Question

Topic: Research/Metrics

Starting A Market Research Department

Posted by Anonymous on 6/24/2013 at 11:07 AM ET 250 Points
I just graduated from university and am an Insights Intern at a 200 person marketing agency. I'm the only employee in my department and am being asked to start a complete market research department. By the end of the internship they want me to have a strategy to go about this. This includes: our options in the market for conducting our own research, who else to hire to get the department up and running (team skills and needs), and how to acquire research participants. We have a narrow demographic, those who live in rural areas. We primarily deal with rural clients.

My first concern is how do I acquire rurally located clients with being located in the city in a cost effective manner?

How do we sell our research and acquire new clients for our insights? Do we produce our own white pages to attract new clients? How do we introduce the company as offering analytical services? Do we do our own projects and use the information for already existing clients? Right now, I'm cataloging all of the research we already have from 3rd party agencies who did work for our clients.

What are the best data collection programs and data analysis tools? I am most familiar with SPSS and have played around with a few others.

What are the most important skill sets this team would need? Is a programmer something we should look into? Do we need a Statistician?

This job could be full time at the end of this internship and I want to prove myself by providing a successful department strategy.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 6/24/2013 at 12:50 PM Accepted
    Instead of looking to find new clients for the marketing research as a stand alone function, it may make more sense to see how this new function (marketing research) can be used to help the entire agency. If current clients could use marketing research as part of the services they get from the agency, you can expand the amount you bill from your current clients. This is much easier than finding new clients. And the sales folks at the agency may be able to promote the added function as a way to help get more clients for the entire agency.

    On skillsets needed, if I was doing it I would start small. Find a way to make it work with one person at first (presumably you), filling in with contractors any skills that you can;t handle. Then over time as the billings grow and the needs become obvious, you would add people. But at that time, you will be able to better understand the skills you need.

  • Posted by Moriarty on 6/24/2013 at 1:12 PM Accepted
    Peter's advice is way beyond my capacities to comment on - I'm a lone freelancer who does insight for a living.

    You say:

    "My first concern is how do I acquire rurally located clients with being located in the city in a cost effective manner"

    The Google display network is about as effective a traffic stream as you can get. It's fast, flexible and relatively inexpensive. You can tailor streams to find clients, meet clients' needs, generate info on new products before launching them, refine taglines copy and the rest before leveraging it across more expensive (and less responsive) media. It is immensely flexible and is also geo-targetable down to the Zip code or 1 mile radius from a pin point.

    It means you can start with a small campaign and work outwards as the returns on investment pay off.

    "What are the best data collection programs" - Google analytics is an online program that works in concert with its paid search offerings. It's not that easy to use, it is astonishingly powerful in the right hands. Be warned taht it is javascript based and most people use private browsing these days. However when they click on a link through the Google paid network the analytics are enabled by default. You'll get that data at least.

    Does this help any?
  • Posted on 6/24/2013 at 3:11 PM Author
    Peter, I met with my boss today and that is essentially what they said we need to start with--which makes complete sense. My new problem is how to find out what insights we can offer that will be valuable to them. But that will be an internal endeavor.

    Moriarty, thank you for your input. I will have to look into the analytics that the google network has to offer. It might have a bit of a learning curve for me but is a viable option.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 6/24/2013 at 3:54 PM Member
    Aaron - Google Analytics is one of the biggest mysteries on the net. Not because it's hidden - but people simply think that adding the code is all it does and they count up their hits. It's fantastically powerful and getting your head around it will prove a big bonus.

    As will learning even the basics of Adwords/PPC/Display - even knowing the essentials will give you a real hold on those who you contract the work out to. Not all Adwords jockeys are as good as they say they are. Howie's or Perry's books are more than enough to know what to start with - and what to ask for in a subcontractor.

    Wishing you well, and make a great job of it! Remember too that you're always welcome here - and to answer questions too. There's no threshold - if you have a good idea, share it.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 6/24/2013 at 4:20 PM Member
    Keep an eye out for these guys - https://www.kksmarts.com/analytics-insider-secrets.html

    Mike Seddon is one of the smartest analytics guys on the block.
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