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In order to effectively market itself, a brand must navigate multiple levels of engagement.  The classic Awareness–Consideration–Purchase (ACP) model provides a useful framework for evaluating the impact of branding at different stages of customer involvement.  Yet customers seldom move along this path in a purely linear process, so brands must acknowledge that both customers and prospects are free to move forward and back along a continuum of engagement and are not always on the precipice of purchase.

Each stage carries unique challenges and objectives for the brand.  In our years of researching technology categories, and particularly B2B markets, we have recognized some of the unique brand challenges that must be addressed during positioning research.

For technology brands, it isn’t just about the purchase

For many consumer products, there is very little learning that the consumer needs to go through prior to purchase. When products are clearly established, customers exist closer to the “Consideration” and “Purchase” end of the A-C-P spectrum by default:  Lexus doesn’t need to educate customers about cars, nor does Coke need to explain the soft drink category to the marketplace.  Thus many traditional consumer branding and marketing efforts focus on creating brand image and differentiating products, often based on the four P’s.

But in technology markets, the category itself is often in a constant state of evolution and consumers are constantly learning, so the brand must represent something beyond the products it is trying to sell.  For instance, traditional telecom is as simple as ensuring your phone rings… but throughput tiers, bandwidth caps, telephony features, and technology convergence are only a sampling of issues that are constantly affecting what, and how, telecommunications providers sell.

Even a product as ubiquitous as media must grapple with technology branding. Any artist or studio attempting to market its product will invariably confront the transition from physical media to digital media, and ultimately to cloud.  It is the platform, in tandem with the producer, that dictates how people engage and consume media.  Traditional branding efforts that focus on awareness and affinity miss opportunities for platforms to help the consumer balance discovery, quality, accessibility, and engagement.  These factors are evolving and highly individualized, creating distinct challenges for media marketers.

As technology evolves, so do technology brand perceptions

Such fluidity means that customers (both consumers and businesses) are often evaluating what they know about various technology markets, building and rebuilding their brand perceptions across the A-C-P spectrum.  Dynamic technology markets require a brand to represent far more than just a product / price value proposition since products can be expected to change.  Technology branding must also say something about the company’s ability to lead (or at least react to) changing markets, and even educate customers about evolving categories.

These characteristics have implications for brand messaging and positioning, since the larger impact of technology marketing comes in gaining entrance to the consideration set, perhaps by creating a viable product category.  If a technology message is aimed or tested solely at the point of purchase it may come too late to drive the purchase process.

The evolution of tablet computers illustrates this phenomenon. For years, Microsoft and OEMs made tablet products that appealed to niche markets for digital artists or medical applications. Initial marketing efforts were uncertain, typically attempting to introduce the tablet concept within the familiar context of PC usage.  With the introduction of the iPad, Apple almost instantly solidified the viability of the tablet, and competitors were forced to pivot their branding around Apple’s positioning. One brand was allowed to define the market, and the remaining competitors have struggled to react convincingly.

Technology branding lessons go beyond the product

Consider “Intel Inside” and “Mac vs. PC” brand positions; two of the most successful technology campaigns in history.  Neither campaign directed customers to a specific product or attempted to differentiate brands based on specific features or prices.  Rather, they illuminated the idea that a choice was available for processors or computers, and brought Intel and Apple into consideration.  For Intel, it meant creating a category for processors that few knew existed, while Apple reinvigorated a choice most assumed had disappeared.

Imagine if these messages had been tested in a purchase context, alongside the tangible price/feature components we typically invoke in conjoint or related choice exercises.  Would this have made any sense to a customer?  Would we expect there to have been any influence from these campaigns without some thought to what each meant to the broader purchase context?

In conclusion…

When executing branding and positioning research for our technology clients, we work to reveal the specific positioning statements, proof points and attributes that will ultimately impact decision-makers through the entire process from Awareness to Consideration.

Ultimately the brand and brand positions must drive purchase, but at the point of purchase the product features and pricing become primary.  The purchase decision itself warrants a distinct and rigorous research process, but the testing and validation of technology brand positioning requires focusing customers’ limited time and attention on the stages prior to purchase where positioning has the greatest effect.

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If you have additional questions about branding and positioning in the technology market, or want to learn how Illuminas can reveal the positioning that is best for YOUR brand, drop us a line at solutions@illuminas-global.com or call us at (512)-652-2700.

Livingston had previously been a project manager for PTV NuStats and GSD&M, and joins Illuminas with nearly a decade of market research and business analytics experience along with an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.  As the newest member of Illuminas, Livingston will continue to provide quality client service through the design, execution and analysis of quantitative and qualitative research projects.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with this announcement,” says Carrie Angiolet, Senior Vice President.  “Jeff brings a wealth of knowledge to Illuminas, and the addition of his expertise to our team supports our mission to provide the best client service and market research solutions possible.”

About Illuminas Austin

Illuminas Austin (http://austin.illuminas-global.com) is a full-service, global research consultancy dedicated to helping companies leverage market intelligence to gain leadership positions. With a headquarters in London and offices throughout the US and Asia, Illuminas helps each client identify the key business issues and decisions they are faced with and recommend the most optimal research methodology on a case-by-case basis. Whether you are trying to identify key market trends, solve critical business issues or create leading brand strategies, Illuminas’ team of expert research consultants will recommend the most appropriate combination of quantitative and qualitative research tools to meet your objectives.

For more information please contact:

Amelia Prouty
Business Development Manager
Phone:  512-652-2714
Fax:      512-652-2702
Email:   amelia.prouty@illuminas-global.com

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The prestigious award is the culmination of over a year’s dedicated work by the IT, research and field management teams to reach the exacting standards required; encompassing extensive risk management evaluation, business resilience planning and ensuring data security standards set by client companies are met and exceeded by delivering industry leading IT protocols. Illuminas will be independently inspected every six months to ensure it is up to speed with the latest data protection and industry requirements.

John Ricketts, Director of IT and Information Security and Martin Cary, Global COO comment, “We are delighted to achieve ISO 27001 at a time when data protection and data privacy are increasingly important in both the research industry and society generally. ISO 27001 ensures there are clear benefits for clients and respondents, with personal information as well as client confidential material encrypted 100% of the time whilst on Illuminas systems. The standard is a systematic approach to managing the security of sensitive information covering people, processes, IT systems and policy. We believe all research companies should follow the guidelines of the standard given they are often entrusted with personal information.”

About Illuminas Austin

Illuminas Austin (http://austin.illuminas-global.com) is a full-service, global research consultancy dedicated to helping companies leverage market intelligence to gain leadership positions. With a headquarters in London and offices throughout the US and Asia, Illuminas helps each client identify the key business issues and decisions they are faced with and recommend the most optimal research methodology on a case-by-case basis. Whether you are trying to identify key market trends, solve critical business issues or create leading brand strategies, Illuminas’ team of expert research consultants will recommend the most appropriate combination of quantitative and qualitative research tools to meet your objectives.

For more information please contact:
Amelia Prouty
Business Development Manager
Phone:  512-652-2714
Fax:      512-652-2702
Email:   amelia.prouty@illuminas-global.com

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Austin, Texas (September 1, 2011)- Illuminas Austin, a full-service market research firm specializing in the technology and B2B industry, announces multiple executive promotions in the wake of continued growth and success.

Carrie Angiolet, former Vice President of Client Services, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Illuminas’ Austin office. Angiolet has been with Illuminas since 1999 and has been instrumental in fostering the tremendous growth of client accounts and research capabilities.  As Senior Vice President, Angiolet is responsible for developing client service and support strategies, growing Illuminas’ client base and ensuring the quality of research solutions provided to each client.

Andrew Elder, former Vice President of Marketing Sciences, is now Senior Vice President of Marketing Sciences.  Elder has been Illuminas’ primary methodological consultant and marketing sciences analyst since 2000.  In his new position, Elder will be responsible for cultivating Illuminas’ advanced analytics capabilities and driving innovation in the research solutions offered to clients.  Elder is recognized as a marketing sciences expert among international research professionals, and will continue to design and implement advanced research projects that provide the insight necessary to position Fortune 500 clients as leaders in their industries.

Robin Peto and Stacey Eacott, both former Directors of Market Research, have been appointed as Illuminas’ new Vice Presidents of Market Research. Both Peto and Eacott have been with Illuminas for over 7 years, during which time they have individually led the growth of key client accounts and overseen the development of a world-class client services team. As Vice Presidents for Illuminas, Peto and Eacott will be responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of custom research solutions, as well as driving Illuminas’ operational success and growth.

“Each of these individuals have been key to our company’s success in the research marketplace,” said Illuminas Managing Director Jay Shutter. “I am confident that, with such an effective and experienced management team, we will continue to establish ourselves as valuable partners for each of our clients.”

About Illuminas Austin

Illuminas Austin (http://austin.illuminas-global.com) is a full-service, global research consultancy dedicated to helping companies leverage market intelligence to gain leadership positions. With a headquarters in London and offices throughout the US and Asia, Illuminas helps each client identify the key business issues and decisions they are faced with and recommend the most optimal research methodology on a case-by-case basis. Whether you are trying to identify key market trends, solve critical business issues or create leading brand strategies, Illuminas’ team of expert research consultants will recommend the most appropriate combination of quantitative and qualitative research tools to meet your objectives.

For more information please contact:

Amelia Prouty
Business Development Manager
Phone: 512-652-2714
Fax: 512-652-2702
Email: amelia.prouty@illuminas-global.com

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We recently partnered with leading sample vendor Toluna / Greenfield Online to conduct a study to learn more about the impact of panel recruitment channels on research outcomes, and we want to share the important key learnings with you.

lluminas’ article, Best Practices in Sample Management, helps you navigate the challenges associated with using the research industry’s latest panel offerings. This informative article explains the various ways in which sample recruitment channels can impact your research and offers several best practices to ensure accurate research results.

Click here to access the full article.

We invite you to explore our new site, starting with Illuminas’ comprehensive Research Glossary, developed and maintained on an ongoing basis by our own team of industry experts.  The Research Glossary serves as a handy resource for keeping yourself and your colleagues up-to-date on research terminology and concepts.

Additionally, the site features a comprehensive, searchable knowledge bank, useful and relevant industry news and ongoing commentary from our team of experts with their unique Illuminas point of view.

Come back and visit the Illuminas Austin website often and keep a pulse on the research industry.

Read the official Cisco press release or download the whitepaper here or download the whitepaper.

Download the whitepaper here.

Download the whitepaper here.

Download the whitepaper here.