Friday, May 29th, 2009
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.
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Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Current Trends, Government 
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
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?
No Comments Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Current Trends, Government
Friday, May 8th, 2009
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 researchââ?¬â?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 researchââ?¬â?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!
No Comments Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Market Research
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
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.
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No Comments Posted by John Kagia in Research Methods
reached new heights! 
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. 