Retail (Brand Positioning-Latino/Hispanic Shopper)

The Issue:
A national catalog-retail brand positioned in the general market translated its catalog offerings into Spanish and relied on the general market strategy to take it (catalog) to the traditional Hispanic shopper. After the catalog circulated in the US Hispanic market for a year, sales and brand awareness remained flat.

IM’s Approach:
IM developed an unconventional nationwide qualitative research program based on in-depth personal interviews, photo diaries, field-intercepts and triads focus groups for Hispanic and Latino consumers. Through this program, we developed insights that were unexpected by the client.

IM’s Solution:
Research found that the general market catalog was unappealing to the Hispanic/Latino shopper since images, design and messages created an unfavorable attitude toward the products and brand, and did not form an intention to purchase. As a result, IM provided creative solutions to Latinize attributes from the catalog offerings to build a relationship with the products and brand.

International (Brand Awareness-Latin American Retail Shopper)

The Issue:
A national consumer packaged products brand is "piggy back" marketing its well-known cleaning products through a major US discount retail brand with international presence to sell its products overseas. Consequently, our client had no control on attributes and benefits sought on their products or market positioning in relationship to local brands.

IM’s Approach:
IM developed an avant-garde qualitative research program based on face-to-face interviewing, experiential (home product usage) and field work (shop-along experience) to define the attributes and benefits sought on the client’s products by Latin American consumers.

IM’s Solution:
The research uncovered that Latin American shoppers for cleaning products valued the US brand (our client) by quality, easy usage, practical technology, durability, easy storage and cost effectiveness. Our client used these and some other insights to improve their advertising campaigns in-country through the US retailing partner and demanded from the partner to provide insightful versus anecdotal data in order to build a profile of their customers overseas.

Financial (Market Penetration-Latino/Hispanic Consumer Research)

The Issue:
A national investments brand well positioned in the general market wants to identify opportunities in the Hispanic consumer market.

IM’s Approach:
IM developed an alternative nationwide qualitative research program consisting of in-depth personal interviews, field intercepts and focus groups to explore opportunities for the client among Hispanic as well as Latino consumers. The research focused on assessing the attitude of Hispanic versus Latino consumers toward financial investment and their reactions on different financial products.
IM also unveiled "how" the effects of acculturation influenced Latino consumers’ product knowledge, involvement and usage, something the client had not even considered and obviously exceeded their expectations.

IM’s Solution:
The research identified consumer sub-segments within the Hispanic and Latino market more inclined to invest for the future, including higher product appeal, concepts for creative advertising and outlets to create effective brand awareness. Finally, we suggested relying on a handful of products for both sub-segments to build a trend in the Hispanic/Latino consumer investment sector.

Banking (Brand Positioning-Latino Customer and Consumer)

The Issue:
A regional banking brand has been pursuing the Hispanic consumer for few years and developed an initial platform of customers. However, they have not been able to penetrate the market effectively, even less, increasing the number of deposits (accounts) for the bank.

IM’s Approach:
IM developed an unusual consumer research program centered on branches with location in Hispanic communities to assess consumers’ perception toward the bank and its offerings. The project consisted of in-depth interviewing in different community environments and branch intercepts on a one-to-one basis in Spanish only.

IM’s Solution:
The research unveiled that there were three areas in which the client was not connecting with the targeted audience: a) lack of products tailored to Latino consumer needs as opposed the general market, b) advertising tactics intended to communicate with the audience but misinterpreted due to cultural interpretations and c) a lack of sense of belonging in the branches. In addition, each area had a subset of insightful data that the client did not expect to know as it would not have been applicable in the general consumer market.

Sports Marketing (Brand Awareness-Latino Consumer)

The Issue:
A nationwide sports brand currently expanding into multicultural consumer segments in the US is having difficulties penetrating the Hispanic market. Past branding initiatives had encountered challenges from the targeted audience and the organization needed to improve communication to overcome pre-existing perceptions toward the sport.

IM’s Approach:
IM developed an eccentric qualitative and quantitative solution including in-depth interviewing, observational and field work (experiential) disciplines to optimize interaction.

IM’s Solution:
IM identified discouraging socio-cultural motivators preventing the targeted audience involvement with the sport. As a result, it was recommended to the client to build a grass roots marketing program in which it allowed the brand to be in direct contact with the sport’s participants.