9 Suggestions for Annual Market Research Planning for Success!!!
It is now planning time for many fenestration companies, but for those on a fiscal accounting cycle rather than an annual calendar cycle, what I am about to speak to might just have to wait a bit.
Most successful firms do annual planning for the entire company, most successful firms do marketing planning or research and development fiscal planning for new products…but few companies actually complete market research planning other than to have a lump of money that will be used for the annual customer satisfaction study (if one is done) or any other needs, put into a line item in the budget.
Also, in times like this, the market research budget is often one of the first to be cut. New products are invented and introduced with little more than an inner-office belly-button gazing approval session. “If the president likes it…it will sell.” Read more…
Pacemakers, PKU, Poodles The Common Thread in Market Immersion For New Product / Service Development
Last week I had the opportunity to visit with friends of mine in the greater Seattle area. As we chatted over the weekend, I began to think about their new project to raise awareness “of children who learn differently.” You see, both founders are moms with children who learn differently. Their organization is…”Life’s a Poodle.” More on this later!
On the plane on my way home I thought of Life’s a Poodle and other major influencers on both my life and the thirst to understand how to tame conflict points (problems) for products and services through the use of sensible market research consisting of market immersion. Read more…
Using the Report Card
It has been some time since my last column urging readers to get a report card of their customer’s satisfaction through a customer satisfaction survey. I have just concluded conducting a focus group in Las Vegas at the same time as the international Builders Show with custom and semi-custom home builders. The overall all subject was about their selection of “Green” products but as usually happens, tangents during groups occur and volais, the subject of customer satisfaction with manufacturers and dealers and distributors was often mentioned.
Put simply, builders are looking to manufacturers of their “Green” as well as other products for the information they need to reach and educate their customers. They have all but given up on dealers and distributors to be knowledgeable about what they are selling, and with more and more cut-backs at all levels because of the times, the task is even more cumbersome for them. Read more…