I feel that is important to look at what others in the industry are doing. By examining the way they reached success (or failure,) others can learn what to try and what to avoid. ConAgra Foods recently received the Gold OgilvyAward for Excellence in Shopper Marketing. What did they do different from other brands? How did they solve the brands problems? I will briefly overview the plan that led them to a very prestigious award.

ConAgra Foods is a huge company that owns many major brands, such as Banquet, Chef Boyardee, HealthyChoice, Hunts, and Orville Redenbachers. They saw a recent decrease in sales and after early research, they realized their target audience was mom’s. The marketing segment of the company did numerous focus groups and surveys with the mom’s. They found one common trait between all of the women- the 6 season trend. These women are focused on their children. The year isn’t separated into four seasons, instead it is six: Post-Holiday, Spring, Summer, Back to School, October Fling and Holiday. This finding was huge and really helped show that advertising research is not a waste.

By deeply examining the 6 season trend, the company was able to figure out what brands to promote at specific times of the year. This idea seems simple enough, but it has never been used by any other brand. The company saw huge growth and now has a promotional tactic that will work for years to come.

The reason I was so interested in this subject was because many are saying focus groups, surveys, and research is dead. I strongly disagree. Without conducting research, ConAgra Foods would never gain these insights on their target audience. Sure research may often fail, but the success gained defiantly out powers the negative aspects.

Every year the Advertising Research Foundation hosts a convention. They discuss the topics that changed the industry over the past year. Although I have never attended one of these conventions, I assume the amount of information discussed is huge. Luckily, I found an article which summarized the top 10 takeaways. I agree with most  of these ideas, yet some weren’t anything new. Several of the points listed involved the Television industry, not advertising or research. I still gained a lot and chose the top 3 to discuss below.

3. Multicultural Americans have 2.5 trillion in buying power- This is a huge. Americas diversity is quickly growing. Those of us in the industry need to acknowledge this and take advantage of this new, growing demographic.

2. Powerful, emerging “creative class”- The industry is also seeing another new demographic. Those who are younger, creative, risk-takers. This group is quickly growing, and we need to work on targeting them in advertisements. They are different from any large group we have seen in the past. To successfully target this group, new research methods are in order.

1. 80% of research time and money is wasted- When I first read this, I was upset. As a soon-to-be graduate, no one wants to hear that 80% of what you want to do is a waste! After reading about this point and analyzing it, I realized it is true. Research is still necessary, the problem is that most of it is useless. 80% of the useless information is overpowered by the 20% that changes everything. You need to sift through the waste to find the life-changing insights.

We are facing new demographics. Not only an increase in race diversity, but also in the types of individuals in the market. The “creative-class” may be a tough one to target, but eventually we will do it. Also, although some feel our research is a waste of time, the insights we find are the only thing keeping advertising alive. Times are changing, and we all need to adapt, even if some feel we are a waste of time.

I recently found a wonderful blog post by Diane Hessan discussing the transformations in marketing and advertising research. She has spent the past few months talking with clients of the Advertising Research Foundation to discover where research is heading. This blog was had a strong impact because not only is the author passionate about the topic, but she also has a great tactic on finding insights.

Hessan found that there are 8 new important factors everyone in the industry should understand.  I agree with most of the facts that she mentioned, but have a few that I somewhat disagree with. I will briefly explain them below and share my input.

1. Manage Your Social Media Jitters- Social media is the biggest thing since sliced bread in our industry. Many brands are becoming nervous because of several negative occurrences that have happened recently. It is simple for customers to post negative things about a company on either Twitter or Facebook, which could lead to negative press. If a companies target is not a part of the social media network, than this will not affect them. All in all a few bad tweets will not ruin a companies reputation. I agree with this point completely. Using social media is worth the risk because it is inexpensive and reaches a huge amount of individuals.

2. Game-Changing Insights Don’t Usually Come From Testing- Research is always going to be necessary, but sometimes companies use it to discover what they already know. Research companies need to find the white space and discover new information. I also agree with point number 2 because insights are the critical factor to reaching your target audience.

3.Go Beyond the Ad-Hoc-Ness of Research- Consumers are always changing and they will continue to change forever. By conducting one survey or focus group, it is hard to determine true consumer traits. This leads to the perk of internet research. By connecting digitally with the consumer, it is easier to stay connected to them. I love this point, because it made me realize that internet research gives us the ability to understand changes in consumer behaviors.

4. Cutting Edge Technology + Poor Research Methodology= Lousy Research- This point explains that new research methods are not always the best. Sure the internet is helping us in numerous ways, but it also opens up many questions. How do we know people are being honest? Can you really trust the internet? I agree and disagree with this point. I agree because the internet is very skewed and those responding to surveys may not be trustworthy. I disagree because, as mentioned in previous points, the internet is a huge network that helps reach huge amounts of individuals.

5. Don’t Mistake Data For Insight-This insight is simple and I agree with it 100%. No amount of research can be equivilant to finding something no one else knows. Research is a wonderful resource, but too much of it is a waste. A simple way to summarize this point- quality over quantity.

6. Top Executives Would Rather Have Fast Than Perfect- We live in a fast paced world. People do not have time to sit around and waste money. I agree with this statement, but I feel it needs to be explained a little more. Although top executives prefer fast, that does not mean they will accept mediocre work. The way to fix this is to provide the perfect AMOUNT of work in the small amount of time. Instead of providing tons of worthless information, it is best to share the best information, even if it isn’t a large amount.

7. Don’t Underestimate the Power of n=1-  A client with extensive experience in the statistic field realized that emotional information is much more valuable than numbers. As researchers, this is already a known fact. To keep it simple, I agree with this fact.

8. The Future Engagement Will Trump Sample Size- This point clarifies that in the new generation, sample size will not be a critical factor. We will be focused more on honest responses, time spent on surveys, and how hard they will work to help us understand who they truely are.  Not only do I agree with this statement, but I have already seen it. No matter how many people participate in your survey, those who are willing to share themselves with you completely are the most critical.

After examining the above 8 points, I have learned a lot. Although learning more information is important, the best thing about this article is the fact that it excites me! I am entering the new-generation of research and from what I have read, it is going to be meaningful, true, and extremely interesting.

I recently found a short article posted in The Economic Times titled “In the mind’s eye: The art of eye-ball grabbing.”  Its discussed a recent study about what type of advertising catches a viewer’s attention. Although the subject was slightly different from the research methods I have previously blogged about, it still found the information interesting and valuable.

In London, several adverts were studied while watching an episode of the sitcom Frasier. The participants did not know they where a part of an advertising study. All participants where hooked up to an eye-tracking device that measured the real-time attention each viewer paid to the ads.

The ads ranged from very serious ads to creative, entertainment-based ads. Other research has previously shown that creative ads are more effective because viewers actually pay attention to them. After the study was conducted, the researchers found otherwise. When television viewers are in a relaxed situation, like watching TV, they do not pay close attention to what they are seeing.  The information enters the brain but is not absorbed. When the viewer sees a serious ad that throws out facts, the participant was more likely to pay attention. This attention quickly turns to counter-arguing.  People do not like being told to do things, so they start to act defensively.

To summarize this study, it is clear to say that viewers pay more attention to serious, fact-driven ads. On the other hand, it is easy to say that when a viewer enjoys an ad, they are more likely to trust the product. Both types of ads can be extremely effective, but in different ways.  The type of ad a company should use all depends on what product is being sold.

I have always enjoyed conducting focus groups simply because I feel they are the most efficient way to gain true customer insights. A few semesters ago I was assigned a research project on the Byrd Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. Although I conducted surveys and did immense amounts of research, the most important information I found was discovered by focus groups.  I wanted to read some articles about how others felt about focus groups and ultimately learned a lot.

By conducting focus groups, a brand can personally connect with buyers and prospective customers.  The main reason focus groups are efficient is because they are in-person and researchers can view facial expressions as well as body language. These two components are critical because you can easily tell if the person involved is being honest.  Tone, facial expression, and body movements are all non-verbal clues that can help us gain insight on a customer. Non-verbal clues can help decipher whether a person is truly expressing what they feel.

Why else do we love focus groups so much?

I feel that consumers can feel intimidated when they know they are being analyzed. They may feel like there is a right or wrong answer. By conducting a efficient focus group, you can switch the tone of the situation to conversational. By doing this, people are more likely to open up and share personal experiences. These expereiences are what lead to creative insights.

Although focus groups have been used in the industry for years, I think it is time we revisit them. If a brand needs help, conducting focus groups may be the answer. The deep insights gained may be the solution to repositioning a new or struggling brand in today’s marketplace.

Today I found a blog post that was very influential towards the way I look at research. I understand that traditional methods are not as useful in today’s society, but this post  clarified why this is true.

The author explained that to learn anything new, we must look at the world from a different perspective. Instead of examining the consumer from the outside, we must interact with them. The more we are involved with the consumer, the easier and more productive research will be.

From my first day taking an advertising class, my professors have always told me to “tell a story.” The author of this blog post agrees. Telling stories helps create a lasting connection between your brand and the consumer. Facts are boring, stories are engaging.

Another way to use stories is to switch roles and have the consumer tell you a story. These stories can lead to great insights because the consumer is sharing something personal. The way a product truly effects there life and feelings can be expressed through a story.  Typical focus groups ask the consumer a question and receive an answer in return. This can be faulty due to two factors:

1) People can lie

2) People may not know how to answer what you are specifically asking. Therefor the information received may be skewed.

Sure, people may lie while telling stories, but it is uncommon because creating an entirely false story is much more difficult than answering a question with a lie. By eliminating the old-fashion way of research, we can open doors into the mind of the consumer. These innovative practices seem easy, but it is still a new concept in the industry. Getting focus groups and all consumers involved in story telling will explain a lot to a brand about its current image in the marketplace. By listening to customers stories and creating brand stories, the research industry will thrive.

The first article I read was “Marketers, Researchers, Lend Me Your Ears,” by Joel Rubinson. He is the chief research officer for the Advertising Research Foundation.   He clearly understands that social media is having a huge impact on consumer research. Below I will explain what I have learned from Rubinsons theories and explain how they will effect future advertising research.

When we think of research many things come to mind. Primary research, secondary research, qualitative research, quantitative research, focus groups, surveys, and so on. Although these methods have worked in the past, the newest form of research comes from listening.

Listening to what?

The consumer, of course! The rapid growth of social media sites has effected the way consumers buy.  Below is an example of how the most popular social networking site, Facebook, effects consumer decisions.

Consumers may now use Facebook to ask for a product recommendation. Users feel they can trust  friends and colleagues more than random reviews found online. A perfect example would be a middle aged mother trying to plan a family vacation. Instead of browsing the internet for hours, she may simply ask her Facebook friends where they would recommend. Facebook users are also sharing there thoughts/feelings on brands. If one consumer has an experience with a brand that effected them strongly, they are likely to make a post about it. Within seconds, hundreds of users will hear about this opinion.

What does this all mean? Social media has had such a large impact on the industry that brands have learned they need to listen. Consumers are constantly talking about products and brands on these sites. If a company decides to listen, they can learn much more about there true audience.  The conversations that occur on these sites are natural.  The information gained by listening is what the consumer truly believes.

Many companies are jumping on the social media bandwagon quickly.  Vitaminwater has gone beyond listening. Instead of pushing consumers towards their product, they are letting consumers choose to be involved. A new promotional tool created on Facebook lets consumers submit new flavor ideas for VitaminWater. The flavor with the most votes won and was actually produced. By listening to their audience, this company realized the consumer wants to be involved, but not because of force. Consumers are reacting positively to these new brand resources because they feel like they have a choice and an opinion. Information is no longer pushed towards the consumer, the consumer is now choosing to discover  brands.

Social media is not going away anytime soon. In fact, it is rapidly growing everyday. When researching, advertising professionals need to aknowledge the power of social media. By doing so, they will learn more about the consumer and gain stronger insights on there target audience.