Growth is the holy grail of every business. And the quest for growth is a never ending uphill sprint of selling more products to more people for more money. Your success depends on figuring out how to do that — over and over again.

Growth means finding lucrative opportunities. Not just the low hanging fruit, but the big ideas that will take your business to the next level.

Discovering and seizing those opportunities is risky and difficult. But getting it right is what makes a company. And that means gaining a deep understanding of what makes the market tick and converting that knowledge into your advantage.

While just about everyone knows businesses need to uncover new opportunities, few people know where to look for the best ones.

Maybe the answer lies in finding new people to sell to. Maybe it’s offering a new product. Perhaps it’s exploring a new channel. Or possibly all three.

In other words, where do you look for the right opportunity and how will you know when you’ve found it?

“A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding.”

- Marshall McLuhan

“Growth means finding lucrative opportunities. Not just the low hanging fruit, but the big ideas that will take your business to the next level.”

“Discovering great opportunities means answering three critical questions...”

THAT’S WHERE WE COME INAt Erickson Research, we find market opportunities that can work for your business.

Our team of experts has spent decades understanding what makes people do what they do and then connecting that to the value proposition our clients can offer to the market.

Discovering great opportunities means answering three critical questions:

• Who are the people who most need or want what you can produce?

• What product features, functions, and benefits do they require?

• Where are the most effective channels to reach them at the time and place they’re ready to buy?

“[Erickson Research]’s attention to detail, creativity, and timely deliverables were keys to the success of our projects. They understand the business issues as well as the marketing science behind the projects.”

– Marketing Manager, Electronics Manufacturer

FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLEOur team of marketing, research, and business experts help you pinpoint the buyers whose needs fit with your product or service and represent a sizable enough market to be lucrative.

We are highly skilled at getting into the minds of buyers. And while we know it’s important to listen to what they say, it’s often what they don’t say that speaks volumes. We aim to get a closer view and uncover what they need, even when they can’t quite articulate it. That’s why observing their behaviors, watching them go through their ordinary routines and identifying the gaps — areas where things can be improved or tasks can be made easier — is so valuable.

This can also provide a clear view of the range of product usage scenarios. By continuously researching how people interact with products and services, the one thing we’ve learned to expect is that someone has come up with a usage scenario that never occurred to anyone at the company. Sometimes that flash of insight is what lights the path to a whole new consumption occasion.

When we put this all together, we create a rich, nuanced picture of the person who needs your product; what they look like, what matters to them, where they shop. We make sure you know your target buyer inside and out.

“Erickson Research is one of those rare firms who delivers on all fronts: their services are always top quality, on time and well priced. I have total confidence in them and rely on their expertise and counsel. They are creative in coming up with solutions, flexible, and understand the research and its applications way beyond the data analysis.”

– Strategic Planner, B2B Services

“We make sure you know your target buyer inside and out.”

Updates Facebook status ten times a day. Prefers micro-brews.

Wishes he could �nd a CRM system �exible

enough to work forhis company.

Always has the latest tech gadget. Has been known to camp out to be �rst

in line.

Buys one blouse at Nordstrom. Rounds out

wardrobe at TJ Maxx. Spends one hour per day driving kids to activities.

Prefers glasses over contacts.

Only eats organic foods.

“Our work hands you the roadmap, showing what you need to offer, to whom, and at what price.”

OFFERING THE RIGHT PRODUCTSThe reality is most people don’t know they need a new product or service. Though they may realize they have a problem or perhaps believe there’s a better way to do something, they often lack an appropriate solution.

This is good news for innovative marketers. Tremendous opportunity exists to create products or services that solve problems for them.

We’re adept at uncovering these need gaps and establishing what motivates people to buy. This involves observing behavior, examining interactions, probing thought processes, and finding meaningful patterns in data. These practices, along with our knack for putting the relevant pieces together, are the building blocks of successful product development.

We recognize there is no one-size-fits-all solution in today’s global markets. That’s why it’s not enough to find the “perfect product.” The truth is there isn’t a perfect product. There are many. By examining how groups of people behave differently, we can identify features and benefits that will appeal to several buyer segments. Or determine which ones are highly desired by the most attractive parts of the market.

Our work hands you the roadmap, showing what you need to offer, to whom, and at what price.

“[Erickson Research’s] strategic thinking and consumer acumen make them an outstanding partner. They not only have the ability to stay on top of all of the important details so I didn’t have to, but at the same time stayed out of the weeds and identified strategic insights and made sound data-driven recommendations that were actionable for my businesses.”

– Senior Brand Director, Food & Beverage Manufacturer

BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIMEA lot of business success can be attributed to this. Some people might call that luck. We call it the result of knowing the market so well that you know what people will do and where they’ll do it — even before they know themselves. This valuable insight allows you to offer what they need at the time and place it’s required.

Sure, some people will go to great lengths (even absurdly out of their way) to seek out a product. But for most, your product needs to be in their path or you won’t be considered.

Whether this means a new distribution channel, a new consumption behavior, or a new geography, we can find the solution that gets you there.

Our keen understanding of buyer motivations and ability to formulate in-depth behavioral profiles is key. We can help predict the path to purchase and the type of buyer interactions you’ll need to close the sale — giving you the market insight needed to decide where and how to deliver your products, whether in brick-and-mortar locations or virtually.

The world is a big place and it’s full of opportunities. One of the first things many companies think about when they want to expand is going global. But, will you be as big a hit in Buenos Aires as you are in Boston?

Moving into new geographic markets can be tricky. Different cultures, values, priorities. These things can be a minefield for any company, or even a full on disaster if you’re unprepared.

Our understanding of diverse, multi-cultural markets and partnerships with local experts worldwide allows us to confidently guide you through the deluge of possibilities.

The results we deliver show you exactly where you need to be to grow.

“Will you be as big a hit in Buenos Aires as you are in Boston?”

WHY PARTNER WITH US?We know what it takes to get the right answers. From multi-tasking moms to time-constrained execs, we’ve immersed ourselves in their day-to-day world to understand what motivates and challenges them.

We provide rigorous research and clear, insightful direction — informing your path to potentially lucrative markets. We don’t just draw the dots on the page. We connect them.

Our approach is methodical, built on sound research, social psychology, and analytic principles. It is also flexible, as no two projects are the same. This allows us to be...

...just as effective in examining the market for enterprise software solutions as looking at new consumer products.

...just as adept at understanding the needs of people in Minneapolis as those in Mexico City.

“Erickson Research helped us better understand our audience with a great combination of strategic thinking and innovative techniques. The high quality insights and data generated from our segmentation study will continue to provide value to the brand team over time.”

- Strategic Insights Manager, Media Company

FITS CURRENT BRAND

25 - 44 YEAR OLDS

U.S.MARKET

FEW COMPETITORS

NOT PRICE SENSITIVE

LATIN AMERICA

30% MARKET GROWTH

NEED FLEXIBILITY

NEED BETTER USABILITY

“We don’t just draw the dots on the page. We connect them.”

HOW WE DO ITFirst, it’s important to understand what we value…

• We believe in a true partnership, getting to know our clients one-on-one, fostering long term relationships and keeping close contact with you throughout the course of your projects.

• We view every project and every client as a priority. As a result, they equally deserve our attention. We are highly accessible and intimately involved in your work and our most senior consultants won’t ‘disappear’ once a project has been initiated.

• All hands on deck – We view our projects as a group effort, regardless of team member seniority. From our junior to most senior people, we are passionate about teamwork, knowledge-sharing, and providing the best resources to serve your needs.

As for the process, our methods are based on proven techniques drawn from sociology, psychology, statistics, data analytics, and human behavior.

We are firm believers that the solution needs to fit the problem - not the other way around. Our approach is custom designed to address your specific, unique business issues.

Everything we do is completely transparent to you and you team. We know that you will only trust our findings (and us) if you understand how we did what we did. And we realize you are responsible for sharing our findings internally and fielding questions from your team. We want you to be prepared and well-equipped to do this and will provide hands on, in-depth guidance whenever it’s required.

While the specifics of every engagement are unique, there is a general flow to how we work.

COLLABORATE

EXAMINE THE MARKET

CONNECT THE DOTS

HAND YOU THE MAP

“We are firm believers that the solution needs to fit the problem – not the other way around.”

We‘ll work with your team to truly get to the heart of your business challenges and ‘explore the possibilities.’ Detailed discussions, early in the process, allow us to deliver results in a way that is most useful to your organization.

We s e t a b o u t u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e market. We do this using observational techniques, in-depth interviewing, quantitative analysis, simulation, and reviews of secondary sources. Since no two engagements are alike, the mix will be determined by the goals of the project.

Once we’ve gathered a treasure trove of interesting bits and pieces, we’ll step back and examine the pieces, one by one, looking for connections that build a map to successful growth.

We’ll show you how to get from where you are to where you need to be—solving the market’s problems. You’ll now have clear direction that points you to what to offer, who wants it, and the message that will make them customers.

“We provide a wide range of talent and methodological expertise.”

WHAT ABOUT THE SPECIFICS?We routinely use a wide range of methods to uncover growth opportunities and build strategy. Some of these include:

PRIMARY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH• Focus groups• Depth interviews• On-site interviews•Tag-alongs/Shop-alongs• Mystery shopping

PRIMARY QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH• Brand equity• Segmentation• Needs and attitudes• Pricing• Behavior profiling

SECONDARY RESEARCH• Data mining• Interactive stakeholder workshops

“Erickson Research helped us turn around a complex research project in record time and to distill the insights into a clear business strategy.”

– Marketing Director, Consumer Products Company

If you’re tasked with finding the next big market opportunity for your company, then we should talk.

We’ll deliver the rigorous market analytics and vital interpretation that directs your development efforts to where they have the greatest potential.

Contact our senior engagement leaders today to schedule a meeting.

What are you waiting for? There are opportunities out there, but they’ll go home with the first good match who finds them. Is that going to be you or your competitors?

Email: ed@ericksonresearch.com • phone/fax: 312.276.5140

LET’S TALK!

“Business, more than any other occupation, is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight.”

- Henry R. Luce

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