Qualitative Interviews

Objective

• Client in the healthcare delivery space wanted to understand the consumer preferences for integrated healthcare and assess unmet needs. 

Methodology

• Conducted a detailed consumer survey across 21 cities with ~1,500 respondents across different income levels, family compositions, and insurance covers
• The current assessed level of satisfaction for healthcare consumers, unmet needs, spending across channels, and likelihood to switch to an integrated healthcare network

Impact / Outcome

• The client was able to determine unmet needs for their healthcare delivery model and understand prevailing consumer tastes and preferences, spending patterns, and experience with current healthcare services.

Let's talk

Objective

• The client wanted to understand what products/services their competitors provide, how they were placed amongst the competitors in terms of those products, revenue, and pricing across different products of medical devices in the orthopedic space

Methodology

• Created competitive landscape through secondary research
• Conducted 50+ primary interviews with orthopedic / surgeons and experts to map out different medical devices used in different orthopedic treatments related to knee, spine, limb, etc.
• Comparison of different players present in this space
• Price and product comparison of different players across different orthopedic clinical needs

Impact / Outcome

• Client understood the presence of different players in the orthopedic medical devices landscape
• Also, the client got an in-depth understanding of the product offerings, pricing, and service packages of the different players in the landscape

Let's talk

Objective

• An investor wanted to understand the customer feedback on a D2C internet consumer durable company 
• They also wanted to evaluate the strengths and improvement areas for the target company 

Methodology

• Management discussion was conducted with the founders of the target  
• Primary conversations were conducted with 10 customers 
• Primary survey was conducted with 300+ customers, broadly categorized in to first time customers, dormant customers, and repeat customers

Impact / Outcome

• The segment, the company, and the products were evaluated across awareness, needs assessment, purchase behavior, customer experience and benchmarking 
• The investor was able to get an initial overview of the target’s market positioning, customer feedback and areas of improvement

Let's talk

Objective

• The client wanted to conduct market sizing, value–chain analysis and understand consumer behavior trends in the women’s intimate wear market in India.

Methodology

• Carried out market visits and mystery shopping (more than 100 store visits) to benchmark SKUs
• Carried out retailer and manufacturer conversations to understand market nuances such as market share, operating business models, and trends

Impact / Outcome

• The client was able to gain qualitative insights into the women’s intimate wear market in India, such as pricing, business models, market shares, and trending categories

Let's talk

Objective

• A global CRM company wanted to understand the reasons for lower market share in India by improving its understanding of buyer profiles and KPC 

Methodology

• Conducted buyer survey (N = 300) and in-depth consumer interviews (N = 50) across different sizes of enterprises to understand product awareness, KPC and stakeholders involved in purchase decisions 
• Conducted competitor in-depth interviews (N = 5) to understand different types of pricing, and features provided to CRM customers  
• Based on competitor and buyer interviews identified the important customer needs and the gaps there within
• Conversed with (N = 5) industry experts (in-depth interviews) to understand the changing industry trends 

Impact / Outcome

• Client understood the stakeholders involved in purchase decisions and also established their key purchase criteria and gaps in its CRM offering

Let's talk

Objective

• A global PE firm, wanted to understand and track the supply chain established by various online and offline grocery players to deliver products belonging to different categories to end customer

Methodology  

• Conducted interviews (N = 30) of offline/online retailer’s staff including supply chain managers, store managers, delivery personnel 
• Discussions with industry experts in the groceries industry who have worked in / established procurement supply chains for major players 
• Mapped the supply chain for the sellers across offline and online players through staff interviews. Benchmarked operational practices 
• Conducted trade interviews (N = 35) of distributors, wholesalers, and other middlemen across product categories   
• Interviewed logistics companies to understand long-haul delivery, last-mile delivery, and return logistics 

Impact / Outcome 

• The client got detailed insights into competitor processes, supply chain, key functions like SKUs replenishment practices, quality control mechanisms, freshness tests, and standards followed for key players which helped them identify winners in the space

Let's talk

Objective

• A restaurant chain aspired to expand their business with a new opportunity having immense potential to serve the needs and wants of customers by enhancing their food ordering experience
• Define new business opportunities with the identification of immediate focus areas 

Methodology  

• Primary discussions with customers ordering online helped create a blueprint of pain points for different customer journeys
• Based on the articulation of pain points and needs of customers, the axes for a food ordering business are defined to give potential growth parameters for the business
• With detailed analysis and discussions different business opportunities are defined

Impact / Outcome

• Client understood in detail the wants of the customer and identified the major issues found in the existing offerings 
• Long list of opportunities proved to be of great help in covering the majority of needs and wants of the customers from the online food ordering business.
• Client was provided with priority and impact for potential solutions to choose implementation order 

Let's talk

Objective

• A mid-sized polymer manufacturing firm wanted to understand the decision-making process for polymer vendor selection, and their key pain points with a view to improving customer experience and retention.

Methodology  

• Conducted in-depth interviews (N = 40) with procurement managers of end-use clients of polymer manufacturing firms to understand key considerations going into making a decision regarding polymer vendor, key vendor selection criteria, purchase and usage experience, and pain points. 
• Conducted in-depth interviews (N = 15) with procurement managers of end-use clients of competitor polymer manufacturing firms to understand key considerations going into making decisions regarding polymer vendors, key vendor selection criteria, purchase and usage experience, and pain points. 
• Conducted in-depth analysis to understand key pain points of customers, and how the client can offer a value proposition to solve the pain points while providing a superior customer experience. 
• Conducted quantitative survey (N = 50) with small and mid-sized clients of competitor firms every quarter to understand relative NPS, strengths, and improvement areas 

Impact / Outcome 

• The client understood the customer journey including the decision-making process in detail and was able to tweak the value proposition to provide a superior customer experience. 

Let's talk

Objective

• An internet-first nutrition brand wanted to understand different customer segments, their needs, and purchase preferences to optimize their marketing efforts. 

Methodology

• Developed detailed discussion guides to understand sector-specific purchase nuances across customer segments that influence the decision-making process  
• Conducted in-depth consumer discussions (N = 50) across 5 cities to establish different customer segments basis location, spends, brand preference, and purchase channels 
• Conducted in-depth supplier interviews (N = 10) across cities to understand product trends and inventory management practices of the suppliers 
• Led focus group discussions (N = 10) to understand the role of media and content (channel/medium & timing preferences) in purchase-related decisions 

Impact / Outcome

• Identified five key customer segments which could be targeted across cities basis client needs, and also established their key purchase criteria, buying journey, and all possible touchpoints.  

Let's talk

Objective

A technology investor wanted to assess target personas, selection process, and customer satisfaction with online coding platforms for kids. 

Methodology

• Conducted in-depth interviews (N = 20 IDIs) with students + parents across income groups, city tiers, and other customer archetypes (luxury goods buyer, etc.) 
• Mapped parent personas with the likelihood to adopt online vs in-person classes & programs to learn coding 
• Customer feedback on target platform across usage preferences, key selection criteria, willingness to pay, and other features & specifications 

Impact / Outcome

• Client was able to identify addressable market segments by the target on the back of detailed customer personas and segments amenable to adopt online coding platforms for kids 

Let's talk

Objective

• An online discount brokerage company wanted to know the trading behavior of sub-brokers associated with discount brokers and their preferences between the choice of platforms available and key purchase criteria along with differences in the same over the last year 

Methodology

• Conducting in-depth interviews (N > 150), with a mix of metro and tier-1 cities, a mix of small- & medium-sized sub-brokers by turnover 
• Analyzed sub-brokers behavior towards various metrics including client ATV distribution, business models with brokers, important factors while choosing a platform, app awareness & currently used apps along with NPS ratings, etc. 
• Compared the findings with the previous year’s report to identify the shift in sub-broker preferences and captured the impact of COVID-19 on the trading behavior and sentiments of the respondents  
• Brokerage platform users were segmented into logical personas (customer targets, demography, business vintage) 
• Deep-dived into product and performance benchmarking of key discount brokerage players to identify product features and service levels offer to their platform users  

Impact / Outcome

• Client was able to identify the mix of sub-brokers in the market and their preferences, assess the transition from the previous year’s mix, and learn how the economic slowdown due to COVID-19 has affected the sub-brokers in the financial markets 
• Client was able to understand sub-broker’s perception that target was doing well in terms of platform capabilities but needed to work on brand visibility 

Let's talk

Objective

• The client wanted to identify levers to improve brand health by solving major issues which were leading to forfeiture amongst its customers, further creating a tool to predict retention.  

Methodology

• Conducted in-depth interviews (N>100) with students, parents, and company personnel to develop the driver trees for forfeiture and retention 
• Conducted survey of students (N>300) to understand customer behavior during decision making 
• Compared experience through mystery shopping of different players of varying scale across multiple business models  
• Identified ~10 customer personas and developed a solution framework to address key drivers  

Impact / Outcome

• Client was provided with a deep understanding of customer behavior and the major drivers in their decision making 

Let's talk

Objective

• A real-estate conglomerate intended to design a new-age corporate workplace with ample avenues for rejuvenation. It was desired to map the typical journey of office-goers to understand behavior, needs and pain-points   

Methodology

• Conducted in-depth interviews with urban planning experts (N = 5) to gain perspective into typical parameters and considerations for urban center design 
• Observed 5 urban workspaces with >3 buildings for 10+ days to map end-to-end journey and identify patterns amongst officegoers  
• Shadowed long-time employees (N = 15) to map needs and pain-points  
• Interviewed employees (N = 10) to understand preferences for modes of recreation 
• Benchmarked design, amenities and provisions across 3 other corporate hubs in India to understand best practices 

Impact / Outcome

• Client was able to understand current whitespaces and pain-points for modern office space design 

Let's talk

Objective

• An investment firm was trying to understand the customer satisfaction levels and views with regards to the service provided by 2 logistics platforms – Player A and Player B
• For this, the client wanted to conduct a study with a research partner and understand SLA adherence/operational benchmarks (ETAs, timeliness, geo coverage, etc.), the share of wallet, overall feedback 
• Other delivery partners they are using and how they perceive (Target) vs. other delivery partners  

Methodology

• Conducted In-depth discussions (N = 20) with clients/customers of both Player A and Player B
• N = 10 for each company with the focus on top 3-4 clients and followed by top clients in each of the key segments they operate such as e-commerce, FMCG, etc.
• Understanding SLA adherence / operational benchmarks followed by the companies 
• Analyzing overall feedback on the services provided 
• Evaluating share of wallet of players 

Impact / Outcome

• Successfully provided the client with answers to key research questions through deep analysis of customers of the 2 logistics platforms 

Let's talk

Objective

• The client wanted to understand the various sourcing channels used by the housing finance sector and identify the preferred channels. They also wanted to understand the customer behavior and experience with different channels

Methodology 

• Visited branches (N = 50) of ~10 banks and housing finance companies across 9 cities in India and conducted in-depth interviews with the branch and relationship managers (N = 80) to understand  different channels used by them to generate leads 
• Deep-dived into the difference in preference of various channels with the changes in city type, customer demography, loan ticket size, and loan type 
• Conducted in-depth interviews with Direct Selling Agents (DSAs), builders, and customers (N = 100) for home loan finance and loan against property 
• Conducted loan customer survey (N = 500) across 12 cities (mix of metro, tier-1, and tier-2 cities) belonging to different demographics, who have taken either individual home loans or loans against property from major scheduled commercial banks or housing finance companies 
• Combed through demographic data from surveys to create customer personas to identify their preferred channel choice and key selection criteria and identify the variation across public sector banks, private banks, and large HFCs 

Impact / Outcome

• Enabled the client to understand the different channels (RE brokers, DSAs, direct), while making them understand the reasons for such preferences in terms of channel margins, customer experiences, and relationship with the branch / HFC

Let's talk

Objective 

• A medical device company wanted to evaluate customer service and expectations for service imaging equipment like MRI, CT, etc. The client also wanted to do SWOT analysis on its competitors 

Methodology  

• Conducted qualitative discussions (N = 84) with end users like cardiologists, radiologists, healthcare providers etc.  
• Conducted qualitative discussions (N = 56) with competitor customers consisting of lab owners, etc.  
• Combed through various secondary sources to identify the services/ growth barriers and drivers of competitors 

Impact / Outcome  

• Helped the client understand customer’s perception of their services, the additional services needed by the customers and their willingness to pay 

Let's talk

Objective 

• An investment firm wanted to evaluate a B2B e-commerce platform for MRO products to understand procurement channels & vendor stickiness, spend, pricing, KPC & pain points

Methodology

• Conducted N = 50 in depth conversations with MRO buyers across business verticals like automobile, pharmaceuticals, textile, electronics, oil & gas, iron & steel etc. to understand their perception of the Target and competing B2B ecommerce platforms  
•  Benchmarked value propositions and supplier feedback for Target and competition

Impact / Output

• Client was able to get a holistic view of the target and understand its value position and differentiation with competitors

Let's talk