Our Approach to Market Research

We specialize in market research designed to build or improve brand value. Brand research can play an important role during many stages of a brand strategy program. When incorporated into a larger engagement, we weave market research into every stage, to create direction for branding, positioning and marketing strategy, and to ensure an efficient focus on the customer.

First, we determine if our research objectives require a qualitative and/or quantitative method. There are a wide variety of solutions available for each method. We choose the method that will efficiently yield the highest quality results in a timely manner. Where appropriate, we offer our clients options, to best serve the organization’s budget, timeline and strategy.

Next, we determine the best way to reach each unique audience. We consider what will yield the most reliable, high quality research sample.

Finally, when it comes to reporting findings, we provide written presentations and reports. These deliverables are designed to level-set our insights, but can also be retained by organizations for other future uses. Our reports are concise, accessible and easy to understand. We have no mysterious, proprietary methods. Instead, our reporting inspires thoughtful, productive discussion and valuable foundations for future initiatives and studies.

Market Research Services

We incorporate our market research efficiently into branding, positioning or marketing engagements. We also provide research studies as standalone engagements.

A few of our brand research and market research offerings are as follows:

Executive Interviews: Marshall Strategy begins all engagements with interviews among internal executives and stakeholders. This enables us to deliver a complete situation analysis and ensure that the engagement goals are focused on the reality of the organization and its priorities.

Brand Naming: Which name most strongly conveys what we want to say? Which is most believable, relevant, appealing, and differentiating? Which of these factors are most likely to drive trial? Focused research studies create confidence in naming decisions.

Messaging: Early in messaging development we use research to inform development of value propositions. Later, we use it to explore the pros and cons of various approaches. For clients who are already confident in their messaging approach, we can conduct simple checks to ensure each message communicates as intended.

Brand Health & Tracking: Are marketing investments correctly focused on improving awareness or consideration? What are the greatest obstacles for brand success? How well are new branding or advertising programs performing and how can the program be improved going forward? Does the brand have “permission” to enter an adjacent market or category? Who is the competition – another company or a workaround solution? How do brand forces change over time? Tracking studies can be designed to answer these and other critical questions over months and years.

Awareness, Attitudes & Usage: Tracking changing attitudes and usage trends among your target audience can ensure marketing efforts remain relevant. They can also measure awareness and appreciation of the brand’s offerings and value proposition in the mind of target audiences.

Customer Journey: Customer journey research reveals the triggers and decision-making criteria for products and services. It also helps us identify and optimize target audiences for branding and marketing strategies. These findings help us recommend marketing platforms and improve marketing efficiency.

Drive Brand Value with Market Research Insights

Market research methodologies change. Technology makes more forms of market research possible. Audiences become easier to reach, but their attention spans grow shorter. We apply leading research expertise to ensure we design the right approach for each assignment, resulting in the most valuable results. We strive to use the most effective tools for each client and the markets they serve.

We are experts not only in conducting the most appropriate research, but also in interpreting market research and bringing forward the insights that lead to sound, sustainable brand strategy. Understanding the needs, aspirations, and motivations of key audiences establishes a baseline. Sustainable brand strategy can be built from this knowledge and foundation. Through our market research and brand expertise, we help our clients achieve both.