Resonance Technologies case study

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Resonance Technologies relies on GMI's high-quality global panel for
in-depth insights

Customer profile

Needing to predict the potential of a new concept early in the development process, with limited time and an even more limited budget, is a challenge that Jeb Hurley and Roger Graves had faced too many times. After experiencing the frustrations associated with the cost and quality of traditional approaches to new concept testing, the two entrepreneurs envisioned creating a new kind of product research firm. The new company would focus on answering a simple, powerful question at the very front-end of the product development process: “does this concept really motivate people and why?

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With the help of fellow entrepreneur and market research guru Steve Gang, Hurley and Graves founded Resonance Technologies in January 2006. The three professionals leveraged the latest in Web application software and an innovative online in-depth interview methodology called Resonance® that Gang and his colleagues in performance psychology and neuroscience had developed 10 years earlier. The following September, clients began using RezTech Predictor™, the company's first flagship product, for a fraction of the time and cost of traditional in-depth interview methods.

Today, the next generation of Resonance products is being used around the world to predict the potential of new concepts, products and advertisements. The company's nine employees based in Salem, Mass. have conducted over 40 research projects for more than a dozen different clients from sectors ranging from non-profits and transportation to consumer electronics and agricultural equipment.

“Our in-depth online interview methodology provides rich, qualitative answers with the peace of mind of being statistically valid and projectable, so the quality of the panel we use in our research projects is of utmost importance,” explains Jeb Hurley, co-Founder, President and CEO of Resonance Technologies. “We have relied on GMI for our panel needs since the inception of the company. We have also tried working with other panel providers, but their panel quality didn't even come close to GMI's.”

The challenge

Resonance Technologies had a client in the consumer electronics industry that had to make a strategic go/no-go decision on developing a new line of audio products in China. They had a limited budget and were working to a tight deadline. In less than two weeks, they needed an accurate measure of the strength of consumer enthusiasm towards the new concept, and wanted to segment target consumers based upon how motivated they were by the concept. Resonance Technologies called upon GMI's consumer panel in Hong Kong, and in less than three days, GMI was able to provide over 200 online interviews.

The solution

Using RezTech Predictor, Resonance Technologies measured the strength of consumer enthusiasm towards the new concept, segmented target consumers based upon how motivated they were by the concept, and then detailed the underlying elements of that motivation. With GMI's support, Resonance Technologies completed the research and delivered results in less than 10 days. GMI's panelists provided the end-client with rich, detailed insights into why they were or were not enthusiastic about the new product concept.

“Speed of execution and breadth of panel are important factors to consider, but for us, it is primarily the quality and thoughtfulness of panelists' responses that is the core measure in working with a global panel provider,” adds Hurley.

Behavioral and demographic data, pricing sensitivities and customized short answers were combined to support Resonance Technologies' prediction of how well the new product would sell. Query, analysis and word search capabilities allowed the client to view and mine their data in any way they wanted. Results were delivered via a Web-based interactive dashboard, allowing them to simultaneously share the results with both their U.S. and Asian teams.

“Partnering with GMI has not only helped us grow and diversify our client portfolio, it has also enabled us to win a lot of repeat business. In addition to offering very competitive pricing, GMI's service teams are always very responsive to our needs. In any given project, we have saved up to 20% in time and costs. All these benefits make GMI an invaluable sample partner for us to grow our business, and make it more efficient, so we serve our clients better.”

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