Bureau West

Many of us assume that the more we can engage with our customers, the better.  The common wisdom tells us that more engaged customers tend to be more loyal.  But recent surveys by Corporate Executive Board tell a different story: for many consumers, the rising volume of communications from marketers isn’t empowering — it’s overwhelming.  Consumers actually want marketers to simplify the decision-making process, so that consumers can think less about the decision. Marketers can do that in three easy ways by helping consumers:

• Learn effectively without distraction — simplifying the research process by offering clear and streamlined brand-specific product information targeted to each decision stage.
• Trust the information they receive — providing independent ratings and reviews and recommendations from advisors consumers can trust.
• Weigh options confidently — making transparent buying guides and brand differentiated information easily available.

While the advice above may initially seem counter-intuitive, the studies found this approach to result in significantly higher likelihood to purchase.  Read all the details here: http://hbr.org/2012/05/to-keep-your-customers-keep-it-simple/ar/1.

To find out how to simplify decision-making for your customers, give us a call at (818) 752-7210.

Sources: “Marketers Have It Wrong: Forget Engagement, Consumers Want Simplicity,” Forbes.com 7/02/2012; “To Keep Your Customers, Keep It Simple,” Harvard Business Review, 5/1/12

I recently teamed up with my colleague Betsy Leichliter to rewrite Greenbook’s New Qualitative Research Guide: Choosing Among Today’s Qualitative Options.  The guide is available online at http://www.newqualitative.org/qualitative-research/introduction-to-new-qualitative-research/ and provides a handy reference to the various methods (some examples: mobile research, webcam focus groups, online journals, etc.) as well as the strengths and challenges of each.

We wrote the first edition of the guide last year, and one of the most popular features was the checklist of things to consider when choosing among the various methods available.  In this year’s edition, we expanded the list of considerations to reflect the more extensive options now available.  See http://www.newqualitative.org/qualitative-research/choosing-among-methods/ .

We also included 11 tips to ensure things to smoothly when using new research methods – http://www.newqualitative.org/qualitative-research/tiplist-for-your-qualitative-research-project/ .  Here’s one tip we’ve found particularly useful:

Set clear expectations with participants about what they can count on from you and what you will expect from them in terms of their time and involvement. If you need group interaction during remote or asynchronous projects, address this during recruiting and build into the on-boarding process easy ways for participants to interact with each other right from the start.

To determine the best way to answer your research questions, give us a call at (818) 752-7210.

In an interesting article on Adotas.com, Daniel Laury points out that the “journey” consumers take toward making a purchase decision has gotten much longer.  Consumers no longer make a decision while standing in front of the store shelf; rather, they have many more sources of easily accessible information, such as informational websites, customer reviews and social media, accessed through computer, smart phone and tablet.

As a result, Laury suggests we consider a longer purchasing cycle when planning marketing:

“As a marketer, instead of placing all your attention on a single moment, the last click, at which you try to intercept and grab your buyer’s attention, try to think of marketing as a longer purchase cycle. Successful advertisers in 2012 will take their customers from awareness to engagement to acquisition to retention. They will define a clear consumer engagement path that tells customers a story across multiple internet channels, complete with precise tracking and reporting that measures and lifts conversions and delivers increased volumes under the same ROI.”

Of course, taking customers “from awareness to engagement to acquisition to retention” works differently in different categories, but it’s worth heeding the overall point: marketers should consider the messages their customers receive far earlier than the “moment of truth” of the actual purchase.

Case in point: in recent focus group research we conducted, participants complained that they didn’t hear from a service provider until it came time to renew the service.  Does this mean they want more ads?  Not exactly.  They want reminders of the value provided by the company. While consumers dislike communications perceived to be solely for advertising, they welcome information that’s valuable to them.  Provide that kind of information over time, and the final purchase decision will become a no-brainer for your customer!

Find out what your customers and prospects value.  Give us a call at (818) 752-7210.

Sources: “Redefining the Consumer Engagement Path,” Adotas.com, May 9, 2012; Bureau West research

For marketers, the “holy grail” is for customers to not just use the product; we want them to love it so much that they tell all their friends!  But how do we make that happen?  Forbes asked Jeff Mancini, Director of Digital Strategy for Interbrand.  He had some great advice.  One interesting point: brands need to earn customers’ advocacy:

“We are hard-wired to return a favor.  We advocate for brands because they have earned it with us.”

He also pointed out that engaging with customers is not the same as just reaching customers.  They way to get real engagement is through content:

“Smart brands are driving real business value by creating content for the consumer that adds value and deepens the relationship.”

Read the full article here.

The kind of engagement Mancini talks about is what we’re seeing with Facebook’s emphasis on “sponsored stories” as against traditional ads.  With sponsored stories, users don’t just see an ad that’s targeted to them; rather, they see a notification that tells them about one or more of their friends who like the product.  Talk about advocacy!  The different types of Facebook sponsored stories are explained here.

To learn more about how to engage with your customers and prospects, talk to them!  Give us a call at (818) 752-7210.

Sources: “Why We Love Brands Like They’re Friends: 3 Questions with Interbrand,” Forbes.com 3/12/2012; “How Facebook Sponsored Stories Can Boost Engagement,” Mashable, 3/13/12