New technologies are transforming how consumers educate themselves and make critical purchasing decisions. Companies want to ensure that their Consumer Marketing Research capabilities are keeping pace with the marketplace where rapid advances in technology, research & analytics have advanced the overall Market Research field. Correspondingly, across industry sectors the consumer marketing research play book and analysis approaches are evolving to better identify winning tools and techniques for understanding consumers' decisions. Because of this, many leaders of Consumer Marketing Research across multiple industries believe that identifying innovations can be useful to conducting deeper, faster and more efficient market research. Best Practices, LLC conducted this cross-industry benchmarking study to identify current and evolving approaches for qualitative and quantitative consumer marketing research techniques and tools. This research examines the changing landscape for qualitative and quantitative research. It also reviews which quantitative research approaches market research leaders are currently utilizing most and why. This study includes data on three segments: pharmaceutical companies, non-pharmaceutical companies and the Total Benchmark Class.

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Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research
Consumer Marketing Research Innovation:
Assessing New Tools, Technologies and
Approaches to Understand and
Communicate with Consumers

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Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary pp. 4-21
 Research Overview pp. 4
 Universe of Learning pp. 5
 Innovation Widely Dispersed but Thinly Seeded pp. 6-8
 Key Findings pp. 9-21
II. Universe of Learning: Key Demographics of Participating Companies pp. 22-25
III. Innovation in Marketing Research Approaches pp. 25-30
IV. Innovation in Marketing Research Tools pp. 31-74
 Using Innovation to Update the Use of Analysis Tools
for Key Market Research Activities
V. Marketing Research Trend Changes – Qualitative Trends pp. 75-82
VI. Marketing Research Trend Changes – Quantitative Trends pp. 83-89
VII. Emerging Market Research Tools in Pharma Sector pp. 90-95
VIII.Emerging Market Research Tools in Non-Pharma Sector pp. 96-103

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Table of Contents
X. Communicating with Consumers pp. 104-108
XI. Trends in Consumer Communication pp. 109-115
XII. Evaluating Direct-to-Consumer Marketing pp. 116-118
XIII. Lessons Learned and Pitfalls to Avoid pp. 119-123
XIV. Appendix pp. 124-144
XV. About Best Practices, LLC pp. 145

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Topics IncludedStudy Overview
 Innovativeness of MR Tools for:
Forecasting
Patient Flow Mapping
Positioning
Segmentation
Brand Research
Concept Testing
Brand Awareness
Customer Insights
Direct-to-Consumer
Tactic Testing
Target Product Profile Testing
 Utilization of Emerging MR Tools
 Effectiveness of Consumer Marketing Tools
 Best Practices, Pitfalls & Lessons Learned
Research Objective: New technologies are
transforming how consumers educate themselves
and make critical purchasing decisions.
Correspondingly, across industry sectors the
consumer marketing playbook and marketing
research analysis approaches are evolving to
better identify winning tools and techniques.
This cross industry study addresses topical issues
that include new media for interacting with
consumers, new qualitative techniques for insight
mining and new quantitative techniques for
research data analysis.
Methodology: Best Practices, LLC engaged 59
Market Research leaders at 58 companies through
a benchmarking survey instrument. In addition,
research analysts conducted executive interviews
with eight selected respondents to collect
qualitative data and insights.
Research Project Objectives, Methodology & Results
Best Practices, LLC conducted this cross-industry benchmarking study to identify current and
evolving approaches for consumer marketing and marketing research techniques and tools. This
study contains extensive qualitative data.

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59 Benchmark Participants Represent Nine Industries
Benchmark Class
Fifty-nine benchmark survey respondents from 58 companies participated in this study. More than 40
percent are directors, VPs, and C-level and a third are manager level. The rest fall under “other.” The
participants represent more than nine industries with pharma the largest segment at 30%. To add
qualitative depth to the study, eight interviews were conducted with market research leaders.
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Pharmaceutical Benchmark Class Non-Pharmaceutical Benchmark Class
Sekisanchi LLlC
R2Business Solutions
(n=18) (n=41)

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Innovation Has Many Faces in Consumer Market Research
The “Innovation Insights Story” in Consumer Marketing Research reveals ongoing evolutionary change –
rather than revolutionary disruptive technology change. Innovation is broad reaching, incremental and
assumes various forms through tools, technology, process improvements and hybrid adaptations of
proven practices.
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Examining Innovation
Across Consumer
Marketing Research
Landscape
3. Innovation Is Widely Dispersed
But Thinly Seeded: 80% Of
Venues Are Seed Beds With 5%
to 12% of Companies Innovating
At Most Research Milestones
4. No Single Company Has
Cornered the Market on M.R.
Innovation
5. Innovation Hot Spots Exist In
Customer Flow Mapping,
Segmentation & Concept Testing.
Innovation Has Many Faces:
Process, Tools, Hybridization,
Deeper, Faster & Cheaper
2. Innovation Is Evolutionary /
Incremental Across the Market
Research Process
6. Seed New Innovation
Projects Where It Most
Benefits Your Existing Brands
& New Products
1. Most Companies Rate
Themselves Low on Market
Research Effectiveness &
Innovation

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Qualitative Key Findings: Mobile Research and Online Tools
 Improving Report Presentations Enhances Engagement: Finding innovative or fresh ways to
present reports/studies – such as formats like Prezi or the use of dynamic visuals – is an important
way to keep staff and internal stakeholders engaged.
 Mobile Research Will Be a Key Tool for Market Research in the Future: Mobile research, with
its rapid delivery of point-of-care and point-of-sale data, will be an important tool for marketing
research in the future. Seventy percent of the Pharma Segment is using mobile research either
sometimes or frequently. Meanwhile, only 36% of the Non-pharma Segment is using it either
sometimes or frequently.
 Online Communities Offer Bottomless Pool of Consumer Insights: Online communities are a
valuable qualitative source of consumer insights and yet the tool appears to be underutilized. In the
Pharma Segment, 50% said they were using online communities sometimes while the other half
said they don’t use them at all. Meanwhile, 61% of the Non-pharma Segment said they use them
either sometimes or frequently.
 Social Media Listening Is Another Underutilized Tool: Social Media Listening is another
underutilized tool that can inform market researchers across many topics, including product
positioning, brand awareness and customer insights. In the Pharma Segment, 40% said they don’t
use it. The Non-pharma Segment, meanwhile, had 52% not using.
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The following key findings and insights emerged from interviews and qualitative survey responses in
this study.

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(n=59)
Q1. Please identify which industry sector your company represents
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Industry:
Pharma, 30%
Finance, 2%
Healthcare, 10%
Consumer Goods, 3%Marketing/Market
Research Agencies,
15%
Electronics, 2%
Services, 15%
Telecommunications,
5%
Other, 17%
*Others:
 Utilities
 Education
 Postal
More than 9 Industries Participated in Innovation Study
The benchmark study group was anchored by biopharma companies, which made up 30%
of respondents. Healthcare (non-manufacturers), agencies, telecommunications, services,
consumer goods, finance and electronics companies also participated in this marketing
research innovation study.

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Q. If you do not feel you have a highly effective market research organization, rate what factors are impeding your
effectiveness?
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Effectiveness Obstacles (Total Benchmark Class):
n =
50
51
48
50
50
47
49
5055%
49%
60%
30%
26%
21%
14%
4%
3%
43%
23%
44%
48%
48%
31%
36%
42%
8%
17%
26%
26%
31%
55%
60%
Other
Too Much Reliance on Qualitative Data
Too Much Reliance on Quantitative Data
Not Enough Attention to Online
Tools/Social Media
Outdated Analytical Tools
Lack of innovation
Not Enough Budget
Not Enough Staff
Not a Problem Minor Obstacle Major Obstacle
Staffing & Budget Are Two Greatest Obstacles to
Market Research Effectiveness
Insufficient staff levels and budget are the most commonly identified obstacles impeding
market research effectiveness across all participating companies. These are followed
closely by a general lack of innovation, outdated tools and inattention to online/social
media environments.
% of Respondents

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Positioning Lacks Innovation Across MR Processes
Q. Please rate your perceived innovativeness on the following market research dimensions for Positioning:
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Positioning Excellence:
n=
40
40
41
40
Innovative:
5%
3%
0%
3%25%
20%
28%
20%
73%
80%
70%
75%
3%
3%
5%
Reporting and Communicating
Analysis and Interpretation
Data Collection
Methodologies and Tools
Not Innovative Middle of the Road Innovative
% of Respondents

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Quant and Qual Working Together Create Synergy
Innovation in market research doesn’t have to be a new tool or methodology – it can come
from finding ways to combine work streams to reduce job timelines. One participant
thought having qual and quant teams work closer together would accomplish that goal.
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“We do see where qualitative is starting to inform quant where it didn’t before. I’ve been in
the offices of most major market research firms in the world and there’s usually a keypad
door separating the qualitative teams from the quantitative teams.
We’re seeing that change with online ‘qual’…we’ve got the technologies that allow us to
bring people out of a large segmentation study, a customer satisfaction survey, and bring
into a qualitative discussion for a deeper dive with them. That’s allowed the quant-qual
teams to co-mingle on these projects.
It is unbelievably common where you do a segmentation study and find some unexplained
thing and go through the keypad door and say, ‘Qual team here’s something to go
explore.’ Well that can take months…today we’re radically reducing those timelines by
giving them technology that the quants can run themselves or that makes the quant and
qual teams work together very closely.” – Chief Innovation Officer
Qualitative
Component
Quantitative
Component
Merging to
provide more
realistic Insights

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Q. Rate the effectiveness of various tools, technologies and channels that you use to communicate, educate, and inform
consumers in your chosen markets:
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Consumer Marketing & Communication Tools (TBC):
n=
26
24
26
25
24
TBC Segment: Customized E-Mail Campaigns Top
Second Tier of Consumer Communications
Customized e-mail campaigns topped the second tier of the list of tools, technologies, or
channels that organizations use to communicate with consumers. Sixty-nine percent of
participants felt e-mail was either somewhat or very effective.
% of Respondents
54%
36%
19%
29%
19%
4%
8%
4%
4%
4%
17%
28%
23%
21%
8%
21%
20%
46%
33%
54%
4%
8%
8%
13%
15%
Viral Marketing (marketing communication
designed to be passed around among users)
Online Channels /Sponsorships (YouTube,
Blogs)
Social Media
Consumer/Patient Advocacy Groups
Customized e-mail campaigns
Don't Use Very Ineffective Somewhat Ineffective Somewhat Effective Very Effective

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SEO Part of Doing Business in U.S. Marketplace
One of the important – and dynamic – online consumer marketing tools is Search Engine
Optimization. While it can bring hundreds, if not thousands, of customers to your business,
the SEO rules of search engines like Google are constantly evolving.
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“We have a lot of secondary reports
about where consumers go to get health-
related information. In this day and age,
consumers go to the Internet and, for the
most part, people just to go to a search
engine and type something in and see
what comes up.
Whatever you’re selling, you better come
out on top, otherwise they’re probably
not going to find it.”
- Senior Specialist,
Global Market Research
Rules
for SEO
Success
More Focus
on Keyword
Portfolio
than Ranking
Create
Problem
Solving
Content
Publish
Content on
Quality
Sources
Use Social
Media for
Distribution
& Promotion
of Content
http://www.inc.com/aaron-aders/new-rules-for-seo-success-in-2013.html

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Best Practices, LLC
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
www.best-in-class.com
About Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the
simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic
performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics, and winning
strategies of world-class companies.
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