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

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