"Opportunity is
often difficult to recognize; we usually expect it to beckon us with beepers and billboards."

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Products & Services
Research Solutions
Research Tools
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
Other
Contact us at inquiry@mcgrathmarketing.com  or 262-797-2561 to discuss your marketing challenge or request a free proposal.

Research Solutions

McGrath Marketing specializes in these types of consumer and business to business research:

Advertising

Advertising research is conducted to measure and improve the efficacy of advertising.  It may focus on a specific ad or campaign, or may be directed at a more general understanding of how advertising works or how consumers use the information in advertising.  It can entail a variety of research approaches, including psychological, sociological, economic, and other perspectives.

Customer satisfaction surveys

Consumer satisfaction research is conducted to assess and improve customer satisfaction.  The reason behind post-sales research is to ensure that current customers are content with their transaction with your company, will consider themselves future customers, and will spread positive word-of-mouth messages about the product and company.

Competitive research

Competitive research is qualitative and quantitative research in which business enterprises gather and analyze information on their external competitive environment.  It is the systematic and ethical program for gathering, analyzing, and managing Information about the external business environment that can affect a company’s plans, decisions, and operations.

Employee and organizational research

Employee surveys are research surveys conducted to diagnose where improvements can be made in the meeting of corporate objectives.  Surveys can also be conducted to identify employee value propositions and assess whether employee expectations are being met. 

Market feasibility studies

A feasibility study is a process which defines exactly what a project is and what strategic issues need to be considered to assess its feasibility, or likelihood of succeeding. Feasibility studies are useful both when starting a new business, and identifying new opportunities for an existing business.

Market needs assessment

A market needs assessment is research employed to determine if there are long-term opportunities for your products in new markets.  We identify market characteristics that point to long-term profitability for your products.

New product development

New product development research can target existing customers or prospects.  We employ qualitative and quantitative research to assess market demand for a new product concept or product modification.

Product positioning process

Product position research entails research and strategic planning to effectively segment your market.  We use qualitative and quantitative research to identify your product’s optimal competitive differentiation in regard to pricing, branding, and promotion.

Segmentation studies

Segmentation studies are undertaken to identify the most promising market segments for increased sales and profitability. Studies can include both qualitative and quantitative research.
Research Tools

Each client situation is unique.  McGrath Marketing provides targeted research solutions that are designed to meet your specific requirements.
Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is a set of research techniques that obtains data from a relatively small number of respondents, and is not analyzed with statistical techniques. Qualitative research is frequently used as a prelude to quantitative research.  It is used to identify an opportunity, define a problem, generate hypotheses, and identify determinants.  Qualitative research techniques include focus groups and one-on-one interviews.

Focus groups

Focus groups are usually made up of 6 to 8 targeted consumers.  A moderator asks required questions, draws out answers and encourages discussion.  There is usually an observation area usually behind one way mirrors with video and audio taping capabilities.

Focus groups can be used to gather information on the demand of new or relaunched products and services, provide reactions to new advertising, or provide consumer perceptions of a product group.  Focus groups are used to elicit depth data about motivation, branding, and attitudes. 

Di-ads and tri-ads

When focus groups are not an option due to budget, schedule, or other constraints, mini-groups of two (di-ad) or three (tri-ad) participants are frequently used.  Like focus groups these are open-ended discussions that are facilitated by a trained moderator. 

Individual interviews

Individual interviews are a favored research method when the information sought is sensitive in nature, the targeted participants are professionals, executives, or in other difficult to schedule occupations, or the information sought is proprietary and could not be shared with others in a focus group.

The one-on-one interviews are conducted on telephone or in person by a trained moderator. Video conference interviews are usually an option.   An open-ended discussion format that provides opportunities to probe is used.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research uses methods that are designed to ensure objectivity and reliability. These techniques cover how research participants are selected randomly from the study population in an unbiased manner, the standardized questionnaire or intervention they receive and the statistical methods used for analysis. Quantitative results are expected to be replicable no matter who conducts the research.

  • Surveys
  • Mail
  • Telephone
  • On-line surveys

On-line surveys allow your customers, employees, and prospects to complete surveys on our Web site, eliminating the cost of mailing, interviewer time, and data input.  Findings are nearly immediate and response confidentiality is guaranteed.

Intercept

Intercepts are short interviews that are frequently carried out in shopping malls, retail outlets, or at entertainment venues, such as concerts or festivals.  Usually an interviewer asks a few screening questions of an interview prospect, and if they qualify they are asked a limited number of survey questions.  Intercept interviews usually are less expensive than traditional surveys and data collection is immediate.  Intercepts are frequently used for testing consumer product preferences.  


Other

Secondary research

Secondary research is used when a project requires a summary or collection of existing data.  Existing data sources can include previous research reports, newspaper, magazine, or journal content.  Government and NGO statistics are frequently used as sources for secondary research.  We are specialists in secondary data sources including census reports, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and state workforce reports.

Secondary research is frequently used in the initial stages of a project to determine what information is already available and what new information is required.

Competitive research

Competitive research compares a company's products and services with those of its competitors.  Competitive research provides an accurate assessment of the company's industry and markets.  It enables a company to effectively position its products and establish baselines against which new programs, products, and services can be benchmarked.  It is frequently used as the foundation for a company S (strength), W (weakness), O (opportunity), T (threat) analysis.

 

Contact us at inquiry@mcgrathmarketing.com  or 262-797-2561 to discuss your marketing challenge or request a free proposal.