Colmar Brunton and Inland Revenue Cracking the growing student loan debt dilemma – a $300 million success story

This submission illustrates the effective use of research and collaboration in helping to rectify what had become a fiscally-challenging and politically-charged situation. Faced with an increasing amount of unpaid student debt, and a growing concern over the prospects of its repayment, Inland Revenue worked closely with the Colmar Brunton team to gain a clear and actionable understanding of the mindset of borrowers, both here and overseas. A comprehensive multi-stage, multi-methodology research approach delivered insights into the motivations and barriers at play, whilst a very smart segmentation approach provided practical guidance for the development of ‘carrot and stick’ communications and legislative activities. To date, some $300m in additional student loan repayments are attributable to the resulting initiatives by IRL. The judges all agree that this entry represents behavioural change research and organisational collaboration and decision-making at its finest.

TRA and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Te Wānanga o Aotearoa - moving Maori education into the 21st Century

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NZ’s second largest tertiary educational institution, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa faced significant challenges in awareness and brand reputation. As its research partner, TRA also faced a unique context that required much more than a traditional approach. Their methodology was adapted from first principles to allow commercial insights to be combined with the organisation’s traditional kaupapa - all through a sensitive and collaborative process that earned the trust and ongoing buy-in of influential kaumatua. Its effectiveness lies as much in the satisfaction and commitment of these internal audiences as in the 500% increase in inbound enquires achieved by the resulting changes. 

In 2006, Coca-Cola redefined its 2020 vision to become the ‘Total Beverage Company’. A problem was their global tracking protocol used to read consumer behaviour was no longer adequate to measure the increased complexity of beverage categories world-wide. It outsourced the role of protocol custodian and quality controller to Infotools, it’s global data processing and analytical software partner. Over the past ten years, Infotools has operated across more than 90 countries and markets, ensuring that local research partners align their surveys and reporting metrics to global requirements. Across markets as diverse as New Zealand, Romania, Kenya and Hungary, Infotools have ensured highest data quality and protocol in global tracker studies. Their guiding of research methodology and execution for one of the world’s best-known brands has thereby assisted Coca-Cola to achieve consistent global effectiveness and demonstrate sustained success.

Colmar Brunton’s “Babyboomers: Truths & Myths” report is a stunning example of utilizing data visualization techniques to bring research to life; not an easy task given the study included both qualitative and quantitative data sets. From the report navigation to the segment profiling to respondent video testimonials, the team at Colmar Brunton has managed to create a truly visual data storytelling experience – the very essence of good data visualization -  that illuminates today's Babyboomer population in New Zealand.

Philippe Boulanger, NeedScope International

This year, nominees for the Young Researcher of the Year award were asked to present their views on the future of the industry to the judging panel.  Philippe's perspectives challenged our thinking and were presented in a way which clearly demonstrated his ability to convey complicated ideas in a convincing, engaging and easily digestible way.  The level of responsibility that Philippe has taken on within his day to day work life (both with clients and staff) also demonstrated his commitment to not only his own development, but that of his colleagues and clients.  Finally his natural curiosity and clearly focussed passion for wanting to understand what makes people tick helped to convince the judges that he is a future leader within the industry.  We look forward to seeing how his career progresses and wish him every success.

SSI Consumer Products Platinum Award winner:

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In a very challenging category this research demonstrated an exemplary partnership between client and agency. Not only did the research deliver to the original brief, it uncovered new innovation opportunities for Schweppes, a brand with a long history but was now lagging behind its main competitor. The cleverly staged iterative research approach put client and agency on a discovery process together. The Goldilocks moment was equivalent to Schweppes trialling not one, not two, but three formulations before they knew they were getting it right. This ‘platform of insights’ enabled them to demonstrate the potential for incremental growth if two new products were to be launched, not just the one, as originally planned. An excellent demonstration of effective insights driving business actions and success, and most worthy of a Platinum award in this very competitive category.

SSI Consumer Products Gold Award winner:

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Mac’s beer was losing its relevancy in an increasingly cluttered market. This is a classical success story of how Lion, working closely with Fiftyfive5, gained significent new insights that helped Mac’s to re-focus and re-discover its brand authenticity. The relaunch of Mac’s beer has seen a 24% increase in volume share growth and a 30% value growth. Further, the successful restaging has encouraged Lion NZ to roll out the Mac’s research approach across its top tier brands in New Zealand, and various parts of the Lion business in Australia. Cheers Lion, to a job well done!

SSI Consumer Products Gold Award winner:

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Trilogy is recognised as a pioneer in the growing natural skincare market. Its premium natural and organic range includes over 40 products sold in over 20 countries. Trilogy had reached a stage where it needed a major research-based overhaul. Drawing on the latest thinking from the TNS Global Brand Equity Centre, and supported by TNS’s neuroscience expertise on what drives consumer brand choices, including places of purchase, TNS’s research programme delivered Trilogy with all the foundations to raise the business to a new level, including revenue growth of some 70%. A great example of a very successful agency-client partnership.

SSI Consumer Services Platinum Award winner:

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The ASB ‘Voice of the Customer’ programme focuses their whole organisation on what makes them better in the eyes of their customers, in real time.  Together with their research partners, Ipsos, they have implemented a robust “Enterprise Feedback Management Platform” upon which they can systematically improve their customer’s experiences and satisfactions.  Incorporating a customer experience survey platform matched to an internal staff survey, they have successfully created a closed-loop feedback process, with alerts and escalations, that empowers employees to act swiftly and effectively on customer feedback.  The level of staff involvement is most apparent and impressive and this has driven significant improvements in customer experience outcomes, and sentiment.  The platform has also created literally thousands of opportunities for demonstrable improvement in customer experience, and as a way for continously testing new solutions in a very targeted and timely manner.

SSI Consumer Services Gold Award winner:

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Air New Zealand and TNS turned the obtaining of feedback from its Gold and Elite customers into a major customer experience exercise in its own right.  Building on an earlier 2013 study and improvements, every detail in this research project demonstrated how the company’s broad cross-section of employees and its key group of customers who participated in it, were all integral to its growth.  Their high-value customers clearly liked the changes made, and showed it by increased levels of engagement and loyalty. Air New Zealand’s current unprescedented market and financial success testify to a job being done very well indeed.  

SSI Consumer Services Gold Award winner:

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A classic case of a major organisation with lots of information, but no consensus about what to do about it all.  Colmar Brunton guided the Vodafone team through a comprehensive 7-step research process to gain a coherent and actionable view of markets and customers.  The initial internal workshop generated a long list of questions for the team to answer.  The next research stages then provided many actionable insights, resulting in successful new products, services and marketing campaigns, plus very robust business results across many parts of the organisation. Vodafone now builds on this research foundation for future growth opportunities.

AUT Business to Business Platinum Award winner:

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The judges felt this was great research. Technically, it was most difficulty, and was executed across three international markets. It challenged the client’s view of their markets and clients, and where future growth could come from. Xero  fundamentally changed its business strategy, no small thing in a business with as high a profile as Xero, and enjoying unprecedented growth. That change needed to be evidence-based, and the research provided the compelling catalyst for a brave client. The overall results have been outstanding, including a 30% reduction in the cost of acquisition, and a successful repositioning of Xero as a ‘thought leader’ with its channel partners and other stakeholders. Xero have even drawn on this research in advising the government on ways to help small business improve efficiency, especially, and drive economic growth. Excellent work Colmar Brunton and Xero!!

AUT Business to Business Platinum Award winner:

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Building and selling houses in Auckland – how hard can that be? Yet, the Hobsonville Point Land Company was committed to a higher goal, that of creating a community for some 11,000 people. It wasn’t doing this alone. The houses were constructed by independent group-building companies… firms critical to creating eventual home owners’ satisfaction, and pivotal in realising Hobsonville Point’s overall vision.

The judges were impressed in the way Nielsen, through their multi-layered research, changed behaviours and outcomes. Nielsen effectively engaged with and developed an understanding of the builders’ roles, and impacts, on the overall project, and provided them with clear directions on improving their performance. An excellent example of the full cycle of research driving continuous improvements, and with customer satisfaction results contributing directly to a builder’s competitive tendering process for future land releases. And possibly an exemplar for elsewhere in Auckland?

Nielsen Media and Advertising Platinum Award winner:

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This is the story of how a company quickly recovered from inadvertently annoyed its target audience. Some may remember Heidi Montag of reality TV show ‘The Hills’ fame. As one customer wrote: “I will not purchase a Sealord product while the poster girl for plastic surgery gone wrong is acting as their spokesperson.” The resulting research - undertaken within a tight and critical timescale - helped to diffuse the potential crisis, steered the company’s future strategic direction, helped it gain a 33% sales increase in its premium fish range, plus its highest brand engagement score ever. Phew, and well done!

Nielsen Media and Advertising Gold Award winner:

 Glasshouse Consulting & Associates and Māori Television The Foundation for Growth

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This strong piece of work had an impact on the broadcaster’s audience segmentation, but it also had a wider flow-on impact on its choice of programme names and scheduling of content.  The results of this integrated research project saw a major shift in how Māori Television defines its audience, plus a most pleasing lift in audience for Māori Television, at a time when TV audiences are declining and splintering. Critically, the challenge was not just about providing strong, commercially-based insights and advice, but also about ensuring the whole process, from start to finish, was based on collaboration, trust and commitment.

 Nielsen Media and Advertising Gold Award winner:

 Ipsos and NZX Agri The Green Green Grass of a Revitalised Content Strategy

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A great piece of pragmatic insight work that underpinned the strategy for NZX Agri, acquired by NZX as a way to promote and inform investment in the primary sector. NZX Agri online required audience profiling and segmentation research to deliver appropriate content and sales strategies. The research embraced the uniqueness of the rural sector, and took the individuality and preferences of a diverse audience into account.  The outcome was a customer-centric, needs-based strategy that led to the relaunching of Agri HQ Farmers Weekly websites, plus the creation of Agri HQ subscriptions, all of which has now delivered strong commercial benefits.

Nielsen Social and Community Platinum Award winner:

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This submission illustrates the effective use of research and collaboration in helping to rectify what had become a fiscally-challenging and politically-charged situation. Faced with an increasing amount of unpaid student debt, and a growing concern over the prospects of its repayment, Inland Revenue worked closely with the Colmar Brunton team to gain a clear and actionable understanding of the mindset of borrowers, both here and overseas. A comprehensive multi-stage, multi-methodology research approach delivered insights into the motivations and barriers at play, whilst a very smart segmentation approach provided practical guidance for the development of ‘carrot and stick’ communications and legislative activities. To date, some $300m in additional student loan repayments are attributable to the resulting initiatives by IRL. The judges all agree that this entry represents behavioural change research and organisational collaboration and decision-making at its finest.

Nielsen Social and Community Gold Award winner:

CITATION

NZ’s second largest tertiary educational institution, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa faced significant challenges in awareness and brand reputation. As its research partner, TRA also faced a unique context that required much more than a traditional approach. Their methodology was adapted from first principles to allow commercial insights to be combined with the organisation’s traditional kaupapa - all through a sensitive and collaborative process that earned the trust and ongoing buy-in of influential kaumatua. Its effectiveness lies as much in the satisfaction and commitment of these internal audiences as in the 500% increase in inbound enquires achieved by the resulting changes.

Perceptive Community Advancement Gold Award winner:

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How difficult would it be to look good and feel better after you have been diagnosed with cancer, and are undergoing treatment? In a crowded world of more than 24,000 registered charities, achieving stand-out and converting this to partnership funding is a constant challenge. The judges were impressed that Nielsen, on the tightest of budgets, cleverly used sensitive qualitative ethnographic interviews with women telling their own experiences with Look Good Feel Better. Captured on video, these shared experiences provided the client with a way to develop a new sponsorship strategy which successfully opened new doors to willing sponsors and partners.