Case Study: Identifying Unmet Needs and Customer Perceptions Methodologies used: 1. Perceptual Mapping 2. Conjoint Analysis 3. Product Simulation with simPRO™ Background: A major international player in medical imaging industry: 1. Looking for ways to increase market share in medical imaging market 2. Seeking product portfolio optimization strategy and design in put for its next generation product Central Research Question: How can we best develop and integrate our current and future product portfolio in order to reach our 3-year sales targets? About The MarkeTech Group: With offices in North America and Europe, The MarkeTech Group provides a unique combination of extensive marketing research methodology expertise, deep medical technology domain knowledge and value-added strategic marketing consulting to medical technology companies who seek high quality marketing research studies and professional marketing strategy consulting. The MarkeTech Group's team of marketing research and strategy experts take pride in integrating their leading voice of customer (VOC) research expertise and strategic consulting into their clients' marketing and R&D departments to help successfully launch and maintain profitable products in healthcare. The MarkeTech Group 502 Mace Blvd., Suite 15 Davis, CA 95618 http://www.themarketechgroup.com/?utm_source=SlideShare&utm_medium=Social+Media&utm_campaign=Identifying+Unmet+Needs+Case+Study

1. IDENTIFYING
UNMET NEEDS &
CUSTOMER
CASE STUDY
Methodologies used:
1. Perceptual Mapping
2. Conjoint Analysis
3. Product Simulation
with simPRO™
PERCEPTIONS

2. The following case study and data is from an
actual CLIENT project, however the data has
been de-identified to avoid sharing any sensitive
or confidential client information and is intended
for general information only.

3. First….let’s meet the CLIENT

4. LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE MARKET
SHARE IN MEDICAL IMAGING MARKET TO
MEET EXECUTIVE 3-YEAR SALES TARGETS
Major international player in…..
MEDICAL IMAGING industry
1
2 SEEKING PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
OPTIMIZATION STRATEGY AND DESIGN
INPUT FOR ITS NEXT GENERATION
PRODUCTS

5. The CLIENT wanted to know…..

6. Research Objectives
CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can we best develop and integrate our current and future product
portfolio in order to reach our 3-year sales targets?

7. Research Objectives
CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can we best develop and integrate our current and future product
portfolio in order to reach our 3-year sales targets?
Define current and future customers’
unmet needs1.

8. Research Objectives
CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can we best develop and integrate our current and future product
portfolio in order to reach our 3-year sales targets?
Define current and future customers’
unmet needs
2. Assess the perception of current offerings and
strength of competing brands
1.

9. Research Objectives
CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can we best develop and integrate our current and future product
portfolio in order to reach our 3-year sales targets?
Understand customer’s purchasing
criteria and buying decisions3.
Define current and future customers’
unmet needs
2. Assess the perception of current offerings and
strength of competing brands
1.

10. Research Objectives
CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can we best develop and integrate our current and future product
portfolio in order to reach our 3-year sales targets?
Provide recommendations on product positioning
and go-to-market strategy and tactics4.
Understand customer’s purchasing
criteria and buying decisions3.
Define current and future customers’
unmet needs
2. Assess the perception of current offerings and
strength of competing brands
1.

12. PHASE Qualitative Analysis

13. 26 IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS
Imaging Directors
CT Radiologists
CT Techs
GOALS
PHASE Qualitative Analysis
Identify customers’
unmet needs
Understand purchasing
drivers and barriers
Assess perceptions
of current offerings
1
2
3

14. The biggest UNMET NEEDS identified by the respondents were
related to issues with two key product FEATURES.
In-Depth Interviews Key Findings
Identify customers’
unmet needs
GOALS
1

15. In-Depth Interviews Key Findings
The biggest BARRIERS for new
product purchases was the market
leader’s OVERWHELMING BRAND
AWARENESS and the LACK OF a
COMPELLING REASON to
SWITCH BRANDS.
Understand purchasing drivers & barriers
GOALS
2

16. The market leader had overwhelming BRAND AWARENESS and
was perceived as BEST IN CLASS, while the client and other brands
WERE LESSER KNOWN and not perceived as a leader in
any specific category.
In-Depth Interviews Key Findings
Assess perceptions
of current offerings
GOALS
3

17. PHASE Quantitative Analysis

18. PHASE Quantitative Analysis
402 WEB-BASED SURVEYS
Imaging Directors
CT Radiologists
CT Techs
GOALS
1
2
3
Quantify market perceptions
Measure the most important
& preferred product features
Assess how the Client can
gain preference share with
next-gen product

19. A PERCEPTUAL MAP
was created based on
the 402 survey
respondents to
measure how the
CLIENT and its
competitors were
perceived by the
market…

20. Feature #5
Brand A
Brand B
Brand C
Brand D
Brand E
Most Affordable
Feature #2
Feature #1
Feature #4
Feature #3
CLIENT
Brand A
Brand B
Brand C
Brand D
Brand E
Market Leader
Legend
No vendor is strongly associated with Feature #1
MARKET LEADER
CLIENT
Perceptual Maps Tools of Analysis
KEY FINDINGS:
The Market Leader was
clearly perceived as being:
• Easiest to Use
• Most Automated
• Most Reliable
• While the CLIENT was
perceived as NOT being
the best in any one area
• No vendor was perceived
as best with Feature #1
Quantify market perceptions
GOALS
1
AN
OPPORTUNITY

21. …then a conjoint analysis
was designed to identify the
most important product
features and…

22. …then a conjoint analysis
was designed to identify the
most important product
features and…
…how the CLIENT could increase
preference for its own Medical Imaging
products…

23. Conjoint
Analysis:
Respondents are shown a
series of different product
configurations at different
prices and asked to select
their most preferred
product configuration and
price combination.
By forcing respondents to make various trade-offs between
features and price, it becomes possible to measure which
product features are more likely to drive product selection.
Brand Brand A Brand B Connectivity
Connectivity Some Complete None
Feature #1 Included Not included Included
Feature #2 Not Included Included Not Included
Feature #3 Not Included Not Included Included
Feature #4 5% 10% 0%
Price $50,000 $30,000 $100,000
Assuming you were in the market to buy a new medical imaging product, would you purchase the one you
selected above?
⃝ YES
⃝ NO
Conjoint Analysis Tools of Analysis
⃝ ⃝⃝
Please select the product that you most prefer. Assume everything about the 3 products is
identical EXCEPT for those differences presented in each scenario.
Choose the product you most prefer by clicking on of the buttons below.
Measure the most important
& preferred product features
GOALS
2

24. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Brand
Price
Safety Feature #1
Safety Feature #2
Connectivity
Ease of Use
Other
Conjoint Analysis Tools of Analysis
KEY FINDINGS:
Non Product Features:
• Brand and price were
found to be the most
important for product
preference
Product Features:
• Feature #1 was the most
important product
feature
The results demonstrated that aside from brand and price,
Feature #1 was the most important product feature
Importance
20%
19%
17%
13%
13%
11%
7%
Automation Ft. #1
Measure the most important
& preferred product features
GOALS
2
Feature #1
Feature #2
Feature #3
Feature #4

25. Next, we analyzed the conjoint
analysis data in our
PREFERENCE simulator…

26. …to identify how the CLIENT
can optimize preference by
modifying its product.

27. We MODELED the COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS as they exist in the market
today to calibrate the model. As expected, the Market Leader is by far the
MOST PREFERRED in the simulation model, however…
Tools of Analysis
Client’s preference
share today is
23%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Total (402) US (163) UK (59) France (60) Germany (60) Italy (60)
Preference Share
Preference Share of Today's Products
Client
Market Leader
Assess how the Client can
gain preference share with
next-gen product
GOALS
3

28. …..if the Client IMPROVES its current product by upgrading FEATURE
#1, the Client could EQUAL or EXCEED the market leader’s
PREFERENCE SHARE in most countries.
Tools of Analysis
Client’s preference
share increases to
40%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Total (402) US (163) UK (59) France (60) Germany (60) Italy (60)
Preference Share
Preference For an Upgraded Feature #1
Client
Market Leader
Assess how the Client can
gain preference share with
next-gen product
GOALS
3

29. FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS

30. The Client could most likely increase its sales and
market share by focusing on upgrading its Feature
#1 because:
THE CLIENT LEARNED THAT THE GREATEST IMPACT
ON SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION OF THEIR NEXT-GEN
PRODUCT WOULD BE:
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS
1
2
3 Invest in UPGRADING and PROMOTING product
Feature #1 and avoid costly development of
other features that would not significantly
improve preference or yield the desired ROI.
Feature #1 was found to be the most important
preference driver for these products.
The market did not perceive any vendor as
currently providing the benefits of Feature
#1, providing an opportunity for our CLIENT to
stake its claim.

31. www.themarketechgroup.com
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Davis, CA 95618
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Europe / France
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