receiving a promotional product, compared with only 19% after seeing TV advertising, 11% for online advertisement, 10% for print and 9% for direct mail. Promotional products are also considered the least annoying by consumers. But what does this actually tell us and are there lessons that brands can draw as a result?