A focus group is a controlled group interview of a target audience demographic. The interview is often led by a facilitator who covers a set series of questions or topics. Benefits of focus group sessions include: increased customer satisfaction & brand perceptions, and informing product development decisions.
Focus groups are a key component to an effective market research program. Generating qualitative feedback in this medium can be more insightful than standardized surveys.
Market research is the process of systematically gathering, recording, and analyzing data regarding customers, competitors, and market conditions, to help organizations make better business decisions about the development and marketing of new or existing products and services.
If you are wondering about the fate of your customers and the long term growth potential of your business, look no further…all you have to do is ask!
“E-mail marketing is a form of direct marketing that uses electronic mail as a means of communicating messages to an audience. This term usually refers to emails that are being sent over the internet and can include:
Public Relations (PR) is the act of managing communication between an organization and its key public stakeholders, with a focus on building and maintaining a positive image.
PR professionals execute campaigns targeted at specific audiences, to influence opinions and measure public perception.
Typically, Public Relations involves:
Trade promotion is any expenditure paid directly by a manufacturer to the trade or retail factors in a given industry as a set amount on a per unit basis or in payment for a merchandising value provided by the retailer.
- Source: Promotion Marketing Association (PMA)
Trade promotion is a key activity for all consumer marketing plans which encourages increased short-term sales by effectively decreasing the cost-per-item to the end consumer.
Over the past 10 years there has been a distinctive shift in Marketing activities; budgets are only being allocated to investments that can produce measurable returns, such as sales support and lead generation. In a time of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, repeatable controls, processes, and policy & procedures, have been implemented to ensure accountability.
Brand management is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand. It seeks to increase the product’s perceived value to the customer and thereby increase brand franchise and brand equity.
Marketers see a brand as an implied promise that the level of quality people have come to expect from a brand will continue with present and future purchases of the same product. This may increase sales by making a comparison with competing products more favorable. It may also enable the manufacturer to charge more for the product.
Over 70% of mid-sized organizations are currently involved in a website redesign initiative, or have one planned for this year. Before you go to your CFO to get some budget for this program, conduct a brief website effectiveness audit to build the need.
Marketing has the unenviable reputation as the line of business that is not held accountable for achieving specific, measurable, bottom-line results. Finding a bean counter that does not view Marketing as a cost center - producing intangible results - is a daunting task.
