Down Under

Australia is for lovers of life and the generous of spirit. The place rocks.

I was Down Under a couple of years ago. Gave a talk on Hamilton Island. Thought I had walked on to a James Bond movie set. And then there’s Melbourne - a city that radiates energy and metropolitan vibrance. We did a survey and positioning study for a client Down Under - D’italia, an elegant fabric store in Melbourne that sells the finest Italian and French fabrics. They also specialize in custom made wedding dresses.

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They were delighted with the survey results and began implementing them. I was recently in email communication with the owner, Carl Neuman, about another matter. After ending his point about what we were discussing, he added: “We are still using the buttons discovered from the survey you helped with, with great results. We had the biggest year ever last year and we have just had our highest month ever.😊” Makes the heart sing…and the cash register ring. I guess we are romantics at heart, because last year we did a positioning project for Anna Elyse, a Pasadena, California based boutique whose bridesmaid dresses are Designed for the Perfect Fit. Here’s what owner, designer, Annie Sokoloff had to say, “I, again, can't tell you how delighted I am. I would be happy to and will recommend you to anyone and everyone!” Ah, but the life of a surveyor is not all sweetness and light. You ever try to reach a judge on the phone and conduct an interview on the subject of bail bonds? We surveyed 150 of them. Then there were the Marketing Directors of the 7 largest oil companies in the world. We set up appointments with their secretaries. It worked. Orthopedic surgeons, were impossible so we went to one of their conventions and got them in person. Some publics are unique: members of the Russian Federal Police, maintenance engineers of ocean going tankers in India, wardens of state and federal prisons in the U.S. Sometimes we have to stretch to reach the public we are surveying: dental patients in Holland, cell phone users in Mexico, shrimp farmers in South America. Politics takes some finesse: getting legislators to agree to answer survey questions is the first hurdle, but the real job is getting honest answers to the questions. Congressional aides are a treasure trove of information while potential voters in important elections are full of opinions. Getting a health care provider on the phone – Dentists, Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, Podiatrists, Optometrist, etc. – is more challenging than reaching their patients. But we do both. Business and commerce is easier: investors, business travelers, real estate developers, buyers of precious metals, hotel guests, credit union members, travel agents, users of legal services, insurance products and credit cards. Retail customers are generally the easiest: consumers of pizza, yogurt, vitamins, organic bakery goods, tires, hardware, software, printers, ice cream, grocery items, and plus-size clothing for women. A diverse sampling you’d have to agree. But they all have one thing in common: they all have opinions and we get them to share them; opinions that tell us how to help you craft your message to get the maximum response to an ad, a website, a marketing piece or a press release. Which, of course is what surveying is all about. Try it. Perhaps, like our friends Down Under, you’ll have your best year ever, and you can take a well-deserved vacation at the Qualia resort on Hamilton Island. Call today. Surveying your public could be faster and less expensive than you ever imagined.