Line of business

Market research

With the whole range of our market research methods we provide accurate and credible information about the market, the tendencies, the products, the members of the market as well as about the observed or prognosticable changes of the demand and supply factors. As a member of the Ipsos Group we fulfil market research orders involving any countries or regions. We have significant experience in researches involving several Eastern and Central European countries.

The market research group of Ipsos Insitute, which had been established for studying the market of products and services, became an individual market research department in 1995. By that time this kind of research had become a decisive field within the company’s activities as far as revenues, number of researches conducted and the complexity of the clientele are concerned. Nowadays 70% of our annual turnover comes from market research activity thanks to the trust of our several hundred Clients. Within the market research department several research groups operate currently due to the increasingly sophisticated market demands and the versatility of orders which forced us to undergo specialization.

The Qualitative research section was established in 1998. Almost all employees in this section hold a degree in psychology that is completed with degrees in economy, sociology and cultural anthropology. The section conducts several hundred focus groups and in-depth interviews in a year. Beside the ‘classic’ market research orders – which add up to the majority of the work – we conduct qualitative media as well as qualitative sociological and political research all over the country. We have a modern qualitative studio in Budapest. Some of our new and unique qualitative research products are: Trend Observer, which was developed by the Ipsos Group, Krisis, which is focus group research with a new approach, and S4P: corporate communication and satisfaction research developed by Ipsos Insitute.

Since 1998 the number of satisfaction researches has grown significantly and as a result of this a Loyalty section was established. We conduct continuous tracking satisfaction research for our Clients as well as single researches first of all in the field of services and the car industry.

In line with the world-structure within the Ipsos Group we, too, established the ASI-Group in 2003 which is responsible for advertising research. This research section performs complex advertising tracking as well as pre and post-testing using the branded research products developed by Ipsos-ASI (USA).

We provide our Clients operating in FMCG with research methods, developed by Ipsos, supporting brand building, product development and product launch.

Due to the research specialization described above we are able to serve our Clients at each phase of their activity either at the launching of a product, brand building, developing, communication, advertising campaign or improving a company’s image or reputation.

Our work is characterised by a combination of applying standardized methods and approaching Clients’ needs in a flexible way. We widely use the branded products developed by the Ipsos Group which provide international standards, but can be adapted to individual needs as well. When planning a research we always take the specific expectations of our Clients into consideration and, if needed, we apply individual methods.

Due to our widespread international relationships we are able to conduct international researches involving more countries in a standardized way. We perform research coordination involving more countries characteristically for our Clients in Central and Eastern Europe. This coordination covers the whole research process starting from the setting up of the standardized and locally adapted questionnaire through the data collection to the comparative analysis.

Marketing researches

We are able to serve our Clients at each phase of their activity either at the launching of a product, brand building, developing, communication, advertising campaign or improving a company’s image or reputation.

Major research areas:

  • Concept tests.
  • Product tests, flavour tests.
  • Packing tests.
  • Price elasticity tests.
  • U&A, consumer habits, life-style researches.
  • Brand awareness and image.
  • Corporate image, sponsorship.


Concept tests

Successful business requires strong, creative ideas that are competitive with those of the competitors or even better than those. At the same time it is also important that the implementation of these ideas should be a fast, safe and cost effective process by the end of which weak ideas fall and only the best concepts remain.

With Concept Evolution, member of the Ipsos Evolution product range, the process of elaborating the concepts can be supported in two ways.

1. We help in a cost effective way to decide which concepts are weak and need to be rejected and which are strong and worth keeping, developing and elaborating.

2. With our method we can contribute to the process of developing and elaborating the winning concept(s) by revealing the strengths and weaknesses of the ideas, defining the directions of development and presenting the possible positioning.

We analyze the results in comparison with our international database.

Flavour test, packing test or price test can also be part of the concept tests.

Product tests, flavour test

The elaboration of successful concepts is followed by the actual implementation. First of all our Clients working in FMCG turn to us with the request to put their product to a last test before entering the market.

The most frequent form of product tests is the blind test. The object of the blind test can be any product about which the sense of taste, smell or touch, i.e. direct experience can be of decisive importance. These are first of all food, cosmetics and body care products (soap, shower gel, body lotion, perfume) or household detergents (e.g. softener, dishwashing gel, cleaning supplies).

Ipsos Insitute has gained extensive experience of product and flavour tests during the last years. These researches are usually conducted by two methods:

In-hall research, when respondents meet the stimulus material on a centralized research spot under controlled circumstances. We recommend using this method if each respondent should evaluate the test product under the same conditions and it is also a fast method, which is a further advantage.

In-home product test, when the respondent tries the test product under real, in-home circumstances and shares their opinion in form of a self-completing questionnaire or face-to-face during a follow-up visit. We recommend using this method if the presentation of the test product is difficult in a centralized environment or if we would like to know the individual experience of the usage.

Product and flavour tests can be implemented as single researches or part of a bigger research combined with concept, packing or price test.

Packing tests

Many decisions concerning purchase are made in the shop. Our researches prove that consumers spend only few seconds with looking over the shelves, they see only two thirds of the products displayed there and take a good look only at a fraction of them. 25% of the sales growth arise from the change of the product packing which was recognized by the consumers, too.

Pack Evolution of the Ipsos Group is a member of the Evolution product range. It tests packing form three points of view:

What impression does the product make on the shop shelf? How much attention does it draw? To what extent could it be associated with the brand?

How persuasive the packing is? Does it persuade consumers to buy the tested product and not the competitors?

What is the consumers’ opinion about the packing and the product? What are the liked and the disliked elements of the packing? To what extent does the packing fit the brand and how does it influence the brand image?

The method can be used for the individual testing of a packing within the given market environment or for the comparison of several packing concepts.

Pack Evolution can be applied as a single research, but also part of a bigger research, i.e. a concept test.

Price elasticity tests

Determination of product and service prices is a crucial area where no mistake is allowed. The market is constantly changing, number of competitors keeps increasing and consumers are always ready to switch or draw back.

Price Evolution offers solid and efficient solutions for the problems of pricing and answers the following questions:

In the case of a new product:

  • What is going to be the optimal price of my product?
  • What kind of demand can I expect at various prices?
  • How much more would consumers pay for some extra services?

In the case of rebuilding an existing brand:

  • How would a 10% price increase/reduction affect my sales?
  • If I change my prices, which of my competitors would gain/lose market share?

In the case of market changes:

  • How would my sales be affected if my competitors reduced their prices?
  • How sensitive are consumers to prices in this market?
  • How would my brand or the market be affected if the number of my competitors grew?

Price Evolution can be applied as a single research, but also part of a bigger research, i.e. a concept test.

Brand awareness and image

Products and services become recognizable and distinguishable through their brand name and logo. This recognition evokes a chain of thoughts, pictures, feelings and emotions in consumers and determines their positive or negative attitudes towards the given product or service.

According to our experience brands with higher Brand Equity are much more successful, since:

  • they are less harmful to the marketing activity of their competitors,
  • consumers react more sensitively to the company’s own marketing activity,
  • they can sell their product at a higher price,
  • they have more loyal clients than brands with lower Brand Equity,
  • they can reach bigger market share and gain higher profit.

 

We assist our Clients in brand building with our Equity Builder product which we recommend using before the development of a long-term marketing strategy as well as to create a basis for each marketing plan or new advertising campaign.

Corporate image, sponsorship

Social presence and sponsorship of a company can influence its image and social judgement significantly and the importance of these activities is increasing with the strengthening of the civil society.

From the point of view of sponsorship efficiency the determination of the aims to support is of key importance. The preferences of corporate decision-makers may not appropriately support the building of the company image.

With our researches we have assisted our Clients for years in monitoring their companies’ reputation and image and in elaborating the most efficient sponsorship strategy.

Consumer Satisfaction Barometer

Using the data gained during the research a consumer satisfaction barometer can be drawn up that measures the consumers’ satisfaction with the service with special emphasis on the factors influencing it. Beyond the detailed indices a Combined Satisfaction Index is available to the management.

Our Consumer Satisfaction Barometer research uses an exceptionally sophisticated methodology. We use multivariate analysis to enumerate the importance of different criteria and expectations, from a general satisfaction point of view, their impact on that and their interrelationship.

We can create relationship between the following dimensions:

  • satisfaction with the service and loyalty to it,
  • consumer satisfaction and recommending  the service to others,
  • satisfaction with the service and loyalty to the service provider,
  • consumer satisfaction and recommending the service provider to others.


Complementary elements:

  • Preliminary qualitative research among those using the service.
  • Creation of a verbatim module.
  • Setting out the Satisfaction Index.
  • Drawing up quality enhancing measures.
  • Integrating the research results with the so called Navigator software.

Satisfaction for Performance® - S4P®

Efficient tool, developed by Ipsos Insitute, for measuring corporate satisfaction and communication. Workplace satisfaction research with a new approach.

Methodology

We have developed it as a combined and complementary application of both qualitative and quantitative methods.

The principle of the method is based on the fact that the most essential element of such researches is communication.

Objectives of the method:

  • It provides participants with an opportunity for communication.
  • It is a tool for the management that helps to establish corporate communication.
  • It indicates the state of the corporate satisfaction with numerical indicators.
  • Besides revealing the problems it helps to create an action plan containing the necessary steps.


 he novelty of the method is that we involve the Client in the interpretation of the results and each phase of the work is under control.

Concept Evolution™

Successful business requires strong, creative ideas that are competitive with those of the competitors or even better than those. At the same time it is also important that the implementation of these ideas should be a fast, safe and cost effective process by the end of which weak ideas fall and only the best concepts remain.

Concept Evolution™ is an element of the Ipsos Evolution product family.

With the aid of this tool the process of elaborating the concepts can be supported in two ways:

We help in a cost effective way to decide which concepts are weak and need to be rejected and which are strong and worth keeping, developing and elaborating.

With our method we can contribute to the process of developing and elaborating the winning concept(s) by revealing the strengths and weaknesses of the ideas, defining the directions of development and presenting the possible positioning.

We analyze the results in comparison with our international database.

Pack Evolution™

Many decisions concerning purchase are made in the shop. Our researches prove that consumers spend only few seconds with looking over the shelves, they see only two thirds of the products displayed there and take a good look only at a fraction of them. So the packing of a product is of decisive importance.

Pack Evolution™ of the Ipsos Group is a member of the Evolution product range.

It tests packing form three points of view:

  • What impression does the product make on the shop shelf? How much attention does it draw? To what extent could it be associated with the brand?
  • How persuasive the packing is? Does it persuade consumers to buy the tested product and not the competitors?
  • What is the consumers’ opinion about the packing and the product? What are the liked and the disliked elements of the packing? To what extent does the packing fit the brand and how does it influence the brand image?

The method can be used for the individual testing of a packing within the given market environment or for the comparison of several packing concepts.

The findings of the research development department within the Ipsos Group prove that the packing efficiency indices of Pack Evolution™ are in close relation to the shopping decisions.

The standardized methodology of Pack Evolution™ enables the performance measurement of different packing concepts.

Price Evolution™

Determination of product and service prices is a crucial area where no mistake is allowed. Market is constantly changing, number of competitors keeps increasing and consumers are always ready to switch or draw back. Price Evolution™ considers price as an attribute of the examined brand and evaluates it together with other characteristics.

Price Evolution™ of the Ipsos Group is member of the Evolution product range.

Price Evolution™ is a unique market research method with added value that:

  • proceeds from consumer behaviour;
  • regards price as a decisive factor independent from other product characteristics;
  • examines the interaction between price and other product characteristics without overvaluing the importance of the individual characteristics;
  • takes the competitive environment into account;
  • regards price as an organic element of brand value;
  • helps to understand the perception of brand value through price evaluation.


Price Evolution™ answers the following questions:

In the case of a new product:

  • What is going to be the optimal price of my product?
  • What kind of demand can I expect at various prices?
  • How much more would consumers pay for some extra services?
  • How does the introduced product affect the demand for my other products?


In the case of rebuilding an existing brand:

  • What kind of price strategy should I choose to maximize my market share?
  • How would a 10% price increase/reduction affect my sales?
  • If I change my prices, which of my competitors would gain/lose market share?
  • How would my sales be affected if I changed the characteristics of my products?


In the case of market changes:

  • How would my sales be affected if my competitors reduced their prices?
  • How sensitive are consumers to prices in this market?
  • How would my brand or the market be affected if the number of my competitors grew?

 
Trend Observer®

A new approach at Ipsos to tendencies and values shaping future consumption. Trend Observer® is a strategic forecasting marketing tool that helps to position the brand and create communication strategy using an entirely new approach.

Novelty of Trend Observer®:

  • It is able to monitor the brand internationally.
  • Prepares improvement, ideas and concepts for the future.
  • Helps to create communication strategy.
  • Helps to position brand.


Methodology of Trend Observer®:

  • The research is international; countries involved are France, USA, Japan, UK, China and naturally Hungary.
  • In each country involved we conduct in-depth interviews with 8-10 trend-setters.
  • We collect communication materials that reflect trends.


Method objectives:

  • Identify current trends for the given year.
  • Examine the basis of trends and analyze background motivations.
  • Word observations; recommend actions to enterprises working for or with consumers.


InnoScreen

InnoScreen® is Ipsos' global concept screening system that helps manufacturers reduce risk inherent to new product development by prioritizing concepts for further development based on market potential and providing an action plan for each concept tested. With InnoScreen, manufacturers can identify strong concepts to develop, marginal performers to rework and retest, and weak performers not to pursue.

InnoScreen’s methodology is unique in screening concepts relative to their industry and type of product or service, leading to results that are far more relevant and accurate than traditional concept screening delivers. InnoScreen is based on the Ipsos Vantis proven forecasting model and database of over 8,000 new products and services in technology, financial services, durables and other services categories.

InnoScreen is unique in the research marketplace because it:

  • Evaluates concepts compared to sector-specific norms
  • Assesses penetration potential based on multiple measures that affect decision making
  • Uses measures proven to relate to in-market success
  • Is able to recognize niche or breakthrough products
  • Provides clear and concise deliverables that are easily communicated to management
  • Delivers advice on how to strengthen concepts with potential
  • Can be used in countries all over the world

Mystery Shopping

Application of this method can be useful for examining the operation and characteristics of customer service offices, shops or depots (speed of service, competence, waiting time, quality, cleanliness, etc.).

Mystery Shopping is applicable for studying the actual process of the serving, but also the quality of the information service or the persuading abilities of those being in touch with customers.

During Mystery Shopping the in details trained interviewers - as ‘clients’ or ‘customers’ – collect information or observe the happenings in a shopping or service using situation and after it they complete a questionnaire (outside the premises).

During Mystery Shopping actual shopping does not necessarily take place, the interviewers can be entitled to ask for information or book things in advance.

A big advantage of this method over any other type of data collection is that the ‘observed’ persons are not aware of the research so the results are not subject to distortions.

Designor®

The research processes under the Designor® brand name offer effective support towards optimising the marketing strategy of product introduction.
 
The effective introduction of new products  

When you think about introducing a new product, you will surely encounter the following questions in a specific planning phase:  

  • What will the product sale be like?  
  • How to distinguish the brand?  
  • Which attribute should be highlighted, and what price should be determined in order to gain the highest profits?
  • Which product ideas carry actual potentials?
  • Can we indeed reach the biggest yield through the planned investments?  

 

We are able to answer these questions through the volumetric research methods that have been time-tested in this region.

The research procedures under the Designor® brand name provide accurate estimates on the future sales. In addition, they offer effective support towards optimising the marketing strategy of product introduction. Our research is conducted jointly with the international division of Ipsos Novaction & Vantis, which is specialising in forecasts, modelling and marketing consulting.   

The Designor® series not only forecasts the expected sales, but also goes deeper and brings their resources into the foreground.

Impact – the ability of a concept to impact on awareness through communication and packaging  

Differentiation – the opportunity to excel from among the competitors: uniqueness that raises unprecedented demands among the consumers  

Quality – the attractive force of the concept towards the buyers  

Value – this is the link between quality and price in a competitive environment  

Which research method can be used for which product development cycle?

Early Designor® : there are several concepts in the early development phase, and their review can help us provide quite an accurate forecast.  

Designor Concept®: evaluating fewer (2-4) concepts, which provides the opportunity of an even more accurate forecast and a deeper analysis.  

Designor STM®: a fully simulated test market analysis, whereby we create real shopping conditions, with a furnished shop, products and opportunities to try them out. Answers can be gathered as to the position of products directly before the introduction!