We use the following methods of information gathering to make informed and supported decisions regarding our marketing strategy:

Surveys
Phone Interviews
In-Person Interviews
Focus Groups
User Research

Marketing is simply about how you match various types of marketing tools with your clients and your goals for the organization. Execution has to begin with a clear understanding of your goals and the wants and needs of your clients.

Understanding the client and listening to their needs is a large portion of how you create a winning approach. It is never enough to simply look at statistics; it is never enough to make decisions behind the doors of the board room. Decisions must be made by first approaching who your target demographics and listening.

We invest in research throughout the Midwest. Today, theWEBcentric engages in monthly surveys, phone interviews and focus groups with members, non members and employees. Our research includes investigation focuses on the key areas most financial institutions: retail, loans, commercial and investments. In fact, one of the most underserved and misunderstood demographics is teens. In the last two months we have surveyed 247 high school students to gain a better understanding of how to attract and effectively communicate with them.

But often human research is best done locally. Every community has its nuances and in the most commoditized industry in the world we have to capitalize on the small things to create an effective marketing approach.

SURVEYS
Our approach starts with surveying. We must understand the needs, desires and wants of each of the following segments to understand what drives their decision making. Using existing customers we can understand why they have made the decision to work with organiztion, what they like and more importantly what they don't. It all boils down to this: If we use the loyalty of existing clients we need to give them what they want. We could spend a great deal of money advertising, and just as much guessing about what it is your customers want.

Online surveys are a cost effective way to blanket a demographic. Narrowing down a recipient list requires us to discuss this phase of the process to arrive at a consensus on budget and demographic specifics.

In motivating individuals to fill out the survey it will be required to run either a prize drawing, financial analysis, and/or accept only the first X number of responses and they each receive a small thank you gift such as a gift card or discount coupon. Whatever the case, we will have to motivate them.

Customers Retail Loan Business

Non-Customers Retail Loan Business

Employees Phone Interviews

PHONE INTERVIEWS
Surveys and Phone Interviews go hand in hand. In our case we would use them with both existing and non-existing clients. When it comes to learning about custmers (existing or potential), there is nothing else as effective and cost effective as phone surveys. This method of information gathering gives customers an opportunity to voice their concerns, give praise, share ideas and give direction and advice. Unlike a print or online survey you can read the tone in the voice of the interviewee. Tone, overall delivery and response to questions will be one of the greatest indicators of what triggers success with a customer.

While face to face meetings are ultimately the best information gathering technique, the telephone gives the interviewee a sense of anonymity, which lends itself to being more open with their answers to questions.

IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS
Focus groups are an "informal" way to share client needs and feelings. In a focus group, we bring together from six to nine clients for a discussion. Groups typically lasts about two hours.. Either online survey or an in-person interview, we recommend that theWEBcentric and not client employees lead the interaction. In our experience we find people to be honest and direct more so than if the client we represent is looming over the process.

One-on-one interviews will allow us a level of confidentiality as well as provide honest feedback not influenced by others. Focus groups for existing employees are used at the outset of the survey process. Their experiences provide valuable insight into our future direction.

Following up with focus groups is driven by an initial survey. The larger benefit of a focus group is to solve problems, generate ideas through conversation.

USER RESEARCH
Global research on technology trends and the science of eye tracking and color usage are often not confined to a locality but the human condition.

User research is not simply focusing on the internet and technology, it encompasses all media as well as best practices for the design of that media. While user research at the local level gives us tremendous insight into your communities, understanding trends helps us prepare for the future and gives us guidance on what we should be keeping an eye on.

Understanding how humans browse the internet or scan a webpage establishes usability rules. The same is true of using research to determine best design and placement practices for newspaper ads. Global research can guide us on economic trends and market conditions. How those conditions affect your local community and the best ways to communicate that information.

Leveraging, successes and failures of other institutions no matter where they are can provide us useful data to assist in our decision making process.

There are many benefits of using global research in our planning. It gives us outside information that may help us to keep things fresh and to keep us at the head of the curve. It is always best to be a leader than a follower in any industry.

The point to our approach is to use a combination of tools and information to help us make wise decisions. Our understanding of how to use technology to create a better more effective and fiscally responsible marketing model, while applying the lessons we learn from your members creates success.

Let the community, your members, future members and non members guide us while using our knowledge and global research to avoid pitfalls to keep us at the front of the line is our approach.