The “competitive intelligence” solutions offered by Format Research study the economic and social ecosystem in which a company operates so as to identify and monitor the evolution of possible threats and benefits, as well as indicating any available opportunities and, thus, the strengths and weaknesses of the company itself.
Format Research studies the context in which the company operates: its customers, any competitors who target the same customers, its suppliers, the appearance of any replacement solutions as an alternative to those offered by the company, etc. The company that relies on Format Research’s “competitive intelligence” solutions is able to have an integrated platform that includes data, information and analyses on the evolution of its market, on competitors’ price policies and commercial policies, on the regulatory and technological changes that could impact their business, on the factors that influence the performance of the company, including the reputation benchmark, etc.
BRAND REPUTATION
Brand Reputation is a research application that aims to analyse phenomena such as, for example: how my company is perceived, how my competitors are perceived, what are the characteristics that identify a quality company according to the opinion of my customers, what is my reputation both in absolute terms and compared to the reputation of my competitors. Studies can be carried out ad hoc, or included in the large observatories on companies that are carried out on a quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis by Format Research.
MYSTERY CLIENT
The mystery clients allow to analyse in depth and “in real conditions” phenomena such as, for example, the behaviour of sales networks (ours and / or those of competitors), what happens at the networks and service centres , the methods through which a service is truly provided and whether such methods fall within the planned standards and policies; our competitors’ prices and commercial policies, etc.
GEOMARKETING
Geomarketing is a statistical analysis technique based on the territorial representation of the phenomena of interest. Geomarketing proves particularly useful in all those situations where it is better to observe the unfolding phenomena on an interactive map, such as, for example, is the case for commercial retail distribution, a bank’s network of branches, or in the case of networks of sales agents, while being able to verify the distance from the point of sale of the competitors’ points of sale as well as their characteristics, the segmentation of the supplied catchment area, the possibility of identifying territorial areas scarcely manned or heavily manned by the various competitors , etc. Format Research’s geomarketing platform answers questions such as, for example: the number of companies operating in a territory, their characteristics, the territory’s worth, how difficult it could be to operate in it in the light of the presence of other competitors and, if I want to set up a sales point, how far my potential customers need to go in order to reach this point of sale, how I can plan and target marketing activities in the area.
Format Research works on territorial segments agreed with and indicated by the client, and studies them based on data and information obtainable from third party databases (Istat, Bank of Italy, Chambers of commerce, etc.) and / or on data from specially set-up fieldwork.
WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING. WEB LISTENING
Thanks to its experience in the study of brands and Web monitoring, Format Research can help customers understand the perception of their brand on the internet, identify the characteristics that influence the build-up of general opinion on the Web, and grasp the characteristics that are associated with their company / product. This knowledge allows brands to make the best business choices in order to maintain or improve their online reputation.
ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
Ethnographic research is a research method that Format Research uses to collect and analyse data by observing the behaviour of businesses and consumers in the context of their natural ecosystem. The basis of Ethnographic Research is the idea that there is a social production of “meaning” within any group or social space and that the study of the phenomena related to the choice and the consumption of goods and services cannot be separated from the analysis of the natural context in which they occur. The essential tools to carry out Ethnographic Research are Participant Observation and In-depth Interviews.
PRICING SURVEYS
These surveys are essential for the analysis and understanding of the pricing strategies to be used in a competitive environment. Format Research carries out pricing surveys through the Mystery Client technique, sample surveys and Competitive Price List Analysis. Studies can either be ad hoc, or carried out within large observatories on companies that are carried out on a quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis by Format Research .
PREDICTIVE MODELS
Format Research creates predictive models and analyses to study the evolution of a phenomenon or a market within a reasonable margin of error. How will my client companies behave next year should this rule change? Will customers still be willing to buy my product should a new competitor enter the market, maybe using the advantage of e-commerce? Will my dealers and the distributors I rely on continue to buy as always or will they reduce their orders? Or will they actually increase them to such a degree that my company will not be able to satisfy their requests as its production rate is insufficient? Are the time series on which I base my decisions still reliable? If so, to what extent? These are just a few examples. Many more could be given.
Format Research uses a series of techniques and methods that are functional to predictive analysis, ranging from the Delphi Method to the so-called Market Sensing . Studies can either be ad hoc, or carried out within large observatories on companies that are carried out on a quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis by Format Research .
