Customers may be looking for more than just useful features when they invest in a branded product – they may be seeking a soul-mate! When a radical new product appears on the market it can threaten a company’s relationship with existing customers who may be tempted to change brands. So what makes them consider switching and how does a brand ensure their customers’ loyalty when such disruptions to the market occur?
Posted on Friday, July 29, 2011
Marketing researchers routinely use questionnaires to understand, explain and predict the behaviour of consumers. But designing a survey to yield watertight intelligence about markets is no mean feat: how many categories for each answer should researchers offer the individuals they quiz, and what is the best way of labelling these? A new study by Bert Weijters, Elke Cabooter and Niels Schillewaert weighs up the pros and cons of the different options surveys employ to rate the answers of respondents.
Posted on Friday, May 13, 2011
Plentiful resources can breed complacency when a competitor is stalking the market. The cost of failing to react to competition can be exceptionally high: challengers often topple market leaders. An examination of how resources influence the way managers weigh up competitors suggests companies need to remain vigilant if they are to fight back effectively.
Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011
What impact is the economic crisis having on the Belgian consumer’s buying behaviour? To discover the answer, the Vlerick Brand Management Centre conducted a quantitative study of the Belgian consumer in times of crisis. Here are the results of this unique consumer research initiative.
Posted on Monday, February 15, 2010