• Case Studies

Using focus groups in its major Canadian markets, our qualitative research updated both category and brand understanding and provided insight into the competitiveness of Canada's largest private label paper product manufacturer to retain and grow the shelf presence of its own national brands in a highly competitive CPG category.

Our exploratory qualitative research, comprised of interviews, dyads, and triads, was conducted in the US and five EU countries and revealed key opportunities among target attitudinal segments for a global pharmaceutical leader. These key learnings were the first step in developing a winning strategy for entering in an emerging product category estimated to grow to $14 billion annually by 2014.

Clear direction was given to help our global paint manufacturing client hone its Canadian retail store proposition and service delivery approach, and identify optimal banner changes to relaunch its retail store brand. The research comprised of focus groups in major Canadian paint retail cities, which explored trade customers' wants and needs as well as their perception of the brand in relation to its competitors.

Working closely with its advertising agency, and using indepth interviews with its target segments to provide attitudinal and cultural context, our series of indepth interviews provided the necessary brand and consumer insights to help our client, a leader in the automotive industry, optimize its luxury brand and product advertising campaign.

Over the past decade, timely cross-Canada exploratory research consisting of one-on-one interviews with target specialists and nurses and group discussions with patients suffering from neurological disorders shed light on shifting treatment and adherence paradigms. This knowledge was instrumental in helping the Canadian group of a global pharmaceutical leader go from being the last entry in an already crowded therapeutic market to capturing the largest share and consolidating it.

• Ethnography

Authentic ethnography combined with other qualitative research methods (groups, interviews, and/or shopalongs) ensures an indepth understanding of target consumer or patient cultures which, in turn, help resolve marketing challenges, validate and refine new product or service initiatives, and define communication imperatives, messaging elements, and channels.

Beyond providing a first-hand contact for the whole brand team with the lives of its target consumers, this approach helps bring clear insights into everyday life shaped by cultural norms where brands and products are tried, adopted and discarded.

• Montage™

An ethnographic glimpse into the lives of key target current and potential users is provided using digital photography and collages to report significant events, behaviours, and brand usage. This helps the whole brand team take stock of their brand world and experience through the eyes of its users.

Case Studies

Using such an ethnoqualitative approach, we provided insights and recommendations that galvanized a lackluster loyalty program into the most popular and widespread Canadian loyalty program, gaining both loyal consumer and retailer adherents.

Along with focus groups, our ethnographic approach was successfully used to help decipher consumer reaction, needs and wants with regards to a new paint container format designed to address unmet needs in the Canadian marketplace.

In another instance, a hybrid ethno-qual approach led to a deeper understanding of the key segments among users of the two largest Canadian tobacco brands. We identified the most compelling repositioning approaches (messaging, products and packaging) and inspired future product development.

For another client, our ethnoqualitative approach was used to portray the everyday lives of patients suffering from a major autoimmune condition. These insights led to a deeper understanding of how to develop compelling and credible DTC communications with the goal of encouraging testing.

 
Advertising Optimization

Our experience in devising a research approach ensures contextual learning and optimizes advertising outcomes in the production of commercials, journal ads and detail aids. We help our clients, leaders in the automotive, CPG, financial, retail, paint, philanthropic and pharmaceutical industries communicate their brand's strategic positioning and messaging in the most compelling, clear and persuasive manner.

Our advertising optimization qualitative approach consists of understanding reactions to communication concepts within an attitudinal context to inform messaging and visual refinement and determine the most relevant channels for reaching our clients' target audiences.

Idea Generation Workshops

For her corporate clients, Michelle has led creative workshops with executive and managerial teams to help redefine mission statements, reposition corporate brands, and foster a better understanding of operational and managerial issues facilitating and hindering corporate goals.

For example, at one of Canada's oldest and largest food manufacturer, she led executives and employees through a series of exploratory and creative ideation groups. Uncovering the corporate brand's core essence using these crucial conversations with employees and management led to a better understanding of the company's aspirations and revealed key findings which steered the corporate brand's repositioning, determined a more pragmatic leveraging of internal strengths, and revealed new product distribution opportunities.

Her creative workshops with North America's oldest francophone physician association's executive board helped integrate the qualitative findings from a phase of exploratory research she had conducted with its current target audience — lapsed, current, and potential members. These combined efforts supported the successful repositioning and relaunch of the association and raised awareness of its central role in the francophone community in Canada.