Junicon Newsletter April 2009

In this issue, we look at two topics – capturing customer requirements via in-person research and developing tools to put in the hands of global sales forces.

Junicon uses a broad range of approaches to in-person research, including personal interviews, focus groups and ethnographic studies, with the best combination determined by client preference, geography, cultural issues and available budgets.

With in-house capabilities in 8 languages, our well-trained and experienced moderators draw out the voice of the customer and capture critical requirements in an actionable format for marketing and development teams.

Next, we introduce Junicon’s sales force support tools development practice. By equipping sales reps around the world with the most impactful messages and consistent tools, our clients are able to dramatically improve sales force effectiveness and enhance global brand value.

The Need

A frequent challenge for marketing managers – particularly those with international responsibility – is to ensure that field representatives are consistently on-message for key products. Sometimes the disconnect can be in the unique structure of a local market, which throws off some of the sales arguments and may require careful tailoring. Other times, the issue is competitor messaging and product de-positioning: reps know how to argue for their product, but are less able to counter competitor claims, or handle objections to their argument instigated by competitor messaging. In many newly developing markets, the challenge can be affiliate / distributor relationships that imply a high-level of autonomy for the local agency, and a low level of oversight from central marketing teams.

Our Practice

Junicon has developed an extensive practice in providing sales support tools to our marketing customers to help improve messaging and sales force effectiveness. Many of these are grounded in our core market research practice, drawing on unique data provided by the end customer. One example of this is in developing a response to competitor sales messaging – the first step is always to understand what messages are recalled in the market, and which competitors target which behavioral segments, with what messages? Depending on the precise nature of our customer’s needs, we offer several kinds of sales support tools:

Competitor counter-positioning guides: What are competitors saying, to which segments of the market? How does this impact our product? What evidence do we need to bring forward to refute competitor claims and defend against their attacks on our product?
Segment-specific positioning reminders: How do the strengths and weaknesses of our product play out against specific attitudinal and behavioral segments of the market? Do cultural norms or reimbursement structures make some messages obsolete in some countries? Does the overall message need to be ‘tweaked’ for specific audiences – even if the overall thrust, and the sales aids used, remain the same?
Sales aids and marketing collateral: Customer-facing formats presenting features and benefits, clinical data, and customer value arguments. Such projects are often more involved, requiring input from legal and medical affairs, and close collaboration with marketing communications.

Health Economics Tools

Another key area where we have found our customers often need support is in health economic argumentation. Few sales representatives are deeply familiar with the structures and terminology of health economics – but these can be among the most powerful sales arguments to deploy. Junicon develops materials to enable sales organizations to make health economic arguments:

Quantitative sales tool: Excel or web-based tool that can calculate an economic scenario for a customer (e.g., a medical facility) in real-time based on their unique situation. Most often, the tool demonstrates a counter-intuitive conclusion that a more expensive product is net cost saving due to other economic impacts.
Dossier of health economic arguments: A ‘menu’ of different arguments, along with guidance for their usage, that enables representatives to assemble a compelling economic argument for different audiences in different countries (with widely different reimbursement systems).

For more information, please contact Junicon.

IN-PERSON RESEARCH PROGRAMS

JUNICON SALES FORCE SUPPORT TOOLS PRACTICE

In order to uncover and understand all of the complex tasks and relationships that make up a user’s job, it is often necessary to visit hospitals to interview and observe healthcare professionals on site.

In some cases, Junicon will conduct these interviews on our own. In others, clients choose to conduct interviews jointly with Junicon. Ethnographic studies help clients view the world through the eyes of their current or potential customers, uncovering new dimensions of issues that may not come up in a focus group discussion.

Seeing the healthcare setting in an unfamiliar geography is always eye opening. Doctors and nurses can explain and demonstrate their workflow with actual devices, and clients can see environments and challenges with their own eyes.

“Watching the nurse actually use a “homemade” device made me realize on various levels how a new solution would make a difference in how quickly and effectively they do their work.”

“Seeing the ICU and the situation there really informed my discussion with an intensivist later on about some of the space problems they were having during procedures.”

Junicon arranges and accompanies clients to on-site interviews in hospitals around the world. We handle all logistics, provide simultaneous translation and/or moderation, generate transcripts and provide analysis. Talking directly with customers in their work setting has proven to be very valuable for our clients.

For more information, please contact Junicon.

Focus groups remain the gold standard in terms of allowing respondents to see and touch products being tested, enabling active moderation to probe beyond questions on a discussion guide and facilitating dynamic interaction between respondents to spark further insights. Clients may observe sessions live from behind the glass and participate with questions in real time. Focus groups are an extremely effective way to conduct a wide range of research, including:

Product concept testing
Prototype testing
Product improvement initiatives
Packaging testing
Advertising / marketing message testing
Branding research
Human factors studies
Unmet needs analysis
New product ideation

A program with groups in several cities can also be used to generate quantitative data. Junicon employs several quantitative methodologies, including conjoint, Kano’s Methods and Van Westendorp pricing analysis in projects with larger sample sizes.

Clients who are unable to attend a group may participate real-time via online video streaming or access archived video files after the session.

Junicon offers end-to-end focus group services, including developing the screener and discussion guide, translations, booking the facilities, managing A/V and food and beverage requirements, recruiting, moderating, transcribing, analysis and reporting.

For more information about our focus group capabilities or for a quote, please contact Junicon.

Global Focus Group Programs