Case Studies

Customer Needs and Satisfaction Drivers Research
Financial Services Company

Goal: Determine customer needs and satisfaction drivers, particularly for the high net worth customer segments, to increase share of wallet and customer profitability.

Approach: Conducted qualitative study to determine the universe of needs in the marketplace. Findings were analyzed and distilled into a quantitative mail study of 2,600 customers.

Lessons Learned: High net worth customer segment was driven more by less profitable personal service delivery options than other segments. Over-served customers with free reporting and advisory services that were not drivers of satisfaction and loyalty.

Positive Change: Started communications initiative focused on educating customers on the speed, reliability, and caring of company’s top-rated professional staff. Stopped promotion of company’s advisory services that were not valued and netted low returns on resources, thereby increasing profitability of the products for this segment.

Communications & Marketing Research
Education Provider

Goal: Optimize marketing and communications strategies and tactics to increase student enrollment.

Approach: Polled students for opinions on educational offerings, messaging, and which attributes made them choose the client over competing institutions.

Lessons Learned: Brochures did not communicate the high quality of the faculty, leading to low application rates to the institution. Magazine ads accounted for a much greater than expected percentage of students yet a smaller percentage of the budget. Perceptions of facilities did not meet expectations, discouraging students from recommending the institution over competitors.

Positive Change: Budgeted more magazine ads for next year due to superior reach and effectiveness over direct mail campaign. Put new facilities on agenda for upcoming strategic planning period. Targeted community-based programs--the source for many students--for future outreach and partnership opportunities.

Awareness Tracking Survey
Government/Nonprofit Organization

Goal: Improve awareness, understanding, and participation in organ donation programs.

Approach: Every month, surveyed 200 citizens by telephone and reported monthly, quarterly, and annual awareness levels of programs.

Lessons Learned: The Department of Motors Vehicles (DMV)--where people chose to be organ donors on their driver’s license--was an underutilized collaborator for the organization’s mission. Misconceptions about age, health, and even religious beliefs were greater-than-expected barriers to participation.

Positive Change: Pushed for DMV staff to proactively educate driver’s license applicants about organ donation. Switched from sole reliance on informative brochures to having staff at point of driver’s license transaction. Changed promotions to focus more on the customers’ Achieve needs.

Brand Image Study
Packaged Goods Manufacturer

Goal: Create winning new brand image and marketing materials.

Approach: Fielded multimedia online survey with advertising and packaging images for 300 respondents to evaluate.

Lessons Learned: In a crowded marketplace, the brand did not have a strong enough image. Marketing materials and advertising did not differentiate product and communicated old information with too much hype.

Positive Change: Adjusted colors and imagery to rectify the wrong connotations the old marketing produced. Revised messages to speak directly to customer needs the research identified as key drivers in the market.

Advertising Impact Assessment
Retail Bank

Goal: Track effectiveness and awareness of its new advertising campaign.

Approach: Conducted 700 telephone surveys the week prior to campaign launch, then 1,300 surveys one month after launch, and 1,300 surveys six months after launch.

Lessons Learned: Despite internal euphoria over airing its first-ever television ads, the company found it was a waste of money. The market where it opened branches was too vast and too new to offer advertising economies of scale. Moreover, in its home market saturated with its branches, the same ads barely moved the awareness needle.

Positive Change: Scrapped television ads and utilized more targeted marketing and communications in the local area of the branches, including highly visible banners and window signage. Verified the value of the changes after calculating the improved rates of return on its promotions investments. Restructured fees and re-packaged bundled account offerings, using a free trial and teaser rate to win over customers.

Employee Survey
International Business Service Provider

Goal: Stop staff attrition and improve internal image and job satisfaction.

Approach: Surveyed entire workforce of all global offices. Departmental incentives goals, communications, and managerial support were used to maximize participation.

Lessons Learned: Employees did not feel respected or empowered enough to make decisions without approval of management, who were perceived to be out of touch. Staff in remote offices desired more communication and connection with headquarters. There was a gap between the outside image the organization projected and how much the staff believed the organization delivered on that image.

Positive Change: Instituted immediate staff promotions and creation of new job positions. Upper management scheduled regular frequent travel dates and conference calls to remote offices, and started all-expense-paid bi-annual gatherings in the headquarters’ hometown. Instructed all divisions to hold brainstorming sessions on how they can contribute to the organization’s mission and be recognized for it.