Our client wanted to optimise their use of technology at customer contact points in order to deliver a better service and improve business efficiency. Given the complexity of the business objectives, we spent a considerable time talking to key stakeholders to understand the relevant business and technological opportunities and constraints. Quantitative and qualitative research was then conducted among customers with a focus on key subgroups. We delivered several project debriefs, each focusing on a different business area. These were followed by a workshop bringing all key stakeholders together to develop an overall strategy for the business.

Our research has given long term direction for the client, as well as identifying several ‘quick wins’. These quick wins alone have already delivered significant efficiencies to the business which far outweigh the cost of the research.

Our client wanted an insight into what motivated people to switch their Current Account provider and the key points that would drive consideration. It would have been simple to just look at the superficial incentives to move and the barriers that put people off, but we felt this highly unlikely to provide our client with anything new. By carefully considering the research approach and using our expertise in implementation and analysis, we managed to identify a number of underlying issues that drive consumer behavior, but which are rarely articulated by consumers.

Identifying the right audience for the research was crucial We targeted key sub-groups with whatever the most appropriate research method was. This included qualitative group discussions, telephone depth interviews, quantitative phone interviews and staff interviews.

Pulling the elements together allowed us to build an all-round 360° view of the market. The research identified the business potential of a number of alternative switcher propositions and our conclusions drove the communication strategy in terms of timing, media channel, headline message, secondary messages and tone of voice.

Our client wanted a better understanding of the term ‘advice’- what it meant to consumers, the circumstances under which they required advice and the way they’d like it delivered.

Given the relevance of regulatory issues to this project, an in-depth understanding of the financial services market was essential. We undertook qualitative group discussions (face-to-face and online), quantitative consumer research (online and by phone) and depth interviews with people in the market for specific financial products. Tight internal client deadlines meant that we adopted a flexible approach to reporting, feeding back our findings on a daily basis. As a result, timings that had originally seemed nigh on impossible to meet were met with time to spare. We identified key issues with our client’s current sales models, linked consumer needs to their existing customer segmentation and gave clear guidance on how, when and if they needed to address regulatory issues.