Financial Services
Selected Project Summaries |
Methodology |
Specific Research Objectives |
Business Application |
Focus groups with:
- Consumers
- Small Business Owners
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- Understand the customer perspective with regard to:
- Current and anticipated future usage of the phone channel
- Phone access requirements
- How the phone channel could help deliver the brand promise
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- Provide input into the development of a call center vision
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| In-depth, in-person interviews with high-net-worth customers |
- Learn about this segment's needs, expectations, and preferred methods of communication
- Explore the value of various components of a proposed recognition program
- Investigate interest in potential new products and services
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- Help guide the development of a new recognition program
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Individual interviews, entailing:
- Observation as individuals performed specific tasks on the bank's website
- Intermittent probing as needed
- Follow-up questions after the tasks were completed
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- Uncover problems with the website in terms of:
- Ease of navigation
- Clarity of instructions and options
- User-friendliness
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- Provide input for making the website more user-friendly
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Focus groups with current customers across several customer segments |
- Gain a better understanding of each segment's investing attitudes and behaviors
- Learn about each segment's impressions of the company and its competitors
- Probe reactions to potential services
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- Help select and optimize the most relevant services for each of those segments
- Provide input into the development of segment-driven marketing strategies intended to cultivate customer loyalty
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| Focus groups with members of various professional associations |
- Gain insight into:
- Customers' and prospects' understanding of specific types of insurance products
- The decision process involved in purchasing those types of insurance products
- Explore the value of association endorsements
- Elicit feedback to existing direct mail packages
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- Provide guidance for developing more relevant and compelling direct mail packages mailed to members of professional associations
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| Focus groups with a specific segment of investors |
- Gain insight into how members of this segment make investment decisions
- Learn about their impressions of the company and its competitors
- Explore which types of communications are most relevant and motivating to this segment of investors
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- Help optimize communications targeted to this segment
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| Focus groups with new customers |
- Explore new customers' perceptions of the company
- Probe attitudes and usage of introductory materials
- Investigate expectations and preferences with regard to introductory and subsequent communications
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- Help determine the best direction for future introductory communications
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Focus groups with decision makers from four segments:
- Check Cashing Stores
- Independent Retailers
- Credit Unions
- Banks
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- Better understand each segment's needs with regard to money orders and official checks
- Learn about each segment's decision-making processes
- Gain insight into the company's image in the marketplace
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- Help management identify potential opportunities for product and service development
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Focus groups with the client's customers |
- Gauge customers' reaction to the idea of a proprietary quarterly magazine
- Provide feedback to:
- Proposed content
- Sample articles
- Layout
- Alternative cover designs
- Proposed names for the publication
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- Help guide the design, positioning, and naming of the publication
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| Focus groups with credit card holders |
- Gain insight into the importance of several proposed enhancements to the credit card
- Learn how such enhancements might influence card usage
- Explore reactions to specific rewards and reward programs
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- Help guide the development of a new loyalty program
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| Website Usability Study with employees and clients |
- Gain feedback to the website prototype in terms of:
- User friendliness
- Ease of navigation
- Page layout/design
- Navigation buttons
- Specific features
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- Help refine and optimize the website prior to its launch
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| Focus groups with retirees and pre-retirees |
- Gain insight into how these audiences think about and deal with managing their retirement income and expenses
- Explore reactions to a variety of product and service concepts
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- Help guide the decisions about which products and services, if any, to pursue
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