Communications For Research, Inc.

01/2012

A CUP of Research

When I came across an article named, ‘the 20 worst named tech products,’ I was instantly curious.  Reading through the article, I was thinking of how many products fail and wondered if I had ever heard of them.  Each of these products has respectfully failed miserably in their own way but what preventive maintenance could have been used?  Simple steps were missed – the biggest being MARKETING RESEARCH!!!!

A multi-gazillion dollar company will spend all the money to manufacture, test and market a product but not concentrate on the research for a suitable name?  It mentioned in the article the importance Americans place on a name; specifically brand names.  Most of these companies are based elsewhere but with a thriving technology market available in the US this may need some more thought on their end.

Marketing research provides the tools for this type of preventative maintenance.  With the amount of cash flow spent creating a new product from conceptualization to release, a small percentage allotted for marketing research could save face, fortunes and products - all this just by asking a few opinion questions.  Being a budget driven industry, marketing research is usually the first expense cut from the production process.  Is this really a good idea?  In this case not so much…

To all developers, inventors and companies with the next ‘big thing,’ take a step back and think – “Is there really a market for what I’ve got?”  Get out there and ask the consumer.  After all they are the ones who will make or break what a producer has to offer.  Try a CUP of research; you might be surprised just what can be tasted.

- Nathan

12/2011

The Mad Hatter

Anyone involved with research knows what it means to wear many hats. This phrase springs from the necessity and ability to take on many positions. A veteran market researcher acts like a chameleon, blending into any task.

What hats do you wear?

Personally I bob and weave between business development, marketing, graphic design and project management.

Constant change mixed with new endeavors each day keeps research separate from mundane fields of work. Traveling and meeting others in the research field only adds to the idea of multiple positions held by one individual. Discussing this topic shows a common idea being that each person is brought in for one specific reason. That reason then unfolds, expands and blows up into a fully customized model market researcher.

Between the craziness and the multitasking, it is nice to know that a research professional can continue to shape his or her roll within the industry, growing from one position into an endless possibility of others.

- Nathan

11/2011

An event to remember.

Exhaustedly returning to Lambert St. Louis Airport, I found myself replaying The Market Research Event (TMRE) over and over like a short film in my head. What a film - it was an action packed whirlwind thriller of networking and industry information not to be missed.

Having been the largest event of the year, research professionals and vendors filled the halls of the vast conference space at The Peabody hotel - a feat in itself!

The speakers and break out sessions helped answer some of the questions on what’s to come for research and how to prepare. With new technologies emerging, companies are looking to expand services to stay at the front line as research providers. Social media and advance techniques like neural science research are growing in popularity. Keynote speakers stressed highly on adapting to these changes and how to cope with emerging technologies and use them to our advantage.

It was great seeing everyone I had previously met and meeting those I hadn’t. I look forward to the next event and seeing you all again soon!

- Nathan

11/2011

Welcome to the main event!

With The Market Research Event (TMRE) swiftly approaching, gears are set in motion. Ticket purchasing and dry cleaning blur by as a sense of wonder sets in; anticipation to experience what’s to come.

Every year there is one event everyone is ‘buzzing’ about. From conference to conference it spreads like wildfire building hype. TMRE is proving to be ‘that’ do not miss event of the year. With the ever-growing attendance and great roster of speakers, it should be a spectacle and one to remember.

Looking back on previous events- it is hard to judge what exactly is to be expected. Each has unique surprises that create lasting impressions. It is exciting to think what surprises THRE will provide. The only way to know is to attend with a goal and an open mind. From the industry ‘buzz’ to the slew of literature, TMRE is expected to be great!

I look forward to reconnecting with those I have met and connecting with those I haven’t.

- Nathan

09/2011

Thinking back: 2011 AMA Research and Strategy Summit

The 2011 AMA Research and Strategy Summit has come and gone. It was a great opportunity to meet others and learn about the forecasted future of the research industry. We heard from industry leaders and company representatives about where they see research in five or ten years. The underlying ideas were the steps into social media and taking consultative roles.

On the minds of research companies are the movements into social research. This is utilizing social media sites as vast pools of information. Gathering this information is just half the battle. Understanding how to use the information is the hardest part. The thought of social networking for passive research is like trying to harness a bomb. Not knowing when it will explode and gain industry acceptance is keeping traditional method collectors at a distance. All we can do is wait and see where social research will go.

CFR has been growing as an industry leader in data collection. It is the knowledge of methodologies that allow us to partner with and help our clients. It is a role we naturally accept and perform. This sets us apart from others by personalizing the client/vendor relationship. The necessity of being a consultative business was addressed by Jeff Mercer, Director of Market Research for Microsoft. He endorsed the way we have been doing business for some time now. Helping a client besides directing a client. This results in faster and more quality production of data.

Overall the AMA Research and Strategy Summit was a success. Thank you to all individuals I met and to those who put on a great conference. I look forward to growing professionally with each of you and seeing you at The Market Research Event in November.

- Nathan

09/2011

Real Social Networking

Preparing for the AMA Research and Strategy Summit in Orlando, one thing comes to mind: what can be expected? Typically a conference is geared towards advancement in industry, catching up on what is working for others and the future of business. A buzz fills the venue with talk of business advancement and personal motivation. This ‘buzz’ is contagious to all those exposed, loosening up the daily trend of computers and neckties allowing people to relax and co-mingle with the same goal. The goal: networking and exposure for their company.

In the business development field, the more people you know and the more that know you, the better. Even the smallest contact with someone can spark a fire that could blaze on for years. Attending an event where everyone is there for the same thing makes the connection process easier. Cold calling is eliminated and personal interaction comes into play. This is a common understanding and a draw to each conference, being a stage for development.

Looking forward to meeting others and exposing CFR to a new audience has my development gears in motion. With this in mind I have my personal answer to what can be expected at the AMA Research and Strategy Summit:

What’s not to be expected.


- See you there!


 

07/2011

Growing CFR

CFR set out a year ago to revitalize by rebranding the company. The revitalization included a new logo, new tagline and new website. CFR now has a new modern look which expresses who we are. During the process of rebranding, it became clear that CFR needed a new team member who will expand the company and capitalize on the new look created by the marketing team. Thus the creation of a new team member: Business Development Manager.

The individual to fill the position of the Business Development Manager will assist in taking CFR to the next level in marketing research. The individual will uphold the values of CFR by working to focus on building new relationships with other businesses and individuals. The representative will have a high level of autonomy and responsibility for assisting with CFR reaching its goals. The CFR management team is committed to training this individual to learn about CFR and its values.

Nathan Growcock is our Business Development Manager. Nathan joins the CFR team with great enthusiasm for growing the company and making new contacts. He is looking forward to attending the American Marketing Association’s Marketing Research Conference and “The Market Research Event 2011” this fall to meet new people and learn more about the industry. Nathan is looking to uphold the CFR core value of personal service through individual contact with new and existing clients. For more information about CFR or a bid, contact Nathan Growcock at 573-944-6330.

2/2011

CFR Tagline: Who we are and What we offer clients

At our core CFR is a marketing research company that primarily provides data collection to a multitude of clients. We eat, sleep, and breathe marketing research, and we strive to do it in the best possible way we can. So, in one line we summed up the identity of this company to have it be representative of both who we are and what we offer to clients. That is our tagline...

Adaptive. Experienced. Valuable. Providing Research Solutions.

CFR is Adaptive. Since 1997, the marketing research industry has grossly changed and evolved in methodologies, technologies, and in how customers interact with companies. Our company has grown with these trends. In the recent past, new work has growingly been done in online surveys and the arcane server towers that sat in our office have been replaced by a server that operates on a cloud. This change is not something CFR is afraid of facilitating and optimizing. Our continual growth and adaptation to market demands helps sustain our competitive advantage in the marketing research industry.

When a prospective or current client asks a question of how to do something or has a problem with a certain project or study, we either have or quickly find answers. Each client has instant access to their project manager or top management and can communicate issues to someone who actually cares about fixing the problem with them. Our project managers and managers all work together and combine their experiences to solve difficult problems. We expect open communication between CFR and clients. If we make a mistake, we will fix it, make it right, and communicate with the client. This helps us establish great relationships with the companies and people we work with.

CFR is Experienced. The founder and president of our company, Jim Steber, has over twenty years experience in the industry. Each of the top managers has been with CFR for over ten years. The project management team has over twenty years experience with CFR. These people are professionals with extensive expertise in marketing research. We can provide expertise, point of view, and solutions to difficult research problems clients face. CFR has done so many types of research with different methods and demands of both clients and customers that we are confident in our ability to complete any project right. We are not experienced in the way that makes us arrogant or makes us think we know it all. We are experienced enough to know we have to constantly learn, ask the right questions, and never settle for only what worked last time. This means real quality service for our clients.

CFR is Valuable. CFR’s value is difficult to quantify. Our company is designed around providing absolute excellence in quality of information and service to clients in an astonishingly efficient manner. We do not charge a premium for our quality or find ways to cut costs by reducing our standards. Instead we believe that by doing business right, acting with integrity, and not settling for sub-par results, we will create professional relationships that will benefit both us and our clients long term. CFR knows how to maximize value of a project whether that be a few hundred dollar project or a million dollar project. The only way to truly understand our value is to work with us.

CFR combines being Adaptive, Experienced, and Valuable to provide research solutions to each client on every project.