Some formative thinking, previously featured on our home page - remember you read it here first!

Should advertising budgets be the first cut in an economic downturn? (January 2009)

We occasionally hear that advertising does not work during an economic slowdown. If we looked a little deeper we would find that these traders are still using previous - now incorrect - information on their customers. We all know that consumers change their buying behaviour in an economic slowdown - even the best advertising would struggle if it was based on outdated infromation.

What is missing is timely market intelligence.

Supermarkets with electronic loyalty cards have immediate access to changing consumer habits and we have all seen how rapidly they have changed their offer.

Market research now helps identify your most vulnerable consumer groups and provides information on what will stop them trading down. It will also identify how to capture trade from the competition! Contact us to discuss how we have helped already.

Are you maximising in-mall advertising revenues? (February 2009)

The human brain can only cope with so much input at once. Yet there are thousands of brands all trying to get mind-share. The problem is that the more messages there are, the more clutter there is. The more clutter there is, the less we remember. The less we remember, the less effective the advertising medium.

Think about the advertising boards around the pitch at a football match and you'll get the message - dozens of different brands vying for attention - so many, that the messages are too dilulted to be effective.

But how do you make your message stick?

Shopping centres have the ability to limit and focus the number of messages visitors see. Our research shows that this maximises recall, which maximises the effectiveness of the advertising, which makes in-mall advertising more powerful. Wouldn't you pay more, for more effective advertising?

Clarity, Innovation, Integration (April 2009)

We read somewhere that successful research is about asking the right questions, to the right people, in the right way. Nice snippet. It got us thinking.

After a minute or two, we realised that this will give you Clarity - but only if you are really sure that they are appropriate questions, appropriate people etc.

Clarity leads to the phrase "Research just tells us what we already know" - but good research is more than that.

Good research, with the assistance of a progress-oriented agency, can help you derive differentiation and innovation. There's sometimes merit in asking the wrong questions to the wrong people. It can help you identify new services, products and better ways of doing things.

But even that is not the full story. Good ideas are only valuable if they're put into practice and intregrated into the existing culture.

We think successful research is about Clarity, Innovation and Integration. Contact us and let us know what you think.

Clusters - consumer oriented qualitative research (June 2009)

Focus groups have their place. Properly faciliated they can provide an excellent opportunity to probe for the reasoning behind the opinion. But even the best facilitators can have problems coaxing key comments from quieter participants while ensuring the mavens don't dominate. Focus Groups can homogenise participants, limiting their input between tight parameters.

Rather than putting up with "best endeavours" using the existing tools of the trade, CARD Group has invented a new tool.

Clusters work by bringing small groups of friends together in an informal setting. They maximise the opportunity for discussion, as no time is wasted trying to establish the right environment for group participation. This lets the facilitator concentrate on exploring the topic rather than manage group dynamics. Mavens get a chance to shine, while those who would be put off from speaking to a group of strangers, have the time and confidence to share their opinions among friends. And because they are more efficent, you can have more of them for your budget!

Think of them as focused friends. Just like us. Contact us to let us know what you think.

Are you burning profit? (September 09)

It is no secret that it costs money to provide a comfortable shopping environment for visitors. But when was the last time you reviewed how you do this, and how much it costs?

We have developed a unique Energy Assessment system for the Retail Sector - aligned to achieve a national Building Energy Regulation accreditation to show customers that you take climate change seriously.

We use assessors qualified to BER Level 6 who provide guidance on how to save costs while improving the shopping environment.