Consumer research results give buying forensics

Malaysia – The key to advertising is all about windows into consumers' mindsets and finding the most opportune moment to look in and captivate their hearts and Starcom MediaVest believes it can offer the inside view with release of the results from its Project Insights.

Costing RM1.3 million, the four-month long project with research partner – Synovate – commenced in January this year and journeyed into the hearts of the urban Malaysian consumers.

Ranga Somanathan, Starcom MediaVest Group, South/Southeast Asia Insights and Analaytics vice president says: “The buying market leaders are in urban areas and Insights helps us get closer with that consumer.”

Marketers, Somanathan believes, have moved on from return on investment (ROI) metrics – now considered a bit old fashioned – and are more focused on return on objectives (ROO).

“And this is our focus – the outcome – not ROI,” says Ranga after the Launch of Project Insights.

Using the research, Starcom can segment users of any product category which in turn helps brand custodians to identify their potential consumers for the best brand fit, map the consumers’ intention toward the brand and capture their consumers’ attention through touchpoints relevant to them.

From the 1,500 respondents Project Insights found seven types of Malaysian television viewers – the Celeb Follower, Fantasy Seeker, The Romantic, the Sports Jock, Action Man, News Hound and the Drama Queen.

Each of these seven categories has their own characteristics, the potential size and their television watching habits.

“Project Insights was an approach that helped us realise that we could define the consumers depending on what kind of programmes they watch even,” says Sharmistha Banerjee who is Starcom’s account director and was also instrumental in the research.

“It makes it easier for us and our clients as we can explain to them what consumers want to hear and it’s easier for us to advice our clients on the right strategy,” she adds.

Starcom’s clients, including Genting Resorts World, Honda, DiGi, Petronas, Mead Johnson Nutritionals and P&G, are foremost in its mind when conducting efforts such as Project Insights, says Starcom’s chief executive officer Yap Chee Weng.

In fact, some of its clients have already been utilising the findings of the survey since June.

“To us, it is investment on our side and we are committed to doing it,” Yap says, adding that there will be refreshers for Project Insights every 18 months.

In line with the mission for Starcom to be at the forefront of consumer attention economy, he adds that the success of this research boosts its position.

Project Insights encompassed a face-to-face interactions with 1,500 Malaysians aged between 15 and 59 in four market centres and 10 urban towns.

Covering 32 brand categories and 880 brands, the research revolved around understanding the relationship between three key elements – consumer footprints, brand interactions and touchpoints – rather than seeing them in isolation.