When one thinks about day-to-day communication in corporate America, the odds are good that they automatically picture a computer screen.  While email is effective and convenient, it also possesses one fatal flaw – it is impersonal.  Real life, in-person, face-to-face communication has become underutilized and undervalued.

Actual face time (not the iPhone app) is the driving force behind building any solid personal relationship, yet it is one of the most neglected forms of communication in today’s society.  Companies tend to underestimate the power of in-person interaction as a valuable tool to sell themselves and their services.  The benefits of in-person interaction with customers and prospective clients are endless.  It allows for actual conversation, thus uncovering commonalities (such as white wine, men, and retail therapy) and providing the opportunity to build a foundation by collecting information about family, food, hobbies, pets, and more.  These seemingly trivial facts can set the stage for a long-term, meaningful relationship down the road.

A primary way to differentiate yourself and your company from competitors is by building these personal bonds.  It is undeniable that people crave positive, meaningful interactions in their daily life.  By deciding to make the investment in these connections, you can be the person that makes a memorable impact in their personal and professional lives.  For example, the other day I emailed a prospective client about her recent vacation, and her response was, “I cannot believe you remembered!”  Little gestures to show that you take a genuine interest in the lives of those you work with (or want to work with) will set you apart and can make all of the difference.

Taking the time to build meaningful relationships reflects positively on you and your company, and is an invaluable tool for success.  For instance, after months and months of communicating through email with a prospective client, I decided it was finally time to make my in-person debut (no red carpet needed).  As a result of our lengthy correspondence, we hit it off right away, and voila!  A request for a proposal (more commonly referred to as an RFP), and even better, a REAL relationship was born.

Bottom line: everyone enjoys working more when they can work with people they truly like, and in order for someone to truly like you, they must know you and trust you.  Putting in the time and effort is a fabulous beginning to what could turn out to be a beautiful and mutually beneficial relationship for all.

Alyssa Klein, Account Executive

Great New York Times article on our friend, Kevin Langley, discussing the importance of entrepreneurs, not only here in New Orleans, but worldwide. Give it a read!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/business/smallbusiness/a-talk-with-kevin-langley-of-the-entrepreneurs-organization.html?_r=1

The Olinger Group collaborated with the Gulfcoast Regional Tourism Partnership earlier this summer to understand the impact of the Bay Bridgefest to the Bay St. Louis area. The findings revealed generous support of the festival and thus proved the benefits such events bring to the economy here in the South.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Bay Bridgefest Release

LSU Entrepreneurship professor, Dr. Justis with CEO Jude Olinger. Jude was one of Dr. Justis’ students 24 years ago and he had the privilege of guest speaking last week. Geaux Tigers!

Gilt Groupe.  Rue La La.  HauteLook.  Ideeli.  The list of flash sale websites from which impulse-buying fashionistas and fashionistos can choose from is never ending.

The development of these types of e-tailers has greatly upped the popularity of online shopping.  Not only is merchandise offered at discounted prices as soon as the sale opens on the site, but everything is divided into categories by individual brand, gender, personal style, lifestyle, age, and even price range.  With the anticipation of designer deals and limited quantities of popular brands, a diverse market of consumers, myself included, are lured to visit these e-shops frequently as part of their daily routine.

Trends and forecasting research are integral parts of the fashion industry, but aside from spend and purchasing information gathered from site activity and purchase history, how do company buyers choose which sales to run and what product to push each week?  By analyzing purchase behavior, past trends, and using forecasting tools to choose their products.  Stylitics, a behavioral analytics tool disguised as an online haven for fashion-focused consumers, could provide in-depth information about consumers’ personal tastes, styles, and purchases, and act as an additional tool for understanding the fashion-conscious consumer.

When I first read about Stylitics, I was immediately intrigued.  After creating an account, I had instant access to my own personal style organization tool!  I could add upcoming events and parties to a calendar, plan outfits based on the current weather here in New Orleans, and even search the web for articles of clothing I wore over the past few days in order to build my “virtual closet”.  Basically, I discovered that this website can save me the trouble of laying outfits out on my bed the night before the workday or even the night before a vacation, and instead, plan out full outfits using this tool.  (I can also post and brag to the Stylitics community about any new fashion pieces or accessories that I’ve bought and worn recently!)  The best part, just by using the site and adding new content, you rack up points and perks from different fashion brands.

While Stylitics has changed my outfit planning ways, it could also, more importantly, change the game for market research in the fashion industry.  This application provides an alternative option to focus groups or other traditional research methods by creating an active panel of consumers willingly giving insights.  Stylitics is an interactive platform of fashion-conscious users logging their outfits for work, social outings, running errands, and even trips to the gym, all on a daily basis.  With thousands of users daily adding information about their personal fashion habits with brand names and style numbers attached, retailers and other businesses are able to see this real-time data of preferences, desires, and purchase behavior.

For market researchers, Stylitics could potentially be used as a supplemental tool to traditional research methods by providing additional insights surrounding fashion-conscious consumers’ preferences and spend while still capturing insights from quantitative online surveys, in-store iPad intercepts in the retail space, or focus groups.

For fashion-focused consumers and for research in the fashion industry, could Stylitics be the next big thing, or is it just another passing trend?

Aja Hite, Account Executive

A few years back many people, myself included, thought of Second Life (SL) as just a gaming fad with very limited application to business.  Apparently, we were wrong.  Second Life Work (SLW) has been quietly making a name for itself as “The Leader in Virtual Collaboration.”

A PBS special, Frontline, Digital Nation – Life on the Virtual Frontier (posted February 2010) demonstrated how SLW is transforming the way people work.  In it, a visit to IBM headquarters showed a massive office space with mostly empty desks.  Why?  It is because many of IBM’s employees, once at a desk, now work remotely.  In 2009, this amounted to over 40% of IBM’s employees (400,000 people worldwide).  Surely this number is much higher now.

With so many employees working remotely and scattered across the globe, IBM decided to use SLW to keep their teams connected.  Since virtual collaboration is possible from anywhere with anyone in their company, SLW is also saving IBM time and money traditionally used for in-person meetings.

After watching this, I visited SLW’s website and was surprised to see just how “virtual” many companies have become.  Kelly and Manpower are listed as using SLW for recruiting/hiring.  Imagine interviewing as an Avatar?  It makes me wonder, what would I wear?

Other companies, such as CIGNA, are using SL for very interactive educational programs.  CIGNA launched a wellness program in SL, named vielife, which uses a virtual world to provide group seminars, educational games, health tips, and casual socializing.

While all this sounds intriguing, I can not help but notice that SL isn’t even on the radar for market researchers.  It would be a very hard sell being that market research, as an industry, is slow to adopt change.  Presently, there are online focus groups and mediated chatting as an alternative to in-person focus groups, but nothing like the virtual meetings taking place on SLW.  Instead, the market research industry seems to be focused like a laser beam on Social Media Research and Big Data Analysis.

Still, could we be headed for SL focus groups with viewing rooms full of clients eating virtual M&Ms?

Chanttel Allen, Managing Director

Attention ladies and gentlemen, it is officially that time of the year again…the much-anticipated, never-duplicated crawfish season!  Crawfish, also commonly referred to as crayfish, crawdads, yabbies, and yep, you guessed it, mudbugs, are a Louisiana delicacy that have been around since as far back as anyone can remember.  Now, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about…well, if you have ever had the pleasure of biting into a succulent piece of meaty crawfish, then you know exactly where I’m coming from.  These little red crustaceans are jam-packed with flavor that most people just can’t resist!   The key is to add the perfect amount of seasoning, potatoes, and of course, corn (my favorite), but most importantly, don’t forget the beer to wash it all down with.  Word on the street is that Abita Strawberry is a superb choice.

Typically, the average person consumes approximately 3 pounds of these little guys…but no worries, crawfish are actually an excellent source of protein.  The potatoes and the beer on the other hand, not so much, but you only live once, right?!

So once you have your crawfish and your alcoholic beverage of choice, it is essential that you roll out the newspaper in the backyard, gather friends and family, and start peeling!  If you have never peeled a crawfish before, then I suggest you either YouTube it or find someone who is willing to do it for you…good luck with that!  No worries, you can do it, it’s easier than it looks.  Last, but certainty not least, crank up the tunes and enjoy everyone’s company, because nothing beats a New Orleans crawfish boil!

Alyssa Klein, Account Executive

Market research, like research in general, is used for various reasons.  Sometimes to uncover purchase behavior of consumers, other times to determine employee satisfaction within a company.  Most of the time respondents have no problem completing a survey and giving their honest opinions, but on occasion there are studies that make respondents uncomfortable, possibly unwilling to participate.  So what happens when research strikes a nerve?

Socially sensitive research can be defined as “studies in which there are potential consequences or implications, either directly for the participants in the research or for the class of individuals represented by the research.”  When respondents are concerned that there may be consequences because of their honest answers, they may choose to not participate, which is not good for the researcher.

Assuring study participants that all of their responses will be completely anonymous and their identity will never be shared is important when researching delicate issues.  Employee satisfaction surveys may be one of those studies where participants are reluctant to answer honestly, or at all, for fear that their employer may find out their identity and issue some form of punishment, possibly loss of job.  As researchers, it is our job to ensure that the employee’s identity is never revealed and that results are presented in a way that does not allow the employer to identify anyone.

Some of the risks of sensitive research are:

• Loss of confidentiality regarding the identity of the survey participant
• Loss of confidentiality with the information given by survey participant
• Consequences from being identified as a survey participant

Medical research is another sensitive area where respondent privacy must be protected.  Medical records contain some of the most intimate details of a person’s life.  When someone is asked to disclose personal health information, they want to be certain that information will not be shared or used for any purpose other than the specific research study.  Some companies have violated privacy by simply allowing the window of an envelope containing personal medical information to display more than just the patient’s address.  Imagine having a sensitive condition, like HIV, and anyone seeing your mail is able to see this in the window of the envelope?  A careless printing mistake has now become a HIPAA violation.

When people are answering sensitive questions, they want to know that their identity will be kept private, not shared with anyone.  They want to be sure that their information is not used against them.  The Olinger Group includes our privacy policy on every survey we administer, demonstrating that we follow strict privacy codes set forth in CASRO^®‘s Code of Standards.  Even adhering to this standard and holding to this promise to keep responses anonymous, we still struggle with wary respondents who refuse to participate in sensitive research.

Stacy Martinez, Project Manager

March 26, 2012
BATON ROUGE – The Olinger Group was honored to be ranked #9 on the LSU 100: Fastest Growing Tiger Businesses during the 2012 LSU 100 Honoree Luncheon, held Friday, March 23, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. at the Renaissance Hotel.

The LSU 100 celebrates the success of former LSU students and recognizes the impact of LSU on the local, regional and national economies. LSU 100 is co-hosted by LSU and the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute. The complete list of 2012 honorees is available at www.lsu100.com.

“The Olinger Group is indicative of the Tiger-led businesses that we are looking for to show other Tigers from every college on campus what they need to do to be successful,” said Lisa O’Beirne, director of development for SEI. “We congratulate them on this achievement and look forward to their continued success.”

Jude A. Olinger, CEO of The Olinger Group, was humbled by the honor saying “I am grateful for the recognition of our company as a fast growing, successful firm.  Our employees deserve all of the credit for the great job that they have done providing a quality product to our customers that helps them make decisions and grow their businesses.”

The Olinger Group met the following requirements for inclusion in the LSU 100:

• Has been in business for five years or more
• Has had verifiable revenues of $100,000 for 2008
• Has a former LSU student as owner of at least 50 percent of the company or as chief executive officer, president or managing partner
• Operates in a manner consistent with the mission of LSU and SEI

The Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute, an integral part of LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business, utilizes the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Fellows Program, LSU Executive Education, Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, and the Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series to address the challenges of entrepreneurship and to positively impact students, the regional economy, the state of Louisiana and the nation. For more information, visit sei.lsu.edu or call 225-578-0313.

The Olinger Group is a full-service provider of custom market research for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small non-profits.  The Olinger Group has kept the feel of a boutique firm by focusing on smart science, dedicated project management and cutting-edge technology.  The Olinger Group is an industry leader in implementing the latest technology and specialty teams to answer business questions for companies in the healthcare, hospitality, real estate and retail industries.

The Dos and Don’ts of Tracking Studies

A recent article in The Atlantic discussed the challenges of using education data to improve student achievement.  The article highlighted fundamental issues facing any tracking research – the ability to compare data, in this case, across systems and geographic boundaries as well as across time.

All research requires a high level of scrutiny regarding the survey design and the research methodology, but these factors are especially important for a successful tracking study.  Determining from the start exactly what you want to know is vital to obtain the right information in the right way.  In our business, we rely on the study “objectives” and always clearly delineate them before starting on a project.  This helps to ensure that expectations for the final report are feasible and can be delivered.

The article addresses that although the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 championed standards-based education reform (with a group of measurements known as Adequate Yearly Progress or AYP), major issues arose with the associated metrics and methodology.  One substantial obstacle was that states were initially allowed to use different metrics, making comparative evaluations impossible.

Data measurements must also be consistent and connected for individual level comparisons.  Research with tracking studies is beneficial because it allows data to be compared longitudinally.  According to the article, the ability now exists to follow students at an individual level over time and monitor their progress.  By utilizing unique student identifiers matched to students’ test records year over year, an academic growth model can be achieved.  Furthermore, this will allow records to be matched to external data such as student-level enrollment, demographics, and program participation information.  For the most insight, student data must also be transferable from the K-12 system to postsecondary systems – college readiness data points can then be factored into further analyses incorporating graduation and dropout rates.

Examining the initial organization of AYP measurements demonstrates the “don’ts” for a tracking study.  Data must be comparable, the objectives well-defined, and the methodology suited to the overall needs.  Otherwise, the result may be years of data that do not provide the insight necessary to develop actionable solutions.

Jorie Kirschbaum, Account Executive

We live in a city that’s used to big events, but the first ten days of 2012 will be remembered as some of the busiest days New Orleans has ever seen outside of the Mardi Gras parade season.  In less than two weeks, New Orleans hosted a nationally-televised Saints game, the Sugar Bowl, a Saints playoff game and the BCS National Championship game.  The Crescent City became Football City during that time period, and it could have been a researcher’s dream city.

Crowd estimates put more than 300,000 people in town for those games (note the Mercedes-Benz Superdome only holds about 73,000 fans), so it’s not hard to imagine that more travelers came to town just for the festive atmosphere.  In a compact, walkable city like New Orleans, researchers could have used the opportunity to disperse interviewers into the masses and conduct in-person interviews using a tablet device.  Even though most visitors were football fans, the crowds included members of many desirable demographic groups.  What better time to talk to consumers than when they’re in a festive mood?

Every company that sponsored a team, event, venue or promotion related to the games in New Orleans should have taken the opportunity to talk to fans about their attitudes on different brands and sponsorships.  A sporting event can also be a huge opportunity for brands that don’t have connections to sports.  Even though Allstate sponsored the Sugar Bowl and BCS Championship, it could have been a great opportunity for State Farm to conduct research on the insurance needs of college students.  Just because Mercedes-Benz pays to put its name on the Superdome doesn’t mean BMW can not gather great insights from fans heading to the game.

Sporting events do not have to draw blockbuster crowds to be valuable to researchers.  Fans – especially fans with good tickets to professional sporting events – generally have money.  This demographic includes desirable respondents for research involving a number of different brands, industries and causes.  Unless their team just experienced a terrible loss, sports fans are generally happy people.  Having someone with desirable demographics who has a few minutes to engage in a survey offers a great opportunity for researchers looking to connect with hard-to-reach respondents.

Louis David, Account Executive

Hidden charges, nickel and diming, small print disclaimers…we all hate these!  So why are so many companies still doing them?  Hidden charges are so common that some companies actually have to point out that they are transparent with their fees – Southwest’s no-bag-fee, for example.

Thinking about this further, I can recount three different instances over the past few days where I had paid more than I expected to pay or saved less than was advertised.  While I vow to be more careful going forward, it does shine a light on why trust in a product, service, or company is so hard to earn.

Taking this a step further, imagine the challenge market researchers face in the eyes of consumers?  Abuse of a consumer’s trust can, and has, bled over into their willingness to participate in survey research.  When survey participants have a bad experience, do not qualify for surveys, or incentives are not handled correctly, they stop taking surveys.  They may even tell their friends that participating in research isn’t worth the hassle.  While some may think that there are still plenty of people willing to take surveys, the truth is that finding quality respondents will get tougher over time.

What can be done to improve respondent trust? This issue is always a hot topic in the market research industry and heavily debated.  While there is a long road ahead to accomplish this as an industry, as individual researchers, we can do more to address transparency with respondents.

Here are a few best practices used to be more transparent, responsible researchers:

• - Limit Screener Questions – When respondents complete long lists of screener questions only to be told they do not qualify, they feel tricked.  Screener questions should be limited to essential information.
• - Be Clear About How and When Incentives Will Be Distributed – Respondents should be given specific information about their incentive.  How long will it take to receive the incentive?  What type of payment will they receive?  If a sweepstakes is being used as the incentive, what are the rules?
• - Be Honest About The Survey Length – This is a biggie.  Providing the respondent with a range of how long the survey takes to complete is a good way to cover all bases.
• - Share Contact Information – CAN-SPAM Compliance requires this, but it is still surprising how often this “best practice” is missed.  Giving the respondent someone to contact about their experience goes a long way in gaining their trust.
• - Have a Privacy Policy – Including a link to a privacy policy everywhere a respondent may reference – the company website, the survey invite, the actual survey – goes a long way in calming respondent’s fear of abuse of their personal information.
• - Adhere to a Code of Ethics – Being associated with industry organizations (like CASRO) and adhering to a Code of Ethics sends a message to respondents, “This Company is willing to make an investment in their industry organizations.  They value their reputation and professional practices.”

Few people would ever say they like a purchasing experience with hidden fees, nickel and diming, and small print disclaimers.  It is easy to see the abuse there.  Why is it so hard, as researchers, to keep from doing the same to survey respondents?

Chanttel Allen, Managing Director