Global Research Syndicate
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Latest News
  • Consumer Research
  • Survey Research
  • Marketing Research
  • Industry Research
  • Data Collection
  • More
    • Data Analysis
    • Market Insights
  • Latest News
  • Consumer Research
  • Survey Research
  • Marketing Research
  • Industry Research
  • Data Collection
  • More
    • Data Analysis
    • Market Insights
No Result
View All Result
globalresearchsyndicate
No Result
View All Result
Home Consumer Research

This ad agency uses a casting agent to create a new focus group

globalresearchsyndicate by globalresearchsyndicate
November 9, 2019
in Consumer Research
0
0
SHARES
21
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

It just may be the most clichéd tool in all of marketing. The mere mention of it strikes fear and mediocrity into the hearts of brand managers everywhere.

The focus group.

At its best, a focus group can provide subjective opinions that will then be extrapolated to represent every single, 37-year-old yoga enthusiast on the planet. At its worst, it’s a controlled social experiment in self-importance.

Either way, putting complete strangers in the room to argue over the qualities of, say, a new car, is at least a great setup for a comedy bit.

One thing about that I Think You Should Leave sketch—or Melissa McCarthy’s tour de force on SNL as a Hidden Valley Ranch enthusiast—that makes it so amazing is just how close to reality it feels. It raises the question: Who are these people that brands are tapping for insights? And why in the world should they be listened to?

Real Talk

Toronto-based agency Juliet felt the same and sought a better way to make this kind of customer survey research more meaningful. It created a platform called Real Talk that aims to help the agency and its clients resist the lure of the marketing echo chamber by incorporating the voice of real people into their creative process. Instead of a random call to anyone over the age of 25 who bought bread or toothpaste in the last six months, Juliet teamed with Shasta Lutz of Jigsaw Casting, which has worked on commercials for Ikea and Walmart, to find people who have a deep relationship with the challenge their clients are trying to solve, whether it’s obsessive bargain hunters, dental hygiene freaks, gamers, environmentally conscious fashionistas, or recreational cannabis users.

They then use their conversations with these people as part of the creative process, as opposed to an after-the-fact evaluation.

“People like to be listened to, and I think when you share creative ideas that are very much work in process—instead of ‘Here’s a storyboard and I want you to evaluate it’—when you say, ‘I want you to help me. I want to know what you would say or what your friend would say,’ people are much more forthcoming,” says Juliet cofounder and chief strategy officer Sarah Stringer. “It’s a really interesting kind of human truth that has a lot of potential.”

The new casting

Juliet builds core groups of customers for each brand challenge, essentially consumer sounding boards that help it and its client see life through their eyes. The agency typically engages with these groups through private Slack channels, and, from time to time, meets them at home to talk about specific brand challenges.

Stringer says that once they have a list of potential contributors, the agency narrows it down to a group of 8 to 10. The conversations in Slack are designed to mimic the freedom and openness of the best examples of how people engage online, such as when they’re leaving an Airbnb review or thoughtfully commenting on a news story.

“People feel more comfortable in the privacy of their own homes to speak freely on the internet, much more than in some boardroom,” says Stringer. “It’s also just the more you work and have a core group of consumers that’s a part of the brand team, the more you build a trusting relationship with people and we all learn together. It’s humbling to see what real people say about your brand versus what you want them to think about it.”

Peoples’ powered

A recent Real Talk-enabled campaign launched in September for Peoples Jewellers, a Dallas-based brand that’s owned by retail-jewelry conglomerate Signet Jewelers, which also operates Kay Jewelers and Zales. The original challenge was to boost sales by attracting a record number of men to Peoples for their engagement rings. Signet research showed that 47% of male engagement-ring buyers are anxious during at least part of the purchase process.

In its further research, Juliet found that trust is the top driver of sales in this category, and many jewelry retailers are inadvertently adding to the pressure by marketing with scenes of idealized engagement bliss. Through Real Talk, Juliet built a group of proposal-ready men from across Canada and interacted with them for several weeks. She heard sentiments such as the following:

“Seeking out the perfect ring was secretive, I had to jump through hoops with her parents, and it involved some lies. I . . . felt odd.”

“I googled ‘engagement rings,’ then I was like . . . what does she like? Some threads were saying it’s all about the style or shape or whatever and I thought it was about size. . . . How will I know her ring size? Oh f*ck, this is really expensive.”

Messages like this helped lead Juliet to create a campaign around Peoples’ more than 100 years of experience, as opposed to heaping more pressure on the occasion. “Bringing people who were considering proposing into our creative process gave us a deeper appreciation of the anxiety around getting engaged,” says Signet VP of marketing John McNamara. “The honest dialogue was so refreshing and served as a great reminder that data isn’t a synonym for insight.”

So far, the agency has utilized Real Talk with Signet, as well as with clients such as the apparel brand Roots and the consumer-packaged-goods startup Wholly Veggie. Looking ahead, Stringer sees the potential for deploying Real Talk in product development, getting some of these core consumer groups testing products in the development phase.

But for now, it’s baby steps.

“Right now our goal is to get as many clients regularly using Real Talk as a part of the process,” she says. “Once you build that strong foundation and you have the small wins, then you’re able to work on expanding to other areas.”

Related Posts

How Machine Learning has impacted Consumer Behaviour and Analysis
Consumer Research

How Machine Learning has impacted Consumer Behaviour and Analysis

January 4, 2024
Market Research The Ultimate Weapon for Business Success
Consumer Research

Market Research: The Ultimate Weapon for Business Success

June 22, 2023
Unveiling the Hidden Power of Market Research A Game Changer
Consumer Research

Unveiling the Hidden Power of Market Research: A Game Changer

June 2, 2023
7 Secrets of Market Research Gurus That Will Blow Your Mind
Consumer Research

7 Secrets of Market Research Gurus That Will Blow Your Mind

May 8, 2023
The Shocking Truth About Market Research Revealed!
Consumer Research

The Shocking Truth About Market Research: Revealed!

April 25, 2023
market research, primary research, secondary research, market research trends, market research news,
Consumer Research

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research. How to choose the Right Research Method for Your Business Needs

March 14, 2023
Next Post
Nov. 13 – Fair Housing in Oakland County: Focus Group in Troy • Oakland County Times

Nov. 13 - Fair Housing in Oakland County: Focus Group in Troy • Oakland County Times

Categories

  • Consumer Research
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Collection
  • Industry Research
  • Latest News
  • Market Insights
  • Marketing Research
  • Survey Research
  • Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • Ipsos Revolutionizes the Global Market Research Landscape
  • How Machine Learning has impacted Consumer Behaviour and Analysis
  • Market Research: The Ultimate Weapon for Business Success
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Antispam
  • DMCA

Copyright © 2024 Globalresearchsyndicate.com

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • Consumer Research
  • Survey Research
  • Marketing Research
  • Industry Research
  • Data Collection
  • More
    • Data Analysis
    • Market Insights

Copyright © 2024 Globalresearchsyndicate.com