Research and Analysis

The role of research within Inside Media is developing a consumer-centric model that defines the media plan and serves as the foundation of the media buy.  Inside Media invests significant capital with the leading global research firms, to provide our clients with exceptional consumer insights and competitive intelligence.  Inside Media offers its extensive research services at no additional cost to our clients.

The consumer is so central to our planning procedure that we apply our proprietary research tools at the earliest stages of our media planning process.  Multiple local and national research sources are combined to develop insights into the role of media in the consumer’s lives.  

Ultimately, research determines the answers to two key questions:

	Ø	Who is the target customer?
	Ø	What type of media should be used to most effectively and efficiently reach the target customer?

Inside Media uses multiple primary and secondary qualitative and quantitative research tools in order to effectively drill down and assess engagement traits which answer these and other key questions.  We study Consumer Behavioral Patterns, Consumer Purchase Intent and Actions, Simultaneous Media Usage, Media Consumption Models, and Geographic Segmentation.  The end product of these consumer insights are contained in our proprietary marketing research plan, which is called “RADAR” (tm) (Research Analysis Data Assessment Report).

Here’s a sample of its proprietary contents:
IMRnet: A Global Network:
IMRnet is an internal communications system that connects consumer research databases from around the world through a centralized intranet portal, creating an environment where non-proprietary findings and solutions can be shared for the benefit of our clients. IMRnet features new studies and data, a database of new media options that helps improve marketing performance by understanding customer choice, experience and loyalty. Exceptional knowledge management and targeted messaging springboards are our strategic priorities.

TCP Analysis:
Inside Media provides our clients customized and complete Target Consumer Profiles analysis for each of their products and brands.  We use our extensive data library to investigate socioeconomic characteristics, ethnicity, lifestyles, products purchasing plans, retail shopping habits, stores shopped, products purchased, brands purchased, leisure activities and other selected consumer characteristics data which are all key indicators to understanding our clients target customers.

CIA Panels:
All businesses are looking to make the next sale and generate ongoing and future business.  However, most survey research only measures consumer’s past purchase behavior, which may or may not indicate future behavior.  Inside Media’s exclusive consumer survey software accurately gauges future consumer purchase intentions and actions.  This allows us to more precisely allocate media dollars in the planning process for increased returns on our client’s marketing investments.

SMU Surveys:
In today’s ratings-based media planning, there is absolutely no accounting for multiple media or simultaneous media usage.  In the fragmented media marketplace in which the consumer is increasingly multi-tasking with multiple media forms, we further identify how over 30 various media forms, each operating autonomously and in tandem, interact at the consumer level.  Our proprietary measurement model is based on the amount of time each consumer spends with each media by daypart, and the amount of simultaneous media usage that occurred.  Inside Media uses this information to create synergy between the advertising messages and the various forms of media our clients use.  Our exclusive survey software also tracks “new” media usage, including podcasting, and cell phone text-messaging.  Inside Media uses this information to determine the optimal new media platforms our clients should consider.

MCM Metrics:
Today’s markets and technologies have changed the way people access media.  Everything has changed except the media measurement models. The current models are broken and some of the problems are as follows:

	Ø	Media employs a message distribution model rather than a consumption model, meaning how consumers actually consume media.
	Ø	There is no separation on planning optimizations and measurements.
	Ø	The media is researched in Silos.

The current ratings model translates into a purchase metric using CPM’s, CPP’s and GRP’s as a commodity.  While we subscribe to Nielsen television and Arbitron radio ratings, we integrate the findings of our “RADAR” research plan to deliver increased precision and accuracy in every aspect of the media scheduling process.

GEOtrak Mapping:
Inside Media’s unique and in-depth data-mapping programs provide our clients a “link” to fragmented demographic markets and consumer household segmentation.  As part of the “RADAR” plan, Inside Media can tailor map detailed consumer and product sales data and trends at many relevant levels: From ZIP Code, to county, to market-wide views, our GEOtrak mapping allows us to effectively:

	Ø	Pinpoint where customers and prospects are located so we can repeatedly reach the right audience, with the right message, at the right time.
	Ø	Track client and competitive sales in designated areas.
	Ø	Analyze which brands and products are best selling in specific market areas.