Has this happened to you? You’re in a check-out line at the grocery store. You compliment the person in front of you, a complete stranger, on her shoes. By the time you leave, you know each other’s birth signs and kids’ names. If you’re a woman you’ve probably done it; if you’re a man you’ve most likely seen it. And this is the essence of our strategy: get personal, and get her talking. Whether it’s face-to-face discussions, remote research, or through our consumer panels the idea is to get women off auto-pilot, deconstruct the decision-making process, and see what we can learn.
Face-to-face Discussions
At OYM, we’ve learned that two distinct elements are involved in forming an opinion: 1) having the experience, and 2) putting that experience into words. Our two-step process makes sure that the end result is real, honest insight.
- STEP 1: Get them thinking…We use a variety of methods to capture thoughts, feelings and opinions prior to in-person meetings. These include in-store texting, online tracking, daily journaling, and even video and photo diaries. Having to stop and think about why she’s doing what she’s doing reveals some surprising nuggets when we do sit down and talk.
- STEP 2: Now let’s talk…Women love to share. Good stuff happens when we conduct focus groups, be it in a facility or a living room, and really good stuff happens when women are among friends. Girlfriend-groups let several good friends speak openly and honestly (because if they don’t somebody will call them on it!), and Mommy-groups are a specialty, too. Moms have their own language and it provides a valuable and revealing look into an exclusive club. We also spend time with women one-on-one in their homes and on shopping trips. Regardless of the setting, knowing what to ask, how to ask it, and creating an environment conducive to honest feedback is what sets us apart.
“What On Your Mark did for Real Simple was nothing short of amazing. They became a partner who was always available, tirelessly enthusiastic, while embodying a proactive, creative spirit that’s none too common. It’s clear that they are out in the field everyday listening to what’s most relevant and what really works— in short, they speak ‘women.’”
–Amy Vanderbes, Real Simple magazine
Remote Research
How many decisions does the average woman make in a typical day? Trick question. There are no average women (and we’re not sure there’s a typical day). But the decisions run to the hundreds, most likely. We often have women visit certain locations or initiate tasks then share their responses instantly via mobile apps or online surveys. This is a great — and very budget-friendly — way to capture an accurate snapshot from a lot of women in a short period of time.
We also conduct online focus groups, bringing women from many locations into the same virtual “room” together, while limiting your travel time and expense.
Consumer Communities and Panels
We maintain several consumer communities, groups of 50–150 women hand-picked to represent our clients’ particular target markets. These women not only are consumers, they’re also influential within their peer groups. They answer questions and participate in rich discussions about one or more subjects for a given period of time (from a few months to a few years), and each month we collect their impressions and organize them into an actionable summary. Very soon you have information that can shape (or reshape) your consumer strategy in ways you never imagined. The real value of the panels is in the ongoing stream of insights, which allow the client to be proactive rather than reactive.