How we think.....

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO
©
w w w. t h i n k i n t r e p i d . c o m

2. W H AT W E D O , H O W W E T H I N K A N D H O W W E W O R K
WHAT WE DO WHAT WE THINK
INNOVATION MATTERS | In a world of me-too
propositions and ideas, innovation is the key element in
CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING providing growth
DESIGN IS STRATEGIC | Impeccably designed systems,
products, and services are really all that separate one
BUSINESS PLANNING AND
business from another these days. Quality and brand
SUPPORT
alone is not enough.
THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY RULES | Businesses must
INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT orchestrate memorable events for their customers –
that memory becomes the product - the quot;experience”.
Tomorrow s
Tomorrow’s successful businesses will be the ones that
PILOTING, LAUNCHING AND
spot WHERE THE VALUE IS in the customer experience.
ONGOING MEASUREMENT
HOW WE WORK: AN EXTRACT FROM OUR WORKING MANIFESTO
We break our boundaries and challenge convention to produce outputs that are distinctive, intelligent,
business focused and effective. That’s why our clients come to us and stay with us.
We are professional in everything we do. We are honest, on time, informed. We don’t just do it, we do it well.
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We are confident and realistic. We know what we are talking about.
We say never be satisfied with the satisfactory. We get excited about our work – it’s infectious, appealing and
profitable for us and our clients.
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3. T H E I N T R E P I D I N S I G H T S W H E E L : O U R C A PA B I L I T I E S
Intrepid has capabilities to enable decision making across the entire business lifecycle:
UNDERSTANDING:
The foundational work of any research
initiative at Intrepid is built on
developing the background
understanding of customers and
markets.
INNOVATION & REFINEMENT:
As the process moves from
“observational” focus to an “inquiry”
focus,
focus we progress from
understanding unmet needs to
conducting concept and hypothesis
testing.
MEASUREMENT:
The final stage of our process
concerns tracking the overall success
of a product or service in the market
and monitoring the customer
experience with it.
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4. SOME OF THE BUSINESSES WE WORK WITH
The combination of commercial
acumen, research skills, innovation
and fun makes Intrepid hard to beat
VP Consumer Support, Microsoft
EMEA
Amidst mounting City pressure, Intrepid
gave us the confidence to put our customer
first. They helped us get the proposition
right and time our launch perfectly
3G Proposition Manager, O2
When we started the Money Basics web project we
didn’t believe it was possible to do your customer-led
design process in the timeframe. Your exceptional
project management style sets you apart from all of
the other agencies we use. You are the most
responsive and focused business that I work with.
Customer Research & Planning Manager, GE
Money
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5. INSIGHT CAN OFTEN COME FROM THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES
Where we look for insight:
How we think about insights:
1. They’re not immediately apparent
Look Up
2.
2 Insights can be based on one data point Can we charge
more?
3. They often come from unusual sources
Look to the
Look Backwards
4. They’re often discovered accidentally Future
Can we re-invent
What’s emergent?
the past?
5. They can be often rooted in observed
anomalies
li
6. Rarely emerge from quantitative analysis
Look Sideways Look Far & Wide
7. They are NOT a number, a fact or a quote
What’s happening What’s happening
in adjacent
from a customer. in other places?
markets?
8. Are always useful
Look Down
9. Can be the basis for competitive Can we make it
affordable?
advantage
Marketers have generated ‘000s of definitions for customer insight
“A fresh and not yet obvious understanding of customer beliefs, values, habits, desires, motives, emotions or needs and
can become the basis for competitive advantage”
(Kellogg School of Management)
“Penetrating discovery about consumer motivations that can be applied to drive growth”
(Diageo)
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6. WE BELIEVE IN USING YOUR $ FOR INSIGHT NOT A PROCESS!
From data to….. The real value: How we approach projects
Insight
Of most value because it offers new ways of looking at a market that
leads to competitive advantage
New understanding that is
actionable and competitively
Insight
unique
Recommendations
The real challenge
Summarises the implications of your project/
research
Interpretation of
Recommendations
findings
Findings
Selected information that is of interest, but
lacking in implications
Carefully considering
Findings
Information
If ti
project objectives
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Think Gartner reports. Information
informs but offers no indication of
relative importance to a business
Data analysis
Information
and reduction
Data
Think
database
extracts…
Data
Typical research studies: budget is mainly spent Intrepid research studies: budget is mainly
in data collection spent on driving insight
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7. CAN THE MARKET GIVE YOU THE INSIGHT YOU NEED?
There are dangers in treating customers as ‘fonts of all wisdom , especially where the future is concerned
fonts wisdom’ concerned.
Why?
Customers’ ideas can be incremental
Customer contexts mean their feedback is rooted in what they know rather than what is happening in
the world
Because they focus on what they think is doable
Asking people to tell us what they want tends to screw up what they think they want
Because they often get it wrong!
Who generates insight?*
100
*incite survey May
75
2007 amongst UK
research/ Insight
50
managers
25
0
Our Research
Brand- Other
research- agency
product
insight marketing
dept. team
How we approach things differently?
We don’t allow methodology to constrain our thinking or approach
We ensure any research or insight goals are firmly rooted in what the business needs
We promote engaging & enjoyable research experiences that give stakeholders the choice to be
involved at each stage
The way in which we communicate & report insight is tailored to the way in which our clients best
consume it.....we are flexible & recognise we need to adapt to be relevant
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8. SOME METHODS WE USE TO DRIVE INSIGHT
OBSERVATIONAL TECHNIQUES: PARTICIPATORY METHODS:
Digital ethnography ‘Theme days’
Video/ online diaries Advisory Councils
Online diaries Clients doing research
Subject Matter expert interviews Onsite ‘case studies’
Contextual i
C t t l inquiry i
Methodologies that enable client interaction,
Q
QUANT ‘DERIVED’ TECHNIQUES:
Q
inspire and you can learn from are also often
MORE FUN to be involved with!!!
Choice based conjoint (simulated Importantly, all these methods are IN CONTEXT
experiences) & therefore the feedback gained is more
meaningful & reflective of how people actually
Customer defined surveys behave
bh
Community observation We also use all traditional techniques where
appropriate, but ensure our clients are heavily
Influencer surveys involved in the insight collection to ensure
maximum actionability

9. CASE STUDIES APPENDIX

10. C A S E S T U DY A S S O C I AT I O N O F O N L I N E P U B L I S H E R S ( A O P )
• Objective: Understand the mindset and behaviours of the most digital savvy
consumers in the UK to help AOP’s members (eg BBC, The Times, Financial
Times) understand how they discover new content, influence others and exploit
content discovery tools eg Digg
• Methodology: Di it l ethnography. Following a ‘meet & greet’ launch event, a
Digital th h F ll i ‘ t t’ l h t
branded interactive blogging tool was used by participants to record their daily
digital experiences & thoughts. The site enabled us track behaviour over time
and to interact with them and prompt for depth when needed
• Key finding: Branded mixed with user generated content can strongly support
advocacy; where these sites also include social bookmarking tools the propensity
tools,
to revisit/ recommend is high as the ‘openness’ of tools such as Digg and
Delicious talk directly to what the savviest digital consumers believe is valuable;
openness, honesty and dialogue
• How it was implemented: This is hot off the press... the recommendations
will be used to inform long term user g
g generated content strategies.
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• From the AOP team “Just a quick note to say thanks to you both for
today…your enthusiasm for the project really shone through and the Board’s
interest in the project has rocketed! Our Chairman was particularly impressed…”
(AOP Project Manager)
AOP invested $50k and 6 weeks
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11. EXAMINING THE END-TO-END CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN THE EDUCATION MARKET
Client: Microsoft Education Team
Goal: To understand the working practices of Teachers, HE, FE and Education Advisors; Identify and remove barriers to CPE and
advocacy
Method: Barrier Busting! End-to end process exploration from the customer perspective. Customers are given a problem to solve and
their selected touch point experiences are recorded and analyzed
Outcome: A detailed, low cost implementation plan that could be influenced and changed by the UK education team
detailed
Key Metrics
Research Objectives:
To identify the resources used to solve typical problems and resulting
 The metrics chosen to test the process points were based on the key drivers of
behaviour from the FY02/03 education customer experience programme. The
experiences of education professionals

barrier busters were asked to rate each touch point they used:
To identify the barriers to an effective unmanaged customer

How confident did you feel that you have all the information you need to

relationship; by exploring, recording and analyzing the end-to-end resolve your issue effectively for your educational establishment?
relationship that exists between Microsoft and its customers 1 is Not at all confident and 9 is Completely confident
To remove these barriers through focused action, potentially at a

cross-company level How strongly do you agree with the statement that your experience of

dealing with [p
g [process tested] made y feel that Microsoft understood y
] you your
specific issues?
Impact in the Business 1 is Strongly disagree and 9 is Strongly agree
The education team had limited budget and little corporate power so
 How strongly do you agree with the statement that your experience of

going back with ‘strategic’ recommendations about the education dealing with [process tested] made you feel that Microsoft valued its
customer experience doesn’t work for them relationship with you?
They can’t change the business plan but they can change the 1 is Strongly disagree and 9 is Strongly agree
content and delivery of education customer interfaces
How strongly do you agree with the statement that your experience of

We gave them 50 tactical actions to drive through their on-going
 dealing with [process tested] made you feel that Microsoft was
communication and channel relationship programme knowledgeable about the education market?
We provided them with video examples of real customers
 1 is Strongly disagree and 9 is Strongly agree
experiencing real problems: it makes it very difficult not to take
responsibility and not to act
How strongly do you agree with the statement that your experience of

We produced a business case to negotiate education specific
 dealing with [process tested] made you feel that Microsoft understood the
resources at the call centre specific needs of the education market?
The customer’s voice speaks loudest of all when trying to 1 is Strongly disagree and 9 is Strongly agree
change the way a business operates
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12. C A S E S T U D Y b S k y B M O N T H LY H E A L T H C H E C K
Customer Group No. in core The Monthly Tracker
Read by everyone in the business from the receptionist to

Sky digital (new) 200
Rupert Murdoch
Sky digital (transition) 200
Sky digital (existing) 200
Each page of data owned by someone in the organisation

Sky analogue 200
• Accountability framework publicly acknowledged
Sky digital cancellers 100
• Each owner was given three days to digest information
Sky analogue cancellers 100
and to propose actions – accountable for progress the
following month
ONdigital 100
Cable digital 100
Clear link between the customer and the finances

Cable analogue 200
• Wh operational metrics were bad, we saw a direct
When ti l ti bd di t
Terrestrial 450
impact on the customer metrics
Total 1850
The business could defend against seasonal customer

Customer Metrics from Primary Research
discontent that emerged as trends showed where and how
Advocacy Rating of:
they could improve the customer experience at peak
Installation process
operational times
Guide
EPG
Sky Remote
Campaigns could be focused on the key drivers of behaviours

Technology Reliability
to ensure commercial success
Customer call centre
Advertising recall • We used our Advocacy modelling to build a transition
Brand value buy-in campaign, which proved to be one of the most
dramatically successful campaigns to move the
Internal Metrics from Internal Business Units
remaining analogue customer base to the digital
service. The transition rate increased 40% in the
ARPC Advertising spend (inc.
month after the Advocacy-based campaign was
Total revenue competitors)
Sales BARB data launched
Upgrades Geographical coverage
Installations TGI
Transitions (analogues to Campaigns
digital) Campaign metrics
Call centre metrics Activities since last report
Complaint metrics
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13. O2 MOBILISATION: CURRENT DEPLOYMENT AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES IN SALES AND PROCUREMENT PROCESS MOBILISATION
Client: O2 Product Team
Goal: To assess the market opportunity for O2 to be an active player in providing end-to-end mobilisation solutions for Procurement and
Sale Process Automation
Method: Qualitative exploration to explore verticals in depth, 300 telephone interviews with key business decision makers in Enterprise
companies (500+ handsets)
Outcome: Customer focused proposition development including expansion of partnership opportunities to develop credible market
positioning
Key Findings
Research Objectives:
Identify the suppliers that people use to deliver their current Mobilisation comes after or as part of the implementation of a data or

sales or procurement systems
l process management system
Mobilisation is on trial
Explore the current level & future potential of mobilisation of the
sales & procurement process in different sectors and business
The concept of mobilisation in sales & procurement is still viewed in

sizes
simplistic terms:
Is there a threshold demographic?
Getting your e-mail, using a mobile phone or a PDA,
Explore device strategies
dialling in
Who ill
Wh will provide d i ?
id devices?
Barriers to adopting mobilExplore decision
Very few businesses had the call from the board to mobilise. Rather,

making around mobilised solutions
they had the call to:
e solutions
Improve processes
ROI anticipated / perceived benefits of fully
Increase efficiency
mobilised solution
Manage the business more effectively
Technology as a driver of mobilisation
Identify key business functions that would benefit from

These business issues are still the domain of the systems specialist

mobilisation
or the software provider
Preferred sales model for mobilised solutions

Role & credibility of a network provider Mobilisation is a ‘after thought’ or a ‘value add’ component of

Estimate of O2’s market credibility and opportunity in this systems in the majority of businesses
corporate space Intellectually the value of the proposition is there but
it is still a “hard sell
hard sell’
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