Storm12

How including an insights proposal differentiates Marketing Agencies at the pitch stage.

The brief

A property developer in the South of England was preparing to launch a new brand, directed at a young, social and trendy audience, very different from the one they were used to. To get their new division ready to go, the developer invited Storm12, and another creative agency to pitch for the work on the launch campaign and the website. As the conversation went more into depth, Storm12 realised that their client was not completely familiar with this new audience and was open to finding more about them. So, they decided to include market research in their approach to inform their communion strategy and creativity.

Find out more about a new audience

Interviewing 252 people living in London or the South East, with an annual income of £15k or more

What we did

Storm12 got in touch with Sapio Research and together we built the plan and a questionnaire to pin down the new brand’s prospect audience. We wanted to discover what drives the home selection process, the barriers to purchasing a house, whether the builder’s brand has any influence, and the degree of location awareness the public has. In order to do that, we interviewed 252 people living in London or the South East, with an annual income of £15k or more. The survey was sent out to our online panel, and in a week we had our results back.

The outcome

The two creative agencies in the running gave the brand very different approaches. One had a purely creative take on the brief, the other, Storm12, the successful agency, offered more confident decision-making and deeper insights by using external research. The more thought-out pitch won the client.

The insights Storm12 went on to collect ensured their messages resonated with the most relevant audience and they had clear ideas on how the new brand should develop. As an added bonus it also produced a years’ worth of content to help amplify the brand launch.

The proposal supported with deep insights from the research won the pitch

If you’d like to know more about this project, watch our interview with Stefan Buss, Head of Client Service at Storm 12:

‹ Success Stories

Praxis Medicare

Understanding market opportunity for an AI-driven digital healthcare technology solution.

The brief

The start-up Praxis Medicare was looking to understand the market opportunity for a digital healthcare technology solution. Designed to help organisations (particularly SMEs), the system, which is based on historical healthcare data, uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), plus employees’ responses to help minimise absenteeism, improve engagement, increase staff retention levels and attract high calibre members of staff.

The advanced digital health risk analytics programme was awarded a grant by Innovate UK to test its commercial feasibility as it fitted into the Government brief of:

improving patient outcomes
offering new approaches to healthcare that transform its delivery
reducing the demand on the health system

This feasibility project specifically set-out to understand the required tonality of an AI proposition and its resonance if the output was Productivity/Econometrics based or Employee Engagement/Retention focused.

Understanding the market opportunity for a digital healthcare technology solution

A series of exploratory in-depth face-to-face interviews and a quantitative research phase

What we did

A series of exploratory in-depth face-to-face interviews, using professionally developed customer journey stimulus and story boards, were completed to explain the concept and help to understand the potential issues and perceived benefits. This was then complemented by a quantitative research phase to validate the findings and help develop a go-to-market strategy. Particular insight was provided around dashboard UX/tonality, price point analysis and the characteristics that prospects needed to exhibit. All of the interviews were completed with business managers in high churn industries with specific responsibly for HR and talent acquisition.

The outcome

The project gave Praxis the evidence it needed to meet the review criteria of Innovate UK, the insight required to develop the system further and a route map to take the solution to market.

‹ Success Stories

Jungheinrich

Power Buy the Hour - Using audience understanding to get true impact and innovation.

The brief

Jungheinrich, the leading intralogistics solution provider in Europe wanted to understand the market opportunity for an initiative, using the UK as a test bed. It was an entirely new truck acquisition and charging model based on the use of Telematics data; a technology which has the possibility of redefining the short term rental market for Fork Lift Trucks. Project requirements were two fold, not only generating strategic insights, but also forming part of a thought leadership campaign.

Understanding market opportunity

300 interviews with managers and directors responsible for Fork Lift truck fleets

What we did

Working with Jungheinrich to map out and define the challenges, using the principles of design thinking, Sapio designed the project. Sapio completed 300 interviews with managers and directors responsible for Fork Lift truck fleets. The research, which looked at three key principles of innovation: Desirability, Viability and Feasibility, highlighted the issues that would both encourage and inhibit adoption.

The outcome

The research showed how the complex proposition could be broken down, developed and marketed around three key pillars:

Emotional Innovation
Functional Innovation
Process Innovation

It provided a route map that helped Jungheinrich evaluate the opportunity. The report included price point analysis, recommendations on the proposition structure and tactics on taking the product to market. Within the first six months, a new app was created and launch targets smashed. The pilot launch quickly identified internal training requirements, led to business restructuring and redefining of the brand promise. The new proposition was adopted throughout Europe within nine months. An amazingly agile response from a global giant.

Discovery of 3 marketing pillars

Coverage success

The new proposition was received well by market influencers with many pieces of coverage such as in Logistics Manager. The supporting PR campaign was one of the client’s most successful, even before it pitched its Thought Leadership paper.

The insight findings were presented at the Market Research Society (MRS) conference “Driving Transformation Through Insight”. The presentation summarising key findings is available as a download. A White Paper on the research and proposition is available as a PDF report with the findings published by Research Live.

‹ Success Stories

Maths – No Problem!

Enabling a disruptor in Education Publishing.

Sapio research were a brilliant partner for our Electric is Now project, helping us hone the perfect survey to tap into UK consumers’ barriers, motivators and sources of influence when it comes to the purchase of electric vehicles. The resulting report has formed the linchpin of our agency’s new business strategy, with the accompanying launch event generating many leads, one of which has been converted into a piece of new business already!

Hannah Baker
Marketing and New Business Director
Foxtrot Papa Agency

The brief

Maths – No Problem!, a family owned publisher offering a teaching maths for mastery programme consisting of a print, digital and CPD offering, is on the brink of becoming one of the biggest disruptors in its space.

As the only provider to be approved for the Government’s Maths Mastery programme (a £41 million Government investment, match funding mastery textbooks for 8,000 Primary Schools), Maths – No Problem! wanted to fully harness this opportunity, whilst maintaining the integrity of its programme. Maths – No Problem! wanted to understand the competitive landscape, what drives schools to choose its programme, what’s working well and understand areas for potential improvement. Although the feedback needed to be from users, it couldn’t be a conventional customer survey as the users are not yet experts in the new maths system; their opinions needed to viewed from a different perspective as Maths – No Problem! drives programmes that will impact the leaders of tomorrow.

Understanding the competitive landscape, what drives schools to choose its programme, what’s working well and understand areas for potential improvement

Twelve tele-depth interviews

Solution

A phased, mixed methodology was designed which complemented the customer immersion work already being undertaken by the organisation. Twelve tele-depth interviews were conducted with maths leads in new and old accounts that covered a range of primary school demographics. While many findings were expected a number threw a curved ball into the understanding of the competitive landscape. The programme progressed to the quantification stage as planned, but upon reflection of the insights its focus was quite different. There followed 147 online interviews were subsequently conducted online.

The outcome

Not only did the programme produce a raft of insights relevant to product development needs, but insights around platform UX, marketing campaigns and customer service were also identified. The results solidified current thinking and took it way beyond the project’s initial objectives; the qualitative stage alone being credited as being more helpful in terms of strategy development than the outputs of a conventional consultant commissioned a little earlier.

Although the use of the insights is in its early stages, Maths No Problem! is already well on the way to smashing renewal and new business targets, and its Net Promotor Score is outstanding. It’s also won the IPG Independent Publishing Award for Education Publisher of the year 2017 and the disquiet among competitors suggests that it’s a disruptor to be reckoned with.

The Maths — No Problem! Primary Series is now the only recommended textbook for schools on the mastery programme.

The Maths — No Problem! Primary Series is now the only recommended textbook for schools on the mastery programme

‹ Success Stories

Kimberly-Clark Professional

Validating user preference to support new product launch.

The brief

Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create “Exceptional Workplaces”, helping make them healthier, safer and more productive. It manufactures and supplies out of home washroom, industrial wiping and PPE products, and introduces innovations into the market regularly. Although its own work identifies strengths K-CP recognises the power of having independent, objective proof that its products are better than the competition. To support product launches it’s essential that it has robust claims that can withstand legal scrutiny if necessary and be useable in a range of marketing content. Overcome the fact that customers and distributors have been used to using, buying and selling folded towels, and didn’t “think rolled”.

To support product launches with robust claim

Taking desired marketing claims, converting them into consumer research statements, and running them through an analysis framework

What we did

A large scale utility, performance and user preference testing project was designed. This took 200 office and healthcare workers through the process of simulating activities, testing and evaluating 10 separate products covering client and competitor samples, in a hall test environment.

Sapio have developed a pro forma that efficiently takes the desired marketing claims, converts them into consumer research statements, and runs them through an analysis framework. The project planning stage is also streamline and standardised.

As part of the approach Sapio has also devised a way of efficiently setting up and managing the tests with supervisors and interviewers who are trained and familiar with the type of simulations, rotation schemes, respondents and subject area. The approach allows us to deliver the results smoothly within 5 weeks of briefing.

The outcome

The results supported the successful launch of the product at the Cleaning Show 2017 and has since received coverage in highly targeted vertical press such as Cleaning & Maintenance Magazine. They have also formed the basis of proof for sales support collateral including YouTube videos and flyers.

It was the first Category Story, engaging internal and channel stakeholders alike. Kleenex® and Scott® Rolled Hand Towel was their fastest and most effective launch ever, in over 20 countries in 12 languages in just 2 months. The marketing campaign was shortlisted for a B2B marketing award.

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The brief

Find out more about a new audience

Interviewing 252 people living in London or the South East, with an annual income of £15k or more

What we did

The outcome

The proposal supported with deep insights from the research won the pitch

Need help figuring out the research you need?

Topical tips, insights and more delivered to your inbox

Need something similar?

Highlighted services

The brief

Understanding the market opportunity for a digital healthcare technology solution

A series of exploratory in-depth face-to-face interviews and a quantitative research phase

What we did

The outcome

Need help figuring out the research you need?

Topical tips, insights and more delivered to your inbox

Need something similar?

Highlighted services

The brief

Understanding market opportunity

300 interviews with managers and directors responsible for Fork Lift truck fleets

What we did

The outcome

Discovery of 3 marketing pillars

Coverage success

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Topical tips, insights and more delivered to your inbox

Need something similar?

Highlighted services

The brief

Understanding the competitive landscape, what drives schools to choose its programme, what’s working well and understand areas for potential improvement

Twelve tele-depth interviews

Solution

The outcome

The Maths — No Problem! Primary Series is now the only recommended textbook for schools on the mastery programme

Need help figuring out the research you need?

Topical tips, insights and more delivered to your inbox

Need something similar?

Highlighted services

The brief

To support product launches with robust claim

Taking desired marketing claims, converting them into consumer research statements, and running them through an analysis framework

What we did

The outcome

Successful launch of the product

Need help figuring out the research you need?

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