SMRC use a wide variety of data collection methods and expertise in all standard research applications.  All research projects are tailored to meet client needs and deliver results that contribute to business decisions.  
 
These include:

Research Applications -

            A. Segmentation
            B. Product Tests
            C. Advertising Tracking Studies
            D. Branding Research
            E. Customer Footprint
            F. Employee Surveys

Data Collection -

            1. Self Completion
            2. Face to Face
            3. Telephone Interviews
            4. Online Surveys
               5. Hall Tests
            6. Focus Groups and Depth Interviews

Segmentation

Segmentation research can be a powerful tool to help organisations tailor their products, services and communications.   Appropriate statistical techniques are used to identify prevailing characteristics and attitudes of groups of people.  Each group can then be profiled using classification data to provide insight into such areas as food consumption, purchasing and lifestyle habits

Examples include:

• Research was used to develop a segmentation model for the frozen food sector to help support communication strategy and new product development
  
• Needs segmentation study within animal feeds identified typologies that enhanced company understanding of the market, leading to informed decisions on product development

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Product Tests

Product testing is an essential part of the product development process.  It is used to ensure acceptability amongst customers, comparison against competitors and input to recipe formulation 

SMRC has access to a panel of households that enables consumers to try products within their own homes.  We pre-screen and select an appropriate target sample to test products, deliver for testing and collect their response

Work includes:

• Research using a bespoke consumer panel contributed to product development issues, specifically evaluating the impact of higher quality ingredients
   

• A number of product tests assessed consumer reaction to concept and ideas and how their performance matched expectation.  Results were used to support presentations to the retail trade

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Advertising Tracking Studies

We have experience of evaluating the success of advertising campaigns, specifically television and press advertising. Typically the research is designed to measure awareness levels, assess effectiveness of campaign and delivery of brand values.

Ideally we conduct the research at several stages of the campaign, pre, mid and post to provide a full evaluation and measure the uplift in spontaneous awareness and claimed purchase

Examples are:

• An assessment of regional television advertising amongst target consumers to establish impact on sales, ad area versus non ad area
  

• Research to evaluate communication strategy against defined objectives using a nationally representative sample, to inform brand decisions

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Branding Research

This area of research combines a number of research techniques to inform understanding and contribute to decision making. Our work in this area has been with brand tracking, monitoring the progress of a brand, its penetration amongst consumers and assessing brand performance within a market context.

We also undertake qualitative research to assess positioning and concept ideas that contribute towards brand development and communication strategy

Areas include:

• On-going quantitative brand tracking within the frozen food sector to establish key performance indices and input to the brand planning process
  

• Evaluating potential communication strategies within the dried fruit sector  using a combination of on-line research and depth interviews

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Customer Footprint

This form of research enables retail clients to establish projected turnover and profit for proposed sites. Using a combination of research and mapping software we are able to provide geo-demographic projections to help clients assess the financial suitability of potential sites

• This type of research has been undertaken for a major national supermarket chain. Advice on earning potential of a number of sites to assist decision making was used to develop several locations

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• Internal research amongst employees to measure satisfaction with working environment, procedure and practical issues, employees views on their service provision to the public, and give employees the chance to respond
• Multi-mode surveys carried out via internet / intranet, post and face-to-face, across all business sectors
• Focuses resource into dealing with real issues that are of real significance to employees

“SMRC managed to compile together the views of different levels of staff across all of our different divisions, into one clear and informative report”
Tony Humphreys – Anglia Regional Co-operative Society

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Self completion

• A flexible method of contacting respondents ; useful when concerned with sensitive issues
    

• Surveys can be tailored to allow detailed demographic breakdowns of respondents

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Face to Face

• Can yield highly detailed views and opinions that can be investigated to a greater depth, generating rich information
    

• Allows for the use of Stimulus material

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Telephone Interviews

• Allows surveys to cover large geographical areas utilising random sampling where appropriate
    

• Can yield data from sections of society that can be difficult to reach e.g. rural or business communities

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Online Surveys

• Cost effective and guarantees fast turnaround of data
    

• Allows respondents to complete surveys in their own time and encourages fuller answers

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Hall Tests

• Hall tests allow research to take place in a controlled situation, ensuring respondents are in a comfortable environment to maximise data quality
    

• Allows more time than on-street interviews; can be used to test new products, assess stimulus material

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Focus Groups and Depth Interviews

• Products and packaging can be tasted or evaluated in a group situation
    
• Useful at a project development stage as it allows the opportunity to explore and identify areas of improvement

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