Guerrilla Market Research-How listening to and understanding your customer can be the key to success

Guerrilla Market Research
How listening to and understanding your customer can be the key to success.

UCFTI Lunch & Learn sponsored by MRC Corporation

Thursday, October 8th Time: 11:30-1:00

Fee: $20 (Free to Incubator Clients) Lunch will be provided

Location: University Tower 12201 Research Parkway, 2nd Floor, Orlando, FL., 32826

Please RSVP to Renee Ayala at 407-882-0202 or via email rayala@mail.ucf.edu

Few aspects of starting a business are more obvious yet more overlooked than listening to the customer. Even though it is an obvious thing to do, the marketplace is littered with examples of businesses and products, large and small, that failed because they didn't ask for, understand and heed the voice of the customer. Most claim after the fact that they either thought they already knew what the customer wanted or they simply ran out of money and couldn't afford it.
The goal of any company is to market and sell a product or service that is wildly popular and that everyone wants. But how do you know what the needs of a customer are and design your product or service to meet that need? The answer to this question is the insight that comes from effective market research.

In this presentation MRC will discuss:

- The Value and Benefits of Market Research
- Myths About Market Research
- Why Small Businesses Avoid It
- Market Research Techniques
- How to Get Started
- Focusing on the Unmet Needs of Consumers
- Why Market Research Does Not Have to be Costly

MRC team members will reveal the secrets of "guerrilla market research" - on-traditional approaches to listening to customers and low cost methods of conducting traditional ones. If it's important to you to launch a business or product successfully, this session is a must.

SPEAKERS

J. Christopher Samulowitz
Strategic Planning, Business Development & Human Capital

Chris is the Founder and President of MRC Corporation and Managing Partner of Tranquility Capital Partners, LLC. His skills and experience have benefited companies ranging from small, privately held firms to America's largest corporations. His diverse client base includes companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, information systems, advertising, apparel brands, telecommunications, research and development, construction and manufacturing. Chris' role as a strategic advisor is focused on organizational assessment, development and talent acquisition.

James C. Siegel
Strategic Marketing & Market Research

Prior to joining MRC Corporation, Jim spent 17 years as a corporate senior manager in charge of worldwide consumer insight strategy prior to forming his own consulting practice focused on market research and business plan development. He has been responsible for market research focusing on consumer attitudes, behaviors and needs, including e-commerce, consumer attitudinal segmentation, brand portfolio management, cohort studies and demographic/social trends. Jim has chaired an international benchmarking council of world class, non-competing, customer-centric companies which included IBM, Xerox, Disney, Microsoft, Harley-Davidson, Ingram Micro, Milliken, and CIBC.