Industry Sectors

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Retail & Catering

We have extensive experience in catering, food and drink research.

 

 

Example projects include:

• researching the design of retail space, including layout, facilities, colour and lighting and branding, through the use of extended creativity focus groups

• researching customer behaviour, through accompanied shopping, behavioural observation and direct in-depth interviews

• testing new catering products and menus, through taste trials, and interviews to assess price sensitivity

• branding and packaging studies.
  

These studies have been undertaken for such clients as:

• Welcome Break

• Eurotunnel

• Lloyd's of London

• The British Potato Council

• Wiltshire Farm Foods.
  

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Leisure & Tourism

Understanding the behaviour and motivations of people in their leisure time requires a more complex approach than most market research.

Examples of the work we have done in this area include:

• an examination of the British public's perceptions of holidaying in one of France's tourism regions, following a major ecological disaster. This study included exploration of changed intentions to visit, factors which could ameliorate perceptions and responses to direct mail advertising

• international demand forecasting for a significant tourism development in the Channel Tunnel area, involving creativity focus group discussions in several European countries

• exploratory research into the motivations behind usage of amusement-arcade games and the potential for ambience improvements and machine developments designed to attract a wider audience.

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Travel & Transport

Our travel and transport experience extends over a period of nearly 20 years.

 

Notable projects during that time have included:

• forecasting demand for car and HGV-carrying services through the Channel Tunnel

• exploring the public reaction to potential new cross-London rail services which would run over parts of the London Underground network

• testing market reactions to new branding ideas for London bus companies and global airlines

• understanding the travel needs of disadvantaged groups, particularly in deprived inner-city metropolitan areas

• appraising the response of the public, hauliers and freight forwarders to new ferry routes and vessels in Scotland.

Past clients in this sector have included:

• Railtrack

• Eurotunnel

• Surrey County Council

• Scottish Office

• Department of Transport

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Financial Services

Our experience in this sector has involved work for some of the major banks, life providers, general insurance companies and credit card providers in the UK.

The subject matter of these research studies has included:

• corporate/brand image

• new product development

• loyalty/switching

• direct mail testing

• advertising testing/tracking.
  

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ICT

 

 

 

Our technology experience takes many different forms, for example:

• researching website formats, portals and search engines in terms of usability and product appeal on a consumer and business-to-business basis
  

• researching IT managers on their purchasing behavior of various IT platforms for Fujitsu-Siemens Computers and testing various associated marketing messages and advertising concepts developed by McCann Erickson
  

• new product development for a provider/developer of SatNav-style product prior to launch for Yeoman Group
  

• industry-wide study of future market opportunities for Siemens Communications.
  

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The Environment

Environmental quality is important to the public, but how can you recognise the value that people place on it?

For this and similar questions, research techniques do exist and we have many years' experience in this complex area:

• understanding residents' and visitors' views on the visual landscape in city centres: helping design aesthetic public spaces

• understanding the value that people place on the preservation of endangered wildlife, particularly where there are conflicts between conservationists, farmers and hunters
  

• incorporating the public's views into forestry investment decisions concerning the recreational and landscape benefits of woodlands.
  

Past clients in this sector have included:

• Scottish Executive

• Forestry Commission.

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