Each year the Marketing Research Association holds an Annual Conference to bring together its membership for a few days of learning, networking and camaraderie.  I was pleased to represent Market Connections, Inc. at this year’s event in Chicago, IL at the Marriott on the Magnificent Mile downtown.  During the conference, there were several tracks one could follow: quantitative research, qualitative research, business of research, and research end-users.  Luckily, I got to attend a little bit of each!

The highlight of the first evening was the new member/ first time attendee reception.  This was an intimate affair for say, 75 people.  It was a great opportunity to meet colleagues from my chapter, and I greatly enjoyed making those connections!

Another highlight of the conference was the keynote speaker, Chris Kuehl from Armada Corporate Intelligence speaking on: When the Economy Recovers, Will You?  Thinking an economist might be a little dry; I arrived a little late and was very sorry I had.  He was very entertaining and informative.  His spoke at length on the economic stimulus, and how the U.S. plan compared to the plan in China.  He explained that China’s stimulus plan appears more effective, as the money was distributed very quickly.

Check back soon for more about my adventures at the MRA conference!

The administration’s call for greater accountability is driving many government agencies to raise the bar even higher for contractors’ services. In turn, contractors need to expect and prepare for more stringent contract performance reviews and re-competes. We often find companies are taken aback by the unexpected loss of significant contracts. Even when they were consistently meeting contractual performance metrics.

As you approach the end of your contracts lifecycle, its important to understand how your agency customers view your performance. This can make the difference between winning and losing the re-compete. But don’t worry, we can help!

Click below to learn more about what you can do to better prepare your company for a re-compete. Read the rest of this entry »

Downsizing has become all too common in this economy. That’s why many organizations no longer have research departments or an experienced person dedicated to managing research projects and outside providers. Yet, those organizations still have critical needs for current market data. As a result, various departments and personnel are developing RFPs and assessing research companies for the first time.

Here are a few tips for the first timers:

• Ask co-workers and industry contacts for the names of research providers they know and trust.

• Find providers through the Marketing Research Association or similar organizations.

• Visit the websites of recommended firms to assess their expertise and areas of focus. Some providers are experts in certain industries, some in different methodologies.

• Determine if the firm’s location is important to you. Read the rest of this entry »

Last Friday, June 5th, I was fortunate to attend the awards ceremony for the 3rd annual Helios HR Apollo Awards.  This award is designed to recognize companies who create a culture of learning and demonstrate best practices in professional development and employee growth.  In fact, Market Connections was an Apollo Award winner in 2007!

This year, we partnered with Helios HR to manage the online nomination process.  As part of the nomination process, we were also able to collect survey data regarding the current best practices of nominees, and our CEO Lisa presented this information during the ceremony.  Survey findings, along with some best practices and HR expertise from Helios HR, will be available in a white paper from Helios HR at the end of the summer.

We would like to extend our congratulations to this year’s Apollo Award winners:
-Emerging Company:  Arc Aspicio LLC
-Small Company:  Métier, Ltd.
-Mid-Sized Company:  Beers + Cutler
-Large Company:  Edelman (Washington D.C. office)
-Phoebus Award:  United States Pharmacopeia Convention
-Hercules Award:  B.F. Saul Company Hotel Division

Today the White House released their much-anticipated 60-day cyberspace policy review.

According to the report, the review team found Cybersecurity to be lacking overall.  The White House team has already promised action.  On the White House Briefing Room blog, Melissa Hathaway, Cybersecurity Chief at the National Security Council, writes, “…we need a safe Internet with a strong network infrastructure and we as a nation need to take prompt action to protect cyberspace for what we use it for today and will need in the future.  Protecting cyberspace requires strong vision and leadership and will require changes in policy, technology, education, and perhaps law.”
For more information on this topic, check out www.whitehouse.gov.

On Monday, John Monroe with FCW Insider wrote an interesting post outlining five ways the use of social media sites (such as Facebook or Twitter) will change the way federal employees work.  He presents the case for allowing – and sometimes even requiring – use of social media at work, saying these types of sites could actually increase productivity, create more cross-agency collaboration, and increase interaction with the citizenry.

Leave a comment and tell us what you think!  Will sites like Twitter and Facebook change the federal workplace, or are they merely a passing fad?

Twitter has permeated the online social networking scene, but this week the site has reached new heights!  Yesterday Computerworld reported on the in-orbit “tweet” NASA astronaut Mike Massimino sent from space, following the launch of the Atlantis.  He typed, “From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!”
Massimino has already sent out another update from orbit.  Click here to follow Massimino on Twitter. 

Market research is an essential tool for understanding your customers and your competition.  Market research can also identify trends that affect sales and profitability.  However, successful market research takes thoughtful planning and strategy.  Here are four typical mistakes commonly made when setting out to do research.
1.    Focusing on the wrong target market  One of the most important elements of the market research process is identifying the sample.  It is vital that your sample represent the population you want information about.  For example, if you sell beef, but half of your respondents were vegetarian, your research is pretty much useless.

2.    Not knowing what it is you are looking for  Doing research for the sake of having a research report is another pitfall for some businesses.  Make sure you have a clearly defined problem statement, and you know how the research will be used.

3.    Misuse of information  There are two types of primary research—qualitative and quantitative.  Qualitative research, such as focus groups or in-depth-interviews, is a great way to explore the minds of a few customers.  Quantitative research, such as surveys, provides information that is applicable to the population overall.  The two should not be confused.  Qualitative research cannot be applied to the overall population.

In many cases, your provider may suggest a methodology that makes use of both qualitative and quantitative research.  In these instances, views uncovered in an exploratory interview can be tested with a statistically valid sample and proven prior to use on the overall target market.

4.    Not using the data research provides  One of the top blunders a company can make is neglecting the results of their research—instead relying on gut instinct or previous experience alone to launch any marketing campaign.  These companies choose to ignore the data they receive as “wrong” or “unnecessary” because it does not match their desired outcome.  This decision can have disastrous results.  Ignoring the results of research is like throwing money down the drain.

Here at Market Connections, we help businesses avoid research pitfalls like these every day, and we’ve seen that avoiding these mistakes will lead to a great reward – valuable, actionable results!

Conducting in-depth, open-ended discussions with your target audience can give great insight – including the “whys” behind their thinking and decisions – that just aren’t possible with large quantitative surveys.  Such qualitative research is used for testing branding and marketing campaigns before they’re launched, assessing product features and benefits, uncovering the market’s unmet needs, better understanding the impact of various factors on buying behaviors, and more.

The most common qualitative methods are in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus groups.  IDIs are certainly effective, especially if the targeted titles are senior-level executives who aren’t willing to leave their offices to participate in a group discussion.  However, they lack the interactive dynamic of focus groups, where participants often build upon each other’s ideas.

Yet, focus groups can be a challenging and expensive undertaking for companies that serve geographically dispersed markets.  In such cases, Market Connections often recommends conducting focus groups during industry conferences.

Click here to learn some tips for success:

When checking out market research firms, it can be a good idea to find out how many of their employees are professionally certified.  The Marketing Research Association established the Professional Researcher Certification (PRC) program to validate industry knowledge, dedication, and professionalism among market researchers.  A PRC designation assures the credentials of market researchers and underscores their commitment to continuing their professional education.  Similar to certifications in other fields, it sets an industry standard for excellence in research. Read the rest of this entry »