Research

Research is the secret behind ever successful marketing strategy and important business decision.

What is a Brand?

There’s a lot of talk about a company and its “brand” these days, and lots of money being spent trying to do what people call “branding.” One recent article pointed out that all marketing, especially advertising, works to enhance or modify brand image. But, what is “brand” in the case of a manufacturer? Is the […]

Manufacturer Brief: How COVID-19 Changed the Way Architects Get Product Information

AIM Study Reveals Data-driven Insights on How Architects Get Information During the COVID-19 Pandemic Globally, COVID-19 has disrupted everyday life, bringing drastic changes to the way business is conducted. The complexity of the pandemic and its response has impacted the economy in many different ways, creating a gap between “essential” and “non-essential” businesses. So, what […]

Manufacturer Brief: How COVID-19 Changed the way Facility Managers Get Product Information

AIM Study Reveals Insights of Shift Prompted by COVID-19 Environment on How Facility Managers Get Product Information The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic changes not only in everyday life, but also for the business of managing facilities with lasting effects. The issues are more complex than staying safe and working remotely. And essential businesses […]

Manufacturer Brief: How COVID-19 Changed the way Engineers get Product Information

What Manufacturers Need to Know About How Engineering Firms are Navigating the COVID-19 Environment When They Launch Products   If you are a manufacturer, what’s up with your sales representatives calling on engineers these days? Accountability Information Management, Inc. (AIM) is a leading B2B marketing research company and wanted to find out. There’s no doubt […]

Examining ADA Restroom Requirements

Examining ADA Restroom Requirements: The foundation for accessible design

Universal design. Accessible design. ADA design. These terms all convey images of unattractive, institutional spaces. Yet, they are vital to life, and so are the people that design, operate, and maintain these spaces we rely on for our daily life. Accessible public restrooms are integral for any commercial space and are not just for the […]

How to Penetrate the Commercial Wall-Hung Vanities Market

Tapping the true potential for any market is part science, part art. In the end, the decision on a go/no-go decision into a market rests on the accuracy of calculations of market size and overall business potential. The real essence of a market strategy for a product manufacturer deciding to enter a market, however, is […]

What Building Products Manufacturers Need to Know About Smart Buildings

By Maria Lester, LEED AP The building construction industry touches every part of our lives – from our homes, schools and workplaces, to our community spaces and general infrastructure. Beyond doubt, connecting the technology infrastructure to the physical spaces and buildings where we work and live can deliver significant benefits – managing the use of […]

What are the Product Attributes Your Customers are Buying?

Nielsen is a smart company. They study a lot of things. Then they use their studies to draw conclusions. In a recent article – “WHEN IT COMES TO SEARCHING FOR FMCG GROWTH, PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES SHOW THE WAY” – they point out that “Knowing which lever to pull to attract, engage and maintain customers has never […]

Is Your Fake News Meter Working?

Journalism, ‘Fake News’ & Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training is an awesome 128 page publication. Published in 2018 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), it seeks to serve as an” internationally-relevant model curriculum, open to adoption or adaptation, which responds to the emerging global problem of disinformation that confronts […]

Cold Calling Gets Hot

On average @gordontredgold says it takes 17 cold calls before you connect to a live person and have a conversion. What’s your average? He goes on to say that only six percent of calls lead to a conversation. So, perseverance and persistence are keys of being successful. He says that he made 3025 calls, that […]

What Does Fashion Have to Do with a B2B Business?

One of the problems B2B marketers face is being pigeon holed. This is when we sit at our desks and make beautiful spreadsheets into neat categories – categories that often fail to reflect actual complexities in business transactions that involve two- and often three-step distribution. One of the ways around this is to step outside […]

Social Media as a Weapon in the Information War

Let’s face it: we’re in an information war. The prize? Time. Consumption of information has never been higher. But what if social media were used as a tool for this information war? What if social media were used to spread messages – including propaganda – to not only fight within this war, but win battles? As more and more people enter the war, persuasion remains a decisive factor in fighting it, and social media is the battleground. And that’s just what is happening all around us.

Turning Data Into Insights for Competitive Advantages

According to the authors, data and analytics allow companies to tap feedback and offer tactics to improve their customer engagement and, therefore, satisfaction. The good news is that B2B companies are gaining the most benefits from this shift because they share data with customers in a way that directly strengthens their relationship. In other words, it is better to give than receive. This MIT 23 report tells you all about it.

Packaging and Your Place on the Shelf: Or, What Is Really a Shelf Anyway?

People are social animals, and social animals need other animals if they are going to be social. And while we aren’t arguing with the convenience of online shopping (thanks to Amazon who continues to lose money despite its valuations), you can’t really touch a product on a computer – yet. And until you can, people will want to “get out of the house.” Sure, meals may be going up, but shopping isn’t going away anytime soon.

How to Understand the Future of Customer Service

Download Deloitte’s third survey of global contact centers representing more than 450 contact centers here. Among other things, the report says that chat and messaging is expected to grow from 6 to 16 percent, and that voice is expected to remain the most prominent channel for customer interaction, but will likely fall. I think we […]

How Often do You Check Your Phone?

Tick tock, tick tock. Many millennials haven’t gone more than five hours without checking social media according to eMarketer who cites a new study from Qualtrics, a research company that offers Qualtrics Experience Management products and Accel, a venture capital firm. They also found that 42% of millennial respondents said they hadn’t lasted five hours […]

People-Based Marketing Report

This 37-pager based on people-based marketing is from bounceX. It discusses the future of shopping, and how interpreting and reacting to the digital body language of website visitors is going to be central to success. In theory, they are trying to bring intimacy of a brick and mortar store experience to every aspect of a […]

Magic Carpet Ride

Alibaba does not allow third parties to track its sales conversion information. In fact, tracking data on Alibaba is only accessible to companies that sign up to use its Alimama tech stack.  eMarketer says Alibaba will account for 31.9 percent of digital ad revenues in China this year. Alibaba expects revenues to grow between 45% […]

Crystal Ball and the Customer

“Dynamics That Will Shape The Future In The Age Of The Customer” is a 24 pager from Forrester that you can download here. Among the insights are: A prediction that one-third of companies in the B2C space will begin changing their business structure this year. Trust has now become the currency of business. And outline […]