A Case Study in Panel Design and Execution Lynne Kerger, The Chicago Tribune Ron Pocs, The Blackstone Group Engaging Consumers in New Product Development.

A Case Study in Panel Design and Execution

Lynne Kerger, The Chicago TribuneRon Pocs, The Blackstone Group

Engaging Consumers

in New Product Development

2

Engaging Consumers in New Product Development: A Case Study in Panel Design and Execution


Three Things We All Know about Newspapers

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4




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How Did This Happen?

• Our future is in the hands of a sight, sound, motion generation

• News is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

• Depth of coverage is out of sync with fast-paced 21st century life

• Things that used to drive 18-34s to the paper are now done online

• Multitasking is a way of life

The world changed …

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2002 Reach Among 18-34’s

(% of mkt.)

50%

10%

6%

Source: Gallup Poll of Media Usage, Chicago Market 2002

Chicago Tribune Needed an EdgeChicago Tribune Needed an Edge

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Preliminary Work Informed Us

Focus Groups20 Adults in their 20’s

Tribune Proprietary Research Studies

Local Newspaper StudySingle Copy Newspaper Buyer Study

P R I Z MP R I Z M

Tribune Young Readers Panel

10 adults 17 – 23

Leisure Time Study

1 x 1 Interviews with External

Industry Experts3 out of market

newspaper peers

Industry Analysis

Internal Information Resources External Resources Primary Research

THE GALLUP

ORGANIZATION

THE GALLUP

ORGANIZATION

Editorial Readership Priorities, 2001

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What We Learned

• Young readers are interested in local and relevant news

• You can have attitude but you must choose your spots

• Humor is essential

• Too much celebrity coverage is too much

• Brand credibility still means something

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What We Made

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What We Needed To DoShort-term

• Reach 18-34 year-olds, mainly in the city, who are commuters

• Quickly build trial and brand awareness

• Develop a daily reading habit

Long-term

• Grow circulation and readership among young readers

• Increase market share against competing publications

• Migrate readers to other Tribune media

• Generate healthy profits and margins

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What We Launched

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• Who was reading this thing?

• Was it working for them?

• Did we have the right content mix?

• Most importantly, were the covers attracting our targets?

What We Still Needed to Learn

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Conduct a study among consumers of a product that does not yet exist

Routinely survey a target audience (Gen Y) that is difficult to reach• Mobile• Tech savvy• Notorious for low newspaper readership• Generate initial and sustained interest

Construct a daily interviewing and reporting process• Cover and content specific• Frequent topline reporting• Iterative process• Track results over time

The Research Challenge

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Quantitative Panel

• Online ?

• On Site / Central Location Intercept ?

• Other ?

Methodology

Recruitment Options

• Use existing online panel(s) ?

• In-paper ads ?

• Postcard ?

• Online ?

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Postcard

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In-Paper Ad

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Intro survey (populate potential panel members, comments)

Panel Construction

Panel survey (screening, demographics, panel invite)

Weekly survey• Morning launch (9-10am)• Midnight close• Reshuffle sample each week

Qualifications• Current RedEye reader• Mix of demographics (age, gender, income, etc.)• Mix of geography (city/non-city, distribution area)• Security (industry) screen

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1st half: Base survey• Readership behavior

Questionnaire

2nd half: Targeted area (specific focus over 1-3 week periods)• General appeal• Specific content, design elements• Reader attitudes• Shopping behaviors and cross-media habits

Length: Less than 10 minutes

Form:• Mostly closed ends• “Comments” at end• Visual

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Questionnaire

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Fieldwork

A. WeeklyQuestionnaire

Provided

C. SampleCleaned /

Randomized

1. Cover .jpgReceived /Inserted

B. QuestionnaireProgrammed /

Tested

2. SurveyRe-tested

then Launched

3. InitialResults

Checked

4. ResultsMonitored

5. CloseSurvey

6. DataPulled /ToplineCreated

WEEKLY

DAILY

D. WeeklyReport

Generated

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Daily topline• Download from secure site• Basic graphical report

Reporting

Summary report• Compiled weekly

Verbatims• Presented in raw form

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Reporting

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Did today's cover entice you to pick up RedEye? (n=186)

No38%

Yes62%

What was it about the cover that enticed you to pick up RedEye? (n=116)

57%

25%

70%

10%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Pic/graphic Boldness ofHeadline

Topic of Cover Story Other

What was it about today's RedEye that caused you to pick it up? (n=70)

41%

3%

23% 0.21

40%

16% 19%27%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Handed

to m

e

Class

ified

Met

rom

ix

Oth

er E

nt.

News

Red H

ot

Sports

Oth

er

Reporting

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Initial Sweepstakes

Incentives

$ Gift card• Mailed via USPS• 3 options• $10 per occasion

• After first full survey• After every 4 additional surveys

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Non-Responders (Non-Readers)• Out after X weeks

Ongoing Panel Management

Feedback Loop• Establish one• Monitor it daily

Housekeeping• Removal from panel• Change of address (mail, e-mail)

Repopulate as needed

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Panel Members: 900

Panel Results

Response rates: High (63-72%)

Longevity: 5 months

Bottom line: Actionable results …• provided on a timely basis• used to improve the product• ultimately resulting in increased circulation

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Consider multiple options (be creative)

Offer popular incentives (relevant)

Monitor costs (10,500+ at less than $10 per complete)

(Try to) keep it simple

Avoid overload (take a break)

Pre-test (and adapt)

Build in controls (process checks)

Key Process Learnings

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Cover Elements Analysis

• Working with Tedesco Analytics, Inc. analyzed panel findings• Panel readership and satisfaction scores varied from issue to issue• Wanted to make best use of panel learnings to inform future efforts

• Complexity science uncovered patterns of most successful covers

• Each element of every cover was put into the model

• Appended readership/satisfaction scores for each issue

• Determined which elements were linked with highest readership/satisfaction

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Subject preferences of younger audience will not turn off 35+ readers

What We Learned

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Covers featuring males that have an outdoor feel outperform others

What We Learned

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Stories with a local connection and covers that give people a lot of reasons to open the paper work best

What We Learned

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Photos that suggest action and are not staged resonate most

What We Learned

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TV/movie take-offs are best used sparingly

What We Learned

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Fieldwork recently completed

Smaller scale, more focused

Previous learnings put into action

RedEye Panel – Wave II

A Case Study in Panel Design and Execution

Lynne Kerger, The Chicago TribuneRon Pocs, The Blackstone Group

Engaging Consumers

in New Product Development

A Case Study in Panel Design and Execution Lynne Kerger, The Chicago Tribune Ron Pocs, The Blackstone Group Engaging Consumers in New Product Development.

Documents

case study

panel design

engaging consumers

new product development

execution quantitative

leisure time study

tribune young readers

execution lynne kerger