IRI offers two new services for CPG firms
Research firms TNS, Horsham, Pa., and Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago, have partnered to help consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail executives understand the green consumer. IRI intends to integrate TNS’ Shades of Green segmentation methodology into IRI’s Consumer Network Household Panel to monitor category and brand purchasing dynamics across green consumer segments. Shades of Green segments consumers by their attitudes and behavior toward environmental issues and motivation to purchase green products. IRI’s Consumer Network Panel is a consumer panel that demographically reflects the U.S. consumer base and provides data on purchase patterns, product selections, trip missions and related shopping information.
The Consumer Network Panel is designed to enable marketers to track conversion rates and loyalty across green segments and gauge client reaction to featured green in-store marketing.
Separately, IRI has introduced new capabilities to its product cycle research, including panel-based virtual shopping, Web-based individual usage surveys, needs-state analytics, price monitoring and optimization and new applications of scanning technology. These capabilities are designed to identify fresh growth opportunities among high-potential consumers for CPG manufacturers and retailers. For more information visit www.infores.com.
Customer satisfaction benchmarking tool available for banks
Omaha, Neb., research company Customer Service Profiles LLC has completed more than 1,500 interviews with bank customers and credit union members across five national regions as part of its Customer Relationship Assessment product, which is designed to measure customer advocacy, loyalty and satisfaction, including key drivers of each. Further, the research is aimed at enabling financial institutions of all sizes to benchmark their report cards against competitors.
Scores encompass metrics of satisfaction, loyalty, advocacy and a variety of attributes related to the overall relationship. Additional statistical analysis identifies the drivers of loyalty and advocacy so that institutions can focus on the aspects of the relationship most responsible for predicting loyalty and advocacy. Detailed information on what is lacking when ratings are low is also provided. National study norms and benchmarks show how financial institutions are performing compared with national, regional and market competitors. For more information visit www.csprofiles.com.
ESRI offers four software updates
Redlands, Calif., geographic mapping software company ESRI has released ArcPad 7.1.1 and ArcPad Application Builder 7.1.1, the latest versions of ESRI’s mobile geographic information system (GIS) software for field mapping and data collection.
Together with ArcPad Application Builder, the development and customization framework for ArcPad, version 7.1.1 is designed to improve the field data collection process and allow mobile users to make decisions quickly and accurately.
ArcPad provides mapping, GIS and GPS integration to users via handheld mobile devices. The software can be customized for specific field projects using ArcPad Application Builder. ArcPad software also integrates with ESRI desktop technologies, allowing field edits to be incorporated through disconnected editing.
Highlights of the ArcPad 7.1.1 release include a StreetMap desktop data extractor; performance improvements with StreetMap, including an increase in available memory while StreetMap is running; enhanced relational database support; and additional objects for Satellites property.
The ArcPad Application Builder 7.1.1 update will be shipped automatically to customers who are current on maintenance at no additional cost. Users who have already purchased ArcPad 7.1 are eligible to download a free upgrade to ArcPad 7.1.1 from the ArcPad Web site. Registration numbers for ArcPad 7.1 and ArcPad Application Builder 7.1 are valid for ArcPad 7.1.1 and ArcPad Application Builder 7.1.1, respectively. For more information visit www.esri.com/arcpad.
Additionally, small governments in the United States can now add ArcPad and ArcPad Application Builder to an existing or new small municipal and county government enterprise license agreement (ELA). The add-on offers unlimited access to ArcPad software for mobile (GIS) field mapping and data collection, as well as the development framework to customize ArcPad applications.
ESRI’s small municipal and county government ELA program allows unlimited deployments of ESRI ArcGIS software and is available to municipalities and counties in the United States with populations of 100,000 or less. The program provides access to ESRI GIS technology with a tiered pricing schedule. For more information visit www.esri.com/smallgovela.
Separately, with the release of ArcGIS 9.3 support is available for Adobe Acrobat 9 software and new geospatial standards available in PDF. ESRI has collaborated with Adobe Systems Incorporated to improve workflow for GIS professionals using ArcGIS who wish to distribute maps in PDF. Recipients of PDF map documents can find and display a location in the file using x/y coordinates as well as measure features directly on the map.
The enhancements supporting PDF in ArcGIS 9.3 will be available as a free download for ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Engine. For more information visit www.esri.com/whatscoming.
Finally, street datasets have been updated in RouteMAP IMS 4.0, ESRI’s program designed to integrate mapping, routing and driving directions with any Web site. The latest release of this data pack, Tele Atlas’ Dynamap Transportation, includes current street data, postal boundaries, landmarks and water features for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
RouteMAP IMS is designed to generate more business activity by allowing prospective customers visiting Web sites to create maps and calculate driving directions to various business locations. RouteMAP IMS includes map templates to create maps with symbols for unique company locations. Clients can also create customized maps with ActiveX, Java and .NET application programming interfaces (provided with RouteMAP IMS). For more information visit www.esri.com/routemapims.
ComScore adds online and offline media planning tool
Reston, Va., research company comScore Inc. has added Acxiom’s PersonicX segments to the comScore Segment Metrix service for the U.S. market. The new offering is targeted at advertising agencies and marketers seeking higher-performing online media plans.
PersonicX is a household-level segmentation system that groups consumers into 70 different life stage-based segments based on several demographic variables. Predictive of U.S. consumer behaviors, media preferences, shopping patterns and financial needs, PersonicX is designed to target more specific segments in an offline environment than is possible using simple age breaks. ComScore Segment Metrix – PersonicX is designed to enable marketers to reach these segments via online as well as offline media. For more information visit www.comscore.com.
Maktoob expands consumer communications services
Maktoob Research, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has launched two initiatives in consumer communications: Online Research Communities, an online community-building tool, and Mobile Research, an SMS-based research initiative.
The Online Research Community initiative is designed to create customized virtual consumer societies that provide companies immediate access to product feedback.
The Mobile Research initiative is designed to allow clients to receive responses for targeted queries. An SMS invite with a WAP link to a short survey is sent to pre-targeted mobile users, who then reply with their responses. For more information visit www.maktoob-research.com.
Confirmit updates CAPI survey tool
Oslo, Norway, research software company Confirmit has released Confirmit 12.5. Confirmit 12.5 is designed to deploy long and complex surveys faster and more efficiently. A key enhancement to the Confirmit platform comes within the CAPI (computer-assisted personal interviewing) function. A range of developments within this area are intended to assist interviewers in improving the speed with which they can complete survey assignments.
In addition to the CAPI enhancements, Confirmit 12.5 features the initial version of a new database format that serves as the foundation for the data collection platform that will be introduced in the next version of Confirmit. This database format provides scalability and stores multiple surveys in a single survey database. For more information visit www.confirmit.com.
Northern Light connects with Web 2.0
Cambridge, Mass., research company Northern Light has introduced a series of Web 2.0 capabilities for its SinglePoint enterprise market research portals. The new capabilities, known collectively as SinglePoint Connects, are designed to enable users to collaborate online within the portal environment; find, annotate and share documents in a single user interface; and enforce the business and copyright rules on document dissemination.
SinglePoint also features MI Analyst, a meaning-extraction application designed for market intelligence, market research and product research. SinglePoint Connects is available for addition as an option to SinglePoint market research portals. For more information visit www.northernlight.com.
Ipsos launches two new tools, updates another
Research company Ipsos ASI, Toronto, has introduced Next*360 and CampaignLab, two new tools designed to help marketers assess the potential impact of their advertising and communications campaigns. The tools have been designed to evaluate and optimize multimedia communications prior to final execution.
Next*360 is a flexible copy testing tool that quantitatively evaluates the strength of a campaign across media touchpoints. The tool tests the campaign messages with online audiences in various combinations and media in context, assessing the strength, reach, persuasive potential and emotional response. The campaign in its entirety, as well as the contribution of each individual touchpoint, can be evaluated.
CampaignLab is a quali-quant tool that focuses on providing an early read on a campaign’s overall potential for success and a qualitative component that studies consumer insights. The product was developed and is delivered in conjunction with Ipsos Camelford Graham, a specialty unit of Ipsos in North America that focuses on qualitative research. For more information visit www.ipsos.ca.
Separately, New York research company Ipsos Public Affairs has updated its omnibus service to include Ipsos Hispanic Express Omnibus, a Spanish-language version designed to help consumer-product companies, governments and corporations understand the needs and opinions of the Hispanic market. The survey is designed to allow clients to evaluate customer service and attitudes, measure issue awareness, test advertising effectiveness and profile customer relationships. For more information visit www.ipsospa.com.
Two new research facilities in Europe
EMS Research, London, has launched two new research studios in central Berlin, as well as an extension of its European CATI center that will focus on the whole of Europe, including Central and Eastern European countries. The focus group facilities include specialist recruitment, moderation/interviewing and simultaneous translation capabilities. The facilities offer seating for up to 12 respondents, viewing for six clients, Web streaming, boardroom or consumer set-up, digital audio/video, European CATI, a 100-seat call center with multilingual and native staff, central management by local multilingual project managers, digital recording of interviews and monitoring and quality control procedures. For more information visit www.emsresearch.org.
Briefly
New York researcher The Nielsen Company has debuted Nielsen Answers’ Retail Edition, the first edition of Nielsen’s platform designed for retailers. The Retail Edition is designed to help retail companies simplify the process of gaining insights to meet key business challenges such as determining the right assortment of merchandise to carry; measuring store-level, competitive and market performance; post-promotion assessment; and competitive market pricing. For more information visit www.nielsen.com.
Des Moines, Iowa, research firm iEmergent has introduced its FHA Purchase Forecast tool to help advise lenders on where FHA lending is likely to increase rapidly, forecast the size of the FHA lending opportunities and project future FHA growth. IEmergent¹s FHA Purchase Forecast is available for all geographic markets and contains purchase mortgage conversion rates, sizes of total FHA purchase lending opportunities, FHA mortgage density and projections of future FHA mortgage growth speeds for each geographic market. For more information visit www.iemergent.com.
San Mateo, Calif., research company WWMR Inc. has launched its new Web site, www.wwmr.com, which features over 25 research case study summaries. The custom projects section of the Web site lists appropriate types of marketing research for each stage of drug development. Attached to each type of research project is a document describing the challenge, solution and impact for one or more projects. Specifics include descriptions of the scenario, objectives and special challenges of the research, as well as the methodology and deliverables. For more information visit www.wwmr.com.
Nashville, Tenn., research company edo Interactive has launched the edo Marketing Platform, a Web-based marketing platform designed to aid businesses, motivate consumers and allow advertisers focused on measuring ROI to have access to big-business marketing tools.
The edo Marketing Platform can be used to collect edoMarketIQ (market intelligence) by incentivizing target groups to submit responses to various polling or survey questions. The edo Marketing Platform executes through the existing financial network merchants currently use to process their customers’ debit and credit card transactions. For more information visit www.edointeractive.com.
Toronto-based quality assurance and research supplier Sensors Quality Management has launched MyShop, an online mystery shopping tool aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. The product uses a library of standard questions to allow clients to set up an evaluation form online. For more information visit www.sqm.ca.
Staines, U.K., research company OnePoint Surveys has partnered with research agency Dipsticks Research, Northumberland, U.K., to launch OmNow, a mobile omnibus to deliver results within four hours, provide real-time access to survey responses and use both SMS and WAP mobile phone technology. OmNow results can be viewed, downloaded and exported in real time, through a secure Web portal, aiding project turnaround times. Surveys offer open-ended questions and visual stimulus in addition to traditional closed-ended questions that are the trademark of SMS‐only delivery. For more information visit www.omnow.co.uk.
Chatham, N.J., research company Theorem Inc. has upgraded its software-as-a-service program, Theorem Analytics 2.0, a tool designed to allow media planners, advertising operations teams and finance managers to upload data and generate reports in multiple forms (HTML, Adobe, Excel, Microsoft Office formats, etc.) through customizable templates and formulas.
The tool draws in data from ad servers, search engines, site side data, rich media and traditional marketing sources. Theorem claims it can shorten reporting schedules from three weeks to three days. For more information visit www.theoreminc.net.
20/20 Research Inc., Nashville, Tenn., has launched Qualboard version 2.1, which is designed to allow research study participants to upload video clips more easily. Qualboard is designed for researchers to gather input from study participants regardless of geography or time of day. Study participants can respond to questions posted by a moderator and comments posted by other participants. This online qualitative research is suited for ongoing product usage studies, for highly-specialized audiences and for topics that are sensitive or very personal in nature. For more information visit www.2020research.com.