Sommers Marketing Research & Consulting

We help you understand your business

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Sommers Marketing Research & Consulting was founded in 1993 to address market research supplier deficiencies identified during my client side tenure as a user of these services.

Specifically, Sommers Marketing Research & Consulting specializes in well thought out quantitative and qualitative research programs that focus on adults, teens and/or kids.

• New products (e.g., package goods, TV networks)

• Line extensions (e.g., breakfast, snacks, candy, Discovery Health network)

• Strategic research (e.g., annual health & nutrition tracker,obesity,sugar substitutes, exercise & fitness, segmentation)

SOMMERS MARKETING RESEARCH

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Ted Sommers, Ph.D., Ted brings over 25 years marketing research experience to SMR. He began his career at B&W Tobacco concentrating on strategic, brand, and new product research and then ran the research department for Fisher-Price Toys. For 15 years Ted has run his own full service market research firm that specializes in strategic and new product research for Fortune 500 CPG and media companies. Ted earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology from the University of Louisville and taught as a professor at the University of South Carolina.

 

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Focus Groups

Concept Screens

Concept Tests

Concept forecasts

Taste tests (CLT)

IHUTS

Product forecasts

Legal claims tests

Package Goods Research Experience

Equity

Packaging

Advertising development

Segmentation

Positioning

Health/nutrition annual tracker

AAU’s/Tracking Studies

Adhoc strategic studies

Customer Satisfaction

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The amount of time we devote to our clients in terms of research design, analysis, and follow through.

• We are not a production house that is more concerned with get it in, get it out, and get to the next one.

• We treat each research issue as unique, truly customize the design to respond to these issues, and do not subscribe to the one size fits all research mentality.

• Experienced Market Research Support. We do not pass it off to Junior members

• We become true partners with out clients

SMR separates itself from most suppliers…SMR separates itself from most suppliers…

Client Service #1

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Quaker Oats

100+ studies conducted for Quaker Oats

Research conducted across all SBUs

Research examined all age targets (kids, teens, Moms, adults, boomers, 55+)

All methodologies utilized including in-person, on-line, telephone, quantitative and qualitative

Conducted many studies for new department members so as to “train” them in good research technique

Examined tactical as well as strategic initiates

We develop partnerships with our clients

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1. Internal Concept Development Offsite with CEO Direct Reports

Identified new network criteria

Developed multiple network concepts

SMR led this session

2. Multiple Sets of Exploratory/Concept Focus Groups

Teens, Boomers, heavy, light and nonfranchise viewers

SMR wrote the network concepts and moderated the groups

3. Quantitative evaluation of potential new networks

Analytically identified best opportunity was a composite of two of the tested networks

4. Innovative name test

Most intrusive name

Conveyed the new network essence

Synergistic with the Lifetime brand

We develop partnerships with our clients

Lifetime Real Women Network Development

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Lifetime Real Women Network Development

5. Qualitative program research to select programs from existing library (cost criteria)

Next day SMR/client working session deleted programs, rescheduled times of programs, and identified editing opportunities from existing footage to create a potential marquee program

6. LRW as a tier driver to motivate consumers to move up from basic cable to digital.

In market tests among viewers recruited to sample the network demonstrated that the new network is liked by virtually all viewers (86%) and is reported as a reason to continue to subscribe to digital cable over basic cable.

7. LRW Regional Market AAU (pre/post)

Prewave recently out of field. Strong awareness and trial. Separation, as well as synergy, with Lifetime parent.

In conjunction with Lifetime developing an ethnic research plan for the network.

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Research Design

Psychological training (Ph.D.) in consumer dynamics, communications and research design

Research designed with respondents cognitive abilities and research issues taken into consideration

• Research tools & techniques

• Interview flow, depth and question communication

• Research simulation

SMR separates itself from most suppliers…SMR separates itself from most suppliers…

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Regular Stars & Stripes Crunchy

Product Type

Visual Conjoint Studies Help Kids Discriminate

1st research firm to implement this methodology in this fashion. Approach takes into consideration kids’ cognitive abilities.

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Packaging / Candy Color / Candy Size

Visual Conjoint Studies Help Kids Discriminate

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CSD High School Placement Influence on Teenage CSD LoyaltyCSD High School Placement Influence on Teenage CSD Loyalty

Issue: Major CSD (Carbonated Soft Drink) firm needed to determine if college contracts which would only allow client CSD brands on campus (multimillion dollar investments) were warranted or was loyalty created from high school contracts sufficient so that college students would continue to drink client brands off campus (surrounding area).

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CSD High School Placement Influence on Teenage CSD LoyaltyCSD High School Placement Influence on Teenage CSD Loyalty

Entering High School

next yearGraduating High School

Attending College

Not Attending College

Brand #1

High School

N=300 N=300 N=300 N=300

Brand #2 High School

N=300 N=300 N=300 N=300

Dual CSD High School

N=300 N=300 N=300 N=300

Solution: Research design included qualitative component for hypothesis generation/input into the construction of quantitative baseline instrument (45 Malls across the country) and follow up year later longitudinal telephone survey.

Outcome: Tactics developed as a function of the research.

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Issue: Develop new impactful/memorable packaging

Solution: Respondents collectively were shown multiple package options (e.g., store shelf). Packages were removed, time elapsed while respondents discussed other issues. Respondents were then asked to draw the package they liked the best.

Outcome: New packages were developed that differed from those tested.

Often respondents combined the most salient elements from

various packages

Shampoo bottle

Package Communication/Optimization(Technique can be used for concept development, message importance/breakthrough, advertising,

etc.)

A package outline was provided to assist them with this task

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An experiment was devised to determine if kids could accurately report beverage volumetrics over the phone. Kids were asked if they drank a known beverage package size as an anchor (e.g., sports bottle), if not they were asked if they drank more or less of the anchor. Depending on their response they were asked if they drank the next package size, more or less. SMR continued this process until we isolated the amount.

• Results demonstrated similar responses to in-person interviews conducted

14.2 14.8 14.5

0

5

10

15

In PersonSpring

In PersonSummer

Telephone

ConsumptionConsumption (ounces)

Kid’s Volumetric Estimation

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Problem: Kids give very few unaided responses and very high aided responses

3 levels of brand awareness were gathered:

• Unaided

• Category (e.g., fruit cereals)

• Aided

Imagery was recorded by having kids physically sort brand photographs on an imagery battery

Least Most

For Kids My Age

Pre-Post RTE Cereal AAU measuring effectiveness of new ad campaign

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Program Development

Issue: Network was exploring developing a new programming block targeted at kids and needed to identify the programming concepts that generated the most appeal. Usage of traditional kid research tools frequently fail to discriminate.

Solution: Qualitative triads used to refine program concepts to take to a quantitative concept screen using the Hierarchical Paired Comparison technique which has proven to improve discrimination among kids.

Hierarchical Paired Comparison is a paired comparison task where kids chose the program concept they most prefer between 2 program concepts. They then choose their preferred program concept between a 2nd pair. The chosen concepts are then compared to one another and the responded chooses the best concept between them. This process continues until all concepts are rank ordered. (Schematic showing this process on next slide.)

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Program A

Program B

Program C

Program D

Program C

Program B

Program C

Program Development Outcome: A full slate of programming concepts identified and further developed by the network. Block became successful and was spun off to form its own network (line extension).

Hierarchical Paired Comparison

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Issue: Parent has 80% market share. Critical that line extension reflects parents heritage/equity while still providing a meaningful point of difference

Solution: Respondents first rated parent on all attributes, next multiple new concepts shown monadically, and then all new concepts re-shown and attribute ratings recorded for each concept on the same grid parent had been rated on earlier ensuring parent heritage was salient during research task

Line ext. 2 Parent Line ext. 3Line ext. 1

Not Very Very(good for you)

Line Extension Research

1 2 3 4 5 6

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True benefitsTrue benefits of working with the same supplier are realized. This is a tremendous benefit to many of our clients who utilize our talents to design multifaceted research programsprograms that involve both qualitative and quantitative components.

SMR separates itself from most suppliers…

Dr. Sommers moderates focus groups and is the primary quantitative researcher

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Issue: Network needed to better understand their viewer’s programming needs.

Solution: A network segmentation study was conducted among N=1,000 viewers of client network programming genre.

A series of focus groups were 1st completed from which hypothesized segments were developed and the battery of network attitudes (attributes) were built.

Viewers indicated what attributes their ideal genre programming network would possess.

Network Segmentation

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Network Segmentation Network Segmentation

Outcome: 5 segments identified that proved to differ on all critical/actionable dimensions

Demographics

Program Interest

Competitive network viewership

Media Usage (Internet/Magazines)

Lifestyles

E15%

A32%

B18%

C15%

D20%

Segments used in all marketing and programming efforts, program blocks developed targeting each segment, sales efforts aligning segment programming to synergistic advertisers, segmentation overlay to Nielsen Households and competitive tactics developed/deployed.

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Network Positioning & Target Audience Identification

Issue: Well known established foreign network was being repackaged and introduced as a free standing network in the states. Client needed to develop the most effective positioning for its national roll out and to identify its target audience.

Solution: Multiple focus groups identified 10 potential positionings that were taken to a quantitative positioning study that also included demographics, psychographics, lifestyle, TV viewership patterns, and attitudinal batteries used to identify the new networks primary target.

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Outcome: Best positioning preferred by ½ of respondents and proved to be the most effective positioning among all demographic sub groups including the primary target audience. Target audience much larger in scope than anticipated, resulting in advertising sell-in strategy targeted at a broad base of prospective sponsors.

46%

20%

13% 13%8%

A B C D E0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

A B C D E

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54

Positioning Ranked # 1Positioning Ranked # 1 Among

Demographic Sub Groups

Network Positioning & Target Audience Identification

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Twelve years client side experience (e.g., Vice President of Marketing Research for Fisher-Price, Director of Marketing Research for a sales and merchandising agency, Manager of Research at Brown & Williamson Tobacco).

• We truly understand your needs from your perspective as a marketer and we do not examine issues and develop research programs in a supplier research vacuum.

• Our analysis factors in our marketing expertise and often incorporates additional client understandings and or previous learnings.

• We are consultants (Discovery Networks acting research director). Bally Total Fitness external research department and consultant.

SMR separates itself from most suppliers…SMR separates itself from most suppliers…

Client Experienced

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Issue: Bally Total Fitness needed to monitor its member satisfaction at the club, district, area, regional and national levels. Results used to incentivize management at each level.

Research needed to gather daily member satisfaction, be cost efficient, able to capture thousands of responses. The results needed to be instantly available, user friendly, interactive, and understandable to a nonresearch savvy audience.

Customer Satisfaction

1. Highly interactive website that permits user friendly and versatile crosstabs

2. Quarterly summary reports, for all levels, that provides easily understood tracking data

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Ongoing Customer Satisfaction

Interactive Website

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Ongoing Customer Satisfaction

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Ongoing Customer Satisfaction

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Ongoing Customer Satisfaction

Quarterly Summary Report

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Identify Dimension Drivers in Established Food Category to Provide Identify Dimension Drivers in Established Food Category to Provide Product Development DirectionProduct Development Direction

Issue: Client recently acquired “sleepy” brands in need of revitalization to better compete in an established category.

Solution: Quantitative taste test conducted in 15 markets testing complete set of 18 category entrants including current client brands.

• Tight timing necessitated prerecruit (1 week after project commissioned)

• Regional frozen products unavailable in all areas required field service coordination and shipping

Outcome: New product/line extensions developed

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Identify Dimension Drivers in Established Food Category to Provide Identify Dimension Drivers in Established Food Category to Provide Product Development DirectionProduct Development Direction

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70

80

90

100

110

120

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ImportanceAll Brands Liking

Stated Importance Relative To (Product) Dimension Appeal

Normalized different scalars measuring importance and performance to isolate dimensions that offer the most potential.

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Issue: Client asked SMR to conduct RTE category taste tests. SMR developed an efficient approach that examined both performance and equity since a brands market performance is a result of more than just its taste

Solution: All of client’s RTE brands were examined against their competitive sets among both kids and adults

Over 5,000 interviews

20,000 taste tests

20,000 equity measurements recorded

Outcome:New brand strategies/tactics developed and implemented

RTE Category Performance vs. Expectations

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-10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Liki

ng D

iffer

ence

Bet

wee

n Ta

stin

g &

P

erce

ptio

ns

User Liking diff Tasting - Perceptions 8% 10% 7% 4% 8% -4% 10% 7%

Nonuser Liking diff Tasting - Perceptions 10% 1% 11% 9% 4% 17% 9% 6%

Segment

Cap'n Crunch

Reg

Cap'n Crunch

CB

Cap'n Crunch

PB

Apple Jacks

Cinn Tst Crunch

Frosted Flakes

Froot Loops

Fruity Pebbles

Lucky Charms

PB Puffs

Brand Users vs. NonBrand Users Liking (Tastings-Perceptions)

(+scores indicate cereal liked more after tasting)

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Issue: How is oatmeal consumption impacted by winter weather.

Solution:

40 nightly Cati interviews conducted 7 days a week from November 15 – March 15 in the Chicago Metro (Chicago selected to ensure daily similar weather conditions for entire sample)

Morning breakfast behavior captured for each family member (controlled for memory decay inherent in other data collection methodologies)

A total of 5,000 interviews and 8,000 breakfast behavior observations

Oatmeal Consumption as Function of Changing Winter Weather Conditions

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Primary data merged with metro daily weather conditions over this same time frame

Examined various weather conditions affects on oatmeal consumption:

• Temperature shifts of 10 or more from preceding day

• Wind chill influence

• Extended warm periods

• Snow day vs. day after snowfall vs. no snowfall

IQO media GRP schedule, advertising awareness tracking, product shipments, and health/nutrition attitudes were incorporated into analysis

Outcome: Research impacted media schedules and promotional tactics to combat changing weather conditions  

Oatmeal Consumption as Function of Changing Winter Weather Conditions

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Our team approach, unmatched client service, marketing savvy gained on the client side, superior research design, qualitative and quantitative abilities and broad experience across many industries, product categories, and age segments (kids, teens, boomers, geriatrics) enable us to provide our clients with:

Partners in Research

Understanding

Sommers Marketing Research