In order to set up the complete methodology which would help our clients construct the Winning Narrative, it is vital to fully understand the needs of the client, on top of the changes they want to achieve.

Hypotheses are initial assumptions posed at the very start of the research process. They then get confirmed or denied during the course of research.

As an example, take a company which believes that a certain segment of its business plan, such as the perceived price to quality ratio, presents a barrier to further success and profit growth.

This is a distinct hypothesis from which many research goals are set, like the purchase drivers and the public perception of the company’s services. When the research goal is set, additional hypotheses are defined and put to the test.

After thorough interviews with clients, complex qualitative research of the target audience is conducted, so we can identify additional areas that are worth looking at. Based on the qualitative research findings, additional hypotheses are posed to ascertain what else can impact the defined challenge; that is, what other potential setbacks may lie ahead for the company’s growth and development.

Hypotheses are always posed in a way that looks at the company’s standing on the market as objectively and widely as possible. The quantitative part of research starts only after the client’s needs are recognized and the qualitative research of the target audience is completed.

Based on a broad perspective of the existing situation, we then detect potential areas which may affect the initial goal set at the beginning of process.

Potential fields which prove relevant and interesting are included into the research parameters in a methodologically correct way.

Next, we correlate the fields of potential interest against the proposed hypotheses and against very specific metrics. Only after this research is complete, can we identify clearly what those interest fields are, what messages need special attention, and identify the now clear advantages or disadvantages to achieving a given defined goal.

TYPES OF RESEARCH:

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

a) Qualitative research

When we talk about qualitative research, the most frequently used methods include semi‑structured thorough interviews, structured thorough interviews, and focus groups.

Where qualitative research is concerned, we need to point out that the received results can never and should never be applied to the entire population. Moreover, this research is usually done on a small number of respondents (8-12 people).

The purpose of this research is to gain better insight into the topic we are dealing with, by researching how respondents think and what their perception on a defined topic is. The results of qualitative research help us in choosing the appropriate methodology which will be useful in the quantitative research part that follows.

While conducting qualitative research, it is important to create guidelines at the very start (a guide to conducting a thorough interview, or a guide to focus groups). These guidelines are created in such a way that encompasses all our topics of interest, starting at more general questions to the more specific ones.

Based on the results of qualitative research, we gain insight into the way the respondents – i.e. our target audience – think, and what language they use. This opens further possibilities for defining new potential hypotheses worth exploring through additional research.

After processing the results of qualitative research data, a questionnaire for quantitative research is designed, using the proper methodology and form.

b) Quantitative research

In the quantitative research phase a sample is defined based on which data will be collected, in correlation with the targeted population. This sampling may be representative, quota sampling, convenience sampling or purposive sampling, as well as some other sampling types, like probabilistic and non‑probabilistic sampling.

The appropriate methodology is used when preparing quantitative research, as well as those questions which suit the goal of the research. When data is collected and sampling is done sufficiently, statistical data analysis is the next step.

Finally, when statistical processing and analysis of quantitative data is completed, we may confirm or disprove the initial hypotheses set and, furthermore, identify other relevant patterns for making business decisions and strategies.

When we talk about the methodology of testing messages and creating the Winning Narrative, the first thing we do is form a questionnaire. In the questionnaire we determine structured questions. These form a system which categorizes the respondent into one of the three segments – Base, Swing or Critics.

There are three distinct categories of conversion segments:

• BASE
• SWING
• CRITICS

The BASE segment is the part of the target audience that includes satisfied users or those ready to use your services. They hold a positive opinion about you and your business.

The SWING segment is the part of the target audience which is indifferent toward your company or service. They do not pose the threat of bad reviews or ratings, but they also do not expressly consider using your services.

The CRITICS segment is the part of the target audience with an unfavourable opinion of you. They do not want to use your services and, if mobilized, may create a bad impact through negative reviews and ratings.

A business venture, by nature, observes progressive changes in the target audience, as a result of your communication and making decisions. Testing messages can be used to empirically measure the effect of communication and other actions. Based on the research results, we can optimize communication and get the best outcome with the best possible conversion model.

The idea behind this conversion model is to increase or sustain the Base segment of the target audience, convert the Swing into the Base segment, and ultimately decrease or stabilize the Critics segment.

After designing the questionnaire, questions are added relating to demographics, the target audience’s lifestyle, etc. They help us to get the information necessary for research (for example, segmentation based on demographics or based on lifestyle).

Once we’ve finished with the preliminary steps, the next step is to test messages according to specific metrics relevant to the research’s purpose. Furthermore, we need to test the effect of each message based on the specific metric used.

The metrics usually used in this type of research are:

• Likeability
• Consideration
• Credibility
• Trust
• Purchase Intent
  

The validity of the results is determined by metric correlation, so that we can determine which messages are to be further analysed.

At the end of this process and a detailed analyses of the messages tested, we create the optimal Winning Narrative. The goal of the Winning Narrative is to achieve the largest possible conversion of the target audience.

KEY AUDIENCE SEGMENTATION

There are three types of segmentation: Demographic, Behavioural and Lifestyle segmentation

The final step of this process is creating the Winning Narrative.

The goal of the Winning Narrative is to increase the existing BASE segment, or otherwise sustain it; to convert the SWING segment into the base; and to decrease the CRITICS segment or reduce their incentive to react to the actions you undertake.