IRB is an international market research and business intelligence company based in Brussels since 1986, mainly but not exclusively dealing with business-to-business issues. The company operates across the whole of Europe and beyond. We help our clients answer questions such as:
- What are our customers' needs in terms of products or services, and are we meeting them?
- Why do some potential
customers choose to work with our competitors rather than us?
- How do our prices compare with those of our competitors?
- How good is our relationship with our distributors and dealers?
- What are the major trends in the market, and the key opportunities for us? Our research is tailor-made to the client's needs. We use the full range of market research techniques, including multi-lingual phone surveys, face-to-face interviews and focus groups, mystery shopping, on-line surveys, and internet research. IRB regularly carries out surveys across the whole of Europe, from Ireland to Russia, from Sweden to Spain, as well as in other markets such as North and South America, the Middle East, India and China. The types of study we carry out can be broadly grouped under the following headings:
Market Description/Forecasting
Product Development
Distribution and Pricing Issues
Brand Strategy
Customer Satisfaction
Communication
Public Affairs surveys
Internal company surveys
Market Description/Forecasting: this typically involves internet research and specialist interviews with market players to establish the size, specificity and direction of a market: e.g. market entry studies
market segmentation
main players, market shares
price structure
market drivers and blockers
market trends
opportunities and threats
Product Development: this includes concept development through to market testing of both products and services:
brainstorming for customer needs and desires
measuring key purchase criteria
testing concept
product evaluation
supporting marketing programmes
market testing etc. Distribution and Pricing Issues: this supports the route to market through:
dealer studies
point of sale studies
distribution chain analysis
pricing studies, incl. mystery shopping
in store observation and interview
Brand Strategy: this type of study covers all interaction between the distributor or end user and the brand, or indeed between one brand and another e.g. Brand awareness and image analysis
Likelihood to try/buy
Brand availability
Brand distributor presence and image
After sales service
Competitive analysis
Customer Satisfaction studies: these measure the morale of professional buyers in different sectors, e.g. builders' merchants, restaurants, hotels, tyre dealers, schools, car dealers etc on:
Product
Pricing, promotions, discounts
Innovation
Marketing support
Logistics
Sales contact
Complaints management
Warranty etc. Communication: studies of all kinds of communications including:
advertising
brochures
mailings campaigns
exhibitions stands
website
Public Affairs surveys: surveys to support European, national, and regional government and ministries, lobbyists, trade associations, NGOs by canvassing the general public or professional players to:
Evaluate support for lobbying or legislation
Measure awareness of initiatives
Encourage groups to find their voice etc. Internal company surveys: these are surveys with managers or workers, connected with:
employee satisfaction
training and education
evaluating potential or existing schemes
