Serving industries and organizations in
both the private and public sectors

The Research Edge conducts specialized, cost-effective research for a broad base of industries and organizations in the private and public sectors.

Industries representative of the clients we serve:

• Healthcare providers
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Financial services institutions
• Information technology firms
• Government agencies
• Non-profit 
• Insurance
• Business-to-business
• Educational institutions
• E-commerce 
• Telecommunications
• Consumer durable goods

Exemplary research problems we have solved in some of those industries:


Healthcare providers

Exemplary project:
Expansion of specialty clinic into new geographic market
Client:
Specialty care clinic of a $2 billion Midwestern healthcare system
Problem: 
Proposed geographic expansion of clinic providing elective, non-reimbursed medical procedures.  Potential failure could impact brand and service delivery in current market
Research method: 
Random sample of target market consumers explored market potential, defined barriers and market resistance to the type of services offered
Results:
No go decision made based on poor market response

Pharmaceutical companies

Exemplary project:
Customer Satisfaction
Client:
$15 billion Fortune 500 company serving over 50 million consumers
Goal: 
Develop more rapid and consistent feedback for pharmaceutical service provider among a customer base with few web-using members
Research method:
Monthly phone survey of members with usage in previous 4 weeks.
Results:
Ongoing quality improvement measures driven by provider specific measurement tools

Financial services institutions

Exemplary project:
Measure current bank customer’s perception and awareness of other products/services
Client:
Johnson Financial Group, WI and AZ
Goal: 
Increase share of customer wallet and introduce customer intimacy model
Research method: 
Random sample of customers to determine usage levels and current perceptions of bank offerings
Results: 
Development and implementation of new integrated relationship building campaign that takes advantage of learning how willing customers are to refer; additionally included incorporating a scope of services tagline for all collateral within 2 months of project completion

Information technology firms

Client:
International image editing software company
Goal: 
Development of product line expansion
Research method:
Segmentation study among current software users to identify market segments with potential for more focused product development
Results: 
Identification of 5 user segments and refocus of development staff for  specific market segments.

Government agencies

Client:
State Department of Revenue
Goal: 
Identify and measure the impact of changing state tax policy on the public’s perception of state tax system
Research Method: 
Random telephone survey of taxpayers
Results: 
Quantification of shift in taxpayer perceptions of tax equity, fairness and Impact. 

Non-profit

Client:
$6.2 million Midwestern division of a national nonprofit providing recreational activities and services to over 18,000 children in their area
Goal:  
Increase summer camp attendance, especially among tweens and
teens
Research Method: 
Focus groups utilizing collage technique and mail survey with campers and parents
Results: 
Implemented new strategies to increase camp attendance, including revising print materials and open houses


Insurance

Client:
Regional HMO with over 140,000 members
Goal:
Define current market characteristics for geographic market expansion
Research Method:
Phone survey of seniors in the defined geography 
Results:
Successful implementation of market expansion, resulting in over five percent increase in awareness and significant market penetration