A few case studies from our portfolio to show how clients have used our expertise.
We all want the best for our children, and yet there seem to be more and more issues we need to watch out for. For example, the increase in Autism Spectrum Disorders, with as many as 1 in 88 children currently diagnosed (CDC estimate). Autism Speaks, the Ad Council and BBDO created a successful advertising campaign that has performed extremely well in raising awareness of Autism. Recently, new statistics identified that socio-economic factors are a key influence on early diagnosis. So, we were asked to conduct research aimed at understanding current perceptions and behaviors, to help inform strategic messaging to an underserviced, low-income population.
In our initial phase, we conducted IDI’s with expert specialists; plus in collaboration with our Hispanic specialist, English and Spanish language Dyads and focus groups with parents of young children to explore barriers to diagnosis and cultural differences in perceptions of Autism. From this we identified the key triggers that could underpin new messaging. In the second phase, we conducted In-Depth Interviews with mothers and fathers separately, and further focus groups to gain insight into the effectiveness of advertising concepts with a view to optimizing the final advertising campaign.
Click on this link to see the advertising and context; here for details from Autism Speaks; and here for New York Times article. Click here to see TV Ad 1, and TV Ad 2.
More than ever, dogs are appreciated as man’s best friend. With over 78m dogs in the US and 432m worldwide (WSPA estimate), dogs are becoming a valued addition in many households. At the same time, the way we treat them is changing too, most notably in the area of nutrition. Just as attitudes to our own nutrition are evolving, so are attitudes to our pets’ nutrition. Our tendency to anthropomorphize our pets means that the way we feed them can be affected by more general food trends … for example, wanting to give them more vegetables or avoid artificial additives.
This was the context for a range of work conducted on pet food. We undertook extensive research to give our clients insights into current human food attitudes and trends, as a basis for a significant new product development initiative. To begin with, we recruited leading chefs and foodies into an online community to explore current food language and the balance between pleasure and healthy nutrition. Following this, we set up online communities of pet owners in the USA, UK and Australia to explore the role of food in their relationship with their pets. As new product ideas were developed, we provided further in person qualitative research to test and refine product concepts, as well as to create a basis for enhancing the brand’s portfolio.
It’s pretty scary when new technology seems to threaten the future of a whole industry. Especially when the companies marketing it are giants with huge existing customer bases. Traditional companies worry about how they can compete as the ground starts to shift beneath them. In this case, they made an intelligent move, commissioning A Pomegranate to investigate the potential threat fully and develop a new positioning to connect with their audience.
In this case it was a national network of local Security companies facing a competitive threat from massive cable and phone companies pitching new Smarthome security solutions. We developed a research methodology comprising Expert Interviews, Mystery Shopping, and Focus Groups.
The process uncovered insights into the competitive offerings, their strengths and weaknesses, together with an understanding of consumer needs and attitudes, from which we created a powerful new positioning for our clients. The resulting insights and recommendations were presented to the Annual Board Meeting, providing member companies with valuable clarity on how to compete and grow in the new landscape.
Creating differentiation is often challenging, especially in the service industries. But every brand needs to stand for something meaningful and relevant to their customers. It’s easy to speak of superior customer service, but much harder to clearly define it, and then deliver on it. We were approached by J Stokes Agency on behalf of a private bank in San Francisco to help them do just this.
We started with secondary research and drawing from our rich pool of knowledge and reading. Then we set the scene for excellence in customer service with revealing examples of exceptional initiatives. This was followed by in-depth interviews with the bank’s key stakeholders, combined with workshops for all staff, to uncover desires, goals and barriers to success. The result was strong alignment across the corporation behind a clear customer charter, together with a newly differentiated strategic positioning for communications.