My first survey that got noticed

With lot of fiasco caused by CAT 09 this year, we (@ IMS) thought to collect the responses from the test takers. After joining IMS, I designed some surveys to capture the feedback of students about the programs and Test-CD pack. The response was tremendous and quiet useful. So, we decided to the same for CAT test takers.

The Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prevented us from asking questions which will reveal the test details. I had to design the questionnaire keeping in mind the NDA.

There was lot of issues while conducting CAT, so that data needed to be captured and the numbers were critical. Following are some questions in the questionnaire:

Has your test being rescheduled?

Did you face any problems while test lab allocation?

Did you face any disturbance while taking the test?

The response to the survey was quick and huge. When the media marketing team decided to go public, my boss suggested using my survey results and BINGO it got published in Mumbai’s edition of Hindustan Times dated 8^th December 2009.

Check out the glimpse here

Click on the link to view the article http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Default.aspx?selpg=2151&BMode=100&selDt=12/08/2009

Getting on one’s Nerves

I came across the term coined by Ale Smidts i.e. ‘Neuromarketing’. It was interesting to read about this theory. Market research has vast application in this concept, though they have to spend big bucks for this. As wiki says:

“Neuromarketing is a new field of marketing that studies consumers' sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective response to marketing stimuli.”

Let us try to analyze this concept. Answer the following questions as quickly as you can:
   1. Name one toothpaste brand
   2. Name one cricket player
   3. Name one fairness cream
Now keep your answers in mind and answers the following questions
   4. Which toothpaste brand are you using?
   5. Which cricket player do you like?
   6. Which fairness cream do you use?

Now I am sure if you an Indian, most of you must have answered Q1- Colgate, Q2- Sachin Tendulkar and Q3- Fair & Lovely. But your answers to the next three questions might have been different. Why so?


The mind-space of brands and the brands that you use are different, because there are some qualities in the products which one seek un-consciously. Like in toothpaste one would look for fluoride content, taste etc. Now, if the survey is conducted to know the impact of an advertisement on the consumers mind, the questionnaire designer has to make sure that he/she asks right questions so as to get the right information required.

Now you would say researcher can ask right questions and get the information, what is the need of Neuromarketing? My answer is: what if the consumer doesn’t know what he needs? But he still fulfills his needs by buying some or the other product. That’s right to know the reaction of the consumer in un-conscious level. Though it’s not so easy as to use a key and enter a room, but we have advanced equipments like functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure changes in activity in parts of the brain, electroencephalography (EEG) to measure activity in specific regional spectra of the brain response, and/or sensors to measure changes in one's physiological state (heart rate, respiratory rate, galvanic skin response) to learn why consumers make the decisions they do, and what part of the brain is telling them to do it.

Ya, I know now what are you thinking, who is going to use it in India? But we can be optimistic for some time and say that if a research company uses this technology it will be of great use to both; for company as well for the marketers.

Curious to know more about Neuromarketing here are some links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuromarketing
http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/
http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2009/3210/neuromarketing-is-the-future-but

Targeting non-target segment

Every company/product has its target audience, which is pre-defined. But in this blog I want to give importance to what I call them “Non-Targeted Segment” or in marketing terms the Influencers.

Let me explain what I mean to say, you must have seen the ads of after-shave lotions, these products are definitely targeted to men, then what is purpose of a female model in those ads? Yes, these female models act as influencers for men to go and buy those after-shave lotions. Role of children in buying decision of household products can be another example of influencers.

There is an altogether different stream of marketing study which is “Influencer Marketing”. As defined by wiki, ‘Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that has emerged from a variety of recent practices and studies, in which focus is placed on specific key individuals (or types of individual) rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies the individuals that have influence over potential buyers, and orients marketing activities around these influencers’.

While defining the target segment it is essential for the company to decide the key influencers. While conducting the brand awareness survey, the researcher should give importance to these influencers as well. I am sure that the results will be useful if the market surveys consider the point of view of these influencers.

In service industry [in which I am currently working] one of the influencers are those who already have availed the service. Yes, one would say that its word of mouth [WOM] but influence may be transmitted in this manner as well. Thus in my opinion one has to keep updating all those customers who are using your service,  who already have used your service and also those who are not going to use in future.

Following is the link where one can read about Influencer Marketing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influencer_marketing

For further updates please keep visiting.

Thank you

Knowingly or Unknowingly

What according you is better ‘doing things right’ or ‘doing right thing’. If you are the believer in the later one, then this blog might make you rethink.

First let me tell you one story of my friend. He and his wife once went to Goa for a luxury trip during the new years’ eve. They had booked an A/C room in a 3-star hotel. But as it was busy season the hotel had unexpected guest to cater to. So, when they reached the hotel they were told that due to heavy booking there are no A/C rooms available. My friend was annoyed with the service of that hotel. But had no choice as all the other hotels were also over booked. Then the manager asked them to wait for an hour and after that he gave him the Deluxe A/C rooms with no extra charges, in compensation to the trouble caused. This made the couple more satisfied and loyal customer for the hotel. Now they always choose to go the same hotel whenever they visit Goa.

Now, to do the right thing would have meant to keep a room vacant when the guest, who had already made a booking, arrives. But what if the guest doesn’t arrive? The hotel will be loosing money on the lost customer. Thus doing things right implies that managing the situation and acting accordingly.

There is a term in Service Marketing called as “Service Recovery Paradox” which can explain the above mentioned situation. It can be defined as follows:

The “service recovery paradox” states that with a highly effective service recovery, a service or product failure offers a chance to achieve higher satisfaction ratings from customers than if the failure had never happened. A little bit less academically, this means that a good recovery can turn angry and frustrated customers into loyal customers. In fact it can create even more goodwill than if things had gone smoothly in the first place.[1]

According to me this concept should be used when uncertainty happens, and not purposely. This can do permanent damage to the reputation. The research has shown that it creates more goodwill, but there is a risk that you may loose the customer forever.

Read more about this concept here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Recovery

Reference:
[1]- http://designforservice.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/service-recovery-paradox/