MARKETING RESEARCH PRACTICE

Our Services

Familiarity breeds confidence. So, when looking for marketing research companies, it's natural that the first step for clients is to seek out those that know their industry.

Because at the end of the day, the marketing research process is much easier and yields much more insightful results when you're working with someone who speaks the language of your category and doesn't require an education on the dynamics of your industry.
CTPD Management Consultants understands that every industry is unique, with its own set of opportunities and challenges. It's impossible for any marketing research supplier to know everything about every industry, that's why we've chosen to specialize in, and focus our resources on, the industries in which we work the most.
We've built a wealth of knowledge and expertise in these key industries:

• Consumer Products
• Financial Services
• Healthcare
• Insurance
• Pharmaceutical
• Restaurant
• Retail

We use that industry knowledge and understanding as the foundation upon which we design insightful marketing research solutions that help you make strategic business decisions.
Sure, clients look for that industry expertise first, but what keeps our clients coming back and has 98 percent of them willing to recommend us? It's the fact that we're also committed to understanding your specific business challenges, to pushing the thinking to develop actionable research and to providing responsiveness that makes the marketing research process seamless.
Since 2003 we've been providing custom marketing research solutions for clients. And as our expertise will prove, we know where you're coming from and can provide you with the strategic direction to help you get to where you need to go.

Our Approach
One of the major differences between CTPD Management Consultants and many other marketing research firms is the fact that we don't believe in the black box approach to research. We understand that each client and each business challenge is unique, that's why we customize your projects to provide clear direction for your specific questions. In essence, we believe the most insightful, effective marketing research begins with a blank sheet of paper.

We first assemble a team of research experts whose background best matches the needs of your study. We structure the marketing research team to ensure responsiveness, flexibility and speed. Each team is led by your seasoned account executive who remains actively involved throughout each phase of your project.

Our research is designed to gather information that is clearly focused to help you make strategic business decisions. That's why we take the time upfront to truly understand the questions you need to have answered. Then we work with you to identify and outline the project objectives, define the size and source of the survey sample and determine the most appropriate marketing research methodology.
The research design then centers on the action to be taken as a result of the study. This means that the focus is not on the questions being asked, but on the decisions that have to be made. Too often the questions being asked are either not the right questions, or are not tied directly to the critical decision issues.

The study questionnaire is meticulously developed after extensive collaboration with the client. Then it is exposed to rigorous testing and is edited and rewritten until CTPD Management Consultants can guarantee it is the best instrument to gather information to meet the project objectives.

During the data collection phase, whether the data is collected via phone, in-person or online, your studies are continuously monitored by your marketing research team to ensure accuracy. CTPD Management Consultants takes great pride in our aggressive commitment to quality. In fact, other marketing research suppliers regularly utilize CTPD Management Consultants to design and execute data collection for their projects. In an industry where the quality of data is paramount, we consider this the ultimate compliment.
Once collected, we utilize our extensive statistical and analytical expertise to transform the data into clear, concise and actionable information. CTPD Management Consultants' analysts do more than just report the facts; they put results in perspective and provide key marketing insights.

Since they are involved from the start of each project as an integral part of the marketing research team, CTPD Management Consultants’ analysts have a thorough understanding of your research objectives and business issues. They use this understanding and the broad array of analytical tools and techniques at their disposal to provide clear recommendations that help you answer tough business questions.
At the heart of it all, our approach to research is a commitment to a collaborative, seamless process and to building a trusted partnership that delivers more insightful research and added value.
Your marketing research team is also comprised of a seasoned group of project directors, specialists in tabulation, coding, programming, technical production, and data collection. Each expert averages over a decade of experience meaning you can trust our expertise throughout the entire research process.

What's also unique about CTPD Management Consultants is the tenure of our staff. Many have been at CTPD Management Consultants for close to 5 years. And, in fact, our account teams are often the consistent tie to past research for our clients. This not only speaks volumes about the culture of our company, but also about the research quality and wealth of expertise you can expect from us.
At our core, CTPD Management Consultants is committed to building a trusted partnership that pushes the thinking to develop the most insightful research and to removing the research burden from your shoulders by making the process seamless and enjoyable. Because when it's all said and done, we want to make you look good and help your company succeed.
Again, we know everyone talks about great client service, but how do you know who actually delivers on it? Just ask their clients. Here's what ours have to say.

Why CTPD MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

Why should you trust CTPD Management Consultants with your marketing research needs? It's simple really.

We know your industry.

The marketing research process is much easier when you're working with someone who speaks the language of your category and doesn't require an education on the dynamics of your industry.
That's why CTPD Management Consultants has built a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the consumer products, financial services, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceutical, restaurant, and retail industries. Our marketing research experts apply decades of experience and an understanding of current industry trends and issues to develop customized, insightful and actionable research for clients in these key industries.

We take the time to understand your business challenges.

We don't believe in the black box approach to research. We understand that each client and each business challenge is unique. And because unique needs require a custom solution in order for the research to be the most effective, we start each marketing research project with a blank sheet of paper.
While we specialize in product development, consumer insights and Hispanic research solutions, we focus first on truly understanding the questions you need to have answered and from there determine the customized research approach that best fits your needs.

We'll help you push the thinking.

We're not order takers at CTPD Management Consultants, and our clients don't want us to be. We've found that the most creative, insightful research is the result of a collaborative process, where, at times, assumptions may be challenged and suggestions made to ensure the most effective research outcome. We strive to be your strategic partner and to help you not only answer tough business questions, but to also get the most out of your marketing research investment.

We'll build a seamless, enjoyable partnership.

We take client service to heart. Many of CTPD Management Consultants' researchers come from the client-side and understand all too well how it feels to be treated like just another number to their research supplier. Things are different at CTPD Management Consultants. Sure, we have the resources of a larger company and can handle your marketing research projects from start to finish, but we're still small enough to value each and every client.

Our team takes each study very personally and consider themselves part of your marketing research team. They are committed to being responsive and flexible to your needs and to doing whatever it takes every day to deliver quality research that helps you make strategic decisions.

Not only that, our clients like working with us. Why? Because we're easy to work with and they know they can count on us to deliver what we promise, when they need it, each and every time.

What's the end result? A partnership you can trust that delivers more insightful research and added value.

Sure this sounds great, but can we actually prove our claims? With long-term partnerships dating back to our founding in 2003 and over 98 percent of our clients willing to recommend us to colleagues, we think that's a pretty good start
Our marketing research is about getting you results; results that help you take action to solve tough business challenges and make strategic decisions.

That's what everybody says right? How do you know we deliver?
Because we have long-term client partnerships dating back to our founding in 2003 and over 98 percent of our clients are willing to recommend us to colleagues.

Sure that's a good start, but we know what matters most is to show you how we've helped some of our clients and let you see what clients have to say about us.

Since 2003, CTPD Management Consultants has helped consumer and business-to-business clients solve a range of marketing and business challenges by providing insightful, strategic marketing research solutions designed for their specific needs. Our clients trust us with their research needs because we know their industry, take the time to understand their business challenges, and our responsiveness makes the research process seamless.
We specialize in these areas:

Product Development Research

While there's no sure-fire way to ensure product success, marketing research is crucial in providing the consumer understanding and market awareness necessary to make the best strategic and tactical decisions during new product development.
With product development experience dating back to 2003, CTPD Management Consultants can help you understand your market and identify opportunities, generate new product ideas and determine which are most promising, develop products with consumer appeal, and manage your products for sustained growth.

Learn more about our Product Development Research expertise.

Consumer Insights Research

In today's marketplace, the consumer is in charge. And it's the brands that not only understand their consumers, but can also apply that knowledge to develop effective product and marketing strategies that will maximize sales and customer retention.
CTPD Management Consultants' consumer insights solutions can help you do just that. Our experienced research team will develop customized marketing research using tools such as ethnography, segmentation, message testing, online shelf testing, pricing, and customer satisfaction research to help you better understand consumers, their decision-making process and the points at which their purchase behavior can be influenced or changed.

Learn more about our Consumer Insights Research expertise.

CTPD Management Consultants is your trusted full-service marketing research provider. We'll partner with you on your marketing research projects from start to finish including custom research design, quality data collection and accurate, actionable analysis ensuring a seamless process that delivers more insightful research and added value.

But, it's not just the depth of our capabilities and our responsiveness that has 98 percent of our clients willing to recommend us; it's also our aggressive commitment to delivering quality marketing research that yields accurate, actionable results.
In fact, other marketing research suppliers regularly utilize CTPD Management Consultants to design and execute data collection for their projects. In an industry where the quality of data is paramount, we consider this the ultimate compliment.
Our extensive marketing research toolbox includes:

Quantitative Research

Whether it's online research, in-person interviewing or telephone data collection, CTPD Management Consultants can provide a customized solution for your marketing research needs.
With over two million completed online surveys for over 1,500 studies in the past few years, across industries from consumer products to healthcare, CTPD Management Consultants provide one-stop shopping for cost-effective research solutions.
CTPD Management Consultants is well equipped to handle your in-person interviewing needs with a roster of over 200 field agency partners to give you complete geographic flexibility throughout SADC member states. Plus, our stringent quality control measures ensure the highest quality in-person research.

Qualitative Research

Our team of qualitative research experts help you get inside the mind of your customer to find out the hows and whys critical to your success. From ethnography to focus groups and in-depth interviewing, they dedicate themselves to providing the tools and responsiveness necessary to provide a creative, collaborative experience that enhances learning.

Analytical Services

CTPD Management Consultants' highly skilled analysts put marketing research results in perspective and provide clear direction to help guide your business strategies. They are involved from the start of each project to consult on research design and questionnaire development and utilize their extensive quantitative experience, statistical skills and the broad array of analytical tools and techniques at their disposal to deliver the most effective marketing research results.

Consumer Insights Research

Now more than ever, the consumer is in charge. With fragmented media, virtually unlimited choices and a challenging economic environment, it's becoming increasingly difficult to connect with consumers and influence their product or service choices.
Understanding those subconscious, emotional motivations and hidden tensions will allow you to develop messages and communications that resonate with consumers and ultimately build long-lasting relationships and loyalty to your brand.
CTPD Management Consultants' experienced research team can help you better understand consumers, their decision-making process and the points at which their behavior can be influenced or changed.
We can help you:

• Identify unmet needs
• Understand consumer behavior and motivation
• Determine optimal product assortment
• Maximize brand performance
• Enhance shopping or service experience
• Refine communication and promotion strategies
• Improve loyalty and customer retention
• And More!

We have experience providing consumer insights research solutions for a range of industries including consumer products, financial services, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceutical, restaurant, and retail.
Qualitative consumer insights solutions include:

• Ethnography
• Focus groups
• One-on-one interviews
• Online qualitative sessions
• Online bulletin boards

Quantitative consumer insights solutions include:

• Attitude and usage studies
• Purchase driver analysis
• Consumer needs assessment
• Segmentation
• Message testing
• Product testing  
• Online shelf testing  
• Packaging research
• Product line optimization
• Pricing research
• Point of purchase
• Customer satisfaction research

Shopper Insights for Consumer Product Manufacturers and Retailers

CTPD Management Consultants understands that what consumers "say" and what shoppers "do" may often be two different things. That's why CTPD Management Consultants' Shopper Insights services are dedicated to helping manufacturers and retailers understand consumers throughout the purchasing process, from pre-store, to in-store, to point-of-purchase.

As more and more purchase decisions are being made in-store, shopper insights that get you close to the consumer, and help you differentiate, gain competitive advantage and increase loyalty, are critical.

We have extensive experience conducting research for both consumer product manufacturers and retailers. In fact, one of the nation's top retailers has partnered with us for their research needs since our founding in 2003.
We've worked in consumer product categories such as:

• Baby products
• Beverages
• Food products
• Greeting cards
• Household cleaning
• Personal care
• Pet products
• Toys and games

We've worked with retailers in categories such as:

• Apparel
• Convenience store
• Fast food
• Grocery
• Restaurants

Contact CTPD Management Consultants  for more information on Consumer and Shopper Insights Research today!

Product Development Research

Product development is the lifeblood of any business, yet it is one of the most complex, costly and risky endeavors your company will face.
Marketing research, both qualitative and quantitative, plays a crucial role in making the best business decisions throughout product development. That's because a true understanding of consumer wants and needs, and of how your new product could fill those needs in a meaningful way, is at the heart of any product success.

CTPD Management Consultants specializes in product development research and we strive to make the process easier by providing not only the marketing research tools, but also the guidance necessary to get you actionable answers from beginning to end.

CTPD Management Consultants has guided clients throughout product development since 2003. Clients in industries such as consumer products, financial services, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceutical, restaurants, and retail have chosen us for our product development expertise. But it's the trust they have in our knowledge of their industry, our ability to develop creative solutions to their business challenges, and the ease in which they can work with us that keeps them coming back.

Get inside the mind of your customer with qualitative research. By gaining a better understanding of their perceptions and motivations, you'll find out the hows and whys critical to your product development success.
CTPD Management Consultants' team is your trusted resource throughout the qualitative marketing research process, from conception through report delivery. Our experts dedicate themselves to providing the tools and responsiveness necessary to provide a creative, collaborative experience that enhances learning.

Through probing questions and candid discussions, CTPD Management Consultants' qualitative experts can help you:

• Understand consumer feelings about products, tasks and lifestyles
• Gain insights about behavior that consumers may not be able to verbalize
• Benefit from the creativity of consumers
• Attain reactions to advertisements or product concepts

Our methodologies include:

• Ethnography
• Focus Groups
• Mini-Groups
• Concept Labs
• Triads
• Dyads
• In-depth Interviews

But, CTPD Management Consultants isn't content with just standard probing. To provide richer, more insightful results our qualitative team utilizes advanced query techniques such as:

• Sentence Completion
• Perceptual Mapping
• Brainstorming and Idea Generation
• Mind Mapping
• Laddering
• Picture Sorts
• Collages

CTPD Management Consultants also offers non-traditional qualitative research approaches such as:

• Qualitative Sessions
• Bulletin Boards

Contact CTPD Management Consultants for more information on Qualitative Research today!

Message Development

Message development and testing is vital to new product success. It is only with a true understanding of your target market and their wants, needs and motivators, that you can develop product messaging and advertising that is relevant and resonates on an emotional level.
By connecting with your audience in this way you build lasting relationships with your customers which, in turn, increase loyalty and ultimately maximize sales.
Our experts guide you through the message development process using a blend of qualitative and quantitative marketing research tools:

• Consumer Understanding and Definition - Qualitative insights generation, Segmentation
• Message Development and Validation - Concept/white card development, Quantitative validation, Concept/language refinement
• Marketing Plan and Creative Development - Qualitative storyboard, Animatic evaluation, Quantitative concept testing

We typically conduct qualitative marketing research as our initial step in the message development process to explore the experiences, wants and needs of your target audience, their underlying emotions and emotional drivers and also to determine their "language" as it relates to your product, brand or category. This provides a wealth of insight from which to build your concepts/white cards and is also an invaluable resource to leverage during creative development.

CTPD Management Consultants' message development research helps you determine which messages work, which doesn’t and why, so your brand stands out, connects with consumers and communicates in a way that ultimately motivates them to take action.
By integrating qualitative and quantitative findings and applying our marketing research expertise across a variety of categories, CTPD Management Consultants provides insightful recommendations that help you make strategic marketing communications decisions that increase the likelihood of product success.

Contact CTPD Management Consultants  for more information on Message Testing today!

Product Development Research

Once you've identified consumer needs, it's time to brainstorm solutions you can offer. In this phase, it's not uncommon to generate as many as 20-50 ideas which could be combined, refined and turned into testable concepts.
As part of CTPD Management Consultants' collection of product development research services, our concept screening solution can screen those ideas faster and cheaper than traditional methods so you can move forward and test only the ideas that offer the most potential.
CTPD Management Consultants has extensive experience in concept screening design, screening hundreds of concepts each year across product categories including:

• Apparel
• Beverages
• Consumer services
• Convenience stores
• Financial services
• Baby products
• Food products
• Household cleaning
• Personal care
• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter drugs

Concept testing is an integral part of the product development process. The concept must answer the all-important "What's in it for me?" question for the consumer. And, do so in a way that will create consumer excitement and motivate trial, the crucial first step towards lasting product success.
As part of CTPD Management Consultants' collection of product development research services, our concept testing solution can help you determine:

• Category and brand usage
• Purchase intent
• Likes and dislikes
• Purchase frequency
• Stores shopped
• Concept ratings
• Demographics
• And more!

CTPD Management Consultants has extensive experience in concept test design, testing hundreds of concepts each year across product categories including:

• Apparel
• Beverages
• Consumer services
• Convenience stores
• Financial services
• Baby products
• Food products
• Household cleaning
• Personal care

As part of CTPD Management Consultants' collection of product development research services, we can help you:

• Determine competitive advantage
• Determine consumer appeal
• Understand real-world performance
• Identify and test cost reduction strategies
• Determine best performing line extensions
• And more!

CTPD Management Consultants has extensive experience in product testing design and the use of advanced analytical techniques to maximize learning from product testing. We test hundreds of products each year across product categories from food and beverages to personal care and apparel.

Customer Satisfaction

A well-designed customer satisfaction and loyalty program is critical to the success of a brand or company. Whether your goal is to acquire new customers, maintain existing customers or maximize earnings from current customers, CTPD Management Consultants can design satisfaction and loyalty research that provides valuable information to leverage your brand.

Our complete view of customer satisfaction and loyalty measurement includes building a foundation to understand customers, ongoing measurement of satisfaction and development of an action plan to improve satisfaction and loyalty among current customers and to acquire new customers.

• Build a Foundation - Identify the needs of the consumer and understand how well your brand is delivering
• Measure Satisfaction - Monitor the pulse of your brand's performance to detect improvement opportunities and track competitor performance to guide customer acquisition initiatives
• Develop an Action Plan - Identify pathways that can increase satisfaction and loyalty

We have successfully completed a wide range of research projects ranging from those which focus on a specific customer satisfaction issue, to more in-depth research that encompasses the total customer experience.

CTPD Management Consultants can help you with:

• Satisfaction and loyalty key driver analysis
• Customer habits and practices research
• Competitive market/brand positioning research
• Customer or brand experience evaluation
• Customer satisfaction and loyalty tracking programs
• Lost customer research
• Satisfaction and loyalty segmentation research
• Linkage analysis with overall satisfaction and revenue
• Employee and stakeholder satisfaction research

A number of statistical and analytical techniques may be utilized to meet customer satisfaction measurement objectives including:

• Importance/Performance Mapping Analysis
• Gap Analysis
• Brand Mapping
• Customer Value Analysis (CVA)
• Satisfaction/Loyalty Segmentation
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Linkage Analysis

Now more than ever, the consumer is in charge. With fragmented media, virtually unlimited choices and a challenging economic environment, it's becoming increasingly difficult to connect with consumers and influence their product or service choices.

Understanding those subconscious, emotional motivations and hidden tensions will allow you to develop messages and communications that resonate with consumers and ultimately build long-lasting relationships and loyalty to your brand.

CTPD Management Consultants' experienced research team can help you better understand consumers, their decision-making process and the points at which their behavior can be influenced or changed.
We can help you:

• Identify unmet needs
• Understand consumer behavior and motivation
• Determine optimal product assortment
• Maximize brand performance
• Enhance shopping or service experience
• Refine communication and promotion strategies
• Improve loyalty and customer retention
• And More!

We have experience providing consumer insights research solutions for a range of industries including consumer products, financial services, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceutical, restaurant, and retail.
Quantitative consumer insights solutions include:

• Attitude and usage studies
• Purchase driver analysis
• Consumer needs assessment
• Segmentation
• Message testing
• Product testing  
• Online shelf testing
• Packaging research
• Product line optimization
• Pricing research
• Point of purchase
• Customer satisfaction research

Shopper Insights for Consumer Product Manufacturers and Retailers

CTPD Management Consultants understands that what consumers "say" and what shoppers "do" may often be two different things. That's why CTPD Management Consultants' Shopper Insights services are dedicated to helping manufacturers and retailers understand consumers throughout the purchasing process, from pre-store, to in-store, to point-of-purchase.
As more and more purchase decisions are being made in-store, shopper insights that get you close to the consumer, and help you differentiate, gain competitive advantage and increase loyalty, are critical.
We have extensive experience conducting research for both consumer product manufacturers and retailers. In fact, one of the nation's top retailers has partnered with us for their research needs since our founding in 2003.
We've worked in consumer product categories such as:

• Baby products
• Beverages
• Food products
• Greeting cards
• Household cleaning
• Personal care
• Pet products
• Toys and games

We've worked with retailers in categories such as:

• Apparel
• Convenience store
• Fast food
• Grocery
• Restaurants

Contact CTPD Management Consultants for more information on Consumer and Shopper Insights Research today.

Use of ethnography to consumer behavior

What consumers say they do and what they actually do can be very different? That's why it's important to observe consumer behavior as it happens so you can see beyond preconceptions to learn more about the behavior and what may be driving it.
CTPD Management Consultants uses ethnography to gain this understanding. By visiting consumers at home, at work or in the store, we can help you see patterns of behavior in a real-world context.

Our experienced marketing researchers can help you not only understand why consumers do the things they do but also determine how you can use that insight to develop or improve your product offerings.

Ethnography provides rich insight about consumer behavior, yet it is not appropriate for every marketing research objective. CTPD Management Consultants understands when to use ethnographic research and will partner with you to develop the most effective marketing research approach.
Ethnography is ideal for applications including:

• Understanding consumer behavior and attitudes
• Concept and product development
• Developing relevant advertising
• Designing shelf sets
• Understanding market dynamics
• And more!

CTPD Management Consultants has extensive experience conducting ethnographic research. We've worked in categories such as:

• Baby products
• Beverages
• Greeting cards
• Financial services

We've also worked with retailers including convenience stores and groceries.
Contact CTPD Management Consultants  for more information on Ethnography today!

Market Segmentation

The mass market is broken into segments, each with its own special interests, lifestyles and affinity for particular goods and services. Identifying and targeting your product's key segments will typically offer greater profit potential for your product than the general market.
That's why defining and specifically targeting unique market segments are a necessity in today's competitive marketplace.
Successful segmentation helps you understand:

• Specific needs, wants, values of consumers in your market
• Major groups of needs in the market
• What market segments exist
• How segments can be described in terms of behavior and lifestyle characteristics
• How your product/brand is currently positioned in consumers' minds

CTPD Management Consultants has the expertise to carefully craft and execute a market segmentation study that identifies unique ways of slicing your total market into segments to maximize your marketing opportunities.
We have been conducting segmentation studies for over 5 years in categories including:

• Electric utilities
• Entertainment
• Foods including baby/toddler, canned foods, meat products, and condiments/sauces
• Farming
• Insurance
• Medical conditions including asthma, diabetes and osteoporosis
• Nutritional beverages
• Personal care
• Quick service restaurants
• Sports utility vehicles
• Weight loss

Our segmentation research will provide answers that help you:

• Focus marketing efforts for the greatest impact
• Evaluate the cost/benefit of new products
• Aggressively market where the greatest opportunity exists
• Best target your marketing messages
• Evaluate potential marketing strategies

For market segments to be viable, consumers in each segment must be similar in some key aspects, and yet respond differently to variations in the marketing mix than other segments. The segment must also be large enough to be worthwhile and efficiently reachable through targeted marketing efforts. An in-depth understanding of the market, including what consumers want and need, is critical to designing an effective segmentation study. Qualitative research helps identify the right consumer language and is often a crucial building block for the best quantitative interviewing tool.

Once quantitative data is collected, CTPD Management Consultants uses a range of analytical techniques to organize consumers into groups with similar attitudes, needs and desires. The size, demographics and market potential of each segment can then be determined, along with product positioning that could appeal to each one.