The ARG Research Plan

Through almost twenty years of conducting interviews for marketing research studies, ARG has found that customers are the same whether they are for business-to-business products, business and consumer services or consumer products. Asking the right combination of open ended questions during the interviewing process provides tremendous insight into consumer minds.

The following list provides examples of what can be obtained using the ARG research process, and how they can be applied in a comprehensive marketing plan. To learn how to become a client, please see Six Steps to a Winning Strategy.

Market Overview

• The best type of advertising mediums and marketing image to build dominance
• What advertising messages will drive consumers to switch
• Why do people shop more than one source
• Why are some sources more preferred

Client

• How do customers and potential customers view the client
• Rate the client vs competition, overall, image, distribution channels, etc
• Do they like or dislike client and what are the likes/dislikes
• How loyal are the customers and why do they buy/don't buy
• Impact of the present image on growth potential

Competition

• Who is the real competition
• What level of opposition do competitors pose
• Common characteristics in the customers of the key competitors
• Customer and non-customer perception of a specific competitor
• Profile of the competitor customer
• What specific predatory, offensive and defensive strategy to use against a competitor

Merchandising

• Which brands are important per product category
• What is the shopper share and closing rate
• What product needs to be merchandised and advertised, and how
• Market share per product/product line
• Anticipated purchases for selected products

Product

• Identify demand points for new products
• Which features of a product or service need changing and why

Marketing

• Best potential consumers to target
• Which image area must be improved
• Which promotions will maximize sales
• Which price image will maximize sales

Advertising

• Which advertising medium will impact the customers and how much
• Which advertising medium must be increased to improve advertising impact
• Most effective media buying

Point by Point Marketing Plan with Specific Recommendations For:

• Marketing strategy
• Advertising budget allocation
• Ideal store size/configuration and layout
• Merchandising strategy
• Pricing strategy
• Policies to be improved
• Dollar sales potential
• Market share potential

How Can we help you? To request more specific imformation on ARG's consumer research and marketing strategy services, fill out this form.