Taken for a Money Ride
Taken for a Money Ride How hidden costs & charges are used to fleece customers In many business sectors it is common practice to use hidden costs or charges to make customers pay more than what they think they are paying. In this brief article we will look at two examples of how customers wind…
Read MorePrivacy & Personal Information
August 10, 2017 TO: Marketing Research & Intelligence Association RE: NAFTA Negotiations Regarding Out-of-Country Storage of Publicly-Held Personal Information Q. 1: Do you see any issues with publicly-held personal information flowing to the United States? Q. 2: Should the MRIA (Marketing Research & Intelligence Association submit a brief to the Canadian government calling on it…
Read MoreJustifying Market Research Costs
Inflation, Proportionality & Justifying the Cost of Market Research Inflation While growing up in the 60s and 70s I got an education on the effects of inflation. I distinctly remember that $20 in the late 1960s was more than enough to pay for the weekly groceries. By the early to mid-1970s it took at least…
Read Morecredit unions vs. banks
What’s in a Name? (OSFI’s Restrictions on the Use of the Words “bank”, “banker” and “banking”) Let me start by saying that the views expresses in this article are my opinion based on my understanding of OSFI’s decision to restrict the use of certain words by non-banking financial institutions like credit unions. I have asked…
Read MoreDe-Commoditize Research Services
From Commodities to Valued Services: Helping Customers to Appreciate Competitive Intelligence & Market Research as Professional Services I recently received an email from a prospective client planning to conduct on research on competitors and requesting “some additional information on the services you offer and an approximate cost of your services.” After following up on…
Read MoreCompetitive Intelligence in the B2B Arena
Competitive Intelligence in the B2B Arena (Dealing with the Challenges of a Vital Research Sector) Conducting Competitive Intelligence research in the B2B arena brings challenges that are unique to this important type of research. In this brief analysis, we will look at some of the factors that both researchers and clients must take into account…
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