Red Sox Nation, feel free to blame me. While in Boston in September for the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) annual marketing research conference, I took in a Sox game to get my semi-annual Fenway fix. The team looked sluggish in a loss to Toronto and I’m pretty certain, based on my proven ability to curse Minnesota ’s Twins, Vikings and Gophers teams by attending their games, that my presence in the stadium was their downfall.

Thankfully for the AMA, my jinxing abilities do not extend to research industry events. Attendance was up, way up, this year: at 785 attendees - 145 more than in 2004 - it was the highest ever. I’m not sure what the increase indicates, though I hope it’s a sign that businesses are feeling a little more flush and that their interest in using research is growing.

Those who came seeking examples of companies that are already aware of the power of research had plenty to choose from. Jon Luther, CEO of Dunkin’ Brands Inc., provided a nice follow-up to a presentation that his firm’s vice president of consumer insights delivered at last year’s Marketing Research Association conference. In 2004, Dunkin’s Regina Lewis spoke on research’s role in developing a new line of lattés and cappuccinos. I recall her being hopeful that the success of that project would spur the company to see the value of research and continue down the consumer-centric path. Well, the very presence of the CEO behind the podium at a research conference a year later is proof that her hopes were realized.

Dunkin’ seems to have embraced research in all its forms, using a number of methods for a number of purposes. For example, research was helpful in convincing a very hesitant Tropicana to co-brand with Dunkin’ on a product that became the Tropicana Orange Coolatta. And to develop its Turbo Ice drinks, which were aimed at youthful coffee drinkers, Luther said the company asked kids to spend a few days recording their thoughts about coffee - whenever and wherever those thoughts occurred - noting instances where they felt they needed some “chuggable energy.”

In another presentation, Aziz Ucmakli, assistant senior manager, advanced product planning at Honda, spoke on the role of research in developing the Element, Honda’s odd-looking SUV/minivan/station wagon-like vehicle. A cross-functional team of designers and engineers in their 20s and 30s set out to create a different kind of vehicle, one aimed at young drivers who were active, outdoor-oriented types. Research included observational and ethnographic research, a facet of which was a lifestyle immersion in which Honda execs spent a night at a famous surfing beach to soak in the surfer lifestyle. (I can see the title of that PowerPoint presentation: “C-Level at Sea Level.”)

Kids in the target market said they wanted space to haul and store all of their stuff but didn’t want to drive a minivan. Taking the boxy shape of a lifeguard station as one of their many inspirations, the designers drew up the Element, which, along with a generous cargo capacity also has the durable plastic interior that the twentysomethings said was needed to withstand the wear and tear of carting their surfing, biking and camping supplies around.

   The more I heard about the car, the more I was interested, even though I’m well out of the target audience’s age range and the only surfing I do involves a TV remote. Sure enough, Ucmakli mentioned toward the end of his presentation that Honda happily found that the vehicle captured the interest of a segment of older drivers as well.

Another standout talk came from Richard Kelly, vice president of global market research at GE Consumer Finance, who offered tips on raising the profile of the corporate research function.

Prior to his arrival at the firm in 1999, there was no research function. Now the company invests $10 million per year in research, conducting 500 focus groups and 150,000 consumer interviews. Kelly seems to have brought an almost entrepreneurial approach to his job. He is fortunate that his company supports some of his risk-taking (which really isn’t risk-taking at all, but I often get the sense that companies view any kind of spending without an immediate return as risk-taking), but his efforts have clearly paid off so it’s hard to argue with his methods. For example, the two-page newsletter he developed for company executives summarizing results of a global brand-tracking study has been well-received.

The newsletter is one example of his belief that, when communicating research results, you must adapt your approach to your audience. Some people want lots of data, others want a quick summary. Some learn best from detailed charts, others appreciate simple visual explanations. The bottom line is, the more they can understand the results, the more worth they will assign to the process that obtained them.

That ability to package research findings to suit the needs of specific internal audiences is just one example of the capabilities he outlined. A researcher needs technical skills (these are a given), consultative skills (interpersonal and communication skills that help you adapt and flex to the styles of other managers), and interest in and knowledge of business growth (being able to measure and communicate research ROI).

Market segmentation

Keith Rozolis, vice president of strategic marketing and planning at ABC Supply Co., Inc., a Beloit , Wisc., seller of roofing and siding supplies, delivered a textbook example of the value of market segmentation. At the time of his arrival at the firm in 1999, Rozolis said, ABC was an entrepreneurial firm that was growing chiefly by acquisitions. (It started with three stores in 1982 and now has 280 in 44 states.) Taking cues from the service-profit chain model, the company began a five-year research process in 2000 to talk to and learn from the contractors who are its primary customers.

With the help of research partner Maritz Research, ABC has identified four customer segments and each segment’s wants and needs. Armed with that information, it has been able to, for example, avoid large expenditures on technology, after the research found only a fraction of its market sought an online price- and inventory-checking system. Research showed that the company had a wider range of customers than it thought, which paved the way for the introduction of new product and service lines such as windows and doors, which garnered greater share-of-wallet from existing customers while attracting new ones.

From 2000 to 2004, total sales went from $1.2 billion to $2 billion. Those results and the role of research in achieving them certainly haven’t gone unnoticed within the company. Like Kelly, Rozolis stressed the power and value of finding ways to distribute research data to every level of the organization. But along with the data, don’t forget to provide the insights and analysis, he said. That’s what makes the numbers come alive and helps make a passive recipient into an active participant in the research process.