Market Research
Our role is to make your decisions easier, not more complicated. Our research findings are designed to answer your specific marketing questions and to allow you to use the answers to make better-informed marketing decisions and build more effective marketing programs.

Our Approach to Working with You
To make that a reality, we sit down with you and get to know your business, your marketing goals, and how the research will fit into your management structure. We will ask a lot of questions up front to ensure that when we present our findings we will address every one of your objectives.

Marketing research should be thought of as the systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and presenting objective, useful marketing information for assisting management in problem solving and decision making. It should help management identify, service, and satisfy the needs and desires of its customers.

The correct timing of a study can be critical to the value of the results. Studies conducted right after a price increase, for example, can distort people's attitudes and opinions from their norm. Likewise, studies conducted in good times will understate the negative feelings held by customers.

When to Consider Marketing Research:

* When you lack all the information you need to make a decision.
* When you are weighing alternatives.
* When there is conflict in the organization about which direction to take.
* When you detect symptoms of problems from your customer base.
* When you embark on something different, such as new products or new advertising campaigns.
* When you have more than one week to make a decision.
* When there is a clear understanding about the purpose and objectives of the study.

The Research Process
The key research steps include developing an understanding of the research objective, developing a research plan, implementing the research, developing a report designed to answer management's questions, and providing sound marketing recommendations. We've found that following each step will yield a final report of superior quality that contains highly practicable results on which to base sound marketing decisions.

Pre-research Planning
Clearly define the marketing objective the research should address. Develop a specific research purpose and list of research objectives. Prioritize the research objectives and determine possible management action based on different data results.

Technical Specifications
Set measurable objectives that relate to a specific marketing objective. Specify methodology, sampling procedures, and quotas. Determine how the data will be processed and what cross-tabulations will be run. Set up the statistical analysis methods and how the data will be reported. Establish the cost / time parameters.

Questionnaire Development
Design the questionnaire based on the objectives. Review for biasing and leading questions, and for biasing question order. Pretest a draft of the questionnaire among respondents from the target market. Review the pretest results to see that the questions are clearly understood and that the proper types of responses are being gathered.

Data Collection
Set interviewing and quota control standards. Establish quality control measures. Randomly monitor telephone calls to review interviewer question presentation. Verify 20 percent of all calls for accuracy. Edit 100 percent of all surveys for completeness. Establish a coding plan for preparing the surveys for data processing.

Data Processing
Conduct the data entry and 10 percent verification. Conduct the first computer run of data tables. Provide a quick top-line report of the data and develop the final computer report. Prioritize tabulation plan. Make the final computer run of data tables and conduct the appropriate statistical routines.

Reporting Results
Analyze data and draft the executive summary report. Develop recommendations and action plans based on research findings. Make presentation to key decision makers. Follow-up to help management get the most use out of the recommendations.