DataNest Bangladesh
SCOPE OF WORK

From Data to Direction

Baseline Studies

  1. 1.Can be undertaken at any point
  2. 2.Can be conducted for a brand or a category, for existing or even new brands and categories
  3. 3.Output is usually a springboard for new ideas and direction
  1. 1.Exploratory
  2. 2.Triggers & Barriers
  3. 3.Usage & Attitudes
  4. 4.Category Status

Objective: What's going on?

Baseline Studies: Exploratory

  1. 1.Broad based and searching
  2. 2.Useful as an initial research foray into a particular category, brand or consumer segment; or to revisit consumer sentiment after a period of time
  3. 3.Can be shaped by certain hypotheses that the Client already has the output of the study could either confirm or disprove these, and guide further action
  4. 4.This type of study will shed light on the existing dynamics between the consumer and the category/brand and provide cues as to how the Client should proceed – whether next steps should be marketing oriented, or sales and distribution led, or even production focused
  5. 5.For marketing teams, especially, such studies provide rich texture for the development of positioning and communication platforms

Baseline Studies: Triggers & Barriers

  1. 1.This type of study is conducted to understand the factors that cause consumers to adopt or reject a category or a brand
  2. 2.Triggers could be linked to ENTRY/TRIAL or to CONTINUED USAGE; i.e. the Client may wish to separately examine why people are getting tempted to try a competitive product/brand for the first time, and once they do so, what it is that is making them come back to it; similarly for Barriers, inquiry will include why consumers are hesitant to try the Client’s product, and if they do initially do so, why they are not coming back for more
  3. 3.Triggers and Barriers could exist at multiple levels and each of these need to be explored for a thorough understanding of what is driving / hampering brand usage or consumption
  4. ▪Individual Psyche led – consumers’ own preferences and desires
  5. ▪Social Scenario led – peers, lifestyle, value systems and other influences
  6. ▪Sensory led – consumers’ experiences with using the brand/category
  7. ▪Marketing led – to do with the product, communication, packaging, pricing
  8. ▪Situational led – availability, shop shelf placement, relevance
  9. The findings of such studies will guide specific action that needs to be taken to enhance the adoption and usage of the Client’s brand

Baseline Studies: Usage & Attitude

  1. 1.As the name suggests, this type of study looks at the behavior of consumes in relation to the product categories and brands that they use
  2. 2.It was earlier believed that a consumer's perception (attitude) towards a product influenced and shaped his behavior with regard to that product
  3. 3.In today's dynamic world, however, this is no longer the case – how a person uses a product i.e., his behavior, could also work back towards shaping his attitude to the product
  4. 4.Hence, it is important to study consumer's specific behavior towards a particular product category/brand in order to understand what determines choice
  5. 5.The study will provide answers on the interaction between the consumer and the product at each stage of usage, right from the initial shop-shelf and purchase experience, to the ultimate usage/consumption moment, ending up with storage for future usage
  6. 6.At each stage the study will seek to benchmark expectations with actual usage experience and the levels of satisfaction that the consumer experiences. Basis this, the aspects of delight or the need gaps that exist will come to light and the Client will thus be able to focus on what needs to be done further

Baseline Studies: Category Status

  1. 1.Based on the understanding that a brand does not exist in isolation, but operates within a cultural context or a category. That context gives the brand meaning, and a true understanding of the brand emerges when we seek to understand where it stands in relation to the category
  2. 2.Further, the competition for a brand may not be restricted to just its own category. For example, the goodness values of a packaged milk brand – nutrition, versatility, taste, convenience and affordability – could as easily be satisfied by MFDs, juice, or even biscuits
  3. 3.Hence, the Category Status Model seeks to understand the net status of a Category vis-à-vis competitive categories. It identifies the key drivers in the category, need spaces that exist, and the consumer psychology of consumption in the category
  4. 4.Detailing consumption moments are a critical part of understanding the category, and this gives insights into how consumers connect or disconnect in different moments. The codes for the moment are explored, and the output provides cues on how best the brand can express itself in different moments
  5. 5.This type of study is best conducted when the category is showing a decline, is static or has reached saturation in volume. It could also be used when there are a number of competitive categories and subcategories that are flooding the market, or when the category is excessively segmented and cluttered with brands and the Client is trying to find a differentiated niche for their brand

Developmental Studies

  1. 1.Usually undertaken when there is new news, or a need for new energy in an existing brand
  2. 2.For new brands, imperative at pre-launch stage
  3. 3.Best platform to test multiple options
  1. 1.Communication
  2. 2.Positioning
  3. 3.Marketing Mix

Objective: What's the best way?

Developmental Studies

  1. 1.These studies involve a building blocks process, and are undertaken when there are many possible ways for an existing or new brand to move forward, and a strategy needs to be evolved by narrowing down the possibilities to arrive at the best possible way
  2. 2.The developmental approach can be adopted for numerous aspects of the brand, be it arriving at the best positioning platform for the brand, the most suitable communication route, or the right mix of elements in the marketing mix that will propel the brand further
  3. 3.Such studies could be either multi-phased or conducted in a single exercise
  4. 4.In a multi-phased process, one starts with broad themes and ideas, and then builds on these in stages with consumer input, eventually narrowing down to the few that are most relevant and compelling
  5. 5.Similarly, in a single exercise, the discussion is structured in a way to provide rich cues on how to take the idea forward in the best possible way, and so the data gathering process is more creative and brain-storming than structured

Diagnostic Studies

  1. 1.Investigative, fact finding, problem-solving studies
  2. 2.Used to take stock and understand the factors that are impacting on a brand's performance
  3. 3.Intense, in-depth, exhaustive studies that usually require time and patience
  1. 1.Marketing Mix
  2. 2.Consumer Profiling
  3. 3.Brand Equity
  4. 4.Brand Archetype
  5. 5.Brand Sensex

Objective: What's the problem?

Diagnostic Studies

  1. 1.These types of studies are undertaken with very specific and focused objectives, usually when there is a problem, or the potential of an issue arising
  2. 2.The structure of these studies is investigative, seeking to understand where the issue lies, and what can be done about it
  3. 3.This approach can be used to deconstruct any single aspect of the Marketing Mix, especially communication, or the entire mix in a holistic manner
  4. 4.Some specific types of diagnostic studies are discussed in the next few slides

Diagnostic Studies: Brand Equity

  1. 1.Using an analogy from the financial sphere, Brand Equity can be defined as the physical and emotional assets a brand possesses which gives it a competitive value advantage in the market place and a distinctive identity and uniqueness so that it can be differentiated from competition.
  2. 2.A Brand Equity Study is the measurement of these assets and an assessment of the values that need to be managed, protected and enhanced.
  3. 3.In an Equity study, the brand is always studied in relation to other brands in the category, and never in isolation; hence the final output is a holistic view of the entire market at the time.

Diagnostic Studies: Brand Archetype

  1. 1.Based on the belief that truly great brands have at their core a mythical value and it is this essence that connects with consumers, draws them to the brand, and builds an enduring relationship with them
  2. 2.Jungian psychology has identified a set of key archetypes that exist across cultures and the Brand Archetype study is a process to discover the which archetype the brand conforms to, or ought to represent
  3. 3.Once the archetype for a brand is identified, it becomes the defining core of the brand and sets the tone for developing the brand's character and its communication; the archetype being the very essence of the brand usually never changes
  4. ▪An archetype study studies the following facets of a brand
  5. ▪Product (physical) inventory
  6. ▪user image inventory
  7. ▪usage inventory
  8. ▪emotional / functional benefit inventory
  9. ▪brand persona emotional identity
  10. 4.Output from such studies critically feeds into developing more finely tuned positioning and communication for the brand given in order to be true to its archetype, and in synch with its intended image

Diagnostic Studies: Brand Sensex

  1. 1.This model is based on the understanding that the brand is not only about its the two main facets - rational/physical and emotional
  2. 2.There is a third and equally important facet, which is the sensorial aspect, usually quite neglected in the understanding of brands
  3. 3.The model is based on the premise that when we experience the brand through our senses, it brand triggers certain memories, emotions, thoughts and imaginations and thus a brand that can do this more strongly than others has a better connect with the inner world of the consumer
  4. 4.The Brand Sensex model analyses each sensory modality that consciously and unconsciously influences our experience of brands
  5. ▪Sight
  6. ▪Hearing
  7. ▪Touch
  8. ▪Taste
  9. ▪Smell
  10. ▪Kinesthesia (the sense from bodily posture, movement & position)
  11. ▪Temperature
  12. 5.The Brand Sensex model is best used for developing positioning and communication, new product ideas, packaging design and POP material

Diagnostic Studies: Psychographic Profiling

  1. 1.This method is a deep dive into the psyche of the consumer, to understand who he/she really is, what drives his/her choices and why he/she behaves in a particular manner towards a category or brand; it is a means to understand the individual, rather than the group
  2. 2.Profiling is conducted using a one-to-one approach and studies all facets of the consumer's life and personality
  3. ▪The Individual: identity, needs, attitudes, values, dreams and aspirations, fears and insecurities
  4. ▪Lifestyle: activities, hobbies and pastimes, interests, brands
  5. ▪The Social Context: childhood, milestones, affiliations, influences and influencers, coping mechanisms
  6. ▪Relationships: significance of relationships, influence patterns in decision making, changes experienced through life stages and their impact
  7. ▪The Cultural Context: media consumption, acculturation processes: combining the traditional and the new, behavioral norms
  8. ▪The Economic Context: pressures, aspirations and expectations
  9. 3.For a more holistic understanding, a 360° Profiling Exercise can be undertaken where the individual is interviewed as above to understand their self identity, and significant others, like a spouse, parent or co-worker are also interviewed to get a comparative perspective and to building on the individual's perspective
  10. 4.Consumer Profiling exercises can also lead to the analysis of segments. Different people could be buying the same product or brand for different reasons. Example, customers of Bank X – some may wish to obtain funds from the bank to finance their business, some might need to deposit their salary cheques somewhere or some may just want a safe place to keep their money
  11. 5.In obtaining in-depth information about who these consumers are via the profiling method, we can also uncover psychographic segments. Psychographic segmentation provides a way of breaking down the amorphous general population into coherent, manageable units. And to be truly useful, psychographic segmentation of banking also requires a deep knowledge of family/peer dynamics that influence the individual
  12. 6.It is one thing to discover that certain groups of individuals give similar responses on certain key questions in a survey. It is quite another to figure out who these people really are: what the underlying psychology is that makes them think and feel and act as they do. It is this profiling exercise that makes segmentation useful to marketers by accurately reflecting the segments and making them "come alive" as people

Strategic Studies

  1. 1.Considered when the very essence of the brand is undergoing change and metamorphosis
  2. 2.It could involve a reigning in exercise, or one that is preparing the ground for future expansion
  1. 1.Repositioning
  2. 2.Re-branding
  3. 3.Brand Extension
  4. 4.Brand Architecture

Objective: Where do we go from here?

Strategic Studies

  1. 1.These studies are usually undertaken when the Client is contemplating a major change in strategy for a brand that has been in existence for a while
  2. 2.These studies become even particularly crucial when the brand has a particularly strong equity or standing, and the Client's dilemma is about how much to change in order to infuse novelty and freshness into the brand without diminishing its well-established identity
  3. 3.The Client would need to retain a sufficient representation of the brand's current values and symbols so that users still recognize and connect with the brand, and at the same time, a generous dose of newness would be required to refresh the brand and attract new users
  4. 4.The Client could strategically alter the path of the brand in a number of ways:
  5. ▪Reposition: thereby changing the communication platform as well
  6. ▪Re-brand: thereby changing logo, packaging, communication
  7. ▪Extensions: thereby adding to the brand's stable of offerings and enhancing its scope
  8. ▪Rebuilding the Brand Architecture: Reorganizing the multiple sub brands that are available into a more streamlined structure
  9. 5.Such strategic studies are usually tailor made for the Client's specific needs and the issues at hand