My friends say I’m odd. It’s unusual, they say, to become animated when talking about business. It was with a resigned sigh that they accepted my invitation for an ‘end of recession’ drink. There was also grumbling at the last minute nature of the invite. A sensible precaution I thought. The October celebration was hastily repositioned as a commiseration drink when figures failed to back up economists’ estimates of an early exit from recession. I suspect you are also starting to think I’m a little odd so I’ll cut to the chase. At this celebration I was asked: Can a...

International expansion is attractive as it compensates for the limited number of buyers in any one country. This is now the case more than ever. Caution is key though; the rewards may be great but so are the risks.At home, you’re aware of what matters most to buyers. Many international expansion strategies fail because there is an assumption that the same received wisdom holds true abroad. Before entering a new market thorough research is essential. The good news is that only a relatively small budget, an internet connection and some curiosity is needed. Economic, trade and population statistics can be...

We recently asked readers to pose their research questions on the B2B Marketing LinkedIn group. One question came back more than once. “In a B2B context how can I ensure a survey is reliable?” Reliability boils down to whether the right questions have been asked to enough of the right people. Survey questions need to be unambiguous, unbiased and asked in an objective format. Beware the following: • The ‘double barrelled’ question including two mutually exclusive items, e.g. ‘How satisfied are you with quality and speed of response?’• The leading question containing implicit assumptions, e.g. ‘How much do you expect...

This month sees two milestones; a new year and the first anniversary of this column so what better time for a bit of re-invention. This column should be relevant to the issues you face and those you’re curious about. It should also ideally be a discussion, so here’s the idea. Each month I’ll create a thread on the B2B Marketing LinkedIn group where you can post a specific research dilemma, general question or any interesting observations. One or some of these comments will then form the focus for the column and hopefully subsequent discussion on the B2B Marketing Blog. To...

“If I’d asked people what they wanted they’d have said faster horses” declared father of the motor car, Henry Ford. Fast forward a century to another great innovator, co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs. “A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them”. If we take these comments at face value they suggest that customer opinion can’t be the source of paradigm shifting NPD.  But I think their comments have been taken too superficially. What they’re really saying is “customers can guide innovation but only if you ask them the right questions”. Ask them...

Our heartbeat quickens, our pulse races, our palms and brow sweat a little… that’s the change we experience when we’re buying a new car. According to Ian Armstrong, manager of customer communications at Honda UK, the science of car buying is every bit as important as the art. Ian was the guest speaker at a recent ‘Brand on the Run’ event, and I was interested to speak to him about the day-to-day marketing activities that happen behind the scenes of the more glamorous Honda TV advertising. I think Honda has been delivering great television advertising for years now. They’ve had...

Is blended data (including records based on consumer preferences and purchases) always better for B2B purposes than non-blended? When should and shouldn’t blended data be used?...

The last 12 months have been defined by change. The foundations of our economic system are slowly being rebuilt, political power is shifting and accountability has become the keyword in all walks of life. The field of B2B marketing is no exception to this zeitgeist. Our change is based on the recognition that in economically difficult times the business goal becomes short-term survival – simply holding on until the sun shines again. For many this means a change of focus from strategic to shorter-term, tactical activity.So how does this relate to market research? Well, research is often seen as a...

I recently visited a major carpet retailer and had perhaps the worst customer experience of my life. I was in a rush…they were just going to finish their coffee. I had found the perfect carpet…they strongly disagreed. I needed the carpet fitted, as soon as possible they might be able to do something in six weeks.  'Vote with your feet', I thought. And I did. I walked down the street to a conveniently placed competitor whose customer service was the polar opposite. 'Outstanding', I thought. Then I walked straight back up the street, swallowed my pride and struck a deal with my tormenter. You see, they had the...