Marketing Research Isn't Boring

The word "research" is often paired with words like "boring" and "tedious." Although I understand some of the tedious nature of certain aspects of marketing research, I'd argue that nearly every person in business has certain tasks that are also deemed as such. What I don't agree with is the sentiment of marketing research being dull.

Personally, when I think of marketing research, I think about those people I see at the beach sifting through sand to find gold or other treasures. When they find the gold, or when marketers find a nugget of insight that could impact business, it is everything but boring! It's a rush when you find brilliant opportunities.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to experience it myself. At my full-time job, I serve as a Brand Manager for a company that develops and manages luxury apartments in most major US markets. Not too long ago, we had a new development in an overly saturated submarket in Boston. 

It was my job to figure out how we could position ourselves against the competition. Many times, marketers in the luxury real estate industry will default to positioning their property as the most luxurious or the newest apartment community in the neighborhood. This is a dangerous move because all it takes is a new property to be developed, and you've lost your key differentiators. 

For my Boston property, I was in a bit of a pickle. Every property was luxurious, offered excellent customer service, had a fancy pool, and a fantastic amenities package. Before the presentation I had to give in front of "the big bosses," I nearly succumbed to the default, too. But in a Hail Mary effort, I decided to try once more.

So I made a list of every possible feature and amenity that each property and their respective street had to offer and went through online reviews. Then, I cross-referenced each of them. From there, I compared to what I considered to be the "perfect property." What I discovered was that none of the other competitors were truly pet-friendly. Meaning, although they all allowed pets, their property's location and design were not conducive for residents with pets. Eureka!  

From there, we were able to position our property as the only true pet-friendly apartment community in the submarket. We went above and beyond with our pet spa, partnered with local pet vendors, and filled our retail space with a doggie daycare. 

The research I did helped drive the brand, the product offering, and the property's success. It taught me the value of diving into information and how it can positively impact your marketing strategies. And you know what? Success is not boring. 

Dana Podgurski

Hi everyone! I'm Dana Podgurski!

I'm a foot in the mouth, tongue in cheek, head in the clouds, and heart on the sleeve kind of gal. I live for new experiences, but am a total sucker for nostalgia at the same time. I'm tough as nails, but am a complete softie for all things kids and animal-related. I fly by the seat of my pants, and live for adventure. But I firmly believe that adventure is a mindset that one's self determines.

For work, I am a marketer through and through. Bringing brands to life, and content marketing are passions of mine. Many would consider what I do as nerdy, but I seriously dig it. I have been doing marketing contract work for years, and appreciate the variety it brings, and the relationships I've developed with my clients. If you're interested in a partnership, click here.

For fun, I love to create - writing/blogging, photography, and painting are my main three mediums of doing so. Feeling good and healthy is also high on my list, as it really lends itself to making everything more enjoyable. So I maintain a very active lifestyle, eat pretty healthy, and am outdoors as much as I can be. And if my blog didn't make it abundantly clear, I absolutely LOVE to travel (near and far) and go on adventures. I spend any extra money I have on tickets and feel so fortunate to have been to several amazing destinations both domestically and internationally. There's nothing more fulfilling than coming home from a trip and adding a been-there-pin to my map.

Cheers!

Dana

http://www.mightygoodpen.com
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