Market dynamics and audience preferences are ever-evolving, presenting both challenges and opportunities for emerging businesses. As a market research agency, we work a lot with newly established companies with niche audiences in re-evaluating and refining their strategies.
In a recent project with Union Square Travel Agency, RemCal Insights provided expertise in the voice-of-the-customer research to evaluate the brand's messaging strategy, ensuring its alignment with the audience’s values and preferences.
Project Context
Union Square Travel Agency, a socially responsible legal cannabis dispensary in the heart of New York City's Manhattan, achieved remarkable success with its inaugural store. Capitalizing on this achievement and the growing demand from customers, the founders wanted to assess the brand’s image across cannabis users in New York City and determine the most effective communication strategy to attract new category users to the brand.
Solution
RemCal Insights was engaged to conduct a comprehensive qualitative study, consisting of four focus groups with cannabis users. The recruitment process presented two notable challenges:
1. Sensitivity of the product category
Sharing the experience with cannabis products might be a sensitive topic for some of the consumers. Consequently, focus groups were selected as the research method to facilitate open dialogue and ensure the participants felt at ease when sharing their experiences.
2. Precise geographic and brand targeting
Identifying the right participants required careful consideration of the geographic locations within New York City. Additionally, the study aimed to work with a recently established brand, necessitating a focus on a relatively smaller population. To ensure accurate participant selection, a snowball sampling method was employed.
In total, we successfully recruited and interviewed 18 consumers.
Value added
The insights obtained from the research provided valuable information regarding consumers' perceptions of cannabis products, their shopping behavior within this category, and their awareness of competitive brands. Furthermore, the research offered a deep understanding of how consumers interpreted the brand's identity and messaging in its communication efforts. We provided the client with actionable recommendations for optimizing their brand's messaging and identity. These findings guided the client's marketing efforts as they are developing their growth strategy.
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