Using research to create a competitive advantage in #B2B #Marketing

1. Importance Performance Query
Discovering the Essential Truth

2. Lessons Learned• SCG has been conducting
primary research for B2B
companies for more than 15 years
• We have observed that many of
our clients’ competitors are
consistently miss-marketing
• They focus on what they are good
at rather than what we learn
through research, is actually
important to the market
• This makes it relatively easy to steal
share from them

3. 2 Critical Points
1. Focus on what is
Important to your
customers and
prospects. Not just
what you are best at
2. Make sure your
performance on the
most important
factors is exceptional
• Audiences must define what’s
essential - not companies
• Discover the brand promise that
resonates

4. It’s Time to Stop
Guessing

5. Discover the
Differentiators
• What do audiences believe
about: the category, your
products and your
competitors products?
• Where is the opportunity for
you to build Leadership
Equity?

6. What is
Important?
• Use secondary research to
reveal the issues
• Identify no more than 10-12
factors to evaluate
• Query current stakeholders &
prospects on each factor
• Employ Top 2 and Bottom 2
scoring

7. How is Our
Performance?
• Query audiences about your
performance against the very
same importance factors
• Employ Top 2 and Bottom 2
scoring

8. Controlling for
Neutrality is Key
We use 5 to 1 scoring to create
3 more useful buckets
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Top Two Boxes (4’s and 5’s)5
4
3
2
1 Bottom Two Boxes (1’s and 2’s)

9. We Also Measure
Enthusiasm Bias
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Top Two Boxes (4’s and 5’s)
Bottom Two Boxes (1’s and 2’s)
5
4
3
2
1
Positive bias is determined
by more 5’s than 4’s
Negative bias is determined
by more 4’s than 5’s

10. How Do We Stack
Up?• Rank order Top 2 Importance
scores
• Rank order Top 2 Performance
scores
• Find the holes:
• Where do you perform better than others?
• Do you perform well on factors not
considered important?

11. Messaging Drives
Strategy and
Tactics

12. Core, Formal and
Augmented
Product

13. Deeper Insights -
Stake Claim to
Category Benefit• The leader in air filtration promoted
technical specs
• IPQ showed “cleaner air” most
important
• Brand promise is now a “Power
Brand” positioning: “Get Cleaner
Air”

14. Deeper Insights -
Keep Message,
Modify Operations
• National DesignBuild firm staked claim
to “on-time completion”
• Customers felt otherwise – “switch
plate syndrome”
• Small details now completed before
walk-through

15. Deeper Insights -
Reaching an Elite
Market Segment
• The leading maker of figure skates
couldn’t break into the elite level
market.
• A survey of coaches revealed they
moved their skaters into the skate
they personally competed in -
typically as soon as the skater
advanced to regionals.
• Began including coaches in
product development and other
communication programs.

16. Deeper Insights -
Modify Message
from Features to
Benefits
• A leading mechanical
contractor was proud of their
large fleet
• But customers cared about
responsiveness
• Message shifts to “Rated #1 in
Quick Response”

17. Your Brand
Promise Must
Reach Audiences
Through Every
Channel

18. • Lessons Learned• Importance/Performance
research reveals or reinforces
the essential truth and also
uncovers false beliefs.
• IPQ provides practical insights
into defining value
• Providing quality research
strengthens client relationships.

19. To learn more visit: scgpr