Transcript Riedel Marketing Group

GUIDE TO PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITIES
A Publication of
Riedel
Marketing
Group
2014
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Guide To Private Online
Communities
By A.J. Riedel
A.J. Riedel is Senior Partner and Founder of Riedel
Marketing Group, providing housewares companies
with the market intelligence and consumer insight
they need to make informed decisions.
A.J. has extensive experience with online surveys,
product concept tests, market and competitive
assessments, and home-use tests and has been
managing the HomeTrend Influentials Panel (HIP)
since it’s inception in 2004.
602-840-4948
[email protected]
www.4rmg.com
www.twitter.com/AJRat4RMG
http://www.linkedin.com/company/riedel-marketing-group
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Who Should Read This Guide
 Anyone who is involved in the marketing or development of
housewares products:
• Product managers
• Product Developers and Designers
• Marketing Managers and Directors
• Vice Presidents of Marketing and Product Development
• CMO’s
• Entrepreneurs
• Inventors
 Anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of what
consumers are thinking, doing, and buying.
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Why You Should Read This Guide
 If your company is consumer-centric (or wants to transition
from product-centric to consumer-centric), a private online
community must be part of your marketing, social media, and
product development strategy.
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Why You Should Read This Guide
 If your company is consumer-centric (or wants to transition
from product-centric to consumer-centric), a private online
community must be part of your marketing, social media, and
product development strategy.
 This guide will introduce you to Private Online Communities:
what they are, what they can be used for, the benefits of
establishing and using a POC, the advantages of POC’s over
traditional ad hoc market research, and what you need to
know about the nuts and bolts of building and managing a
POC.
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Table of Contents
Why Are Private Online Communities So Important?
7
What Are Private Online Communities?
11
What Are Private Online Communities Used For?
19
What Are the Benefits of Private Online Communities?
26
Why Use Private Online Communities Instead Of Doing Ad Hoc Market
Research Studies?
37
Why Are Private Online Communities Such A Powerful Tool?
42
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Private Online Community
56
Summary
69
How to Get Started
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WHY ARE PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITIES SO IMPORTANT?
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Why Are Private Online
Communities So Important?
The dramatic growth in use of
technology and social media by
consumers has led to a
corresponding increase in the use
of Private Online Communities
(POC’s) and their acceptance as a
valid research tool.
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Why Are Private Online
Communities So Important?
The dramatic growth in use of
technology and social media by
consumers has led to a
corresponding increase in the use
of Private Online Communities
(POC’s) and their acceptance as a
valid research tool.
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These Communities create
the potential for genuine
dialogue and relationship
building with the people who
buy and use your products.
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Why Are Private Online
Communities So Important?
The dramatic growth in use of
technology and social media by
consumers has led to a
corresponding increase in the use
of Private Online Communities
(POC’s) and their acceptance as a
valid research tool.
Companies who own and use
Private Online Communities
develop better products and
have marketing programs and
packaging that are more
effective.
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These Communities create
the potential for genuine
dialogue and relationship
building with the people who
buy and use your products.
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WHAT ARE PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITIES?
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What Are Private Online
Communities?
Pre-recruited groups of people who
participate in market research
projects and other online activities on
an on-going basis.
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What Are Private Online
Communities?
Pre-recruited groups of people who
participate in market research
projects and other online activities on
an on-going basis.
Built & managed for
use by a single
company.
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What Are Private Online
Communities?
Pre-recruited groups of people who
participate in market research
projects and other online activities on
an on-going basis.
Built & managed for
use by a single
company.
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50 to 500
members.
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What Are Private Online
Communities?
Pre-recruited groups of people who
participate in market research
projects and other online activities on
an on-going basis.
Interactive; Two-way
Built & managed for
use by a single
company.
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50 to 500
members.
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communication
between panel
members and
company.
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What Are Private Online
Communities?
Pre-recruited groups of people who
participate in market research
projects and other online activities on
an on-going basis.
Interactive; Two-way
Built & managed for
use by a single
company.
50 to 500
members.
communication
between panel
members and
company.
Highly engaged
community
members.
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What Are Private Online
Communities?
Pre-recruited groups of people who
participate in market research
projects and other online activities on
an on-going basis.
Interactive; Two-way
Built & managed for
use by a single
company.
50 to 500
members.
Not just for market
research; community
members participate a
variety of activities.
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communication
between panel
members and
company.
Highly engaged
community
members.
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What Types Of Activities Do
Members Participate In?
Chats groups,
bulletin board
discussions &
forums
Online surveys
Product
reviews
Product
testing
eDiaries
Contests
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Mini
Polls
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WHAT CAN PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITIES BE USED FOR?
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What Can Private Online
Communities Be Used For?
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONSUMER
 Learn about consumer habits and
practices
 Discover unmet needs and unsolved
problems
 Find out how consumers shop and
make purchase decisions
 Track customer satisfaction
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What Can Private Online
Communities Be Used For?
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONSUMER
 Learn about consumer habits and
practices
 Discover unmet needs and unsolved
problems
 Find out how consumers shop and
make purchase decisions
 Track customer satisfaction
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







OPTIMIZE ADVERTISING &
PROMOTION
Test taglines
Get feedback on packaging & advertising
copy
Develop marketing plans
Get ideas for social media campaigns
Measure advertising impact
Test alternative ad and promo campaigns
Track brand awareness and perceptions
Get testimonials for ad campaigns
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What Can Private Online
Communities Be Used For?
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONSUMER
 Learn about consumer habits and
practices
 Discover unmet needs and unsolved
problems
 Find out how consumers shop and
make purchase decisions
 Track customer satisfaction
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
 Brainstorm new product ideas








OPTIMIZE ADVERTISING &
PROMOTION
Test taglines
Get feedback on packaging & advertising
copy
Develop marketing plans
Get ideas for social media campaigns
Measure advertising impact
Test alternative ad and promo campaigns
Track brand awareness and perceptions
Get testimonials for ad campaigns
 inspire new features and products


Get feedback on new product ideas
Find out how to improve existing
products
 Get feedback throughout the
development process
 Test new product concepts, prototypes,
and finished products
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Determine volume potential
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What Can Private Online
Communities Be Used For?
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONSUMER
 Learn about consumer habits and
practices
 Discover unmet needs and unsolved
problems
 Find out how consumers shop and
make purchase decisions
 Track customer satisfaction
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
 Brainstorm new product ideas








OPTIMIZE ADVERTISING &
PROMOTION
Test taglines
Get feedback on packaging & advertising
copy
Develop marketing plans
Get ideas for social media campaigns
Measure advertising impact
Test alternative ad and promo campaigns
Track brand awareness and perceptions
Get testimonials for ad campaigns
 inspire new features and products


Get feedback on new product ideas
OPTIMIZE PACKAGING
Find out how to improve existing
 Identify most compelling consumer
products
 Get feedback throughout the
benefit
development process
 Test taglines
 Test new product concepts, prototypes,
and finished products
 Get feedback on copy and graphics
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Determine volume potential
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 Determine best package design
What Can’t Private Online
Communities Be Used For?
Quantitative surveys
If you need to survey a representative
sample of all adults, then the private
panel is of limited value since it most
likely contains only your customers or
those interested in your brand.
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What Can’t Private Online
Communities Be Used For?
Quantitative surveys
If you need to survey a representative
sample of all adults, then the private
panel is of limited value since it most
likely contains only your customers or
those interested in your brand.
Many studies, however, can be
conducted with the community;
it’s not a perfect sample, but
often it is good enough to
provide you with the insight you
need to make informed decisions.
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF
PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITIES?
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You’ll Develop Better Products
You get closer
to your
consumers…
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You’ll Develop Better Products
You get closer
to your
consumers…
Which gives you a
better understanding
of their unmet needs,
unsolved problems,
and biggest
frustrations…
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You’ll Develop Better Products
You get closer
to your
consumers…
Which gives you a
better understanding
of their unmet needs,
unsolved problems,
and biggest
frustrations…
Which leads you to
develop new products that
meet the needs of the
people who will be buying
and using the products…
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You’ll Develop Better Products
You get closer
to your
consumers…
Which gives you a
better understanding
of their unmet needs,
unsolved problems,
and biggest
frustrations…
Which leads you to
develop new products that
meet the needs of the
people who will be buying
and using the products…
Which leads to new
product success!
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You’ll Develop More Effective
Marketing Programs And
Packaging
You get collaborate with
people who will be
buying the product.
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You’ll Develop More Effective
Marketing Programs And
Packaging
You’ll get to collaborate
with people who will be
buying the product.
Which leads to
marketing programs and
packaging that resonate
with consumers and get
them to buy the product
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You’ll Make Better Decisions
Learn
Ask
Ask more
Come to
the right
decision
Learn more
Probe
deeper
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You’ll Make Money and Save Money
When you engage deeply
with your consumers and
delve intensely into what
they are doing, thinking, and
feeling…
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You’ll Make Money and Save Money
When you engage deeply
with your consumers and
delve intensely into what
they are doing, thinking, and
feeling…
…You make sounder,
more strategic
business decisions…
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You’ll Make Money and Save Money
When you engage deeply
with your consumers and
delve intensely into what
they are doing, thinking, and
feeling…
…Decisions that
make money and
save money.
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…You make sounder,
more strategic
business decisions…
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WHY USE PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF
DOING AD HOC MARKET
RESEARCH STUDIES?
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Cheaper Than Ad Hoc Research
You only pay for sample once
when you recruit the community
members for the first time and
then you can use them as many
times as you want for as long as
they remain members.
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Cheaper Than Ad Hoc Research
You only pay for sample once
when you recruit the community
members for the first time and
then you can use them as many
times as you want for as long as
they remain members.
You’ll save 25–35%
versus the price of
traditional online
surveys.
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Faster Than Ad Hoc Research
Traditional ad hoc research
typically takes 4 to 8 weeks
to go from inception to
results.
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Faster Than Ad Hoc Research
Traditional ad hoc research
typically takes 4 to 8 weeks
to go from inception to
results.
With an online
consumer community,
you can get results
within days.
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WHY ARE PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITIES SUCH A
POWERFUL TOOL?
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Thoughtful and Honest Feedback
People join online
communities because they
like to feel involved in
shaping companies and
products for the future and
make a difference.
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Thoughtful and Honest Feedback
People join online
communities because they
like to feel involved in
shaping companies and
products for the future and
make a difference.
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They feel privileged
to be on the panel
and are willing and
anxious to
participate.
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Thoughtful and Honest Feedback
People join online
communities because they
like to feel involved in
shaping companies and
products for the future and
make a difference.
Because it’s their
chance to make their
mark, respondents
offer thoughtful and
honest feedback.
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They feel privileged
to be on the panel
and are willing and
anxious to
participate.
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Rich Deep Insight
You can use a variety of
techniques that enable
you to get closer to your
consumers and
understand them better.
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Rich Deep Insight
You can use a variety of
techniques that enable
you to get closer to your
consumers and
understand them better.
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You can ask questions in
new and engaging ways
which provide you with
more meaningful
findings.
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Rich Deep Insight
You can use a variety of
techniques that enable
you to get closer to your
consumers and
understand them better.
You can identify
problems that
traditional research
might not uncover.
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You can ask questions in
new and engaging ways
which provide you with
more meaningful
findings.
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Enables Iterative Testing
Unlike traditional ad hoc
consumer studies that are
conducted with a sample
purchased from an online
consumer panel supplier…
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Enables Iterative Testing
Unlike traditional ad hoc
consumer studies that are
conducted with a sample
purchased from an online
consumer panel supplier…
…you can conduct
iterative research studies
with the same
participants.
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Drives More Thorough Quantitative
Research Studies
A “pre-quant” online
discussion board or chat
can generate very
helpful directions for
designing your
qualitative survey.
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Drives More Thorough Quantitative
Research Studies
A “pre-quant” online
discussion board or chat
can generate very
helpful directions for
designing your
qualitative survey.
You can test the
questionnaire before
fielding the
quantitative survey.
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Drives More Thorough Quantitative
Research Studies
A “pre-quant” online
discussion board or chat
can generate very
helpful directions for
designing your
qualitative survey.
You can conduct a
post-quant survey to
uncover the why
behind the numbers.
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You can test the
questionnaire before
fielding the
quantitative survey.
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Builds Brand Advocacy
“Communities create potential for
genuine dialogue and relationship
building…if run correctly, these
communities will develop into a
powerful resource that also builds
brand advocacy.”
Michalis Michael, DigitalMR CEO
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Builds Brand Advocacy
“Communities create potential for
genuine dialogue and relationship
building…if run correctly, these
communities will develop into a
powerful resource that also builds
brand advocacy.”
Michalis Michael, DigitalMR CEO
“Consumers have appreciation for the
brands that want their opinion.”
Leah Spokojny, Online Research Strategist at
GutCheck
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HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF
YOUR PRIVATE ONLINE
COMMUNITY
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Keep Community Members
Engaged
The key to having a vibrant
community that yields
meaningful insights is keeping
members engaged.
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Keep Community Members
Engaged
The key to having a vibrant
community that yields
meaningful insights is keeping
members engaged.
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Keeping them
engaged saves you
time and money, so
it deserves a
structured approach.
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Keep Community Members
Engaged
The key to having a vibrant
community that yields
meaningful insights is keeping
members engaged.
Keeping members
engaged begins with
a defined plan for
touchpoints each
month.
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Keeping them
engaged saves you
time and money, so
it deserves a
structured approach.
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Compensate Participants Fairly
You will typically get better
participation and better
information if participants
are fairly compensated…
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Compensate Participants Fairly
You will typically get better
participation and better
information if participants
are fairly compensated…
…But it doesn’t
have to be cash.
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Compensate Participants Fairly
You will typically get better
participation and better
information if participants
are fairly compensated…
…But it doesn’t
have to be cash.
It can be products,
contests,
sweepstakes, gift
cards, etc.
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Tell Community Members What to
Expect
At the outset, members need to
know what they’ve signed up for –
how often you’ll engage with them,
what topics you’ll discuss and so on.
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Encourage Active Participation
Encourage members to post
comments to discussion boards,
engage with other members while onsite, chat with moderators directly, use
Webcams, upload photos and videos
and more.
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Make It Easy to Launch an Activity
Simplify the approval process so that
a group or brand team can launch a
survey or other activity with
minimum paperwork.
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Standardize
Standardize often-repeated types of
studies so that the organization learns
over time what the answers mean.
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Create a Database
Create a database of normative
data for the standardized studies
so that results have greater
value and meaning.
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Charge The Private Panel’s Cost To
A Central Marketing Budget
Individual brands or groups should not
be charged for using the community. If
the studies are “free,” brands are eager
to do as many studies as possible (and
thereby make better decisions).
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SUMMARY
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Summary
 Private Online Communities are extremely valuable tools for
marketers and product developers.
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Summary
 Private Online Communities are extremely valuable tools for
marketers and product developers.
 POC’s are typically cheaper and faster than conducting ad hoc
research studies.
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Summary
 Private Online Communities are extremely valuable tools for
marketers and product developers.
 POC’s are typically cheaper and faster than conducting ad hoc
research studies.
 A POC can be a long-term resource for valuable actionable
consumer insight that will help your company develop better
products and more effective marketing programs and
packaging, make better decisions, make money, and save
money.
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Summary
 Private Online Communities are extremely valuable tools for
marketers and product developers.
 POC’s are typically cheaper and faster than conducting ad hoc
research studies.
 A POC can be a long-term resource for valuable actionable
consumer insight that will help your company develop better
products and more effective marketing programs and
packaging, make better decisions, make money, and save
money.
 If your company is consumer-centric (or wants to transition
from product-centric to consumer-centric), a private online
community must be part of your marketing, social media, and
product development strategy.
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Summary
POC’s can be used to:
 Gain a deeper more thorough understanding of your
consumer
 Optimize advertising and promotional programs to maximize
their effectiveness
 Develop new products that have a higher likelihood of
marketplace success
 Optimize package copy and graphics so that they grab
shoppers’ attention and make them want to buy the product.
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Summary
Private Online Communities are a powerful consumer insight
tool because:
 You get thoughtful and honest feedback
 You’ll gain rich deep insight
 You are able to do iterative testing
 You will be able to do more thorough quantitative research
studies
 You build brand advocacy.
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HOW TO GET STARTED
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How to Get Started
 Before you move forward with building a Private Online
Community, you need to answer two important questions.
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What Do You Want To Use The
Community For?
Is it mainly for the creation and enhancements
of your products or communications? Or is it
for more traditional marketing needs such as
customer segmentation, pricing research, and
purchase habits, usage and attitudes?
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What Do You Want To Use The
Community For?
Is it mainly for the creation and enhancements
of your products or communications? Or is it
for more traditional marketing needs such as
customer segmentation, pricing research, and
purchase habits, usage and attitudes?
What are the
specific
objectives?
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What Do You Want To Use The
Community For?
Is it mainly for the creation and enhancements
of your products or communications? Or is it
for more traditional marketing needs such as
customer segmentation, pricing research, and
purchase habits, usage and attitudes?
What are the
specific
objectives?
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What is the scope in
terms of duration,
geography, size, profile
of participants?
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Should You Build And Manage Your
POC Internally Or Outsource?
If you plan to do less than
100 projects a year, you
should probably
outsource to a research
company with expertise in
private panel
development and
management.
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Should You Build And Manage Your
POC Internally Or Outsource?
If you plan to do less than
100 projects a year, you
should probably
outsource to a research
company with expertise in
private panel
development and
management.
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If you plan to do more
than 100 projects a year,
then building a
professional internal staff
might make sense.
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Considerations if You Decide to Do
It Yourself
Sure you can do it
yourself, but do you
really have the time
or the right people?
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Considerations if You Decide to Do
It Yourself
Sure you can do it
yourself, but do you
really have the time
or the right people?
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You will need to hire people
who really understand the nuts
and bolts of panel management,
sampling, questionnaire design,
coding, tabulation, quality
assurance, data security, and
email deliverability.
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Considerations if You Decide to Do
It Yourself
Sure you can do it
yourself, but do you
really have the time
or the right people?
You will need to invest
in panel management
and survey software.
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You will need to hire people
who really understand the nuts
and bolts of panel management,
sampling, questionnaire design,
coding, tabulation, quality
assurance, data security, and
email deliverability.
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Considerations if You Decide to Do
It Yourself
Sure you can do it
yourself, but do you
really have the time
or the right people?
You will need to invest
in panel management
and survey software.
You will need to hire people
who really understand the nuts
and bolts of panel management,
sampling, questionnaire design,
coding, tabulation, quality
assurance, data security, and
email deliverability.
You will need to assign one
person to be responsible for
scheduling, expediting, and
coordinating with internal
groups or brand teams to keep
research projects moving ahead.
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Benefits of Outsourcing
Purchasing a turnkey
private panel service frees
you up to be the research
consultant within your
organization, rather than
the research mechanic.
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Benefits of Outsourcing
Purchasing a turnkey
private panel service frees
you up to be the research
consultant within your
organization, rather than
the research mechanic.
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You can operate with
minimal staff, since most
of the work is performed
by your private-panel
partner.
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If You Decide to Outsource…
Let Riedel
Marketing Group
build and maintain
your private online
community.
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If You Decide to Outsource…
Let Riedel
Marketing Group
build and maintain
your private online
community.
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We’ll take care of the nuts
and bolts of panel
management, member
recruitment and retention,
sampling, questionnaire
design, tabulation, and
analysis.
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If You Decide to Outsource…
Let Riedel
Marketing Group
build and maintain
your private online
community.
We’ll take care of the nuts
and bolts of panel
management, member
recruitment and retention,
sampling, questionnaire
design, tabulation, and
analysis.
We’ll work closely and
collaboratively with you
to make sure the
community yields the
information and insight
you need.
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If You Decide to Outsource…
Let Riedel
Marketing Group
build and maintain
your private online
community.
We’ll take care of the nuts
and bolts of panel
management, member
recruitment and retention,
sampling, questionnaire
design, tabulation, and
analysis.
We’ll work closely and
collaboratively with you
to make sure the
community yields the
information and insight
you need.
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We have more than
ten years of panel
management
experience.
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If You Decide to Outsource…
Let Riedel
We’ll take care of the nuts
Marketing Group
and bolts of panel
build and maintain
management, member
your private online
recruitment and retention,
community.
sampling, questionnaire
Call or e-mail design,
to get
tabulation, and
started today!
analysis.
602-840-4948
We’ll work closely and
[email protected]
collaboratively with you
We have more than
to make sure the
ten years of panel
community yields the
management
information and insight
experience.
you need.
2014
Riedel Marketing Group
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