Catalog marketers and direct marketers are among our most sophisticated clients – and bring strong quantitative skills to research projects. We find that our research amplifies the usefulness of in-house data mining abilities by adding attitudinal information to the behavior information that is routinely collected and analyzed.

Thus, our research for direct marketers and catalog marketers focuses on understanding customers – not just demographically but according to attitudinal profiles. We use advanced statistical methods including cluster analysis to segment customers into groups to properly tailor marketing programs.

In fact, Market Decisions has been using psychographics (segmenting customers by attitudes, beliefs, interests, and values) to profile groups of customers since the late 1980’s. An example of this approach can be seen in Market Decisions’ report, The People of Maine, where segmentation was used to help leaders understand the basis for public opinion on various issues.

Our use of a specially designed survey instrument and a sophisticated analytical tool called perceptual mapping with multidimensional scaling allows clients to visually see the competitive map as consumers see it. In this approach, respondents make comparisons, evaluating similarities and differences in a series of paired questions. The responses are then mapped and the position of competitors are descriptive of perceived differences. For an example of such a map, click here.

Direct and catalog marketers can track mailings and responses – but they do not know what happened between these steps. Was a mailing opened? Was it scrutinized? Our proprietary research method, called “Yield/Loss Analysis” uses a telephone survey to follow-up a mailing and to determine what happened to the mailing. At each possible customer interaction - awareness of receipt, opening the material, scrutiny of it, interest, and intent to purchase, effectiveness or yield can be determined. This provides a tool to improve the content of mailings. By testing different methods side by side, the most effective approach can rapidly be identified.

Market Decisions conducts focus groups for its direct marketing clients, often to understand perceptions of products offered but also to test catalog layouts and cover concepts.

Market Decisions also uses proprietary software to conduct online focus groups. These are ideal in situations where customers are dispersed and for examining visual content such as websites, catalog covers, copy and even catalog layouts in an interactive way.

Of course, measuring and assuring satisfaction is a prerequisite for loyal customers. We can conduct routine satisfaction research using a telephone survey, mail survey or an internet survey.