NYS Fair – Ending the Summer on a Great Note

The following post was written by Maggy Stewart, Graphic Designer and Marketing Coordinator at RMS.

According to a recent poll of Central New Yorkers conducted by Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. using the RMS ViewPoint panel, 62 percent of survey respondents plan to go to the State Fair one or two times this year. With 98 percent of Central New York respondents having been to the fair before, 77 percent typically purchase their tickets in advance. Although 40 percent are unsure of the dates they plan to attend the Fair, the most popular date visitors plan to attend is on Labor Day, also known as the Summer Send Off “Dollar Day.” More details, as well as the full infographic can be found below.

“In Central New York, the end of summer means the beginning of the Great New York State Fair,” said Zach Shaw, RMS ViewPoint Panel Associate. “The State Fair is a longstanding tradition throughout the entire region and is a great topic for a CNY survey.” Respondents surveyed were asked about favorite Fair attractions, preferred foods and Midway rides and games, spending habits, concert options and more. “Central New York continues to reign as a top test market in the country, and many brands and new products are exhibited at this highly anticipated and well-attended annual event,” said Sandy Baker, RMS Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy.

Drawing hundreds of thousands with a surplus of food, fun and entertainment, the New York State Fair attracts crowds locally and across the region. Sixty-three percent of respondents travel less than 20 miles to get to the State Fair, while 15 percent travel 21-30 miles, eight percent travel 31-40 miles, six percent travel 41-50 miles, seven percent travel 51-100 miles and two percent travel more than 100 miles. Respondents typically go to the Fair with one other person, and the average amount of time spent at the fair is 6.8 hours.

While spending a decent amount of daylight hours at the Fairgrounds, attendees have developed their own personal lists of “must see (and taste)” attractions and foods while visiting. When asked to pick all of their favorite Fair attractions, 75 percent of respondents yet again identified the Chevy Court as their favorite, followed by the butter sculpture (73 percent), Center of Progress Building (69 percent), sand sculpture (68 percent), Taste NY (57 percent), Horticulture Building (54 percent), beer/wine tent (45 percent), International Building (45 percent), art and craft exhibitions (38 percent), Midways rides and games (37 percent), Science and Industry Building (31 percent), and Iroquois Indian Village (29 percent). When it came to the Midway attractions, the Ferris Wheel came in as the favorite ride with 22 percent of respondents’ votes. Bumper Cars and Tilt-A-Whirl both followed with 17 percent. Also on the Midway, the water squirt race was voted the favorite game by survey respondents with 35 percent.

It’s no secret one of the biggest attractions at the State Fair is the enormous list of favorite fare and food vendors. When asked which Fair foods were favorites of respondents, pizze frite fried dough came in at number one with 49 percent, followed by milk (48 percent), Gianelli sausage (43 percent), potatoes (41 percent), BBQ (41 percent), ice cream (35 percent), Blooming Onion (34 percent), gyro (34 percent), funnel cake (29 percent), roasted ear of corn (27 percent), deep fried treats (25 percent), and fries (21 percent). Visitors spend an average of $121.36 while at the Fair, and aside from food and drink, respondents said they typically buy household items, jewelry/clothes and lottery tickets.

When asked which musical acts respondents were most excited to see this year, Chicago was top pick with 44 percent. Florida Georgia Line came in second with 29 percent, followed by Daughtry (28 percent), Keith Urban (27 percent), Air Supply (26 percent), ZZ Top and Gregg Allman (26 percent), The Commodores (21 percent), Culture Club (19 percent), Toto (17 percent), Flo Rida (15 percent), and Three Days Grace (13 percent).

When asked to describe the New York State Fair in one word, respondents’ top answers were “fun,” “awesome,” “tradition,” “interesting,” “great” and “exciting.”

The RMS ViewPoint poll was conducted from August 3, 2016 to August 10, 2016. A total of 1417 surveys were completed. Respondents consisted of RMS ViewPoint Research Panel members, as well as the general community. All respondents reside in New York State. For more information on RMS ViewPoint, visit RMSViewPoint.com.

Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS) is a full service marketing and market research firm located in Baldwinsville, NY. RMS provides an array of research methodologies that result in actionable analytics and recommendations for the client to enhance decision making. RMS is also home to QualiSight, a premier focus group and interview research facility, and RMS ViewPoint, a leading consumer research panel in Central New York. Visit our website at RMSresults.com.

 

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Central New York Music Preferences

Summer’s here and the time is right: Central New Yorkers are ready to face the music, RMS ViewPoint Poll Shows. 

According to a recent poll of Central New Yorkers conducted by Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) ViewPoint, 83 percent of individuals plan to go to a concert this summer. Thirty percent of Central New York respondents are planning on attending at least two concerts this summer, 21 percent are preparing to go to three concerts, and nine percent are planning on attending eight or more concerts this year. The average respondent plans to spend $76 to $100 per concert, and will travel 21 to 50 miles for a concert this year. When it came to choosing the concert respondents were most excited about, the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Lakeview Amphitheater was the most anticipated by Central New Yorkers, followed by Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band, Journey and Hall & Oates.

“Everybody loves music, and that is especially true in Central New York,” said Zachary Shaw, RMS ViewPoint Panel Associate. “Not only are there are so many great music venues in the area, but there is such a wide variety of music that you’re able to experience as well.” Respondents surveyed were asked about favorite music genres, listening habits, preferences, venues, and concert spending behaviors. “Because CNY is a top test market in the country, media companies continue to test new programming and music services in this area,” said Sandy Baker, Senior Director of Corporate Strategy.

With the summer concert season officially underway, CNY residents spend lots of time prepping for upcoming shows. Thirty-nine percent listen to ten or more hours of music per week. Almost half (48 percent) listen to music the most while in their car, while 21 percent listen at home and at work. And it’s no secret that Central New Yorkers love their local radio: 62 percent typically listen to music through traditional AM/FM radio. Forty percent typically purchase their music and another 40 percent stream through Pandora. Twenty-seven percent listen to music with satellite radio, 23 percent listen through YouTube and 14 percent stream with Spotify.

When it comes to a favorite music genre, classic rock stole the show with 76 percent. The other top categories followed with rock at 67 percent, and close behind was pop at 64 percent, country at 48 percent, R&B/soul at 36 percent, and hip hop and rap at 32 percent. When asked if they could see anyone in concert, the top response was Adele. Beyoncé came in second, followed by “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks.

Central New York offers many live music venues, each with unique qualities that tend to draw locals depending upon their music preferences. According to respondents, the favorite local concert venue is the Chevy Court Pavilion at the Fairgrounds. The Lakeview Amphitheater came in second, followed by Turning Stone Resort and Casino as third favorite venue.

A detailed infographic depicting the full survey results is included below. If you would like to participate in upcoming RMS ViewPoint polls and surveys, please visit RMSViewPoint.com to sign up.

The RMS ViewPoint poll was conducted from May 25, 2016 to June 5, 2016. A total of 501 surveys were completed. Respondents consisted of RMS ViewPoint Research Panel members, as well as the general community. All respondents resided within the 6-county CNY area (Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego). For more information on RMS ViewPoint, visit RMSViewPoint.com.

About RMS

Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS) is a full service marketing and market research firm located in Baldwinsville, NY. RMS provides an array of research methodologies that result in actionable analytics and recommendations for the client to enhance decision making. RMS is also home to QualiSight, a premier focus group and interview research facility, and RMS ViewPoint, a leading consumer research panel in Central New York. Visit our website at RMSresults.com. If you are interested in learning more about our research capabilities, please contact Sandy Baker, our Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy at SandyB@RMSresults.com or by calling 1-866-567-5422. Visit our website at www.RMSresults.com.

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An Acclaimed Location for More Than One Reason

The following post was written by Maggy Stewart, Marketing & Communications Coordinator at RMS.

The U.S. News & World Report examined the 100 most populated metropolitan areas in the United States and released the results earlier this month. For the inaugural Best Places to Live rankings, the 100 largest metro areas by population as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau were selected. Syracuse, New York (located approximately 13 miles from the home of Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. in Baldwinsville, NY) ranks as number 53 with an overall score of 6.5 out of 10.

Syracuse has a metro population of 662,236, and offers residents more than a typical city in the snow belt. The Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of three counties—Onondaga, where Syracuse is located, and neighboring Madison and Oswego Counties—each of which contain highly sought-after school districts and suburbs, including Baldwinsville, Cazenovia, Manlius, Skaneateles and more. Syracuse offers a better value than similarly sized cities when you compare housing costs to median household income, according to U.S. News & World Report. The area’s affordability makes it an appealing location for families and young professionals.

And there’s more — not only does the Central New York area offer four seasons, above average school districts, affordable housing, and convenient commutes, it is also one of the nation’s top test markets due to its demographic representation of the United States as a whole (see the chart below for the comparison).

Onondaga County has become a top choice market to test and refine campaigns and products before going national. Whether establishing a marketing campaign or developing a novel concept or product, it is vital to identify the behaviors of the intended market. This is where market research steps in. Executing a market research project in an ideal and sound test market establishes a more accurate depiction of how feasible the campaign, concept, or product is. When you want to take your product or service national and can’t test the entire population, it makes sense to test a region that closely mimics its demographics. Onondaga County is not only a prime market for those interested in testing for local or national campaigns, it is also progressively becoming one of the premier places to call home.

Interested in learning more about using Onondaga County as the test market for your product or service? Contact our Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy, Sandy Baker at SandyB@RMSresults.com or 1-866-567-5422.

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Central New York is Buffalo Bills Nation

Twenty-one percent of Central New Yorkers rank the Buffalo Bills as their favorite National Football League (NFL) team, according to a new RMS ViewPoint poll of Central New York panel members. Close behind, 17 percent of Central New Yorkers favored the New York Giants, and the New York Jets came in third at six percent. When it came to Central New Yorkers least favorite teams, the New England Patriots came in as the most hated at 27 percent. Twenty-three percent disliked the Dallas Cowboys, tied with 23 percent responding as not disliking any specific team.

“Football is the most popular sport in America, but it also takes precedence in New York with three teams that call the state home. Central New York is unique because you see quite a mix of team favoritism,” said Zachary Shaw, RMS ViewPoint Panel spokesperson. “Football is not just about the game itself, but the many components or rituals that go into watching a game or games.” Respondents surveyed were asked about fantasy football leagues, favorite football snack foods, hours of football watched and other game time habits.

With the popularity of fantasy sports leagues growing, Central New Yorkers seem to be less intrigued with the trend. Only 27 percent are members of an online fantasy football league, and 53 percent of those invested in a fantasy football league watch football more often because of their league participation. Regarding daily fantasy leagues, 20 percent have participated in a DraftKings league, 16 percent were invested in a FanDuel league, while the largest group, 69 percent did not participate in either a FanDuel or DraftKings league. While 11 percent of those surveyed believed fantasy sports leagues that promote gambling should be banned, 60 percent opposed banning those online fantasy leagues and 29 percent were unsure.

When it comes to how many hours of football Central New Yorkers watch per week, 34 percent watch one to three hours, 31 percent watch four to six hours, 19 percent watch less than one hour, ten percent watch seven to nine hours, and seven percent watch ten or more hours per week. Perhaps contributing to those amounts of time: 91 percent watch the games at their own home, 27 percent watch at a bar or restaurant, 19 percent watch at a friend’s house and 16 percent watch at a family member’s house.

As far as Central New Yorkers’ favorite football foods, pizza was voted the number one snack at 69 percent. Close behind, 60 percent selected chips and dip as their favorite, and 59 percent voted for chicken wings—a fan favorite originating from Buffalo, New York. Thirty-five percent enjoy nachos as a game day snack, and 34 percent opted for the healthier vegetables and dip.

A detailed infographic depicting the full survey results is available below. If you would like to participate in upcoming RMS ViewPoint polls and surveys, please visit RMSresults.com/ViewPoint to sign up.

The RMS ViewPoint poll was conducted from January 8, 2016 to January 24, 2016. A total of 406 surveys were completed. Respondents consisted of RMS ViewPoint Research Panel members, as well as the general community.  Survey invitations were sent through e-mail and social media. All respondents resided within the 16-county CNY area (Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Tioga, and Tompkins). For more information, contact Zachary Shaw, RMS ViewPoint Panel Associate at ZachS@RMSresults.com. For more information on RMS ViewPoint, visit RMSresults.com/ViewPoint.

About RMS

Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS) is a full service marketing and market research firm located in Baldwinsville, NY. RMS provides an array of research methodologies that result in actionable analytics and recommendations for the client to enhance decision making. RMS is also home to QualiSight, a premier focus group and interview research facility, and RMS ViewPoint, a leading consumer research panel in Central New York. Visit our website at RMSresults.com.

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Syracuse, NY: A Great Test Market

Syracuse, NY has enjoyed a long history as one of the nation’s top test markets. The metropolitan area’s use by marketers as proving ground of eventual product success or failure has been well documented for decades. Products both famous and obscure, ranging from ice cream to alcoholic beverages to baby carrots have been tested in Syracuse before the determination was made to go national with them.

Syracuse’s long-term success as a test market is largely due to some market characteristics that also happen to be some of the key traits of an ideal test market. These include:

1. Similarity to the eventual desired market

It goes without saying that a test market should have similar demographic and consumer purchasing habits to the wider area where a product or service will ultimately be marketed. Some criteria where it might be important for a test market to mirror the intended larger market include age distribution, home ownership,  blue-collar/white-collar mix, educational attainment, racial/ethnic composition, just to name a few.

The Syracuse metropolitan area has a demographic composition that largely mirrors the United States as a whole. As recently as 2004, Acxiom Corp. published a “Mirror on America” study that ranked the top 150 test markets in terms of how well they conformed to national norms in key criteria. Out of the list of 150 test markets, Syracuse ranked 5th. The top five were:

1. Albany, NY
2. Rochester, NY
3. Greensboro, NC
4. Birmingham, AL
5. Syracuse, NY 

It’s interesting to note that Albany and Rochester, the top two test markets, are Syracuse’s neighbors to the east and west along the New York State Thruway corridor. In many ways that matter to marketers, Syracuse and Upstate New York in general are truly a microcosm of America.

2. Geographic isolation

Some metropolitan areas are tightly packed among others (e.g., Baltimore is sandwiched between Washington and Philadelphia) while others are a great distance from the next population center (e.g., Phoenix, AZ). The latter type of market is desirable for test market purposes because, as with any type of research, it’s important to try to isolate variables as much as possible. If people are regularly exposed to advertising in one media market but do a significant amount of shopping in another, they are poor test subjects. People who live in isolated population pockets are more likely to be exposed to marketing messages and make their purchases within that market. That makes it easier for researchers to isolate the effect of, for example, a TV commercial on sales.

Even though Syracuse is located in the relatively densely populated Northeast, and in a state that many outsiders assume is synonymous with New York City, it is actually an island of urban and suburban development in a fairly rural region of Upstate New York isolated in part by significant natural boundaries such as the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Ontario. Syracuse is about a 90 minute drive away from Rochester, two hours from Albany and over four hours away from New York City. The nearest television markets — Watertown, Utica, and Binghamton — are all at least an hour away and have small reaches beyond their core cities.      

3. Affordable advertising media

Larger cities don’t normally make the best test markets because, among other things, it can be very expensive to advertise in them. The costs to run television or newspaper ads in New York City or Los Angeles are much higher than in a mid-sized market like Syracuse. The main purpose of the test market is to determine the likelihood of success while expending minimal costs. For that reason alone, smaller, more affordable media markets make much more sense to test marketers.

The same factors that make Syracuse a great test market also make it a great place to conduct market research. The area is a natural venue for focus groups. Survey research tied to advertising recall goes hand-in-hand with traditional test market techniques.

Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS) is proud to call the Syracuse area home. We like to think that the market’s importance in national marketing efforts has something to do with our continued success as a marketing and marketing research consulting agency.

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Focus Groups in TV Commercials

Those of us here in Bunker, always on the lookout for anything research-related, have taken note of a trend in television commercials. It seems that many commercials now feature focus groups as a setting. In some cases, the focus groups are fictional, as in these lighthearted spots for Pepsi Max and Snickers:

In other cases, most notably with an ongoing campaign for Domino’s Pizza,  the commercials feature actual focus group footage. This trend inspired some discussion here within the Bunker, and in the end, we decided that we had mixed feelings about these new, trendy market research ads.

Pros:

First of all, we like the fact that one of the tools of our trade is getting some exposure. Many people who work in market research have been asked by someone in a social setting what they do for a living. Oftentimes, “focus groups” is one of those terms that causes people to respond, “What’s that?” (Or, in many cases, to look perplexed, say, “That’s nice,” then quickly change the subject.) If more people in the general public understand what focus groups are and what they are for, that can only be a benefit to those of us who use them.

That benefit extends beyond the general public to potential clients. There are many businesses, especially small ones that have never used focus groups and may not fully understand their uses. They are another group that might feel more comfortable with the methodology after being exposed to it through TV commercials.

In particular, we think it is a positive development that the commercials (especially those from Domino’s) reinforce the idea that focus groups engage consumers as part of an overall process of product improvement or innovation. If people understand that their opinions are important parts of the process, they may very well become more willing to participate in focus groups.

Cons:

Our main concern about the trend is that it might create false or unrealistic impressions about focus groups among the general public. For example, as much as the Domino’s campaign sends a great message about how focus groups can be part of product improvement and innovation, Domino’s has taken things to such a dramatic level, the public might not understand that focus groups do not always (or even usually) lead to immediate, highly visible changes in products or services. I have seen focus group moderators caution participants that just because an idea might be well received in the session, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will become a reality. We can’t help but wonder if Domino’s is creating the impression among potential focus group participants that their individual feedback has a high likelihood of causing a company to completely reinvent itself.

We also can’t help but wonder if the spots may cause participants to start expecting the walls of our Syracuse, NY focus group facility to come sliding off to reveal a farm. (For the record, we think while that might make for a dramatic TV moment, doing that in a real live focus group might prove a wee bit disruptive to our data collection efforts.)  

Of particular concern to us were the spots where Domino’s actually followed up with focus group participants after they had made product changes, by showing up at their door with a camera and inviting them to try the new and improved pizza. I, for one, might be hesitant to agree to participate in a focus group if I thought it might lead to people on my front porch months later with TV cameras. (Yes, I know that nobody would end up in a commercial like that unless they agreed to it, but the way the spot is shot, makes it look almost like an ambush.) I suspect that at least a segment of the population would also be put off by that idea.

The hard-sell aspect of all the Domino’s spots is a little unsettling. They, along with the Pepsi Max commercial with its Pepsi signage and product displays, make the focus groups look more like sales pitches than legitimate research. One barrier we struggle with focus group and survey participation is that people are wary of being subjected to a sales pitch. This is a challenge that researchers have faced for some time now. These new focus group commercials may blur the line between sales and research to the point where the public will become even more skeptical.

Another negative, and this is more of complaint from the perspective of a general marketing consultant rather than a researcher, is that I’m not sure that the focus group setting really resonate with the general public. Focus groups are certainly part of the world of the people who buy and produce advertising, they along with any form of market research, probably seem like an arcane abstraction to the average person. I’m of the belief that advertising should communicate benefits and speak to the way products and services will actually be experienced by real people.  Showing a focus group speaks to the way products are experienced by marketers. In that sense, such campaigns feel a little too insider-ish – like the advertising people are talking to each other rather than to the general public.

Those concerns aside, we here in the Bunker do believe that the increased exposure of focus groups through commercials is a net positive development. To the extent that they help educate viewers on what a focus group is and how it plays a role in product development, that makes our jobs as market researchers easier.

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Is Price a Competitive Advantage? | Marketing Research

We recently read an in-depth article posted in the December 2010 issue of Quirk’s.  The author is Mark Goodin, President of Aaron-Abrams Field Support Services in Las Vegas.  Goodin makes an impassioned plea to those who recruit respondents for qualitative research to improve the quality of their service by not taking shortcuts, offering excuses instead of results, or agreeing to complete jobs they know they can’t handle. The link to the article is here: Clean up your act – you’ll need a Quirk’s login ID.  He offered 12 simple ways to upgrade your quality in your recruiting, many of which were valid.  RMS is both a marketing research firm and a call center, which can be utilized for recruiting, so we understand the importance of quality in recruiting.  One of his suggestions sparked a good conversation here in the RMS Research Bunker.  Here is the excerpt from the article:

“Simply providing a cost that is similar to that of your competition does not set you apart as an authority. Successful recruiters strive to become authorities on fieldwork. Jacks-of-all-trades and suppliers who offer clients nothing more than a competitive cost often find themselves struggling to complete recruits. Referrals and repeat business are keys to operating a successful recruiting shop and you won’t get either one by under-delivering. Most researchers have been fooled by low-pricing strategies and many of us no longer awarded a project to a recruiter without first conducting a “job interview” to ensure that a supplier has the experience and staff needed to get the job done. We want to know that they have answers to our questions and solutions, if needed when the going gets tough. We actively encourage all researchers to do the same.”

Simply put, a competitive advantage is something that makes a person or company stand out above the competition (via wiktionary.com).  So is price a competitive advantage?

• George: In our research, we don’t just see price as a competitive advantage for a business, but in fact in a lot of cases it is the single most important competitive advantage for a business.  In virtually all of our consumer studies, price is at the top or near the top of every consideration set when it comes down to choosing products or services.  When new customers are trying something for the first time (in most service-based businesses), there is little to no understanding of value or quality of the end-service.  Therefore, first-time clients usually base their decision on price and then evaluate the price/value tradeoff in the end, which determines whether they want to choose a different competitor the next time around.  You simply can’t ignore price.  The key is to offer quality service for a reasonable price, but no business, anywhere in the world, knows exactly what that exact price point is for their products or services.  While other features come in and phase out, price always matters.  If your price sets you apart from your competitors without sacrificing quality, then yes, it’s a competitive advantage.

 

• Vance: Price is a competitive advantage in every single industry. We will believe otherwise when Wal-Mart is no longer the largest retailer in the world. It is true that a low price is of no value if the recruit is substandard, but that doesn’t change the fact that research buyers do and will continue to buy largely on price and that, in the real world, vendors are under intense pressure to keep costs competitive. That’s no excuse to not deliver quality work, but realistically it means that if a vendor were to supply the kind of tireless 24/7, high-touch, expert consultation that the author clamors for in the article, they will probably price themselves out of business.

 

• Chris: Price is a competitive advantage, but only if quality meets an acceptable level.  As everyone knows, finding a balance between price and quality is the key to making the right purchase.  Using this method to evaluate a service can prove to be a little more difficult though, as products are clearer cut because of tangible benefits.  In the specific case of finding a recruitment service, using a vendor with a history of market research recruitment (or even one that mainly operates as a market research firm) is one way to judge the quality level before moving on to evaluating price.  Ultimately, the question of quality and whether or not a service reaches an acceptable level is of upmost importance. With that aside, price can be one of the greatest competitive advantages a business has.

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Mystery Shopping & Secret Shopping | Syracuse, NY

The pure definition of mystery shopping or secret shopping, whether it is done in Syracuse, Upstate New York, or anywhere across the globe, is a form of market research designed to measure the quality of retail service or gather specific information about products and services.  Although, I believe it should not be limited to only retail specific experiences.

As is the case with most market research, tools are designed to analyze the end-user, whereas mystery shopping or secret shopping is designed to analyze the point-of-contact delivering the experience to the end-user.  Therefore the analysis is focused on the process rather than the end-result.  Through past projects here at Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS) outside of Syracuse, NY, we have managed many mystery shopping projects that go well beyond point of contact from a retail perspective.

In general, some clients have internal research departments who conduct their own market research, while other smaller clients utilize their staff to do market research through less than optimal survey tools such as SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang.  Mystery shopping services are a core competency for RMS.  Our clients come to us because they can’t do it in-house.  Employers cannot send out their own employees to mystery shop one another (or at least they shouldn’t).  There are lots of issues that are inherent with one employee with his/her own agenda, mystery shopping another employee.  Let alone, if he or she was recognized.

Mystery Shopping or Secret Shopping can extend far beyond researching a simple retail exchange.  Here is just a sample of projects where RMS has provided mystery shopping services:

• A local college used RMS to design, conduct and report on mystery shops to admissions counselors and campus tour guides.  The college is using the mystery shopping to improve their initial student experiences.

• A health insurance company that provides coverage in Syracuse, NY used RMS to conduct mystery shopping calls around appointment availability at specific doctors’ offices.  The insurance company is using the mystery shopping to garner information on access to care.

• As a component of a feasibility study, a local senior living provider used RMS to conduct competitive research on other senior living options in the Greater Syracuse area.  The mystery shopping calls collected information on competitive rates, service offerings, occupancy rates, and availability.

• Similar to the prior bullet, a local real estate client used RMS to conduct another form of competitive research around apartment living offerings in the city of Syracuse.  Similarly, mystery shopping information was collected on rates, service offerings, occupancy rates, and availability.

Interested in mystery shopping or secret shopping services in Syracuse, NY?  Contact Sandy Baker, our Director of Business Development, at 315-635-9802 or SandyB@RMSresults.com.

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Senior Living Market Assessments and the Role of Consumer-Driven Research

From our guest blogger Brian Jones, a former Business Development Specialist at RMS.

Market assessments for senior living communities are often more than a go/no-go stage-gate for project feasibility, and they should be.  New construction or renovation projects provide business development and marketing managers with an ideal occasion to conduct due diligence via a thorough market research study.  After all, isn’t the purpose of the feasibility process a risk reduction exercise?  Decision makers should take full advantage of the opportunity to ensure that their senior living project will be successful.

Industry accepted methods and processes for these projects involve consideration of expert opinion, demographics, health-based needs, organizational culture and plans, competitive intelligence, the financial landscape, and resulting market penetrations.  Consumer-driven research is often used to back up these sources of information and address questions at a market specific perspective.  In some instances, it may be sufficient to conduct a couple of focus groups to add insights and depth to the current information, but more extensive market research may be required in other instances.

Under what conditions does it make sense to be more rigorous in the application of primary market research for a senior living project? Here are four circumstances where consumer survey research adds invaluable information to a market assessment for a senior living project:

1. Uncharted conditions: Market potential analysis depends on primary research if an innovative or non-typical living environment is being evaluated.  For example, a pocket neighborhood for seniors may be a great idea but there is little direct historical data available to estimate demand.  Market based evidence from interviews with potential residents and/or family caregivers can provide a more reliable predictor of actual demand for a given location.  Of course, survey data must account for likely behavior such as predicted (actual) demand versus stated interest and intent.

Key questions include:

• What is the level of interest?
• What is the likelihood to move?
• What is the willingness to pay?
• What key attributes drive or detract from interest (e.g., location, sponsorship, access to care)?
• What is the preferred option among potential locations?

2.  Design and amenity trade-offs: Survey research provides project decision-making support for physical design and amenity considerations; it contributes to recommended unit size and mix.  This will have an impact on the pricing structure and payback period for the project.

Key questions:

• What is the relative importance of various features, services, and types of amenities under consideration and which are preferred as a la carte versus inclusive?
• What is the preferred level or amount of services (e.g., frequency of housekeeping or transportation services)?
• What is the preferred method of paying for the residence and services?
• What other lifestyle considerations are critical and may be relevant to the project?
• What is the preferred size and style of residences when there is a trade-off for larger and more costly versus smaller and less costly units?

3.  Market insights: Market specific questioning may reveal unique challenges or considerations that can be incorporated into marketing and communications plans.

Key questions:

• What is the market receptivity of the project and how does it differ by location or consumer demographic?
• What is the preferred method and media source(s) for communicating with prospects?
• What is the current position of your brand within the market area?
• What are some potential characteristics that might help your community stand out from the competition?
• What characteristics will make your community more attractive to future seniors/baby boomers?

4.  Strategic implications: Some stakeholders may have unanswered questions or concerns well into the planning process for a senior living community renovation or new construction.  Survey research may help to address issues related to compatibility with strategic goals and demonstrates seriousness of commitment to consistency with market need.  The results may also reveal unforeseen impacts so they can be dealt with early in the planning process.

Key questions:

• What is the overall attitude and opinion associated with the model(s) of housing and services being evaluated?
• Are there any sources of competition you were previously unaware of?
• What is the strength of interest and demand from affinity and targeted populations versus seniors overall?
• What is the lift in interest and impact associated with the brand and any existing services or housing options?

Consumer-driven market research allows you to better assess project viability from a marketing, design, financial, and construction perspective.  More information increases transparency of the planned project and helps to sell change and uncover possibilities.  By focusing on the needs and opinions of the potential future residents and their family members, it generates a much stronger case for if and how the project should unfold.

Interested in how market research support of Senior Living and Retirement Communities can help your organization?  Contact our Director of Business Development, Sandy Baker via SandyB@RMSresults.com or call 315-635-9802.

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Quotas and Qualitative Research | Focus Group Facility in Syracuse, NY

Virtually everyone who has worked in market research long enough, has been part of the process of scheduling, setting up, and designing the recruitment criteria around a qualitative research project.  So, you’ve all probably seen quotas developed to recruit X number of males, X number of females, X number of those with household income levels below $75,000, X number of ethnicity B, X number of those who use our services 24-26 times a month, X number of brown-haired/blue-eyed/left-handed decision-makers, etc.  The list goes on and on.  Now, you may think that the whole brown-haired/blue-eyed/left-handed qualifier is a bit much, but the Bunker has seen parallel recruitment criteria before.  In fact, sometimes we ourselves are guilty of this same overemphasis on quotas in qualitative research.

The lesson here is: treat qualitative research as exploratory research (if appropriate); don’t turn your next focus group screener into a mathematical formula to recruit participants.

Yes, there is some value in obtaining a good mix of respondents that closely mirror the makeup of the audience you are researching.  That is often a necessity and can usually be taken care of, simply by creating separate buckets if you are doing multiple focus groups or multiple in-depth interviews (IDIs).  Buckets, at the most basic level, could mean recruiting a group of your customers and recruiting a group of competitive customers.  Obviously, in most cases, you would not want to mix those two segments to truly understand key issues and decision-making criteria behind each audience.  But it truly depends on the topic you want explored.

For instance, let’s use ketchup as the product we want to explore.  If the goal of your market research is to do a general study on usage of and perceptions of ketchup – it may be okay to mix both Heinz and Hunt’s ketchup users in the same focus group.  However, if you want to determine the buying criteria for each, along with the where, how, and why you buy for each, it would be better served to create separate focus groups – a bucket of Heinz users and a bucket of Hunt’s users – and compare findings.

Is there value in creating quotas for qualitative research?  Yes, absolutely.  I am not arguing that.  Sometimes it is appropriate to create quotas to sharpen up a recruit.  Relating back to the ketchup example, perhaps from past purchasing data you want to create a group of younger females with no children who purchase groceries and compare the findings to a group of mothers who purchase groceries for their family.  All valid suggestions.  But how do you feel about creating two separate Heinz groups – one that purchases Heinz once every 3-6 months and one group that purchases Heinz less often?  Would there be any major differences there?  What if a growing trend with ketchup purchases is among fathers who barbecue?  Because you predisposed this target market, you lose the opportunity to learn from them because the quotas limited you.

When you feel your quotas are getting too precise and too “needle-in-a-haystackish,” don’t be afraid to bring your research team back down to earth and remind them that the true purpose of qualitative research is not to gather statistically reliable and representative data.  Segmentation marketing is key to product and service success, but before you roll out those strategies, it would be wise to save the mathematical formulas for quantitative work.

Visit our QualiSight homepage here to see our focus group facility in Syracuse, NY.

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