Ready to Launch Research

BACKGROUND

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• To determine if a new selected target audience would be right for our platform
• To determine if the current age demographic audience is right for our platform

SOLUTION

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director Product Portfolio of Pearson

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Life-long education company, providing testing, preparation tools and education innovations to teachers, learners, and businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ready to Launch Research to accomplish?

• identify industries spending money on employee education
• identify growth opportunities for B2B education services
• uncover pain points for HR professionals and employed students related to continuing education

SOLUTION

How did you find Ready to Launch Research?

Online Search

Why did you select Ready to Launch Research over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ready to Launch Research were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Ready to Launch delivered on a 3-part research plan: 

1) Desk research/secondary research to understand industries and company spend on employee education; 

2) Social listening insights for employees and HR professionals as they talk about employee education; 

3) Focus groups of HR professionals and employed students; after they delivered detailed reports, we also asked them for white papers we can use to promote our services in the context of market needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Reports after each phase of research and white paper for 2 primary audiences.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were exceptionally organized and delivered as scheduled. They were exceptionally responsive, and requested input regularly. They were great partners.

What was your primary form of communication with Ready to Launch Research?

• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Highly personalized service; Great listeners, and they delivered exactly what they promised and more. I was thrilled with the results and delighted by their service.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ready to Launch Research could have done differently?

A little closer proof-reading of reports. I had to point out a few typos, here and there, but very minor issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Vice President of Enrollment Management & CCO of La Salle College Preparatory

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Founded in 1956 in Pasadena, CA, La Salle College Preparatory provides a Catholic, Lasallian college-prep high school education in a co-ed environment, serving the greater San Gabriel Valley region of Southern California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ready to Launch Research to accomplish?

• Understand La Salle's position in the Los Angeles private high school market.
• Have a firmer grasp on why students and families enroll at La Salle
• Identify strategic recommendations for improvement as it relates to product, branding and positioning.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ready to Launch Research?

Online Search

Why did you select Ready to Launch Research over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing first our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

What was the size of Ready to Launch Research’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Ready to Launch was tasked with surveying and studying internal and external constituents, including current and prospective students and parents, families who declined La Salle's offer of admission, and families considering private schools in the greater Los Angeles area.

Ready to Launch conducted qualitative and quantitative research, interviewing and surveying parents and students. The firm was asked to provide its findings in a comprehensive manner, including an executive summary, a breakdown by each constituency, along with strategic recommendations for improvement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Actionable recommendations from the firm based on the research gathered.
• Presented data from each constituency.
• Comprehensive report outlining steps and findings.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Ready to Launch was an outstanding market research partner. They provided their deliverables in a timely manner and responded to inquiries and requests promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Ready to Launch Research?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The firm was able to navigate nimbly and adapted to different situations and/or challenges seamlessly.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ready to Launch Research could have done differently?

Providing a "live" and comprehensive checklist or client-facing project management dashboard with action items needed would have helped ensure an even more seamless partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Director of Product and Marketing at a software-as-a-service company. We provide software and services for local search engine optimisation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ready to Launch Research?

We were looking for a market research agency to help us run a survey as part of a pricing research project. We knew that we needed to survey potential buyers in our market, but weren't sure how we could reach them. Our customer base is varied and we needed to ensure we got a good sample size of qualified respondents across each customer segment. We also needed a fairly quick turnaround with this project. We had a good idea of how the survey needed to be structured and who we needed to target. We also were planning to analyse the survey ourselves.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reached out to a few different market research companies and generally found that not many only helped with survey distribution. Most wanted to take on the entire research project including coming up with the survey and analysing the results. Ready to Launch were one of a few that we able to just help out with survey distribution. But more importantly, they straightaway understood what we were trying to achieve with our research and was also able to consult on refining the survey questions and targeting to ensure the best possible results.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Ready to Launch provided consultation on the survey questions including adding qualification questions to ensure respondents matched our target customers. They worked with a partner to distribute the survey, but they remained close throughout. We launched a pilot of the survey and found that some respondents struggled to interpret questions. Ready to Launch really helped us improved the survey after the pilot, and the campaign was a big success – very happy with the data we got back.

What was the team composition?

Jenny, President and Founder, was my main point of contact. I also had assistance from her team when it came to finalising the survey questions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a quick turnaround of survey responses and the data that came back was exactly what we were looking for.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There was a big timezone difference between us and Ready to Launch but that didn't hold anything up. The team was always checking in and making themselves available throughout.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Really easy to work with. Always checking in to make sure we were happy. Promised a quick turnaround and delivered on it.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Nothing stands out.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing analyst at a higher education institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ready to Launch Research?

Our marketing team is tasked with creating recruitment materials for prospective college students. We wanted to better understand the college exploration and enrollment process and how it might differ for students from various backgrounds.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found a few vendors who demonstrated having experience with research with respondents on the basis of race and income level, but none that had the extensive qualitative background or experience with higher education like Jenny and her team at Ready to Launch. She was very responsive and thoroughly answered questions as they came up throughout the process.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Jenny supported us in designing the project approach and outlining the research objectives. She hired a team to manage respondent recruitment and covered all the back-end logistics. She wrote the discussion guide and met with us at critical steps in the process to make sure everything was on track. Together, we conducted four total focus groups and they delivered a detailed report of findings about a week after the groups were completed.

What was the team composition?

The team included me and two other representatives from our student recruitment marketing team, plus Jenny who was our main contact at Ready to Launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received meaningful insights from the focus groups that will allow our team to make impactful strategic decisions about our marketing efforts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

A lot of the progress was able to be made online via email or in documents. When meetings were needed, they were efficient and well-organized. It was clear who was responsible for each step in the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Jenny's experience and how efficiently she worked. She knew what to do every step of the way, she was open to our input and suggestions, and made sure to understand exactly what we needed so that she could deliver it.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work at a cancer organization's national headquarters. We provide support, information & advocacy to everyone affected by cancer. I run their patient education department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ready to Launch Research?

Market Research, including:

• focus groups & online discussion boards to test educational materials and programs
• individual interviews to gather data for needs assessments

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Jenny was known by the PhD behavioral researchers as CSC's Research and Training Institute and came highly recommended.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Jenny does most of our market research with audiences of cancer survivors & caregivers to test our cancer patient education materials with the intended audience to ensure it is as patient-friendly and usable as possible. Most of these are done with virtual focus groups. Jenny also does some individual interviews for us in needs assessments where we have to gather more in-depth data.

What was the team composition?

Jenny facilitates most of the focus groups and individual interviews. Occasionally, she will also subcontract with other facilitators when we need multiple facilitators at the same time. Jenny also has had a schedule who works with her, although that person has changed over time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been very pleased with Jenny's work and have used her for all of our projects, except ones where we needed a native Spanish facilitator or someone with deep ties to Black/African American communities. She is able to quickly synthesize actionable insights from her interviews and focus groups. And she has been very flexible, providing quick turn-arounds and additional services such as recruitment, scheduling, and participant reminders to ensure that we had good turnout.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have weekly meetings with Jenny to coordinate recruitment, scheduling, and paying incentives to participants. At these meetings, Jenny also lets us know when to expect her research analysis and reports.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to provide meaningful, actionable insights, even using small population sizes, is impressive. Over time, she has also suggested improvements to recruitment/scheduling processes and interview guides that have saved us time and money.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

While Jenny's reports are full of meaningful, actionable insights, her strengths lie more in informal analysis and reporting rather than in formally coding data and reporting quantitative data from focus groups and interviews, such as results you get using inVivo.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a marketing and advertising company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ready to Launch Research?

They helped us with consumer research.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They conducted research studies with target audiences. Deliverables included analytics and data that my clients used to guide their decision-making.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with 3–4 people over the years, including the CEO, with who I interacted extensively, the head of research, and a project management resource.

How did you come to work with Ready to Launch Research?

They were the most responsive, initially, and seemed very knowledgeable. Their background was incredible as well.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $25,000 with them to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve worked with them since March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ready to Launch Research has certainly had a positive effect on my business. Their work met my client’s needs and led to actionable results.

How did Ready to Launch Research perform from a project management standpoint?

They met deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The speed of their responses stood out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take time to have a discussion upfront about your overall objectives, as well as ways to accomplish those objectives. Ready to Launch Research can provide different options, which was helpful to me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Product Planner at a consumer electronics company related to Automotive industry based in California, and we are trying to develop a new product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ready to Launch Research?

Since this product is a new category for us, we first needed to identify what end-user's needs and demands are for this product. We unfortunately do not have a resource to ask questions to the end-users' by ourselves, so we decided to ask Ready to Launch's help.

What were your goals for this project?

To identify the value proposition for our new category products. To find out what customer is looking for this product.

SOLUTION

How did you select Ready to Launch Research?

Our different department had worked with Ready to Launch before and they recommended them.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we kicked-off the project, we first identify the project goal and purpose. I was the lead of this project and created draft question lists. Then, we asked Ready to Launch's feedback if the questions are efficient and make sense. They gave us a great advise and feedback that led us to identify the value for this product.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned 1 quant researcher and 1 advisor. Since we asked them to conduct only a quant research this time, it was more than enough to proceed the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within two months, we were able to come up the all questions, run the survey, and received a fantastic results and report. We accomplish what we were asking for on time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Since we had a time concern to finish the project, we asked Ready to Launch team to have a weekly meeting. It was a great decision and very helpful for us to follow the schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of the final report. It was significantly easy to read and included their own great insights based on the research results. Not only are they quick, but I was amazed by the quality of the report.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It is not necessary a their improvement, but we had to reduce the number of questions to maintain the quality of answers . We wish we could ask all the questions we were originally thinking to ask, but it is what it is. Although, Ready to Launch did a great job combining the questions so we did not have to cut that much.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the principal of a full-service marketing research and strategy firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ready to Launch Research?

We were running a multi-staged research project for an enterprise account and needed a vendor that could support on the qualitative side of the project, specifically in community research design + moderation and focus group moderation.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to build learnings about a particular customer segment within a broader industry while also getting initial reads on what generating excitement or alienation for new product ideas.

SOLUTION

How did you select Ready to Launch Research?

They came recommended by someone I know in the focus group technology space. We were looking for a partner that could support research among lower-income and multi-racial respondents, and had experience with digital qualitative research.

After meeting them and assessing their background, it was clear they could support our needs.

Describe the project in detail.

The first phase was a community research project. This entailed working with RTL to develop a week-long calendar of daily activities or questions. RTL provided a strong framework for how to approach the task and also gave structured feedback about best practices when doing digital communities.

They then fielded the community in-market, doing full week-long moderation, and lastly wrote the report. The second phase was a series of digital focus groups. RTL advised on the discussion guide design and moderating many days' worth of focus groups.

What was the team composition?

We worked with RTL's Principal for the bulk of the project. We also relied on one of their other focus group moderator's for a few of the multi-cultural focus group moderation sessions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We left the qualitative phase of the research with very clear psychographic assessments of the core customer target as well as objective measures to use for future early-stage new product go/no-go assessments.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was an extremely seamless process. RTL has extremely fast turnaround times with any and all responses and feedback. They were very amenable to broader project timelines and made sure deliverables were received on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There are always bumps in the road with qualitative research. After all, we're relying on strangers to share their time and stories with us. RTL is great at rolling with the punches.

Whether it's respondents having technical challenges with a focus group platform, respondents who don't have the most direct communications styles, or something else entirely, RTL makes it work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Custom Research of ThinkNow

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Marketing Research

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ready to Launch Research to accomplish?

• Moderate Focus Groups

SOLUTION

How did you find Ready to Launch Research?

Other

Why did you select Ready to Launch Research over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit

What was the size of Ready to Launch Research’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project was a Taste Test and consisted of 6 in-person focus groups. We recruited the participants, moderate the sessions and submitted a summary report.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Client satisfaction

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Jenny was very responsive and easy to work with throughout.

What was your primary form of communication with Ready to Launch Research?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed by Jenny's flexibility and patience, given the challenges of conducting these particular focus groups.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ready to Launch Research could have done differently?

No, I was completely satisfied.