Know yourself

The competitive edge

We are experts at using research to add value to your business.  In practice this can mean gaining press coverage, generating leads, building valuable competitor knowledge, understanding your clients better than others do.  Research can add a competitive advantage and we have a fantastic record at doing just that.

Know your target market

The successful company is one that understands what its clients – and potential clients – want, and is able to deliver.

To be able to deliver, you need to understand the market – both current and future trends, understand your particular client base and what’s important to them.  It’s also useful to understand what your employees think.

Research can be invaluable in building this knowledge, and there are a number of ways to conduct this, from desk research, to workshops and focus groups, to postal & online surveys, and asking both qualitative and quantitative questions.

Launch, promote, debate

Research can be used in innumerable ways: to help launch new products, promote existing products and raise debate.  Just think of the number of headlines in the news that open with a statistic.  When you know your market, you know what to give them.

Know your staff

A company’s most valuable asset is its staff.  Their knowledge, drive and experience can bring huge successes to a company.  We have had great success with conducting specialist research to discover what staff think about their company, its approach and its products.  This brings a cohesive and organised way to use their unique knowledge to make a tangible difference to a business.

Some companies only find out what their employees think of their company during an exit interview.  Forward-thinking companies regularly seek the views of their employees throughout their career, through organised discussion groups, suggestion boxes and confidential questionnaires.  This can dramatically influence your business development.

A motivated workforce starts with two-way communication, and a methodical format for gathering views and constructively acting on them can be a differentiator for successful companies.

Examples of success

• We worked on a major piece of research for one financial services company which generated over 1,000 sales leads, was covered in 29 publications in total including all the UK broadsheets, got over 5 hours of coverage on radio and 5 minutes 20 seconds on national TV.  It was a huge success as it helped raise the profile of the company, and launch a number of its services
• Our research has also been highly commended for industry awards
• Research we conducted among staff, directly influenced the development of a company’s new brand.  This had a tangible and positive impact on staff buy-in to the new face of the company
• We regularly conduct research to test the value of products and appetite in the market

To find out how research can help your business, please call 01252 843350.