Research Applications
Quantitative Message Testing
Client Issue:
The client normally tested messages qualitatively in focus groups, traveling globally to assess the messages in different countries and with different target audiences. The cost and time to implement the research was significant, and resulted only in qualitative feedback. This made it difficult to compare results by segment.
RONIN Philosophy:
While there is definitely a place for qualitative message testing, a quantitative approach provides more specific metrics and eases comparisons by country and respondent type. And, by standardizing the questionnaire and reporting approach, the results are delivered much faster. A database of metrics is created which allows assessment of message effectiveness to be assessed over time.
The Project:
In this specific project, no qualitative research was needed, although in others, RONIN’s IDI and focus group moderation skills have been used. The client had developed 29 messages to be tested with up to ten respondent types in two countries. Since the messages used extensive technical language, RONIN recommended that the client translate them to ensure adherence to the message’s intent - in other projects, RONIN’s translators take on this task. RONIN’s SaaS messaging framework was used to manage the entire project. This workflow application allowed the client team to enter their messages when they were completed and mark them as ready for translation. When the messages were all finalized and translated, the standardized questionnaire was populated with them and the RONIN panel of IT Decision-Makers was invited to participate in the survey. Upon completion of fieldwork, the results were seamlessly entered into the report template, allowing the clients to compare the performance of their messages against each other and individually.
The Bottom Line:
The formerly 12 week cycle of focus group-based message testing, at high expense and with extensive travel by the client’s staff, was converted into a 6 week engagement. Not only did the client get results rapidly and cost effectively, but they now have a database of metrics to track future message performance.
