Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
It's not that demographics are passé-far from it. But adifferent kind of market research-the use of anthropologists andsociologists to analyze customer thoughts and behaviors-is makingwaves these days.
Nontraditional market research enlists anthropologists orsociologists to interview your customers, helping you hone futuremarketing campaigns. Why is the concept taking hold? Becausebusiness owners need to know why consumers buy what they do and howmuch they're willing to pay. "It provides deeper insightsinto the mind of the customer," explains Gerald Zaltman, aprofessor of business administration at Harvard Business School inBoston who studies the whys of consumer behavior.
Zaltman knows whereof he speaks. Among other research forclients, he's discovered exactly how women feel aboutpantyhose. He asked respondents to bring him pictures thatrepresented their feelings about pantyhose. (According to Zaltman,it turns out they have a "like-hate" relationship withthe oft-slandered legwear.)
Intrigued? To find anthropologists or sociologists whospecialize in nontraditional research, Zaltman recommends checkingout the American Marketing Association Directory.
Perhaps the most compelling reason to use nontraditional marketresearch instead of just gathering raw data is that it puts yousmack-dab in the middle of your customers' thoughts. And if youwant to sell more products to more clients, that's exactlywhere you need to be.
By The Book
The Yellow Pages may just be the most underrated advertisingmedium around. In fact, it's a golden opportunity to tell aprimed readership what sets your company apart from the rest.
"Most Yellow Pages advertisers miss the mark by saying whothey are instead of what they do," says Tom Frost, a 25-yearadvertising and marketing veteran who owns consulting firm FrostYellow Pages Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin.
Frost recommends asking yourself some crucial questions beforeputting pen to paper for your Yellow Pages ad. For instance:Who's my typical customer? Who's my major competitor? Whyshould somebody call me instead of my competitor? What is the mostimportant benefit my company provides? Is there a service I providethat my competitors aren't advertising?
Your headline should be short-no more than seven words-andimpossible for readers to ignore. Customers want to know what youcan do for them, not your company's history, so don't wastethe space. If your business is well-known, feature its nameprominently in the ad; otherwise, don't make a big deal out ofit.
Most important, put yourself in the customer's shoes.That's not easy for BIZ Experiencess to do, but it's key toreaching buyers. Above all, consider this question: What would makeme call this company?
Bright Ideas
Fashion Police
It's perhaps the most common crime known to mankind: thefashion crime. And in a moment of marketing brilliance, one companydecided to punish the most heinous perpetrators-and promote itselfin the process.
In March of last year, I. Spiewak & Sons Inc., a New YorkCity clothing and industrial uniform manufacturer that makes policejackets, issued citations to fashion violators. Clad in policegarb, company reps handed out tickets for violations ranging from"flagrant use of last year's style" to "repeatedaccessory mismanagement." The two-hour promotion took placebefore a Todd Oldham fashion show; even the celebrities inattendance weren't spared the rod. "Ivana Trump got acitation for hair," recalls Michael Spiewak, company presidentand co-owner.
Was Spiewak concerned the well-meaning stunt would generatenegative publicity? You bet. "Initially, we were worried aboutthe backlash," he admits. "But eventually we decided itwas too silly not to do."
In addition to fashion faux pas citations, a number ofcommendations were handed out. The chosen few? Those clad inSpiewak's own designs, of course.
Contact Sources
Frost Yellow Pages Inc., 2701 Gregory St., Madison, WI 53711,(608) 238-2295;
I. Spiewak & Sons Inc., 505 Eighth Ave., 7th Fl., NewYork, NY 10018, (212) 695-1620, ext. 208.
