Certus Insights

Please describe your company and your position there.

In my previous role, I served as the Director of Business Development for the D.C. office of a global public relations firm.

For what projects/services did your company hire Certus Insights?

To differentiate ourselves from the competition, we engaged Certus to conduct research to inform our proposed strategic approach for new business opportunities. We also often worked with Certus to execute research as a part of our client engagements.

What were your goals for this project?

We were always looking to understand better the client and the landscape in which it operated so as to pinpoint an opportunity to support that client more effectively.

How did you select this vendor?

Certus had a long track record of success on other projects and in working with them we quickly saw why. They were a serious value-add to every project we partnered on -- contributing meaningful insights beyond reporting out on data.

Describe the project in detail.

As prospective clients approached our firm with an interest in partnering, we would engage Certus to 1) arm us with insights about the client and the landscape in which it operated to inform a more compelling proposal and/or 2) to execute proposed research projects ranging from multi-modal surveys to IDIs.

What was the team composition?

The team was primarily led by Andrew Rugg with support from his colleagues as needed.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

In my three years as Director of Business Development, we maintained an above industry standard win-rate on new business opportunities -- in no small part to Certus.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Certus team was a true partner throughout the entire process. They worked beyond simply executing the task that was given to them and found new and more effective ways to solve our problems.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team's attention to detail has always been impressive to me. They were critical in helping us thoroughly think through client challenges and come up with a solution that was grounded in research and actionable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the principal at a consulting firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Certus Insights?

I worked with them a couple of times, and they supported me at a previous company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did research and analysis for a large global client project in the healthcare space. They helped us with behavioral and attitudinal research to grow our understanding of potential customers and their consumption patterns.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of four.

How did you come to work with Certus Insights?

I don't remember how we found them, but we appreciated their pragmatic approach. Their attitude was refreshing, and they present themselves in a way that is easy to understand.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2016. This particular project was still ongoing when I left the firm.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Their research changed some fundamental assumptions we had about the client, and the data uncovered some important gaps in our understanding. The engagement was great, and they helped us understand what media our global audience was consuming. We had a much better idea of the channels and topics we should use to have a greater impact.

How did Certus Insights perform from a project management standpoint?

Their customer service was terrific, and the results were fascinating. They were responsive, pragmatic, and available, and they were upfront and clear about our collaboration and its limiting factors. They always kept us in the loop, and they met all their deadlines. We were never surprised by anything they did.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was immediately evident that they did a lot of homework before the project started. They came to the table with smart questions that illustrated their understanding of our space and our needs. That gave me tremendous confidence in their abilities, and our client was very comfortable with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My experience with them was really positive, and nothing negative comes to mind.