Industries

Unlock the profit potential, before your competitor does

Large insurance companies, bankers and brokerage houses turn to the Blackstone Group for help in understanding the dynamics of the financial services market and their relationships with customers and clients. We are well suited to handle the complex, multi-phase projects which are necessary to understanding the different segments of the financial services market.

The Blackstone Group offers the financial industry such core research services as market and brand monitoring on financial products and services, customer satisfaction and loyalty tracking studies, current and lapsed agent satisfaction, benefits manager satisfaction, advertising effectiveness and segmentation studies.

With Vice President Chuck Rogers leading the Financial Services & Banking team and Vice President/Account Manager Tammy Gray as head of the Insurance team, the Blackstone Group is well positioned to meet the needs of leaders in the insurance and banking industries. We have conducted hundreds of studies in these industries to help our clients increase awareness and sales, improve imagery and customer satisfaction and provide insights into virtually all areas of business and marketing.

Financial Services & Banking Case Studies:

• Improving Marketing ROI by Understanding Customers
• Repositioning Corporate Brand to Increase Awareness
• Gathering Financial Insights from Multicultural Tracking Study
• Understanding the Financial Attitudes of African Americans

Insurance Case Studies:

• Utilizing Predictive Modeling to Increase Customer Retention
• Keeping Long-Term Tabs on Satisfaction to Retain and Win Customers
• Assessing New Insurance Service with Hard-to-Reach Respondents

Healthcare touches every member of society.So does our research.

Healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology have become some of the nation’s most high-profile segments. Staying ahead of attitudes and behavior in this industry is critical, and requires a partner who can offer the level of in-depth, sophisticated analysis that is critical to your organization.

The Blackstone Group has extensive experience with virtually every stakeholder in healthcare and pharmaceutical: physicians, veterinarians, nurses, pharmacists, employee benefits managers, patients and consumers. Some of the research projects we have conducted in the healthcare and pharmaceutical market include patient satisfaction and feedback, new product evaluation, positioning and segmentation research, and market potential explorations.

The Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Biotech Practice Group at Blackstone is under the leadership of Executive Vice President Kathi Rose and Vice President/Account Manager Dr. Roger Straus. Some of her recent projects have investigated OTC and prescription medications, veterinary pharmaceutical products, medical devices, as well as and issues in the elder care, cosmetic surgery, health plan, and association services markets

Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Case Studies:

• Demographic predictions for the blood donor of the future
• Determining Drivers of Non-Adherence among Hispanics/Non-Hispanics
• Administering the Right Dose of Branding and Price for a New Antibiotic
• Seeing Clear to a New Name for Eye Lenses
• Diagnosing the Potential of New Ophthalmic Treatments

The world is more connected than ever. Is your research?

The technology explosion over the last decade has created many opportunities for companies, but also potential pitfalls that come with navigating new and uncharted territories. Staying connected to the perceptions and preferences of your end users is not just smart business, it’s essential business.

The Blackstone Group has worked with industry leaders in all segments of technology: software, hardware, Internet, telecommunications and consumer electronics, wireless communication. Our specialty in this industry is providing critical new product and service evaluations, as well as customer satisfaction and loyalty studies and market penetration studies.

Christian Ruzich, vice president/senior research  director, provides extensive experience to the technology industry, especially in the areas of advertising, communication and branding research.

Technology Case Studies:

• Navigating New Product Attributes with an International Focus

Over the past 10 years, customer participation in marketing, operations and product/service offerings of energy and utilities companies has changed the playbook for interacting with an empowered, heterogeneous customer base.

The voice of the customer has developed into strong political and social stances on these and other topics:

• Alternative/renewable energy
• Consumer management of energy consumption
• Deregulation
• Energy efficiency programs
• Limiting the carbon footprint
• Rising energy prices
• Smart grid technology

The Energy and Utilities Practice Group tackles the industry’s issues using innovative, proprietary methodologies and its experience with all stakeholders: businesses, not-for-profit organizations, policymakers and the general public.

Mike Burmester, senior vice president, leads the Energy and Utilities Practice Group with industry and marketing research insight gathered over the past 30 years. Mike and his team apply cutting-edge techniques to all studies, including: customer satisfaction, new products/services and market assessment.

Energy & Utility Case Studies:

• Assessing Attitudes about Climate Change & Energy Efficiency
• Creatively Positioning a Brand to Survive Deregulation
• Analyzing the Power of Price Sensitivity to Build Market Share
• Exploring the Decision Making Process of Key Accounts

Break through the digital daze with relevant, research-based advertising.

In the past two years, mobile and Internet advertising grew while television, radio, magazine and newspaper advertising all fell, marking a historic change in ad spend.

To grab a hold of the “Long Tail” of niche, Internet-based markets, forward-thinking advertisers, media executives and editors are fortifying themselves with new digital and community specialists and marketing research agencies that conduct innovative research projects with cutting-edge, digital technologies.

The Blackstone Group has extensive experience helping the advertising, media and publishing industries break through the digital daze. Here are a few of our industry-leading services beyond our comprehensive Web survey services:

• (IQ)²™: cutting-edge, online hybrid solution for qualitative/quantitative insights from your target audience located anywhere in the world
• ACE™: measure the impact of visual stimuli using state-of-the-art eye-tracking technology and individually administered questionnaires
• Persona IPB™: unique research method provides a cost-effective, comprehensive view of your brand, including image, positioning and branding
• Namecraft™: holistic name generation and testing system for new products, services and even entire businesses
• Multicultural research: diverse experience addressing business and advertising issues within their micro-cultural context, including how to effectively reach the target segment

Vice President/Account Manager Tammy Gray has designed and executed ad hoc and large-scale international tracking projects for leaders in the advertising, media and publishing industries. The results from these projects have been successfully used to increase awareness, improve the usability of websites and better understand and connect with niche, multicultural markets.

Advertising & PR Case Studies:

• Assessing the Level of Trust of Opinion Leaders Worldwide
• Launching a Gen Y Newspaper through Online Feedback

Improve customer satisfaction (and your bottom line) in an inhospitable economic environment

The Blackstone Group understands the complex issues concerning the transportation, travel and tourism industries, especially in the current economic climate. Between reduced customer spending, increased competition and narrower margins, customer experience and satisfaction are even more important as the differentiating factors in the transportation, travel and tourism industries.

The Blackstone Group has extensive experience helping the transportation, travel and tourism industries optimize satisfaction, loyalty and retention and provide valuable products/services to the increasingly multicultural and multinational target audience. Here are a few of our applicable services:

• SEQuaLS™: unique, integrated research method provides a holistic view of satisfaction, loyalty and retention issues from customers, employees, channel partners and prospects
• International and multicultural research: diverse experience addressing business and advertising issues within their micro-cultural context, including how to effectively reach the target segment nationally and internationally
• SCAPE™: integrated system that helps identify opportunities and reduce the risk of new product failure through idea generation, concept screening, product testing, packaging research and branding
• (IQ)²™: cutting-edge, online hybrid solution for qualitative/quantitative insights from your target audience located anywhere in the world

Senior Account Manager Rick Whitehouse is dedicated to the needs of the transportation, travel and tourism industries. His commitment to unparalleled client satisfaction has helped to support clients’ objectives with solution-oriented research studies and customer contact programs.

Transportation, Travel & Tourism Case Studies:

• Assessing Marketing Collateral Results in New Service Proposal
• Supporting and Growing an Iconic Brand in a Changing Market
• Exploring Customer Perceptions of Midwest Transportation
• Conducting Travel Behavior Survey among Persons with Mobility Limitations

Recruitment and retention. Our specialty. Your bottom line.

In an unstable economy, it is essential to effectively reach prospects and stay connected to members/alumni. Solidify your relationships and improve recruitment and retention through customized, solution-oriented research studies and personal contact programs.

Using our multi-mode capabilities (e.g., e-mail, Web, phone, iPad, in-person, mail), our research studies address these and other pressing issues:

• Member/Student recruitment, satisfaction and retention
• Market segmentation and prospect identification
• Conference, webinar and seminar attendance
• Branding and naming (international, regional and local)
• Donor/Contributor/Alumni satisfaction and loyalty
• Value of membership, education, training and/or certification

Vice President/Account Manager Dr. Roger Straus has designed and executed projects for many leaders in the education industry. The results from these projects have been successfully used to increase awareness, improve the conversion rate of inquiries by students and foster student/alumni satisfaction and loyalty.

Senior Account Manager Rick Whitehouse is dedicated to the needs of universities, associations and not-for-profits. His commitment to unparalleled client satisfaction has helped to support clients’ objectives with solution-oriented research studies and member contact programs.

Education, Association & NFP Case Studies:

• Interviewing Alumni for Major Community College Network
• Improving Virtual Vitality of Physician Specialty Society’s Brand
• Identifying Motivating Factors Behind Professional Certifications
• Growing Membership of the Nation’s Largest Professional Association
• Optimizing Attribute Configuration for International Certification