Oct 04 2015 | Loyalty Today
Hi Dr. Jay,How many segments should we have in an optimal solution, and how long can I expect my segmentation solution to last?-Katie M.Hi Katie,You’re not the only one who’s been asking about segmentation lately. Here’s my philosophy: you should always have at least one more...Read More
Aug 24 2015 | Loyalty Today
Summer brings many joys—BBQ’s, the beach, and one of my favorite holidays. . .I’m referring, of course, to Shark Week. For over 25 years, the Discovery Channel has loaded as much shark-related content as possible into a 7-day period, including TV programming, online content, and...Read More
Aug 17 2015 | Loyalty Today
The next time you opt to skip the lines at the mall and do some online shopping from your couch, you may still have to show your face. . .sort of. MasterCard is experimenting with a new program that will require you to hold up your phone and snap a selfie to confirm a purchase. MasterCard...Read More
Aug 09 2015 | Loyalty Today
If you follow news in the fashion world, you may have read about recent setbacks at preppy retailer J. Crew. Following another disappointing quarter of earnings, the company announced corporate lay-offs and changes at the helm of their women’s clothing design strategy. Although J.Crew has...Read More
Aug 04 2015 | Loyalty Today
Hello Dr. Jay,I enjoyed your recent post on predictive analytics that mentioned Bayesian Networks.Could you explain Bayesian Networks in the context of survey research? I believe a Bayes Net says something about probability distribution for a given data set, but I am curious about how we can...Read More
Jul 31 2015 | Loyalty Today
I can’t count the number of presentations and lectures I’ve attended throughout my professional career. While many have contained grains of useful insight, few have remained as relevant as one I attended by Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter. In that presentation, she argued that...Read More
Jul 28 2015 | Loyalty Today
Who are the mobile consumers?Let’s get this straight: I am not addicted to my smartphone. Unlike so many of my fellow train commuters who stare zombie-eyed into their small screens, I am not immersed in a personal relationship with pixels. I have an e-Reader for that. But, my smartphone IS...Read More
Jul 24 2015 | Loyalty Today
As I wrote in last week’s post, we recently conducted an analysis of mobile wallet use in the U.S. To make it interesting, we used unlinked passive mobile behavioral data alongside survey-based data.In this post, I’ve teamed up with Jay Weiner—our VP of Analytics...Read More
Jul 15 2015 | Loyalty Today
CMB’s portfolio is pretty expansive: we do research in a variety of industries and work with many different types of consumers—from insurance consumers to techies to medical experts to small business owners. We know how to get answers, and, more importantly, we are experts in getting...Read More
Jul 06 2015 | Loyalty Today
How do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? It’s a simple task, but using only words to explain the process makes it seem far more complex. Images are easier to interpret and comprehend quickly. Show an image of a PB&J, rather than detailed instructions, to a sandwich-making...Read More
Jun 28 2015 | Loyalty Today
There is a strong belief that gender identity can be used to predict behavior in the marketplace, and we see evidence of this belief in advertising every day (and we also regularly poke fun at this idea - see the video below). Despite this, the standard approach to collecting information about...Read More
Jun 25 2015 | Loyalty Today
Since the death of popular dad-blogger Oren Miller in February, there has been a resurgence of an initiative he started: pushing Amazon to change its parenting program’s name from “Amazon Mom” to “Amazon Family.” Amazon Mom is a subscription-based service that allows...Read More
Jun 17 2015 | Loyalty Today
Every year we hear bold new predictions about mobile wallet, and every year those predictions fall flat. So, with some trepidation, we ask: is this the year when mobile payments finally take off?A lot of pieces of the puzzle are finally in place:NFC and tokenization have been accepted as the...Read More
Jun 09 2015 | Loyalty Today
Emotions matter in driving consumer choices. This is fast becoming a truism—thanks in part to behavioral economics making its way to the mainstream press. For evidence from your own life, take a moment to think about your favorite brand. What do you like about it?...Read More
Jun 05 2015 | Loyalty Today
Dear Dr. Jay,How can my organization create a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that’s really useful?-Meeta R., SeattleDear Meeta,A key performance indicator (KPI) is often used to communicate to senior management how well the company is doing, with a single metric. It could be based on a...Read More
Jun 02 2015 | Loyalty Today
Warning: This post contains spoilers for George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO’s Game of Thrones.“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” This is the message of popular book series A Song of Ice and Fire and hit HBO TV series Game of Thrones...Read More
May 28 2015 | Loyalty Today
For those of you living in Siberia, I have a news flash: Boston had a nasty winter. Fortunately, spring has sprung, which has put an extra pep in my step for the past few weeks. That glorious feeling, coupled with an engagement I’ve been working on for Electronic Arts (EA), has inspired...Read More
May 20 2015 | Loyalty Today
If your brand were a meme, would it look like the one on the right? At the 2015 Yale Customer Insight Conference in New Haven, Connecticut, we heard a lot about the evolving marketplace, powerful consumers, and how to get it right. We’re living in an increasingly customer-centric...Read More
May 15 2015 | Loyalty Today
Do you have plans Thursday nights?If you’re like me, you’ll be snuggled up on your couch with a glass of red wine in one hand and Twitter pulled up on your phone in the other, ready and waiting for Scandal. I’ll admit it: I love all Shonda Rhimes’ shows. I’ve...Read More
May 08 2015 | Loyalty Today
After a brutal winter, many of us in the Northeast are glad to finally begin our annual spring-cleaning, but we’ve noticed we aren’t the only ones looking for a fresh start. With confidence in the economy growing, there has been an uptick in established brands taking a fresh look...Read More
May 07 2015 | Loyalty Today
Back in 2005, Malcolm Gladwell told us that focus groups are dead. Just last November, Jim Bryson, CEO of 20/20 Research, questioned whether qualitative research was thriving or dying: “If we take a narrow, more traditional view that qualitative is defined by the methods...Read More
May 03 2015 | Loyalty Today
What if you could hop off a seven hour flight from New York to London feeling refreshed and entirely jet lag-free? That’s the question British Airways has been trying to answer for years. From enhanced entertainment and meal offerings to carefully-designed lighting and noise reduction...Read More
Apr 28 2015 | Loyalty Today
Dear Dr. Jay, What’s hot in market research?-Steve W., Chicago Dear Steve, We’re two months into my column, and you’ve already asked one of my least favorite questions. But, I will give you some credit—you’re not the only one asking such questions. In...Read More
Apr 17 2015 | Loyalty Today
Avis Budget Group’s VP of Customer Insights and Experience, Eric Smuda, sat down with CMB’s Judy Melanson to talk about Customer Experience, suppliers, and his work as a corporate insights executive.Eric, it’s always fun to listen and learn from you. I’d like to...Read More
Apr 10 2015 | Loyalty Today
It’s both an exciting and challenging time to be a researcher. Exciting because we can collect data at speeds our predecessors could only dream about and challenging because we must help our partners stay nimble enough to really benefit from this data deluge. So, how do we help our clients...Read More
Apr 03 2015 | Loyalty Today
Did I snag you with the title? I hope so—it took me quite a while to come up with it. As our regular readers and esteemed clients know, each of CMB’s employees contribute to our blog by writing at least once annually. In the past, I’ve used my posts to tackle the real-world...Read More
Mar 26 2015 | Loyalty Today
After nearly a decade working on highly complex and strategic research projects, I’ve learned the one thing you can count on when dealing with massive amounts of data is Murphy’s Law—anything that can go wrong,will go wrong. No matter how much planning we do (and...Read More
Mar 22 2015 | Loyalty Today
Diversity in the workplace has proven massive benefits for organizations that rely on innovative thinking. Contrary to what most people believe, however, diversity in business is not just about surrounding yourself with people who look different. It’s also about equipping your team with a...Read More
Mar 18 2015 | Loyalty Today
We’ve been testing new concepts for years. The magic score to move forward in the new product development process is a 40% top 2 box score to purchase intent on a 5 point scale. How do I know if 40% is still a good benchmark? Are there any other measures that might be useful...Read More
Mar 06 2015 | Loyalty Today
An old friend recently remarked how crazy it is that I’ve been at the same company for over 16 years (and I’m not even that old!). I hadn’t really thought it was a big deal, but among my peers, I’m an outlier. A recent article claims Millennials are putting a “time...Read More
Mar 04 2015 | Loyalty Today
Maybe you’ve seen the news? This winter, Boston ushered in a new ice age. I’m joking (sort of), but you’ll forgive me since we have had six, SIXconsecutive snowstorms, dropping over 90 inches of snow on the region. Commuting has become a game of strategy, and shoveling and ...Read More
Feb 28 2015 | Loyalty Today
Sitting in my cozy Boston office, sipping coffee, I’m suddenly transported to Washington State’s Cascade Mountain Range, soaring above the mile-high Cowboy Mountain and scanning Tunnel Creek, a popular, snow-powdered trail and the site of the tragic 2012 Stevens Pass avalanche.This is...Read More
Feb 26 2015 | Loyalty Today
In an effort to counter the fear-based culture that inhibits innovation at many companies, some leaders (Google, Amazon, Roche) have advocated actually celebrating failure. Interesting! Could this new mindset really be the key to building an internal culture of fearless...Read More
Feb 25 2015 | Loyalty Today
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” “You’re my favorite brand ever.” “You’ve taken such good care of me over the years we’ve been together.” “I can see myself spending the rest of my life with you.” How many of your...Read More
Jan 25 2015 | Loyalty Today
When Redbox, the movie rental kiosk company, raised their prices 25%, many analysts saw the move as desperate—predicting significant losses to market share in 2015 and 2016. At the same time, the company’s stock rose, with investors expecting customers to adapt to the higher...Read More
Nov 18 2014 | Loyalty Today
How many of you are always looking for another minute in the day? Or perhaps some of you want something new, but don’t have time to get to a store? And how many others of you just simply hate going to brick and mortar stores? Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping stylist, is a...Read More
Nov 16 2014 | Loyalty Today
Have you ever considered the origins of marketing research? Recently I’ve been pondering this. Some professions, such as construction, have been in existence since the dawn of civilization, meeting the basic human need of shelter. The (relatively) recent rise of the computer programmer...Read More
Nov 01 2014 | Loyalty Today
Are you conducting research among mobile respondents yet? Autumn is conference season, and 1,000 of us just returned from IIR’s The Market Research Event (TMRE) conference where we learned, among other things, about research among mobile survey takers. Currently, only about 5% of...Read More
Oct 17 2014 | Loyalty Today
We all know the consumer purchase journey has changed dramatically since the “mobile web” explosion and continues to evolve rapidly. In order to understand the current state of this evolving journey, CMB surveyed 2,000 recent buyers of tablets in the U.S. We confirmed several...Read More
Oct 02 2014 | Loyalty Today
If you’ve never lived in Boston, you might not understand the spectacle that is September 1st. It’s the day that most new leases start, which means it’s the day almost every person in the city moves into a different apartment. U-Hauls crowd the narrow streets, abandoned...Read More
Sep 25 2014 | Loyalty Today
Data has existed in the modern business world for a long time (think manila folders in file cabinets in every office on every floor). Digitized data has been around for a while now, too (think virtual folders in hard drives connected to seemingly bottomless computer networks). So why, in just the...Read More
Sep 11 2014 | Loyalty Today
Our readers who aren’t from New England might be surprised by the topic that dominated our news this summer. It wasn’t the state of the Middle East. It wasn’t even our upcoming gubernatorial race. No, the story that got the most space in the Boston Globe was a fight over...Read More
Aug 21 2014 | Loyalty Today
I've just returned from a week-long vacation to California, and I'm still feeling the joy (and guilt) from satisfying my ultimate indulgence: In-N-Out Burger. Since I’m an East Coaster without frequent access to their locations, my trip would not have been complete without...Read More
Aug 07 2014 | Loyalty Today
In market research, it can occasionally feel like the rivalry between qualitative and quantitative research is like the Red Sox vs. the Yankees. You can’t root for both, and you can’t just “like” one. You’re verypassionate about your preference...Read More
Jul 31 2014 | Loyalty Today
A few weeks ago, thirty of my colleagues and I attended a clear writing workshop. When I first got the calendar notification for this workshop, I thought, “Oh, God, not another one.” As a recent college graduate and a current graduate student, I can’t tell you how many writing...Read More
Jul 24 2014 | Loyalty Today
How many times have you done your favorite thing? It doesn’t matter what your favorite thing may be, or if your favorite thing varies by season. Just think of the number. Does it seem lower than you would expect? Does it seem higher? Or, does it feel just right?Have you ever been to Walt...Read More
Jul 20 2014 | Loyalty Today
If you live in a city, you probably know about the current battle between Uber car services (and others) vs. taxi companies. Maybe you’ve seen stories in the news or actually found yourself in the middle of a taxi driver protest yourself—like the one that happened just outside...Read More
Jul 03 2014 | Loyalty Today
With both feet planted on the ground (guaranteeing my ankles are uncrossed for proper energy flow) and my palms out in front of me, Clarence’s** palms rest against mine, reading my energy. His mouth twitches slightly, and his eyes are closed. There is silence, a sigh, and an &ldquo...Read More
Jun 26 2014 | Loyalty Today
On Saturdays, when the weather is not fit for the playground, I take my toddler to a tumble gym where he can run, climb, and kick balls around with other kids his age. Parents must accompany kids in the play area as this is a free-form play center without an employed staff (other than...Read More
Jun 04 2014 | Loyalty Today
Chris Ruby recaps the 2014 Future of Consumer Intelligence conference and discusses how to successfully bridge the gap between big business and customers. You can check out more of Chris' insights on his blog: The Market Research Insider. Imagine a line drawn in the sand that is...Read More
May 29 2014 | Loyalty Today
We are constantly talking with companies about how their positive and desired brand messages—from all possible sources—need to match up with the experience their customers have when interacting with them. Our approach to brand tracking is based on the premise that movement along...Read More
May 22 2014 | Loyalty Today
In less than 15 years, your car will drive itself, and education and learning as we now know them will be as unrecognizable as the cassette tapes of old. Look out, because nothing is safe. It will happen in healthcare, in manufacturing, in entertainment, and even in your job. Everything is...Read More
May 14 2014 | Loyalty Today
The ubiquity of mobile devices has opened up new opportunities for market researchers on a global scale. Think: biometrics, geo-location, presence sensing, etc. The emerging possibilities enabled by mobile market research are exciting and worth exploring, but we can’t ignore the...Read More
Apr 24 2014 | Loyalty Today
I know what you are thinking...“What the heck is she TALKING about? How can Tinder possibly relate to mobile ethnography?” You can call me crazy, but hear me out first.For those of you who may be unfamiliar, Tinder is a well-known “hook up” app that...Read More
Apr 02 2014 | Loyalty Today
Guess what? It’s 2014! The year of Super Bowl XLVIII©, the 100thanniversary of the start of World War I, the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and a whole host of other, generally not-that-impactful events, anniversaries, and changes. One event that will happen...Read More
Mar 26 2014 | Loyalty Today
Will big data destroy primary research? I’ve read dozens (hundreds?) of articles that argue both sides, but despite a lot of speculation, I see very little attention paid to what may be the real killer of a lot of primary research: the “need for speed.” The increasing velocity...Read More
Mar 12 2014 | Loyalty Today
Eight years is a long time to be in a relationship with someone. When you’ve been with the same person for that long, chances are you either put a ring on it, or throw in the towel. If you have a solid foundation, an even balance of give and take, and you genuinely enjoy each other’s...Read More
Mar 10 2014 | Loyalty Today
I recently traveled to Sochi, Russia for the Winter Olympics (check this off the bucket list!) and after all the media attention focused on Sochi leading up to the games, I was interested to see firsthand if the games were going to be considered a success for Russia or not.Russia went into their...Read More
Feb 26 2014 | Loyalty Today
In a few weeks I’ll be taking a cruise to theCaribbean—a cruise that I have spent 9 months planning. Needless to say, I’ve been a little preoccupied making sure everything is in place to ensure a flawless vacation. And as I sorted through all of these details, I couldn’t...Read More
Feb 13 2014 | Loyalty Today
As a parent of a toddler boy, I've often found myself getting so frustrated, to a place I don't like, that I started doing some real self hard thinking about the causes (it’s the research background!). One of the major realizations I've had is that the frustration is in part...Read More
Feb 04 2014 | Loyalty Today
As a recent graduate, and entrant into the world of professional market research, I have some words of wisdom for college seniors looking for a career in the industry. You maythink your professors prepared you for the “real world” of market research, but there are some things you...Read More
Jan 15 2014 | Loyalty Today
You might not know it from the constant attention lavished on startups, but some of the most established and largest companies in the world are amongst the most innovative—they routinely out-innovate their smaller peers. Where they falter is in failing to bring these game-changers to the...Read More
Jan 03 2014 | Loyalty Today
One of the most enjoyable things about managing the Voices of CMB Blog is the wide range of perspectives on market research (and more), from the CMB team. Their expertise, insight, and creativity make editing this blog a real pleasure. But before we embark on 2014, here are a few of our favorites...Read More
Dec 19 2013 | Loyalty Today
Last year, when Gizmodo released a copy of Apple’s Genius Bar training manual, there was much talk that the company was educating Geniuses to engage in a type of psychological manipulation. Why were so many people distressed by these sales and marketing techniques? Using these...Read More
Nov 26 2013 | Loyalty Today
Earlier this month, Chris Neal of Chadwick Martin Bailey shared with members of the New England chapter of the Marketing Research Association tips for running mobile diary studies, based on lessons learned from a recent project.For the Council for Research...Read More
Nov 20 2013 | Loyalty Today
I recently came across an article focused on defunct exhibits at Disney parks. I’m a native Floridan so I flipped through the accompanying slide show with fond memories. And there it was...my all-time childhood favorite—Horizons at Epcot Center. From the robot butler to the...Read More
Oct 25 2013 | Loyalty Today
Kristin Vincent, VP, Product at Marvel Entertainment, has been helping the 70-year old company re-define itself in the digital age. Not knowing much about comics when she joined the company in 2011, she quickly gained credibility and influence with her fresh perspective, insights and actions...Read More
Oct 23 2013 | Loyalty Today
Like a lot of people, I rely on user reviews for virtually all of my purchase decisions. For example, in the last week I’ve read reviews on:Yelp for restaurants (and even which dishes to order from said restaurants)Overstock.com to give me a better idea on the quality/color of a mirror I...Read More
Sep 11 2013 | Loyalty Today
It’s been accepted wisdom, for the past 10 years, that customer experiences should align with a company’s brand value proposition. Simply put, operations should focus on making sure the brand promises, implicitly (or explicitly) conveyed in market communication, are ...Read More
Sep 08 2013 | Loyalty Today
You might call me a CMB “success story” (seriously, go ahead it has a nice ring to it), in a few short years I’ve made the journey from intern to Project Manager. Because I know my way around these parts, I’m often asked to interview Associate Researcher candidates. I...Read More
Aug 31 2013 | Loyalty Today
Communication has changed. With the growth of the “Social Market,” businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional mediums—television, print, and radio, to win consumers. Consumers are key players in a social revolution that’s changing the way they speak with each...Read More
Aug 27 2013 | Loyalty Today
It’s always exciting when we get the opportunity to conduct research that garners interest from everyone from the guy staring at his tablet on the train to the executives of the largest media companies in the world. We got that chance, when CMB partnered with the Council for Research...Read More
Aug 21 2013 | Loyalty Today
Just when you thought you had cracked the nut on the Hispanic Consumer, a new nut has just knocked you on your head. As everyone knows, America’s demographics are shifting, driven in large part by explosive growth in the Hispanic population. According to the Pew Hispanic Center...Read More
Jul 10 2013 | Loyalty Today
You know you’ve been to a great conference when the ideas and insights are still percolating and expanding weeks later; the Insights Innovation Exchange Conference in Philadelphia definitely fit that bill. In part one of my take on the conference I talked about the...Read More
Jul 03 2013 | Loyalty Today
Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg want you to Think Inside the Box.
Their recent article in the Wall Street Journal encapsulates the increasingly jaded perceptions of innovation in the corporate world—where “brainstorm has become a byword for tedium and frustration...Read More
Jul 02 2013 | Loyalty Today
Welcome to Part One of my coverage of the Insights Innovation Exchange Conference (#IIEX) that recently wrapped up in Philadelphia. The event was three solid days of presentations and panel discussion on the changes and innovations that are shaping the future of market research and...Read More
Jun 27 2013 | Loyalty Today
One of the cardinal rules of great customer service is be helpful - even if there's no immediate profit in it. That’s never been truer than today; a customer who feels truly special and cared for has more channels to express themselves than ever before. We hear quite a bit ...Read More
Jun 20 2013 | Loyalty Today
In the world of medical technology, the historical driver of value has been feature-driven. Hospitals, insurance companies and other payor audiences have been willing to pay a premium for new features—up to a point.
Today, though, in a climate of increased scrutiny over costs, more...Read More
Jun 19 2013 | Loyalty Today
One of the things I love most about my job is that I get to see what’s really going on in the minds of the people who do (or would) actually pay for B2B technology solutions, while at the same time observing industry trade press hype cycles and B2B marketing trends from solution...Read More
Jun 13 2013 | Loyalty Today
Over the last year I’d heard rumors of a new “super” Walgreens coming to Downtown Boston. To be honest, it sounded a little odd: a Walgreens with a sushi bar? A nail salon? But sure enough, one sunny day in May, a coworker announced the giant Walgreens had finally opened; of...Read More
Jun 06 2013 | Loyalty Today
This weekend, my 10 year old Jack sat on our comfy couch with a big screen TV just feet way, but he chose to curl up with the iPad to watch his episode of Star Wars. In just a few clicks of the remote he could have watched it in HD on a beautiful big screen. I found myself wondering why...Read More
May 31 2013 | Loyalty Today
Today most companies are watching their expenditures closely and are challenged with how to effectively get the word out to prospective customers, but on a limited budget. The key to this is focus, across three different dimensions that we call AMP:Audience. It’s tempting to think that...Read More
May 31 2013 | Loyalty Today
Today most companies are watching their expenditures closely and are challenged with how to effectively get the word out to prospective customers, but on a limited budget. The key to this is focus, across three different dimensions that we call AMP:Audience. It’s tempting to think that...Read More
May 23 2013 | Loyalty Today
If you're over the age of 25, are childless, and have any idea of what Snapchat is, kudos on your tech hipster status. For those with tweens or teens, you may have been allowed to see a brief glimpse of this world, and maybe some of you have even heard it called a &ldquo...Read More
May 21 2013 | Loyalty Today
Originally posted on the South Street Strategy Group BlogBy Jennifer von BriesenAt any point in the innovation process, businesses can come across new information, trends or practical issues that challenge thinking about what the end result of an innovation should look like. Maybe a...Read More
May 10 2013 | Loyalty Today
When the 820 consecutive home game sell-out streak ended on April 10th at Fenway Park (just two games into the 2013 season), the Boston Red Sox found themselves in a unique situation…Red Sox brand loyalty was no longer just a guaranteed thing.
Since the Red Sox won the World...Read More
May 09 2013 | Loyalty Today
Over the past 3 years, there has been no shortage of attempts to forecast the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on patients and insurers, but the truth is, the changing care model has ramifications that extend well beyond the waiting room. The multi-billion dollar medical device industry is...Read More
May 02 2013 | Loyalty Today
Next week you'll find us at the Front End of Innovation 2013 sharing how we, along with our partners atSouth Street Strategy, took a practical, focused, and innovative approach to new product development for Tauck Worldwide. Read a little bit about what we did here:The...Read More
Apr 25 2013 | Loyalty Today
With ever more crowded industries, and customers’ ever-growing access to information that guides decision-making, if ever there was an era where the customer came first, this is it. Landing on a strategy that will delight current and prospective customers requires getting to know them both...Read More
Apr 18 2013 | Loyalty Today
The New York Times article, The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food, caught my attention by linking the hot topic of “junk food” and the obesity epidemic to the market research that supports it. This is where my inner geek gets really excited—it’s not...Read More
Apr 12 2013 | Loyalty Today
How many times have you looked at all of the to-do’s you’ve crossed off your list during any given week and wondered, “What do I actually have to show for it?” The fact of the matter is that the work day is a constant struggle to separate out the important from the...Read More
Apr 10 2013 | Loyalty Today
I don’t want to brag, but my smartphone is in really good shape.
Like millions of other people, I have multiple fitness and health-related mobile apps, and they’re constantly alerting, pushing—begging me to login, add my stats, and track my diet and exercise. And while I...Read More
Apr 04 2013 | Loyalty Today
The Mobile Wallet is a hot topic for those in the retail, technology and financial services industries. As you may know, mobile wallets allow customers to pay at store checkouts with a tap or wave of their smartphones. In our recent Consumer Pulse study of 1,500 smartphone users, we learned...Read More
Apr 03 2013 | Loyalty Today
You’re about to step out your front door...
But wait just a moment! You can only take your phone or your wallet, which will it be?
Pre-smartphone there would be no contest, I’d take my wallet. But times have changed, and the balance has now tipped in favor of my beloved iPhone...Read More
Mar 28 2013 | Loyalty Today
Geoff Nicholson, 3M ambassador and former vice president for international technical operations, was recently quoted as saying “Six Sigma ‘killed’ innovation at 3M.” His reasoning? The Six Sigma process requires a full-blown business case and even a 5-year business plan...Read More
Mar 26 2013 | Loyalty Today
Last November I partnered with a banking client for a conference presentation on a segmentation study we conducted to help guide his organization towards greater customer-centricity. The study provided market insight to help transition from a product-based to a customer-centric organization by...Read More
Mar 22 2013 | Loyalty Today
In recent years, innovation has become the latest catchword in US boardrooms, and even slow moving industries not normally associated with innovation suddenly see it as a capability critical to survival. Recently, however, a quiet backlash is forming as the word conjures up images of afternoons...Read More
Mar 15 2013 | Loyalty Today
Shoveling snow, grocery shopping, folding laundry, some daily activities just don’t scream fun…but maybe they should. We’ve all heard about gamification–using game design elements to drive desired behavior while making life a little more enjoyable. While the day you get...Read More
Mar 13 2013 | Loyalty Today
Those who know me understand that I am not afraid to admit I love reality TV. Combine that love with an interest in pop culture (generally), and a passion for understanding what people do and WHY they do it, and you have a match made in heaven. So obviously Catfish—the MTV series &mdash...Read More
Feb 28 2013 | Loyalty Today
Late last month, the Boston Celtics were struggling along in the middle of the NBA standings. They weren’t great and they weren’t awful, but they were predictable—predictably middle of the pack. But star point guard Rajon Rondo was having another terrific year, racking up triple...Read More
Feb 22 2013 | Loyalty Today
It's Oscar week, time for me to reveal a few of the lesser-known parallels between two glamorous industries—Hollywood and Market Research.
Just as the Academy is abuzz about Lincoln and Argo, market researchers can't get enough of two topics: 1) Big Data and 2) Storytelling. You...Read More
Feb 07 2013 | Loyalty Today
The next time you attend a market research conference, listen very, very carefully. That dull buzzing sound you hear is the collective whine of hundreds of market researchers lamenting their inability to get a seat at the big kids' table or even just some recognition for all the value they...Read More
Jan 31 2013 | Loyalty Today
Last weekend, my family and I took a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. We rented a car and stayed at a hotel. Within 12 hours of arriving home I received an online survey from each company. In both cases, the experiences were excellent and I was happy to share the details...Read More
Jan 11 2013 | Loyalty Today
You may have heard the latest from Disney—they’re about to introduce a new “MagicBand” wristband letting wearers take advantage of perks like skipping to the front of the line for rides, as well as pay for meals, and purchase gifts. It offers guests the...Read More
Dec 28 2012 | Loyalty Today
We're looking forward to the New Year—new projects, new insights, and new ideas. But before we ring in 2013, let's take a look back at some of our favorite blogs from 2012:Kristen Garvey talks brand loyalty, and why some brands have that certain something:
Creating a Brand Ritual...Read More
Dec 21 2012 | Loyalty Today
Happiness means something a bit different to each of us. ToTony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, happiness means working for a company that you’re excited about, surrounded by people who feel the same way.
As a researcher, I read his book Delivering Happiness as a...Read More
Dec 13 2012 | Loyalty Today
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Tech Tuesday… the offers keep rolling in, and this year, I cracked. Yes, I still love you LL Bean, Lands’ End, Williams Sonoma, and Wal-mart. But I can’t take your daily barrage anymore; it’s time to purge.
Despite my innate...Read More
Dec 06 2012 | Loyalty Today
If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to begin this post with a cheap trick: how many of you marketers, advertisers, researchers, corporate strategists and consultants out there have been asked to “find out what’s important to [some audience]?” While I don’t...Read More
Nov 29 2012 | Loyalty Today
From the giant cups of Coca-Cola featured on every America Idol, to the two and half hour GM car commercial Michael Bay called Transformers, product placement can provoke a lot of eye-rolling. There’s something so inauthentic about it, and really if something looked inauthentic...Read More
Nov 20 2012 | Loyalty Today
I start to fantasize about Thanksgiving Day as soon as I’ve finished the last of the Halloween candy. From getting up at the crack of dawn, to saying grace, right up until the end of the fourth quarter of the last football game, Thanksgiving is filled with all kinds of wonderful...Read More
Nov 15 2012 | Loyalty Today
I recently learned the story of Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid, two Russian-born conceptual artists who, as part of their People's Choice series, captured EXACTLY what America wanted in their paintings. To create “The Most Wanted” (1994) painting in America, Komar and...Read More
Nov 09 2012 | Loyalty Today
While thinking about the challenges of Big Data, I’m reminded of this simple chart from the neat site Indexed:Because, as we get more and more data (and information) and move further to the right on the x-axis, we face more confusion throughout our work. We face questions like: how...Read More
Nov 02 2012 | Loyalty Today
Last week I attended the FutureM conference here in Boston. There were a lot of sessions to choose from and some great speakers, but one presentation was so simple it caught my eye. The session was called Future: Simplicity with Chris Colbert (@cmcolbert) from ...Read More
Oct 25 2012 | Loyalty Today
The recent research study showing that marketers rank lower than politicians on the “respectability scale” might feel like a kick in the gut for most of us in this role.
From the research: only 13% of consumers agree that marketing benefits society. It’s...Read More
Oct 24 2012 | Loyalty Today
As a market researcher, there are times I can’t help but look at the upcoming presidential election as the ultimate marketing campaign. A successful political campaign often adapts many of the same strategies used by marketers, and just as savvy marketers have adapted their...Read More
Oct 17 2012 | Loyalty Today
This summer, a Harvard Business Review case studypresented the dilemma of a modern dance company caught between their mission to grow and enter new markets, and their mandate to remain creative and groundbreaking. The arguments on both sides are pretty compelling. A new employee...Read More
Oct 12 2012 | Loyalty Today
A version of this post was published in Loyalty 360's Loyalty Management MagazineMy colleagues can tell you that although we're well into fall in New England, I still love the garden as loyalty program metaphor. That's because loyalty programs, like gardens, are living...Read More
Sep 11 2012 | Loyalty Today
One of the things I love most about the culture of CMB is the passion of our people, inside and outside the office. It inspires me each and every day. Last week our HR Manager, Marlo Manning was named a CNN Hero for the charity she founded called Fairy Dog Parents. In Marlo’s ...Read More
Sep 07 2012 | Loyalty Today
You have a loyalty program, you offer discounts, special rewards, and you track your growth. Well so does everyone else.Judy Melanson shares tips for optimizing your loyalty program so you can break away from the pack, and make the most of your loyalty investment.
Read more about our...Read More
Aug 16 2012 | Loyalty Today
When I moved to Boston in 1988 for college, I was very excited to receive my first “BayBank card.” For those of you from the area, you’ll recall with a smile that BayBank was the dominant area bank; it subsequently merged with Bank Boston which then merged with Fleet. However,...Read More
Aug 09 2012 | Loyalty Today
Don't let your segmentation study languish on the shelf. CMB's Brant Cruz, shares the five C's of great segmentation socializers. Learn how to get your segmentation embraced and used by your organization:
Brant Cruz is our resident segmentation guru and the Vice President of CMB...Read More
Aug 06 2012 | Loyalty Today
On a recent trip to Washington DC, I had a two hour delay on the flight out, and a broken Direct TV on the flight back, and yet when I got home I was delighted with my airline. I know this sounds unlikely, but as a result of the delay and the broken TV I racked up $75 in credits towards my next...Read More
Jul 18 2012 | Loyalty Today
We hear a lot about Big Data—from Target using predictive analytics to tell which of its customers are pregnant, to MIT and Intel putting millions behind their bigdata@CSAIL initiative. Yet, I’m struck by the fact that most of what I read, and hear at conferences, is about the...Read More
Jul 12 2012 | Loyalty Today
If you believe the news you might imagine Americans have a pretty low opinion of bankers. It seems cut and dried; the recession laid bare a lot of anger over banks’ role in the economy’s crash. But new insights from our Consumer Pulse research on banking approval, suggest bank...Read More
Jun 21 2012 | Loyalty Today
All seasoned business travelers have their share of funny or painful airline stories, and I’m no exception. But a particularly memorable incident on a recent flight to SFO got me thinking, and it’s the genesis for this blog.
Long story short, I was sitting by the window and...Read More
Jun 14 2012 | Loyalty Today
Thirty years ago, the ATM revolutionized banking convenience by letting customers conduct their business at any time, and without stepping foot in a branch— there are now several generations who can’t remember a time before you could just “hit the machine.” But all...Read More
Jun 07 2012 | Loyalty Today
The day that we all become as tech-savvy and suave as Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible is fast approaching. How do I know? A few years after a Cruise movie is on the big screen, his cool gadgets are for sale in a store near you. Don’t believe me? ...Read More
May 31 2012 | Loyalty Today
The other day I read an interesting article in the Chicago Tribune; the headline read: Hard-hit Millennials less likely to be brand loyal. As a “hard-hit” millennial (those aged 19-34), who owes the value of a modest-home in student loans, I was very interested in what the...Read More
May 24 2012 | Loyalty Today
Earlier this month I had the chance to present at the Market Research Technology Event in Las Vegas. Beyond the fact I just could not get accustomed to watching people walk by conference rooms swigging beer and wearing in flip flops; for me the event raised more questions than provided answers...Read More
May 24 2012 | Loyalty Today
I’m on record as saying that loyalty programs should focus on rewarding behaviors that have a direct financial benefit to the business (i.e., purchase, bookings, and sales). Because of this belief, I was staunchly opposed to the concept of giving loyalty members “points for...Read More
May 10 2012 | Loyalty Today
If you live in Eastern New England, I am willing to bet you’ve seen a Jordan’s Furniture ad. Like Giant Glass (1-800-54-Giant!) and Bernie and Phyll's (quality, comfort and price—that’s nice!), it’s a brand we New Englanders recognize instantly. For those of...Read More
May 02 2012 | Loyalty Today
It’s not the size of the venue; it’s the quality of the content. That was the case for a local conference I attended last week at Babson College. Using Social Media to Redefine the Customer Value Proposition, was held by the Retail Supply Chain Institute in partnership with the...Read More
Apr 26 2012 | Loyalty Today
A recent report from Starwood Hotels made the provocative claim that: “73% of travelers would choose loyalty-program benefits over a spouse if they could take just one on the road.” It's a great headline, but speaking as a member of three airline loyalty programs, I would...Read More
Apr 19 2012 | Loyalty Today
Remember the heyday of the music industry? Remember how the big music companies pulled off a nearly unthinkable feat—convincing consumers to re-buy previously purchased products (vinyl) on a new medium (CD)? That’s what can happen when you’re the only game in town.
In...Read More
Apr 12 2012 | Loyalty Today
As I prepare for my 14th Boston Marathon, I find myself thinking about food a lot, and when you’re on training runs there is no shortage of candy to keep you fueled. I have come to find our candy stations reveal a little known fact about us runners— we DO NOT like green apple Jolly...Read More
Apr 05 2012 | Loyalty Today
The recent NY Times’ article about people's exhaustion with customer satisfaction surveys made the CMB email rounds in record time. The gist of the article is that people are tired of being asked to fill out customer satisfaction surveys before, after, and during every minor transaction...Read More
Apr 03 2012 | Loyalty Today
In 6th grade, my teacher sent home a survey to parents about “What motivates your child.” My mother wrote down three things: candy, money, and anything free. I remember this so vividly because I was mortified. I wanted her to say something meaningful like, “positive praise&rdquo...Read More
Apr 02 2012 | Loyalty Today
After spending the last few days at Loyalty Expo in Orlando I heard no shortage of different points of view on the future of loyalty and loyalty programs. From conversations around NPS scores and measures to a great panel discussion on the Socialization of Loyalty run by CMB’s Judy...Read More
Apr 02 2012 | Loyalty Today
Customer feedback is a popular topic these days, and it makes me think about my own experiences and how companies’ responses continue to shape my perceptions. I might have ongoing positive experiences with a company, which, clearly, results in fairly positive perceptions. ...Read More
Mar 27 2012 | Loyalty Today
The 2014 implementation of many of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) key provisions has sparked a great deal of speculation about the future of the healthcare market; there seems to be no end to the models predicting how the law will impact the insurance industry. There is no question that...Read More
Mar 27 2012 | Loyalty Today
Last year we partnered with Constant Contact to learn how consumers use Facebook to connect with brands. Take a look at this cool infographic from Intuit and Column Five featuring some of our findings and how small businesses are using social media:
Download the full report here.
Read More
Mar 21 2012 | Loyalty Today
As an everyday user of the criminally addictive social networking site Facebook, I rolled my eyes when I saw the new “Timeline” design. Why fix something if it’s not broken? Didn’t I just get used to the most recent interface? While I sat absorbing all the new...Read More
Mar 07 2012 | Loyalty Today
A career in market research can make you pretty sensitive to advertising. An ineffective commercial can make me throw up my hands wondering how it got on air; a great one makes me appreciate all the work that went into making it. Recently, I got to see a behind the scenes example of what goes...Read More
Mar 06 2012 | Loyalty Today
During a recent social media webinar, the question was raised “How do we convince clients that social media is statistically significant?” After an involuntary groan, this question brought two things to mind:
There are a lot of people working in social media research who do...Read More
Feb 27 2012 | Loyalty Today
On Sunday, The New York Times Magazine published a piece: How Companies Learn Your Secrets, by Charles Duhigg, author of the forthcoming The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. It’s an interesting article, especially for market researchers, and I recommend...Read More
Feb 23 2012 | Loyalty Today
When we set out, in our latest CMB Consumer Pulse, to discover how consumers are navigating the unprecedented range of options for accessing TV and movies, we knew some of the things we’d find out—e.g. the number of people who have completely cut the cord is still small, Netflix...Read More
Feb 14 2012 | Loyalty Today
A topic near and dear to my heart just became nearer and dearer. Take a look at one of the classroom assignments my kindergarten daughter recently brought home from school:
Isn’t this amazing? Kindergartners are learning the basics of market research! Ever since I got into this business...Read More
Feb 07 2012 | Loyalty Today
Last week I blogged about the positive intentions of consumers who take the time to participate in customer feedback surveys. One of the more disappointing findings is that most companies fail to respond when customers give poor scores or negative feedback. On this point, we asked...Read More
Oct 04 2015
Hi Dr. Jay,How many segments should we have in an optimal solution, and how long can I expect my segmentation solution to last?-Katie M.Hi Katie,You’re not the only one who’s been asking about segmentation lately. Here’s my philosophy: you should always have at least one more...Read More
Aug 24 2015
Summer brings many joys—BBQ’s, the beach, and one of my favorite holidays. . .I’m referring, of course, to Shark Week. For over 25 years, the Discovery Channel has loaded as much shark-related content as possible into a 7-day period, including TV programming, online content, and...Read More
Aug 17 2015
The next time you opt to skip the lines at the mall and do some online shopping from your couch, you may still have to show your face. . .sort of. MasterCard is experimenting with a new program that will require you to hold up your phone and snap a selfie to confirm a purchase. MasterCard...Read More
Aug 09 2015
If you follow news in the fashion world, you may have read about recent setbacks at preppy retailer J. Crew. Following another disappointing quarter of earnings, the company announced corporate lay-offs and changes at the helm of their women’s clothing design strategy. Although J.Crew has...Read More
Aug 04 2015
Hello Dr. Jay,I enjoyed your recent post on predictive analytics that mentioned Bayesian Networks.Could you explain Bayesian Networks in the context of survey research? I believe a Bayes Net says something about probability distribution for a given data set, but I am curious about how we can...Read More
Jul 31 2015
I can’t count the number of presentations and lectures I’ve attended throughout my professional career. While many have contained grains of useful insight, few have remained as relevant as one I attended by Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter. In that presentation, she argued that...Read More
Jul 28 2015
Who are the mobile consumers?Let’s get this straight: I am not addicted to my smartphone. Unlike so many of my fellow train commuters who stare zombie-eyed into their small screens, I am not immersed in a personal relationship with pixels. I have an e-Reader for that. But, my smartphone IS...Read More
Jul 24 2015
As I wrote in last week’s post, we recently conducted an analysis of mobile wallet use in the U.S. To make it interesting, we used unlinked passive mobile behavioral data alongside survey-based data.In this post, I’ve teamed up with Jay Weiner—our VP of Analytics...Read More
Jul 15 2015
CMB’s portfolio is pretty expansive: we do research in a variety of industries and work with many different types of consumers—from insurance consumers to techies to medical experts to small business owners. We know how to get answers, and, more importantly, we are experts in getting...Read More
Jul 06 2015
How do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? It’s a simple task, but using only words to explain the process makes it seem far more complex. Images are easier to interpret and comprehend quickly. Show an image of a PB&J, rather than detailed instructions, to a sandwich-making...Read More
Jun 28 2015
There is a strong belief that gender identity can be used to predict behavior in the marketplace, and we see evidence of this belief in advertising every day (and we also regularly poke fun at this idea - see the video below). Despite this, the standard approach to collecting information about...Read More
Jun 25 2015
Since the death of popular dad-blogger Oren Miller in February, there has been a resurgence of an initiative he started: pushing Amazon to change its parenting program’s name from “Amazon Mom” to “Amazon Family.” Amazon Mom is a subscription-based service that allows...Read More
Jun 17 2015
Every year we hear bold new predictions about mobile wallet, and every year those predictions fall flat. So, with some trepidation, we ask: is this the year when mobile payments finally take off?A lot of pieces of the puzzle are finally in place:NFC and tokenization have been accepted as the...Read More
Jun 09 2015
Emotions matter in driving consumer choices. This is fast becoming a truism—thanks in part to behavioral economics making its way to the mainstream press. For evidence from your own life, take a moment to think about your favorite brand. What do you like about it?...Read More
Jun 05 2015
Dear Dr. Jay,How can my organization create a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that’s really useful?-Meeta R., SeattleDear Meeta,A key performance indicator (KPI) is often used to communicate to senior management how well the company is doing, with a single metric. It could be based on a...Read More
Jun 02 2015
Warning: This post contains spoilers for George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO’s Game of Thrones.“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” This is the message of popular book series A Song of Ice and Fire and hit HBO TV series Game of Thrones...Read More
May 28 2015
For those of you living in Siberia, I have a news flash: Boston had a nasty winter. Fortunately, spring has sprung, which has put an extra pep in my step for the past few weeks. That glorious feeling, coupled with an engagement I’ve been working on for Electronic Arts (EA), has inspired...Read More
May 20 2015
If your brand were a meme, would it look like the one on the right? At the 2015 Yale Customer Insight Conference in New Haven, Connecticut, we heard a lot about the evolving marketplace, powerful consumers, and how to get it right. We’re living in an increasingly customer-centric...Read More
May 15 2015
Do you have plans Thursday nights?If you’re like me, you’ll be snuggled up on your couch with a glass of red wine in one hand and Twitter pulled up on your phone in the other, ready and waiting for Scandal. I’ll admit it: I love all Shonda Rhimes’ shows. I’ve...Read More
May 08 2015
After a brutal winter, many of us in the Northeast are glad to finally begin our annual spring-cleaning, but we’ve noticed we aren’t the only ones looking for a fresh start. With confidence in the economy growing, there has been an uptick in established brands taking a fresh look...Read More
May 07 2015
Back in 2005, Malcolm Gladwell told us that focus groups are dead. Just last November, Jim Bryson, CEO of 20/20 Research, questioned whether qualitative research was thriving or dying: “If we take a narrow, more traditional view that qualitative is defined by the methods...Read More
May 03 2015
What if you could hop off a seven hour flight from New York to London feeling refreshed and entirely jet lag-free? That’s the question British Airways has been trying to answer for years. From enhanced entertainment and meal offerings to carefully-designed lighting and noise reduction...Read More
Apr 28 2015
Dear Dr. Jay, What’s hot in market research?-Steve W., Chicago Dear Steve, We’re two months into my column, and you’ve already asked one of my least favorite questions. But, I will give you some credit—you’re not the only one asking such questions. In...Read More
Apr 17 2015
Avis Budget Group’s VP of Customer Insights and Experience, Eric Smuda, sat down with CMB’s Judy Melanson to talk about Customer Experience, suppliers, and his work as a corporate insights executive.Eric, it’s always fun to listen and learn from you. I’d like to...Read More
Apr 10 2015
It’s both an exciting and challenging time to be a researcher. Exciting because we can collect data at speeds our predecessors could only dream about and challenging because we must help our partners stay nimble enough to really benefit from this data deluge. So, how do we help our clients...Read More
Apr 03 2015
Did I snag you with the title? I hope so—it took me quite a while to come up with it. As our regular readers and esteemed clients know, each of CMB’s employees contribute to our blog by writing at least once annually. In the past, I’ve used my posts to tackle the real-world...Read More
Mar 26 2015
After nearly a decade working on highly complex and strategic research projects, I’ve learned the one thing you can count on when dealing with massive amounts of data is Murphy’s Law—anything that can go wrong,will go wrong. No matter how much planning we do (and...Read More
Mar 22 2015
Diversity in the workplace has proven massive benefits for organizations that rely on innovative thinking. Contrary to what most people believe, however, diversity in business is not just about surrounding yourself with people who look different. It’s also about equipping your team with a...Read More
Mar 18 2015
We’ve been testing new concepts for years. The magic score to move forward in the new product development process is a 40% top 2 box score to purchase intent on a 5 point scale. How do I know if 40% is still a good benchmark? Are there any other measures that might be useful...Read More
Mar 06 2015
An old friend recently remarked how crazy it is that I’ve been at the same company for over 16 years (and I’m not even that old!). I hadn’t really thought it was a big deal, but among my peers, I’m an outlier. A recent article claims Millennials are putting a “time...Read More
Mar 04 2015
Maybe you’ve seen the news? This winter, Boston ushered in a new ice age. I’m joking (sort of), but you’ll forgive me since we have had six, SIXconsecutive snowstorms, dropping over 90 inches of snow on the region. Commuting has become a game of strategy, and shoveling and ...Read More
Feb 28 2015
Sitting in my cozy Boston office, sipping coffee, I’m suddenly transported to Washington State’s Cascade Mountain Range, soaring above the mile-high Cowboy Mountain and scanning Tunnel Creek, a popular, snow-powdered trail and the site of the tragic 2012 Stevens Pass avalanche.This is...Read More
Feb 26 2015
In an effort to counter the fear-based culture that inhibits innovation at many companies, some leaders (Google, Amazon, Roche) have advocated actually celebrating failure. Interesting! Could this new mindset really be the key to building an internal culture of fearless...Read More
Feb 25 2015
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” “You’re my favorite brand ever.” “You’ve taken such good care of me over the years we’ve been together.” “I can see myself spending the rest of my life with you.” How many of your...Read More
Jan 25 2015
When Redbox, the movie rental kiosk company, raised their prices 25%, many analysts saw the move as desperate—predicting significant losses to market share in 2015 and 2016. At the same time, the company’s stock rose, with investors expecting customers to adapt to the higher...Read More
Nov 18 2014
How many of you are always looking for another minute in the day? Or perhaps some of you want something new, but don’t have time to get to a store? And how many others of you just simply hate going to brick and mortar stores? Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping stylist, is a...Read More
Nov 16 2014
Have you ever considered the origins of marketing research? Recently I’ve been pondering this. Some professions, such as construction, have been in existence since the dawn of civilization, meeting the basic human need of shelter. The (relatively) recent rise of the computer programmer...Read More
Nov 01 2014
Are you conducting research among mobile respondents yet? Autumn is conference season, and 1,000 of us just returned from IIR’s The Market Research Event (TMRE) conference where we learned, among other things, about research among mobile survey takers. Currently, only about 5% of...Read More
Oct 17 2014
We all know the consumer purchase journey has changed dramatically since the “mobile web” explosion and continues to evolve rapidly. In order to understand the current state of this evolving journey, CMB surveyed 2,000 recent buyers of tablets in the U.S. We confirmed several...Read More
Oct 02 2014
If you’ve never lived in Boston, you might not understand the spectacle that is September 1st. It’s the day that most new leases start, which means it’s the day almost every person in the city moves into a different apartment. U-Hauls crowd the narrow streets, abandoned...Read More
Sep 25 2014
Data has existed in the modern business world for a long time (think manila folders in file cabinets in every office on every floor). Digitized data has been around for a while now, too (think virtual folders in hard drives connected to seemingly bottomless computer networks). So why, in just the...Read More
Sep 11 2014
Our readers who aren’t from New England might be surprised by the topic that dominated our news this summer. It wasn’t the state of the Middle East. It wasn’t even our upcoming gubernatorial race. No, the story that got the most space in the Boston Globe was a fight over...Read More
Aug 21 2014
I've just returned from a week-long vacation to California, and I'm still feeling the joy (and guilt) from satisfying my ultimate indulgence: In-N-Out Burger. Since I’m an East Coaster without frequent access to their locations, my trip would not have been complete without...Read More
Aug 07 2014
In market research, it can occasionally feel like the rivalry between qualitative and quantitative research is like the Red Sox vs. the Yankees. You can’t root for both, and you can’t just “like” one. You’re verypassionate about your preference...Read More
Jul 31 2014
A few weeks ago, thirty of my colleagues and I attended a clear writing workshop. When I first got the calendar notification for this workshop, I thought, “Oh, God, not another one.” As a recent college graduate and a current graduate student, I can’t tell you how many writing...Read More
Jul 24 2014
How many times have you done your favorite thing? It doesn’t matter what your favorite thing may be, or if your favorite thing varies by season. Just think of the number. Does it seem lower than you would expect? Does it seem higher? Or, does it feel just right?Have you ever been to Walt...Read More
Jul 20 2014
If you live in a city, you probably know about the current battle between Uber car services (and others) vs. taxi companies. Maybe you’ve seen stories in the news or actually found yourself in the middle of a taxi driver protest yourself—like the one that happened just outside...Read More
Jul 03 2014
With both feet planted on the ground (guaranteeing my ankles are uncrossed for proper energy flow) and my palms out in front of me, Clarence’s** palms rest against mine, reading my energy. His mouth twitches slightly, and his eyes are closed. There is silence, a sigh, and an &ldquo...Read More
Jun 26 2014
On Saturdays, when the weather is not fit for the playground, I take my toddler to a tumble gym where he can run, climb, and kick balls around with other kids his age. Parents must accompany kids in the play area as this is a free-form play center without an employed staff (other than...Read More
Jun 04 2014
Chris Ruby recaps the 2014 Future of Consumer Intelligence conference and discusses how to successfully bridge the gap between big business and customers. You can check out more of Chris' insights on his blog: The Market Research Insider. Imagine a line drawn in the sand that is...Read More
May 29 2014
We are constantly talking with companies about how their positive and desired brand messages—from all possible sources—need to match up with the experience their customers have when interacting with them. Our approach to brand tracking is based on the premise that movement along...Read More
May 22 2014
In less than 15 years, your car will drive itself, and education and learning as we now know them will be as unrecognizable as the cassette tapes of old. Look out, because nothing is safe. It will happen in healthcare, in manufacturing, in entertainment, and even in your job. Everything is...Read More
May 14 2014
The ubiquity of mobile devices has opened up new opportunities for market researchers on a global scale. Think: biometrics, geo-location, presence sensing, etc. The emerging possibilities enabled by mobile market research are exciting and worth exploring, but we can’t ignore the...Read More
Apr 24 2014
I know what you are thinking...“What the heck is she TALKING about? How can Tinder possibly relate to mobile ethnography?” You can call me crazy, but hear me out first.For those of you who may be unfamiliar, Tinder is a well-known “hook up” app that...Read More
Apr 02 2014
Guess what? It’s 2014! The year of Super Bowl XLVIII©, the 100thanniversary of the start of World War I, the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and a whole host of other, generally not-that-impactful events, anniversaries, and changes. One event that will happen...Read More
Mar 26 2014
Will big data destroy primary research? I’ve read dozens (hundreds?) of articles that argue both sides, but despite a lot of speculation, I see very little attention paid to what may be the real killer of a lot of primary research: the “need for speed.” The increasing velocity...Read More
Mar 12 2014
Eight years is a long time to be in a relationship with someone. When you’ve been with the same person for that long, chances are you either put a ring on it, or throw in the towel. If you have a solid foundation, an even balance of give and take, and you genuinely enjoy each other’s...Read More
Mar 10 2014
I recently traveled to Sochi, Russia for the Winter Olympics (check this off the bucket list!) and after all the media attention focused on Sochi leading up to the games, I was interested to see firsthand if the games were going to be considered a success for Russia or not.Russia went into their...Read More
Feb 26 2014
In a few weeks I’ll be taking a cruise to theCaribbean—a cruise that I have spent 9 months planning. Needless to say, I’ve been a little preoccupied making sure everything is in place to ensure a flawless vacation. And as I sorted through all of these details, I couldn’t...Read More
Feb 13 2014
As a parent of a toddler boy, I've often found myself getting so frustrated, to a place I don't like, that I started doing some real self hard thinking about the causes (it’s the research background!). One of the major realizations I've had is that the frustration is in part...Read More
Feb 04 2014
As a recent graduate, and entrant into the world of professional market research, I have some words of wisdom for college seniors looking for a career in the industry. You maythink your professors prepared you for the “real world” of market research, but there are some things you...Read More
Jan 15 2014
You might not know it from the constant attention lavished on startups, but some of the most established and largest companies in the world are amongst the most innovative—they routinely out-innovate their smaller peers. Where they falter is in failing to bring these game-changers to the...Read More
Jan 03 2014
One of the most enjoyable things about managing the Voices of CMB Blog is the wide range of perspectives on market research (and more), from the CMB team. Their expertise, insight, and creativity make editing this blog a real pleasure. But before we embark on 2014, here are a few of our favorites...Read More
Dec 19 2013
Last year, when Gizmodo released a copy of Apple’s Genius Bar training manual, there was much talk that the company was educating Geniuses to engage in a type of psychological manipulation. Why were so many people distressed by these sales and marketing techniques? Using these...Read More
Nov 26 2013
Earlier this month, Chris Neal of Chadwick Martin Bailey shared with members of the New England chapter of the Marketing Research Association tips for running mobile diary studies, based on lessons learned from a recent project.For the Council for Research...Read More
Nov 20 2013
I recently came across an article focused on defunct exhibits at Disney parks. I’m a native Floridan so I flipped through the accompanying slide show with fond memories. And there it was...my all-time childhood favorite—Horizons at Epcot Center. From the robot butler to the...Read More
Oct 25 2013
Kristin Vincent, VP, Product at Marvel Entertainment, has been helping the 70-year old company re-define itself in the digital age. Not knowing much about comics when she joined the company in 2011, she quickly gained credibility and influence with her fresh perspective, insights and actions...Read More
Oct 23 2013
Like a lot of people, I rely on user reviews for virtually all of my purchase decisions. For example, in the last week I’ve read reviews on:Yelp for restaurants (and even which dishes to order from said restaurants)Overstock.com to give me a better idea on the quality/color of a mirror I...Read More
Sep 11 2013
It’s been accepted wisdom, for the past 10 years, that customer experiences should align with a company’s brand value proposition. Simply put, operations should focus on making sure the brand promises, implicitly (or explicitly) conveyed in market communication, are ...Read More
Sep 08 2013
You might call me a CMB “success story” (seriously, go ahead it has a nice ring to it), in a few short years I’ve made the journey from intern to Project Manager. Because I know my way around these parts, I’m often asked to interview Associate Researcher candidates. I...Read More
Aug 31 2013
Communication has changed. With the growth of the “Social Market,” businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional mediums—television, print, and radio, to win consumers. Consumers are key players in a social revolution that’s changing the way they speak with each...Read More
Aug 27 2013
It’s always exciting when we get the opportunity to conduct research that garners interest from everyone from the guy staring at his tablet on the train to the executives of the largest media companies in the world. We got that chance, when CMB partnered with the Council for Research...Read More
Aug 21 2013
Just when you thought you had cracked the nut on the Hispanic Consumer, a new nut has just knocked you on your head. As everyone knows, America’s demographics are shifting, driven in large part by explosive growth in the Hispanic population. According to the Pew Hispanic Center...Read More
Jul 10 2013
You know you’ve been to a great conference when the ideas and insights are still percolating and expanding weeks later; the Insights Innovation Exchange Conference in Philadelphia definitely fit that bill. In part one of my take on the conference I talked about the...Read More
Jul 03 2013
Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg want you to Think Inside the Box.
Their recent article in the Wall Street Journal encapsulates the increasingly jaded perceptions of innovation in the corporate world—where “brainstorm has become a byword for tedium and frustration...Read More
Jul 02 2013
Welcome to Part One of my coverage of the Insights Innovation Exchange Conference (#IIEX) that recently wrapped up in Philadelphia. The event was three solid days of presentations and panel discussion on the changes and innovations that are shaping the future of market research and...Read More
Jun 27 2013
One of the cardinal rules of great customer service is be helpful - even if there's no immediate profit in it. That’s never been truer than today; a customer who feels truly special and cared for has more channels to express themselves than ever before. We hear quite a bit ...Read More
Jun 20 2013
In the world of medical technology, the historical driver of value has been feature-driven. Hospitals, insurance companies and other payor audiences have been willing to pay a premium for new features—up to a point.
Today, though, in a climate of increased scrutiny over costs, more...Read More
Jun 19 2013
One of the things I love most about my job is that I get to see what’s really going on in the minds of the people who do (or would) actually pay for B2B technology solutions, while at the same time observing industry trade press hype cycles and B2B marketing trends from solution...Read More
Jun 13 2013
Over the last year I’d heard rumors of a new “super” Walgreens coming to Downtown Boston. To be honest, it sounded a little odd: a Walgreens with a sushi bar? A nail salon? But sure enough, one sunny day in May, a coworker announced the giant Walgreens had finally opened; of...Read More
Jun 06 2013
This weekend, my 10 year old Jack sat on our comfy couch with a big screen TV just feet way, but he chose to curl up with the iPad to watch his episode of Star Wars. In just a few clicks of the remote he could have watched it in HD on a beautiful big screen. I found myself wondering why...Read More
May 31 2013
Today most companies are watching their expenditures closely and are challenged with how to effectively get the word out to prospective customers, but on a limited budget. The key to this is focus, across three different dimensions that we call AMP:Audience. It’s tempting to think that...Read More
May 31 2013
Today most companies are watching their expenditures closely and are challenged with how to effectively get the word out to prospective customers, but on a limited budget. The key to this is focus, across three different dimensions that we call AMP:Audience. It’s tempting to think that...Read More
May 23 2013
If you're over the age of 25, are childless, and have any idea of what Snapchat is, kudos on your tech hipster status. For those with tweens or teens, you may have been allowed to see a brief glimpse of this world, and maybe some of you have even heard it called a &ldquo...Read More
May 21 2013
Originally posted on the South Street Strategy Group BlogBy Jennifer von BriesenAt any point in the innovation process, businesses can come across new information, trends or practical issues that challenge thinking about what the end result of an innovation should look like. Maybe a...Read More
May 10 2013
When the 820 consecutive home game sell-out streak ended on April 10th at Fenway Park (just two games into the 2013 season), the Boston Red Sox found themselves in a unique situation…Red Sox brand loyalty was no longer just a guaranteed thing.
Since the Red Sox won the World...Read More
May 09 2013
Over the past 3 years, there has been no shortage of attempts to forecast the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on patients and insurers, but the truth is, the changing care model has ramifications that extend well beyond the waiting room. The multi-billion dollar medical device industry is...Read More
May 02 2013
Next week you'll find us at the Front End of Innovation 2013 sharing how we, along with our partners atSouth Street Strategy, took a practical, focused, and innovative approach to new product development for Tauck Worldwide. Read a little bit about what we did here:The...Read More
Apr 25 2013
With ever more crowded industries, and customers’ ever-growing access to information that guides decision-making, if ever there was an era where the customer came first, this is it. Landing on a strategy that will delight current and prospective customers requires getting to know them both...Read More
Apr 18 2013
The New York Times article, The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food, caught my attention by linking the hot topic of “junk food” and the obesity epidemic to the market research that supports it. This is where my inner geek gets really excited—it’s not...Read More
Apr 12 2013
How many times have you looked at all of the to-do’s you’ve crossed off your list during any given week and wondered, “What do I actually have to show for it?” The fact of the matter is that the work day is a constant struggle to separate out the important from the...Read More
Apr 10 2013
I don’t want to brag, but my smartphone is in really good shape.
Like millions of other people, I have multiple fitness and health-related mobile apps, and they’re constantly alerting, pushing—begging me to login, add my stats, and track my diet and exercise. And while I...Read More
Apr 04 2013
The Mobile Wallet is a hot topic for those in the retail, technology and financial services industries. As you may know, mobile wallets allow customers to pay at store checkouts with a tap or wave of their smartphones. In our recent Consumer Pulse study of 1,500 smartphone users, we learned...Read More
Apr 03 2013
You’re about to step out your front door...
But wait just a moment! You can only take your phone or your wallet, which will it be?
Pre-smartphone there would be no contest, I’d take my wallet. But times have changed, and the balance has now tipped in favor of my beloved iPhone...Read More
Mar 28 2013
Geoff Nicholson, 3M ambassador and former vice president for international technical operations, was recently quoted as saying “Six Sigma ‘killed’ innovation at 3M.” His reasoning? The Six Sigma process requires a full-blown business case and even a 5-year business plan...Read More
Mar 26 2013
Last November I partnered with a banking client for a conference presentation on a segmentation study we conducted to help guide his organization towards greater customer-centricity. The study provided market insight to help transition from a product-based to a customer-centric organization by...Read More
Mar 22 2013
In recent years, innovation has become the latest catchword in US boardrooms, and even slow moving industries not normally associated with innovation suddenly see it as a capability critical to survival. Recently, however, a quiet backlash is forming as the word conjures up images of afternoons...Read More
Mar 15 2013
Shoveling snow, grocery shopping, folding laundry, some daily activities just don’t scream fun…but maybe they should. We’ve all heard about gamification–using game design elements to drive desired behavior while making life a little more enjoyable. While the day you get...Read More
Mar 13 2013
Those who know me understand that I am not afraid to admit I love reality TV. Combine that love with an interest in pop culture (generally), and a passion for understanding what people do and WHY they do it, and you have a match made in heaven. So obviously Catfish—the MTV series &mdash...Read More
Feb 28 2013
Late last month, the Boston Celtics were struggling along in the middle of the NBA standings. They weren’t great and they weren’t awful, but they were predictable—predictably middle of the pack. But star point guard Rajon Rondo was having another terrific year, racking up triple...Read More
Feb 22 2013
It's Oscar week, time for me to reveal a few of the lesser-known parallels between two glamorous industries—Hollywood and Market Research.
Just as the Academy is abuzz about Lincoln and Argo, market researchers can't get enough of two topics: 1) Big Data and 2) Storytelling. You...Read More
Feb 07 2013
The next time you attend a market research conference, listen very, very carefully. That dull buzzing sound you hear is the collective whine of hundreds of market researchers lamenting their inability to get a seat at the big kids' table or even just some recognition for all the value they...Read More
Jan 31 2013
Last weekend, my family and I took a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. We rented a car and stayed at a hotel. Within 12 hours of arriving home I received an online survey from each company. In both cases, the experiences were excellent and I was happy to share the details...Read More
Jan 11 2013
You may have heard the latest from Disney—they’re about to introduce a new “MagicBand” wristband letting wearers take advantage of perks like skipping to the front of the line for rides, as well as pay for meals, and purchase gifts. It offers guests the...Read More
Dec 28 2012
We're looking forward to the New Year—new projects, new insights, and new ideas. But before we ring in 2013, let's take a look back at some of our favorite blogs from 2012:Kristen Garvey talks brand loyalty, and why some brands have that certain something:
Creating a Brand Ritual...Read More
Dec 21 2012
Happiness means something a bit different to each of us. ToTony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, happiness means working for a company that you’re excited about, surrounded by people who feel the same way.
As a researcher, I read his book Delivering Happiness as a...Read More
Dec 13 2012
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Tech Tuesday… the offers keep rolling in, and this year, I cracked. Yes, I still love you LL Bean, Lands’ End, Williams Sonoma, and Wal-mart. But I can’t take your daily barrage anymore; it’s time to purge.
Despite my innate...Read More
Dec 06 2012
If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to begin this post with a cheap trick: how many of you marketers, advertisers, researchers, corporate strategists and consultants out there have been asked to “find out what’s important to [some audience]?” While I don’t...Read More
Nov 29 2012
From the giant cups of Coca-Cola featured on every America Idol, to the two and half hour GM car commercial Michael Bay called Transformers, product placement can provoke a lot of eye-rolling. There’s something so inauthentic about it, and really if something looked inauthentic...Read More
Nov 20 2012
I start to fantasize about Thanksgiving Day as soon as I’ve finished the last of the Halloween candy. From getting up at the crack of dawn, to saying grace, right up until the end of the fourth quarter of the last football game, Thanksgiving is filled with all kinds of wonderful...Read More
Nov 15 2012
I recently learned the story of Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid, two Russian-born conceptual artists who, as part of their People's Choice series, captured EXACTLY what America wanted in their paintings. To create “The Most Wanted” (1994) painting in America, Komar and...Read More
Nov 09 2012
While thinking about the challenges of Big Data, I’m reminded of this simple chart from the neat site Indexed:Because, as we get more and more data (and information) and move further to the right on the x-axis, we face more confusion throughout our work. We face questions like: how...Read More
Nov 02 2012
Last week I attended the FutureM conference here in Boston. There were a lot of sessions to choose from and some great speakers, but one presentation was so simple it caught my eye. The session was called Future: Simplicity with Chris Colbert (@cmcolbert) from ...Read More
Oct 25 2012
The recent research study showing that marketers rank lower than politicians on the “respectability scale” might feel like a kick in the gut for most of us in this role.
From the research: only 13% of consumers agree that marketing benefits society. It’s...Read More
Oct 24 2012
As a market researcher, there are times I can’t help but look at the upcoming presidential election as the ultimate marketing campaign. A successful political campaign often adapts many of the same strategies used by marketers, and just as savvy marketers have adapted their...Read More
Oct 17 2012
This summer, a Harvard Business Review case studypresented the dilemma of a modern dance company caught between their mission to grow and enter new markets, and their mandate to remain creative and groundbreaking. The arguments on both sides are pretty compelling. A new employee...Read More
Oct 12 2012
A version of this post was published in Loyalty 360's Loyalty Management MagazineMy colleagues can tell you that although we're well into fall in New England, I still love the garden as loyalty program metaphor. That's because loyalty programs, like gardens, are living...Read More
Sep 11 2012
One of the things I love most about the culture of CMB is the passion of our people, inside and outside the office. It inspires me each and every day. Last week our HR Manager, Marlo Manning was named a CNN Hero for the charity she founded called Fairy Dog Parents. In Marlo’s ...Read More
Sep 07 2012
You have a loyalty program, you offer discounts, special rewards, and you track your growth. Well so does everyone else.Judy Melanson shares tips for optimizing your loyalty program so you can break away from the pack, and make the most of your loyalty investment.
Read more about our...Read More
Aug 16 2012
When I moved to Boston in 1988 for college, I was very excited to receive my first “BayBank card.” For those of you from the area, you’ll recall with a smile that BayBank was the dominant area bank; it subsequently merged with Bank Boston which then merged with Fleet. However,...Read More
Aug 09 2012
Don't let your segmentation study languish on the shelf. CMB's Brant Cruz, shares the five C's of great segmentation socializers. Learn how to get your segmentation embraced and used by your organization:
Brant Cruz is our resident segmentation guru and the Vice President of CMB...Read More
Aug 06 2012
On a recent trip to Washington DC, I had a two hour delay on the flight out, and a broken Direct TV on the flight back, and yet when I got home I was delighted with my airline. I know this sounds unlikely, but as a result of the delay and the broken TV I racked up $75 in credits towards my next...Read More
Jul 18 2012
We hear a lot about Big Data—from Target using predictive analytics to tell which of its customers are pregnant, to MIT and Intel putting millions behind their bigdata@CSAIL initiative. Yet, I’m struck by the fact that most of what I read, and hear at conferences, is about the...Read More
Jul 12 2012
If you believe the news you might imagine Americans have a pretty low opinion of bankers. It seems cut and dried; the recession laid bare a lot of anger over banks’ role in the economy’s crash. But new insights from our Consumer Pulse research on banking approval, suggest bank...Read More
Jun 21 2012
All seasoned business travelers have their share of funny or painful airline stories, and I’m no exception. But a particularly memorable incident on a recent flight to SFO got me thinking, and it’s the genesis for this blog.
Long story short, I was sitting by the window and...Read More
Jun 14 2012
Thirty years ago, the ATM revolutionized banking convenience by letting customers conduct their business at any time, and without stepping foot in a branch— there are now several generations who can’t remember a time before you could just “hit the machine.” But all...Read More
Jun 07 2012
The day that we all become as tech-savvy and suave as Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible is fast approaching. How do I know? A few years after a Cruise movie is on the big screen, his cool gadgets are for sale in a store near you. Don’t believe me? ...Read More
May 31 2012
The other day I read an interesting article in the Chicago Tribune; the headline read: Hard-hit Millennials less likely to be brand loyal. As a “hard-hit” millennial (those aged 19-34), who owes the value of a modest-home in student loans, I was very interested in what the...Read More
May 24 2012
Earlier this month I had the chance to present at the Market Research Technology Event in Las Vegas. Beyond the fact I just could not get accustomed to watching people walk by conference rooms swigging beer and wearing in flip flops; for me the event raised more questions than provided answers...Read More
May 24 2012
I’m on record as saying that loyalty programs should focus on rewarding behaviors that have a direct financial benefit to the business (i.e., purchase, bookings, and sales). Because of this belief, I was staunchly opposed to the concept of giving loyalty members “points for...Read More
May 10 2012
If you live in Eastern New England, I am willing to bet you’ve seen a Jordan’s Furniture ad. Like Giant Glass (1-800-54-Giant!) and Bernie and Phyll's (quality, comfort and price—that’s nice!), it’s a brand we New Englanders recognize instantly. For those of...Read More
May 02 2012
It’s not the size of the venue; it’s the quality of the content. That was the case for a local conference I attended last week at Babson College. Using Social Media to Redefine the Customer Value Proposition, was held by the Retail Supply Chain Institute in partnership with the...Read More
Apr 26 2012
A recent report from Starwood Hotels made the provocative claim that: “73% of travelers would choose loyalty-program benefits over a spouse if they could take just one on the road.” It's a great headline, but speaking as a member of three airline loyalty programs, I would...Read More
Apr 19 2012
Remember the heyday of the music industry? Remember how the big music companies pulled off a nearly unthinkable feat—convincing consumers to re-buy previously purchased products (vinyl) on a new medium (CD)? That’s what can happen when you’re the only game in town.
In...Read More
Apr 12 2012
As I prepare for my 14th Boston Marathon, I find myself thinking about food a lot, and when you’re on training runs there is no shortage of candy to keep you fueled. I have come to find our candy stations reveal a little known fact about us runners— we DO NOT like green apple Jolly...Read More
Apr 05 2012
The recent NY Times’ article about people's exhaustion with customer satisfaction surveys made the CMB email rounds in record time. The gist of the article is that people are tired of being asked to fill out customer satisfaction surveys before, after, and during every minor transaction...Read More
Apr 03 2012
In 6th grade, my teacher sent home a survey to parents about “What motivates your child.” My mother wrote down three things: candy, money, and anything free. I remember this so vividly because I was mortified. I wanted her to say something meaningful like, “positive praise&rdquo...Read More
Apr 02 2012
After spending the last few days at Loyalty Expo in Orlando I heard no shortage of different points of view on the future of loyalty and loyalty programs. From conversations around NPS scores and measures to a great panel discussion on the Socialization of Loyalty run by CMB’s Judy...Read More
Apr 02 2012
Customer feedback is a popular topic these days, and it makes me think about my own experiences and how companies’ responses continue to shape my perceptions. I might have ongoing positive experiences with a company, which, clearly, results in fairly positive perceptions. ...Read More
Mar 27 2012
The 2014 implementation of many of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) key provisions has sparked a great deal of speculation about the future of the healthcare market; there seems to be no end to the models predicting how the law will impact the insurance industry. There is no question that...Read More
Mar 27 2012
Last year we partnered with Constant Contact to learn how consumers use Facebook to connect with brands. Take a look at this cool infographic from Intuit and Column Five featuring some of our findings and how small businesses are using social media:
Download the full report here.
Read More
Mar 21 2012
As an everyday user of the criminally addictive social networking site Facebook, I rolled my eyes when I saw the new “Timeline” design. Why fix something if it’s not broken? Didn’t I just get used to the most recent interface? While I sat absorbing all the new...Read More
Mar 07 2012
A career in market research can make you pretty sensitive to advertising. An ineffective commercial can make me throw up my hands wondering how it got on air; a great one makes me appreciate all the work that went into making it. Recently, I got to see a behind the scenes example of what goes...Read More
Mar 06 2012
During a recent social media webinar, the question was raised “How do we convince clients that social media is statistically significant?” After an involuntary groan, this question brought two things to mind:
There are a lot of people working in social media research who do...Read More
Feb 27 2012
On Sunday, The New York Times Magazine published a piece: How Companies Learn Your Secrets, by Charles Duhigg, author of the forthcoming The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. It’s an interesting article, especially for market researchers, and I recommend...Read More
Feb 23 2012
When we set out, in our latest CMB Consumer Pulse, to discover how consumers are navigating the unprecedented range of options for accessing TV and movies, we knew some of the things we’d find out—e.g. the number of people who have completely cut the cord is still small, Netflix...Read More
Feb 14 2012
A topic near and dear to my heart just became nearer and dearer. Take a look at one of the classroom assignments my kindergarten daughter recently brought home from school:
Isn’t this amazing? Kindergartners are learning the basics of market research! Ever since I got into this business...Read More
Feb 07 2012
Last week I blogged about the positive intentions of consumers who take the time to participate in customer feedback surveys. One of the more disappointing findings is that most companies fail to respond when customers give poor scores or negative feedback. On this point, we asked...Read More