Whyology (why-ology) n – the art and science of using research, creativity and big data to uncover actionable insights that help businesses outsmart, outdo and outlast their competitors
We created Whyology to take the guesswork out of marketing. While nothing is 100% foolproof when it comes to understanding and motivating human behavior, our approach comes close.
“We created Whyology to take the guesswork out of marketing. While nothing is 100% foolproof when it comes to understanding and motivating human behavior, our approach comes close. ”
Much more than a research service, Whyology employs the thinking of our best creative, strategic, analytical and research minds to uncover hidden opportunities. By hidden opportunities we mean actionable insights that will lead to big, business building ideas that will give you a competitive advantage. To do so, we utilize the best research tactics to answer the best questions that result in the best insights that will help you outsmart, outdo and outlast your competitors.
To ensure we leave no stone unturned, we thoroughly investigate the following:
Your Customers
Understanding your current, potential and lost customers’ real wants and needs are absolutely critical to developing an effective marketing strategy. Whyology utilizes data analysis and quantitative, qualitative and ethnographic research to identify the ones that can impact your business most.
Quantitative research such as online surveys and controlled testing and field trials (A/B testing, test markets, creative pre-testing and analysis of primary and secondary data) provide measurable, statistically relevant data from the marketplace. Generally speaking, quantitative research allows us to speak to a large number of people, in a relatively short timeframe cost effectively.
Qualitative research provides insight into the emotional reasons people engage with a brand. Focus groups, one-on-one interviews, phone surveys, triads and ethnography are qualitative tactics we utilize to get at the why’s and what’s and emotional hot buttons that drive behavior.
To get the best understanding possible we like to use both on three types of customers:
Current customers
Customers who have left you for a competitor
Potential customers
You should consider using Whyology for Consumer Research if you don't know the answers to these questions:
Who are your customer personas?
Of these, who’s most likely to purchase your product?
Which group represents the greatest and easiest opportunity for growth?
How does each persona perceive you? Your competition?
What are their biggest barriers to purchase?
If your company didn’t exist, which competitors would your customers choose?
What benefits resonate most with each group? What doesn’t?
What are their true wants and needs?
What do they see as your competitors’ biggest strengths & weaknesses?
How did they learn about you? Your competitors?
What competitors are in their consideration set?
Would they recommend you? Would they recommend your competitors?
What are the best media channels to reach them?
Paid - magazine/newspaper print, radio, online banners or any other media advertisers must pay for to appear in or on
Earned – news articles, blogs, shared videos or messages that your customers and other third-parties create or pass along to their networks of friends, families, followers and subscribers
Owned – any media you actually own that touches your customers: your website, email list, social media sites, apps, uniforms, vehicles, building exteriors, retail space, etc.
Your Competitors
Identifying and understanding your real competitors is critical if you want to successfully differentiate and position your company against them. Doing so will allow you to capitalize on their successes and failures while guarding against any threats they may pose. Whyology’s competitive analysis will detail your competitors’:
Strategic positioning and personality
Target audience
Strengths and weaknesses
Geographic influence
Messaging and communications tactics
You should consider using Whyology to analyze your competitors if you don't know the answers to these questions:
What benefits/advantages do your competitors have that you don’t?
What benefits/advantages do you have that they don’t?
What products and services do they provide? What prices do they charge?
What do they do to enhance customer loyalty?
Who are they targeting?
Are they getting more publicity than you? How?
How innovative are they?
How many employees and offices do they have?
How strong are their employees?
Who is the owner(s)? What do they believe in?
How do they treat their customers?
Are they growing or losing market share?
What are they doing that you should be doing too?
What’s their kryptonite?
What do they do that you can’t?
What can you do that they can’t?
What are they planning to do?
What new products/services are they developing?
What financial resources do they have?
Your Company
You may know exactly where you want your company to go but you’ll never be able to map out a plan on how to get there until you first truly understand who and where you are. Self-analysis is hard and you’re going to need to hire an objective third-party to help you with this one. The most effective and efficient way to develop a Brand Platform is through a combination of Stakeholder Surveys, one-on-one interviews, customer research, competitive analysis and a Brand Workshop.
Our Stakeholder Survey goes to all key decision-makers in your organization. The questions are customized for your business and are divided into the following sections to help us determine where there’s friction and alignment in thought:
Company Perceptions
Product/Services - benefits/weaknesses
Defining Success - what success looks like/how much should it cost
Communications - what's working/what's not/what’s missing
Elevator Pitch – what you tell people your company does
Competition
Identification – Who They Are
Perceived Strengths & Weaknesses
Customers
Who They Are: Demographics/Psychographics
Perceived Wants & Needs
Media - how do customers find out about you
The surveys are followed-up by one-on-one interviews with different employees to corroborate or clear up our survey findings.
Once all the above is done, we schedule a meeting with key stakeholders to go through our research report. The research report will include:
Insights and conclusions regarding your:
Ideal customers/consumers
Main competitors
Company/brand
An Overarching Strategic Brief
Higher Busines Purpose Statement (Brand mission and positioning rolled into an inspirational rallying cry. Learn more here.)
List of marketing and operational recommendations as next steps
If consensus building is needed or preferred, a secondary option is to use our findings to guide our proprietary Brand Enlightenment Workshop. During the workshop we compare and contrast your team’s answers with each other and the insights from our consumer, competitive and company research. This will help identify where friction points exist among your internal team and use research to fill in gaps regarding perception versus reality, competitive threats, consumer/customer real wants and needs, company direction, marketing priorities, etc. The net deliverable is consensus on a Brand Platform that will help you achieve realistic goals for the market you’re in with the budget you have.
To learn more about our Brand Enlightenment Workshop and Report click here.