business case analaysis

need

1 , issue

b analysis

c recommendation

one and half page

issue means questions

recommendation and analysis

Page 2 W27947 King's Hawaiian products were part of the premium (specialty) category. In July 2021, King's Hawaiian had a 51.9 per cent repeat rate among buyers, a household penetration of 38.9 per cent, and a purchase frequency of 2.9 per cent 2 The company appeared to be more focused on increasing its existing buyers purchases of King's Hawainan products than on acquiring new buyers. FIGGINS AND CONSUMER INSIGHTS Figgins came to King's Hawaiian from a successful career at PepsiCo lnc, (PepsiCo), where he had been the marketing director of transformation innevation for the Frito-Lay brand. Figgins noted that "PepsiCo, specifically Frito-Lay, is an amazing company and extremely performance-driven, with powerful brands. And at Frito, we talked about being trailblazers and being open to trying new things, but being a public company made that challenging. "He added, "It's about having to deliver the quarter, and so, you don't always have the luxury to try new things." MANY LOAVES AND DECADES LATER "In the summer of 2018," Figgins shared, "Mark Taira, CEO [chicf executive officer] of King's Hawaiian and the son of the founder, asked me to join King's Hawaan and build out the insights capabilities of the company. And this was very new to King's Hawailian." He continued. Prior to now, they [King's Hawaiian] didn't have to rely beavily on data-driven insights. They were a seventy-year-old company, but over the last ten years they had ridiculous growth. They have this killer product - the dinner rolls. They grew hand over fist. Strong distribution, driving recognition, driving awareness, driving trial. But they did very little product testing. They did no market research. Had no insights.... So, they [King's Hawailian] were coming off of this very "gut feel" way of doing things. You know, they made a few mistakes along the way especially in new products. And Mark realized that they needed better insights, especially as the company was expanding into new categories, new occasions, and new parts of the store. NEED FOR TRANSFORMATIVE INSIGHTS Mark Taira had come through loud and cleat in sharing his vision of what consumer insights should look like. And as Figgins reflected, "Mark liked to get his hands dirty, he liked to get in there and do the work, which meant he loved to work with his hands." That said, Figgins had been given some clear direction on the expectations for consumer insights at King's Hawaiian. Insights should involve (1) frequent, agile research; (2) quick, directional understanding; (3) cost-effective, do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions, and (4) quick-turn insights. King's Hawaiian didn't need traditional research or one big attitude and usage (A\&U) marketing research study per year. What it really needed was more frequent rescarch with a lot of touch points. Figgins and his colleagues had to be nimble when it came to insights, which meant that they wanted to come up with a question (or several questions) and get answers right away. Instead of striving for 100 per cent accuracy in 2 Market Track, LLC and Atfikates, "King's Hawaian Brand Snapshot" Nemerator, accessed January 29,2022. hitips /llwww.numerator. com/snapshots/brands:Gings-hawaian. Page 3 W27947 their new product research, their focus secmed to be more directional and to strive for 80 per cent. They did not want expensive off-the-shelf programs but, rather, preferred more DIY market research. Taira stressed that he was not going to dictate to Figgins how he should build an insights capability: how Figgins delivered it was entirely up to him. Figgins wanted to thoroughly cvaluate the opportunities for creating this capability, including pros and cons of the options, to determine how best to create it and what tools he would need to include. CONSUMER INSIGHTS AND THE CPG INDUSTRY While the kcy terms consumer insights and market research were often were used interchangeably and were sometimes related, consumer insights referred to findings from data, and market research referred to data only. Consumer insights and market research were critical assets in building and managing the businesses, individual brands, and brands categories in CPG (and other) companies. There were two key paths to doing research: primary and secondary. Primary research involved designing and collecting data first-hand, with specific learning goals in mind. The researcher was actively involved in the research, and research methods included surveys, interviews, observations, data analyses, and focus groups. Secondary research relied on information that was already available, including information in databases, publications, and other sources. The researcher conducting secondary research used and analyzed previously created primary research.' Companies' departments, including marketing, finance, supply chain, and product development, worked together to develop annual and shorter-term plans. However, one department, which was connected to all of the above and was essential to the business, was consumer insights, also known as market research. Market research was essential to ensuring that an organization was meeting the needs of the market. In addition to providing a decper understanding of a company's customers, market research helped companies avoid costly mistakes. Introducing products with little or no market potential to the marketplace often resulted in market failure. As Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen stated, 95 per cent of all new product launches failed. To succeed, a new product needed to make it to the top 5 per cent of all new products researched, tested, and launched in a category. According to the marketing research association Esomar BV, in a given year approximately USS45 billion was spent on market research.' The majority of these resourees was spent contracting full-service vendors and agencies. Knowing this, Figgins understood that his marketing research budget should be a percentage of the company's revenue. It was further reported that companies in the CPG industry usually spent 3-5 per cent of their annual revenue on market research, compared to the 510 per cent of annual revenue they usually spent on product development research." In today"s market, insights were often the beginning of the process of gaining key learning across the business. The general marketing research process (see Exhibit 1) involved multidisciplinary teams, which "Imed Bouchrika, "Primary Research vs Secondary Research. Definitions, Differences, and Examples, "Research com, May 5. 2021, hittps:ilresearch comvresearch/primary-research-vs-secondary-tesearch "Techpoint, "Innovation Summit 09. Cimyton Christensen (Clip 14, TechPoint.". May 26, 2009. YouTube video, 4: 14, hitps:llyoutu. beis9nbTB33hbg. " Esomar BV, "Clobal Market Research Report," ESOMAR, accessed January 29, 2022, helps.Jlosomar, org/global-markelresearch-report. "Esomar 8V, "Global Market Research Report" Page 4 W27947 collaborated to prioritize their business needs and opportunities. Budgets were then developed to launch the insights, or research, which would cover areas including but not limited to consumer behaviour, product concept testing, package testing, competitive learning, and market testing. Consumer insights research fell into two categories: qualitative research and quantitative research, both of which could be used in short-term or long-term research, with various budgets. Qualitative research was more likely to provide "directional" learning, with no quantifiable answer or result. Quantitative research provided actual answers with measurable, statistical data. A strong CPG company would combine qualitative and quantitative research to get robust, actionable learning through a wide range of tools. Research included tools like online surveys (which made up almost 80 per cent of total quantitative research work) as well as face-to-face and phone interviews. The types of rescarch used sometimes varied depending on geography, with some methodologies being more popular in one area than another. Regarding qualitative research, in-person focus groups were the most common method and made up more than half of research conducted in 2018, INSIGHTS OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION Figgins knew that building insights for the company would need to include a way to access the right consumsers, using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. He spent time evaluating three specific options he could pursuc (see Exhibit 2): Hire and Develop Marketing Research Experts to Build an Internal Insights Department Figgins wondered what would happen if he cut out the intermediaries and did the research himself. He knew that doing his own research (DIY) would be much cheaper and faster. But would it be difficulr? Would he have help from people in other departments, like marketing? Did the company have the necessary technology for a range of online research tools? This could possibly imply more costs, more time, and more people. Figgins would need to hire marketing research professionals. But how many would he need to hire, and at what level? Based on current industry norms, Figgins knew he would need to pay roughly $65,000 per person. In addition, Figgins would need to provide the team with the necessary tools to conduct research. He would need to buy a subscription to a DIY market research platform such as SurveyMonkcy or Qualtrics. Subscriptions to such DIY platforms typically cost $4,000 per year. There were other costs to consider, including an analytics statistical software package (e.g., SPSS, Excel, or another), as well as costs to procure a sample list. Beth Howard, the head of business development of Kantar Marketplace (Kantar), shared in a blog post, Commissioning market research is a lot like remodeling your bathroom. An add comparison perhaps, but here's why, Before starting a bathroom project, you're faced with a decision: Do you do the work yourself, or hire a skilled contractor? The answer would depend on several factors, including the amount of time you had, your budget, as well as your (honest) assessment of your own practical skills. 1 Statista Research Department, "Market Research industry-Statistics \& Facts." Stanista, August 27, 2021. hitos:liwww. statista com:topics/1283/maket-researchiedessierkeyfgures. Page 4 W27947 collaborated to prioritize their business needs and opportunities. Budgets were then developed to launch the insights, or research, which would cover areas including but not limited to consumer behaviour, product concept testing, package testing, competitive learning, and market testing. Consumer insights research fell into two categories: qualitative research and quantitative research, both of which could be used in short-term or long-term research, with various budgets. Qualitative research was more likely to provide "directional" learning, with no quantifiable answer or result. Quantitative research provided actual answers with measurable, statistical data. A strong CPG company would combine qualitative and quantitative research to get robust, actionable learning through a wide range of tools. Research included tools like online surveys (which made up almost 80 per cent of total quantitative research work) as well as face-to-face and phone interviews. The types of rescarch used sometimes varied depending on geography, with some methodologies being more popular in one area than another. Regarding qualitative research, in-person focus groups were the most common method and made up more than half of research conducted in 2018, INSIGHTS OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION Figgins knew that building insights for the company would need to include a way to access the right consumsers, using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. He spent time evaluating three specific options he could pursuc (see Exhibit 2): Hire and Develop Marketing Research Experts to Build an Internal Insights Department Figgins wondered what would happen if he cut out the intermediaries and did the research himself. He knew that doing his own research (DIY) would be much cheaper and faster. But would it be difficulr? Would he have help from people in other departments, like marketing? Did the company have the necessary technology for a range of online research tools? This could possibly imply more costs, more time, and more people. Figgins would need to hire marketing research professionals. But how many would he need to hire, and at what level? Based on current industry norms, Figgins knew he would need to pay roughly $65,000 per person. In addition, Figgins would need to provide the team with the necessary tools to conduct research. He would need to buy a subscription to a DIY market research platform such as SurveyMonkcy or Qualtrics. Subscriptions to such DIY platforms typically cost $4,000 per year. There were other costs to consider, including an analytics statistical software package (e.g., SPSS, Excel, or another), as well as costs to procure a sample list. Beth Howard, the head of business development of Kantar Marketplace (Kantar), shared in a blog post, Commissioning market research is a lot like remodeling your bathroom. An add comparison perhaps, but here's why, Before starting a bathroom project, you're faced with a decision: Do you do the work yourself, or hire a skilled contractor? The answer would depend on several factors, including the amount of time you had, your budget, as well as your (honest) assessment of your own practical skills. 1 Statista Research Department, "Market Research industry-Statistics \& Facts." Stanista, August 27, 2021. hitos:liwww. statista com:topics/1283/maket-researchiedessierkeyfgures. Page 5 W27947 Determining whether DIY market research is right for you requires a similar calculation but, fortunately, the final decision is not all or none. You can say yes to both DIY and managed research, using each in different circumstances." Figgins had been at King's Hawaiian a few months and was getting a sense for the business. He estimated that he could start by adding two market research professionals (at $65,000 each) for the first year. In addition, he knew he would have costs to subscribe to a supplier like Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey, which could provide surveys that would be fairly quick, reasonably priced, and easy to execute and analyze. The two marketing people Figgins would hire would likely have similar levels of experience, He planned to give each of them a distinct role in the organization to enable them to provide the best breadth and depth of work, which would go on even simultaneously if needed. He felt be could give one person responsibility for qualitative research and the other responsibility for quantitative research, or he could ask each to focus on a particular area, such as new product innovations or brand partnerships, to enhance the King's Hawaiian brand (for example, by partnering with NASCAR)." Partner with a Full-Service Marketing Research Agency This option would involve interviewing and selecting a full-service agency with experience and capability across a wide range of strategics and tools. The research projects would be designed for specific purposes and designed specifically for King's Hawaiian. This research would include one-off (i.e., ad hoc) studies as well as continuous tracking studies. Hiring a market research company was part of the market research process. In Figgins's experience, this was normally done after a company had identified a business problem and written a research brief. In this seenario. Figgins had the option of working with one or several agencies. He knew he could work with some agencies for specific projects and have ongoing relationships with others, who could manage many projects (e.g, a department tracker, a re-branding, or a repositioning requiring multiple phases of research). some of which would be sequential. There was a clear relational aspect to working with a market research company. While ad hoc in nature, market research was usually an ongoing process. If Figgins found a researcher who understood the King's Hawaiian business, he would most likely stick with this researcher to form a long-term lasting relationship. The agency would build up a bank of knowledge about the King's Hawaiian customers, and Figgins would trust its expertise and way of working. Custom marketing research agencies - especially the larger firms such as Kantar or Ipsos Worldwidetypically put larger teams on research projects. That said, Figgins would have project managers, expert consultants, and core researchers at his disposal. However, this would push up the cost of each project Figgins hired the firm to do. The se bigger teams also typically moved more slowly. It would take longer to make decisions, 10 - Beth Howard, "Choosing betwoen Managod and DIY Market Research," Kantar, Apre 21, 2021, hitps:/llwww.kantar comorth-americalinspiration/agle-market-research/choosing-betwoen-managed-and-diy-market research. 'Enic Schroeder, "King's Howaian Inkss Muteyear Partinerstip with MasCAR." BakingBusiness com, March 12, 2021, "Market Research Companies." Throe-Brains, accessed January 28, 2022, hitps.liwww. -hroe-brains comimarketingimarketresearch-skills'market-rosearch-companies. King's Hawaiian would also be one of many clients for sach a firm - a small fish in a large pond, so to speak. If Figgins's research spend was not significant for that firm, he might struggle to get consistency in the team who managed his research. The larger companies also tended to have a higher staff turnover, so Figgins could lose some of the personal contact he might have had with smaller market research companies. The cost associated with partnering with a full-service marketing research agency would vary based on the research scope, methodology, and expected deliverables. The costs might be high, but the nature of the insights gained from a custom market study could be substantial. Custom reports would be designed to provide the specific answers to Figgins's questions, so the intelligence (or insights) he would receive would be extensive and detailed. However, Figgins knew he was looking at a timeline of at least two months from the project kick-off. " Figgins knew from his time at PepsiCo that the average cost of a custom peoject was roughly $18,000. This option might be too rigid and too expensive for Figgins to consider. Develop a Proprietary Marketing Research Online Community (MROC) The third option was for Figgins to establish an MROC. MROCs helped companies by engaging with consumers on an ongoing basis. An MROC would enable King's Hawailian to fully undentand the mindeet of its target market and to identify any key issues, challenges, or opportunities that King's Hawaitin could explore. The MROC could produce insights and data on some of the following key topick (1) brand (identifying and evaluating points of differentiation, c.g., is "Hawaiian heritage" meaningful to consumers?); (2) communications (testing TV and digital ads and testing big ideas); (3) consumers and occasions (mapping behaviours, needs, and demand); (4) products (researching value perceptions, attitudes, and usage at the product level); (5) innovation (assessing brand "stretchability," and validating ideas and concepts); and (6) shoppers (using joumey maps to identify path-to-purchase challenges). While these topies could be covered through the other two options, covering them in greater breadth and depth while doing so could require significantly more time, moncy, and other tesources than doing so with the MROC. Forming an online market research committee cntailed recruiting a number of people to join. The developers of the community had target numbers that identified the group size suitable for research. Group members would need to qualify based on certain criteria. Then, they would be placed in an online group. such as a private forum or discussion group, e.g., on Faccbook. Members could repecsent key target segments, for example, representing different behavioural, demographic, geographic, and attitudinal qualitics. 12 Through MROCs, consumers would be asked questions by King's Hawainan in moderated discussions. The respondents (consumer participants) in the community could also answer quick polls, share insights, and contribute ideas. MROCs also allowed respondents to spontaneously contribute their own content on relevant topics. Consumers would be encouraged to interact with other participunts as much as possible. "14 Ashlan Bonnell, "4 Tips for Determining your Market Fesearch Budget," MarketPeseavch com (blogl. September 1, 2014, https:iblog marketresearch com/4-tips-for-determining-your-market-reseacch-budget. 12 The Associasion for Qualtative Research, Market Research Online Communities." AgQ. accessed Jaruary 27 , 2022. hitps:llwww.aq ong ukiglossaryimarketresearch-onkine-comimities. The virtual nature of these online communities could climinate some of the expenses and constraints involved with traditional marketing research methods-for example, expenses related to geography and logistical constraints-and allow for faster responses and quicker insights. 11 Importantly, a primary research objective was that MROCs be uncomplicated and able to lend themselves to traditional research methods, such as simply-formatted surveys. These coald work well with MROCs and could include testing of concepts and usability and open-ended resctions to a limited set of stimuli. 14 An online community cost $125,000, on average, for a company to implement, but it also had to be maintained by one to two enline community team members.' According to Rick Kelly, Chief Product Officer at MROC provider Fuel Cycle, the costs associated with MROC team nembers was part of the budget, More than 25 per cent of the companies that used MROCs to gain insights ran more than 180 projects per year. A proprictary MROC would give Figgins access to consumers and enable him to collect qualitative and quantitative insights with case. Figgins knew that be could not build an online community by himself; he would need to partner with a leading MROC provider like Fuel Cycle, Alida (formerly Vision Critical), or C Space (formerly Commanispace). Figgins had to consider two main issues: (I) who would run the MROC and (2) what the cests would be (both initial up-front costs and annual ongoing fees). Figgins knew he had to start moving on deciding what King's Hawaiian's insights department would involve. What should he recommend to King's Hawaiian's CEO? Should he build a team of insights experts, or should he partner with some of the best-in-class marketing researth agencies in the woeld? hess.llwww cmraty combloginroe-market tesearch-online-communityl. "H Reck Kelly. Fuel Cyde, intervew with case authors, January 19, 2022 Source: Three-Brains. "Market Pesearch Process," Three-Brains, accessed January 21, 2022, httpsillaww.three. from the copyright halder. authocs. January 27, 2022. and Rick Kelly, Fuel Cycle, in an interview with case authors, January 19 , 2022