Technology
Real Estate Company Internet Sales Study: MDRG handled consulting and quantitative research for a traditional real estate company to test the concept of providing the services of a real estate agent online at a diminished cost to consumers. The research was designed to identify perceptual obstacles to buying or selling real estate over the Internet; to identify the target market for the service; and to determine whether the product would be successful if it were a pure Internet service or require a physical presence or possibly telephone access. Research results were used to refine the website to preempt the most frequently asked questions, to target consumers most likely to utilize the service and build a strategic plan for building the online business.

Product Positioning Research: A large, regional telecommunications company wanted to increase usage of its most profitable telephone service package. Qualitative research, using focus groups, was conducted among customers who subscribed to this package as well as those who subscribed to other less profitable service packages. Results revealed that the product appealed to different consumers depending on their desire for specific telephone features and their habits regarding Internet use. MDRG advised the telecommunications company to develop a communications plan that would address these specific issues and provided recommendations for developing a positioning strategy that would have the broadest appeal.