Our work
Our work covers clients large and small, from the simple marketing problem to the extremely complex. In each case, we listen carefully to the expressed need and fit the methodology to the purpose, without going overboard on budget and not under-resourcing the project. Our clients wind up highly satisfied and feeling that that their questions have been amply answered.
01 Background
Continental Mills wanted to know whether a new package design for pancake and muffin mixes would enhance sales or not. Using the Nimbus platform, we conducted shopalongs and consumer diaries among monadic shopper groups, followed by a neurometric study, to figure this out.
02 Result
We discovered that appeal and motivation were so high for the current design and so low for the proposed design that launching the new design would cause Continental Mills to lose $19 million in the first year. This helped the company avoid loss and potential embarrassment.
01 Background
Kimberly-Clark wanted to explore which of several diapers packages were most successful at retail among Moms with infant children. They used a Nimbus video shop-along methodology to help them make these discoveries.
02 Result
One package design with Disney characters performed slightly better at attention-getting and promoting positive perceptions of the brand. Kimberly-Clark decision makers moved some of the information on the package to a more prominent position and optimized the color coding of the package based on the results of the shop-alongs. They test-marketed this package and achieved a 22% lift in sales in test stores.
01 Background
For the Listerine brand, we conducted a sophisticated international pricing analysis study involving interactive supermarket shelf sets that explored the lower limit of profitability to the brand when various price reductions scenarios were tried.
02 Result
Since the study found significantly lower returns to deep discounting activity and much higher returns to communicating the high-quality brand properties of Listerine, J&J decision makers avoided committing a costly marketing gaffe.
01 Background
We conducted multi-country research for the HP Photo Paper Division, discovering which packages were most attention-getting at point of sale and most strongly evoked purchase.
02 Result
HP switched to more emotional imagery on the front of the photo paper boxes after discovering through the Nimbus study the emotional imagery had three times the sales power of rational imagery and descriptions of the paper specifications on the front of the box
01 Background
We used dynamic eye tracking in a multi-aisle virtual reality supermarket environment to test for differences in store traffic patterns when “modern” and “traditional” Coke promotional signs were compared.
02 Result
The “traditional” signage attracted significantly more product examinations and purchases than the “modern” signage, and we shared these results with Coke.
01 Background
This luxury hotel brand wanted to know if its print ad campaign showing breathtaking local scenery through the windows of its most elegant rooms in Asian cities was attracting attention and positive response. To let them know, we conducted advanced eye tracking and neural tracking with the ads.
02 Result
The optical/neural tracking confirmed that prospective guests were more focused on the bed and the ad copy describing the bed than anything else, confirming once again that what guests want above all is a good night’s sleep.
Pan Pacific adjusted the campaign to emphasis their newly-introduced high-tech bed, which did in fact provide a more comfy night’s rest.
01 Background
The State of Washington wished to launch a new website for the Employment Security Department called “WorkSource,” and they wanted to optimize elements on the landing page so job seekers could find what they needed smoothly and efficiently. We conducted an eye tracking study for them so they could accomplish this.
02 Result
The study recommended the removal of a number of confusing elements and the repositioning of some elements more critical to the job seekers’ needs. The Washington ESD made corresponding changes in the home page.
01 Background
This nonprofit environmental organization participated with other groups in organizing the “MudUp” campaign to clean up Puget Sound. They wished to optimize their website to improve citizen sign-ups for the clean-up crews. We conducted an eye tracking study to help them optimze these elements.
02 Result
The study discovered that emotional images of parents and kids did far more to attract sign-ups than practical information about convenient times and locations, etc. The Nature Conservancy responded by adding many more such emotional images.
01 Background
We used dynamic eye tracking in a virtual reality supermarket environment to discover which of several instant oatmeal packages attracted the most attention, examination, and purchase.
02 Result
Packages employing heart images, heart-healthy messages, and red-to-pink package colors outperformed other packages, thus reinforcing a key atttribute and brand property for Quaker. We shared these results with Quaker as they debated and discussed new package designs.