A+D Ceiling Tile Qualitative Research Research + Analysis
• Installation and configuration of ceiling tile grid system
• Conducted 22 interviews, 1.5-2 hours each
• Interviews included a questionnaire, a walk through of installed tiles and a table top review of hand samples
• Formulated interview questions, facilitator and respondent guides
• Recruited and qualified participants
• Management of participant incentives
• Administration of interview scheduling, facilitation and transcripting
• Report of conclusions and recommendations
CLIENT
Ceiling Tile Manufacturer for a Global Building Products Company
SITUATION
Despite a superior product offering, a ceiling tile manufacturer was struggling to compete for market share against established competitors with larger marketing budgets. The client needed to adjust their message and positioning for better alignment against the competitive landscape and turned to Function: for an insightful, customer-focused marketing strategy.
Qualitative research was conducted to gain favor with new and existing ceiling tile specifiers by aligning the client with current industry style trends, creating new sales and marketing opportunities, and generating R+D initiatives. The study focused on revealing trends such as aesthetic preferences and nomenclature within the architect and designer audience segments. To uncover these findings, interviews were conducted with 22 ceiling tile specifiers from the A+D community.
RESULTS
The results provided an overall look at the competitive landscape and how other manufacturers are describing their products. A competitive analysis was created from the findings and recommendations were made for strategic positioning and branding. A simple approach to A+D customers was uncovered, resulting in an opportunity to increase sales by saving specifiers a step in the product selection process. The study was designed to maximize reception of market insights and the findings ultimately helped the client to:
• Better understand the needs and preferences of target audience
• Deliver a system/solution comparable to the competition
• Establish a tighter specification
• Increase awareness
• Develop brand loyalty
• Increase sales and capture market share
Other recommendations helped the client:
• Understand the thought process of the architect or designer at the time of product specification
• Differentiate their products amongst the competition
• Achieve deeper vertical segment marketing
