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Industry Insights

While BP Takes The Heat, Tar Balls Are Washing Up On Corporate America

By: John Gilfeather, Executive Advisor to Vision Critical Companies are glad to be out of the limelight, but may be missing the boat. Overheard at a conference the other day was a corporate PR person from a beleaguered company saying. “Thank heavens for BP. Now we are not on the front pages.” But the truth is that even companies that have been traditionally highly respected are feeling the public backlash. In this time of unprecedented cynicism and public mistrust Vision Critical ... | Read More

In the Public Eye: Social Insight on the Public’s Perception of the Salvation Army

Interview by John McAlister, Senior Editor - Salvationist Andrew Grenville is the chief research officer of Vision Critical and a member of The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board. A 20-year research veteran, Andrew leads in the development of innovative and informative analytics and approaches to research. Andrew is the author of numerous Vision Critical research products and measurement tools and focuses on global social and marketing research. This interview appears in the Salvationist publication and offers critical insight about ... | Read More

Corporate Reputations: The Building, Collapse, and Long Road to the Top

By: John Gilfeather, Executive Advisor to Vision Critical Has there ever been a better time to talk about corporate reputation? Financial collapses. Venerable old firms being swallowed up or disappearing. Unsafe products being sold and deaths resulting. Major corporations being bailed out by the government. Bonuses being paid to executives who presided over colossal failures. Is there any wonder that corporations are being battered by the American Public? Vision Critical just completed a study of the reputations of 54 companies. Each company was ... | Read More

Seeing the Big Picture with Multi-Country Studies

By Jeff Vidler - SVP & Managing Director, Radio, Vision Critical As borders open up in today’s global marketplace, research can help you size up the opportunities lying on the other side of the fence. By seeing how other markets behave, global research can also help you get a fresh perspective on the hidden opportunities in your home market. We recently conducted a study using Vision Critical’s global access panels that drives both of these points home. Radio Futures 2010 was a ... | Read More

Getting to Market: Innovating the Innovation Process

By Mike Rodenburgh, Senior Vice President, Consumer Research There is a trend in many organizations, right now, to re-think their entire innovation process. Systems such as Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) are becoming more popular as companies strategically design entire company processes around the lifecycles of their products. There are several key goals of PLM, which include improving “time-to-market” and optimizing products to fit customer needs… but what about the screening of new product ideas? I find it ironic that while entire ... | Read More

Real Ballot – A Historic Achievement

By Andy Morris, Research Director of Angus Reid Public Opinion’s UK practice Today, The Economist has released the results of a ground breaking poll from Angus Reid Public Opinion, the public affairs practice of Vision Critical. For the first time in Britain—and only the second time anywhere in the world—we have conducted a voting intention poll by showing voters the ballot as they will see it in their constituency. Names and parties appear in an online question with the respondent marking ... | Read More

Why The Way You Ask A Question Can Determine The Answer

By Andrew Grenville, Chief Research Officer - Vision Critical The question you ask can shape or even determine the answer you get. Questions need to be crafted with a great deal of care. Let me tell you a story about two priests to illustrate this point. Two older Irish priests were down at the pub having a pint and a smoke. And as they chatted and lit up another cigarette, they discussed smoking and praying. One said to ... | Read More

Uncovering the Shared Ideal: How Social Media Has Helped Bridge Brands and Customer

By: Daniel Alexander-Head: Engagement Strategy Director The last couple of years have been a pretty scary time for a lot of marketers and researchers with the spurt in growth of Social Media. It was easy for us to get comfortable in the processes and procedures that we developed over the last few decades - we controlled the agenda, broadcasted our messages and spent money to buy the silence of zombie-like customers who absorbed everything we said and acted on everything we ... | Read More

Designing Online Surveys: How Respondent Engagement & Usability Go Hand In Hand

By Chris Ryan, VP of Interactive Design & Usability - Vision Critical [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z5dEGv25ys[/youtube] | Read More

Branded Panels: How Candidness Attracts A New and Invaluable Insight

By Jennifer Reid, SVP of Strategy & Monique Morden, EVP - Vision Critical In today’s social media-driven market—in which transparency is among the most potent loyalty drivers of all—a new and powerful research tool has emerged. The online branded panel. Where traditional panels will always be indispensible for their detachment—for how they reach respondents anonymously through an intermediary—a branded panel is like approaching customers with a tap on the shoulder. (What do you think of this? What else can we do for ... | Read More