Research Subject Area: Marketing

REF impact found 12 Case Studies

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Telstra Switching Study

Summary of the impact

Telstra is an Australian telecommunications company. In the late 1990s, Telstra was faced by a new entrant, which would be competing against it with modern technology and a lower cost structure. Telstra needed to know how much share it would lose to undertake its resource planning. More importantly, Telstra also had to understand which customers it could retain and the actions it needed to take to retain them in terms of service design and delivery, pricing, and communications.

The underpinning research was conducted in conjunction with Telstra, and met their needs. This project generated published academic research output, and in parallel had a valuable impact on the client company. This impact was estimated, by Telstra, to exceed US$146 million.

In summary: this study reports research that was prompted by the direct need of a potential beneficiary, and which successfully achieved a signifb01cant fb01nancial impact for that beneficiary.

Submitting Institution

London Business School

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Economic

Research Subject Area(s)

Information and Computing Sciences: Information Systems
Economics: Applied Economics
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

Influencing policy on alcohol marketing to young people

Summary of the impact

Almost one in four deaths of young people in England and Wales are attributable to alcohol (Hastings and Sheron, 2011). Critical marketing research by the Institute for Social Marketing at The Open University (ISM-Open) has informed policy by: establishing the link between the marketing practices of drinks manufacturers and young people's attitudes to and consumption of alcohol; providing the material for the seminal report Under the Influence commissioned and published by the BMA Board of Science; guiding the Health Select Committee and underpinning a Private Members Bill on the regulation of alcohol marketing to children.

This research in ISM-Open is a collaboration between the Open University Business School (OUBS) and Stirling University.

Submitting Institution

Open University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences: Psychology

Media, alcohol advertising/promotion and the drinking habits of young people

Summary of the impact

This study demonstrates the impact of the Unit's research into the relationship between alcohol advertising/promotion, media representations of drinking, and the drinking habits of young people. Our research addressed the concerns of policy makers and health education bodies about the relationship between alcohol advertising/promotion and alcohol consumption habits of teenagers and young adults. Our findings mapped the extent of media alcohol/drinking representations and showed a change in advertising content and overall code-compliance following the introduction of a new code of practice in 2005. The research found no evidence of a relationship between the general reported exposure to alcohol advertising and levels of alcohol consumption among young people. The findings have informed on-going policy recommendations and initiatives regarding the regulation of alcohol advertising, promotion and consumption. Additionally they have informed the policies of government and other agencies, both nationally and internationally (UK, EU, Australia).

Submitting Institution

University of Leicester

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

Digital Signage for Shopping Malls and Retail Stores

Summary of the impact

Improvements in digital screen technology early in this millennium facilitated cost effective use of digital signage (DS) (screens in a public place showing video). The problem was that no research was available on the extent to which consumers welcome DS or on the effectiveness of any advertisements transmitted using this medium.

Brunel research has led to most UK shopping malls now carrying DS and to retail DS ads using more entertaining or affective content that increases `footfall' to advertisers and greater loyalty especially from first time shoppers. The research led to a general impact in terms of improved customer experience and specific impact on sales growth and revenue. The result is greater enjoyment and satisfaction for shoppers and higher sales for advertisers and retailers.

Submitting Institution

Brunel University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences: Psychology

EC External Communications

Summary of the impact

Research undertaken by Christoph Meyer has had a direct impact on the European Commission's external communication policy, structures and capacities, particularly in 2008 and 2009. Policy recommendations from this research were adopted by the Commission in May 2008 and influenced its first Corporate Communication Statement of 2009. In sum, the research had a significant impact on the communication activities of more than 1900 officials, spending more than 250 million Euros annually and targeted at more than 500 million citizens of the EU, as well as foreign publics as part of the EU's external relations.

Submitting Institution

King's College London

Unit of Assessment

Politics and International Studies

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing
Language, Communication and Culture: Communication and Media Studies

Food Citizenship and the Public Interest

Summary of the impact

The Centre for Food Policy (CFP) at City University London uses applied research to develop `public interest' approaches to understanding the relations between food systems and consumers. A key focus is the tension between `food citizenship' and consumerism. Our research has long asked how food policy-makers can address and improve citizenship interests when faced with both `old' social divisions (inequalities, poverty, poor market access) and `new' pressures (energy-water-biodiversity footprints, environmental knowledge deficits, de- and re-skilling). Our impact has been in promoting policies to reshape the conditions for good, low impact consumption through: (a) generating high-level debate about sustainable diets (what to eat) at population and individual levels; (b) identifying and mapping the cultural and spatial realities that shape consumer choices; and (c) foregrounding the challenge of health literacy. CFP proposals have gained traction in food policy locally, regionally and internationally (including Europe, the USA and Australia), helped by our long and close relations with civil society organisations (including the United Nations) and with growing impact on government and companies, including the major supermarkets.

Submitting Institution

City University, London

Unit of Assessment

Sociology

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health and Health Services
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

Improving consumer decisions and outcomes through regulatory decisions

Summary of the impact

Research undertaken at the University of East Anglia (UEA) has identified whether consumers are likely to switch supplier, whether they are likely to get a good deal, and how companies are likely to respond to specific regulatory intervention. Such research findings challenge regulators to make better decisions. An appropriate regulatory framework leads to better decisions by consumers, helping markets to work better, and resulting in lower prices and bills. This is particularly critical in the energy and water sector, which are of crucial importance to each of the 25 million households in the UK, and where implementation of some of these research findings could lead to reductions of 6% in household energy bills (which translates to a total saving of over £2.1 billion a year).

Submitting Institution

University of East Anglia

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Economic

Research Subject Area(s)

Economics: Applied Economics
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Improving the lives of ageing consumers through products and service innovation

Summary of the impact

This research addresses unprecedented demographic challenges caused by an ageing population through the development of socially inclusive products and services that enhance the quality of living of older consumers (aged 50 and over).

Welfare & inclusion

- The Brunel University research team, led by Dr Spinelli, has helped the evaluation and development of products and services that enable older people to live more independently — through enhanced mobility, assisted communication and an improved range of choice to suit individual needs.

Commercial Impacts

- The research has formed a knowledge base that the charity `Age UK' has exploited to 1) develop the AGE UK business network "Engage" (including Handicare, BSkyB, Atoc, British Telecom, Virgin and Homebase) which, through company engagement, seeks to improve products and services for older consumers and to enable the application of inclusive design processes to product and service development, marketing and training and 2) underpin the principles of AGE UK Products and Service Accreditation schemes launched in 2012 to enhance quality and choice for older consumers.

Submitting Institution

Brunel University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Measuring the Power of Emotion in Advertising

Summary of the impact

Research at the University of Bath demonstrating that emotion exerts a powerful influence on brand choice has benefited advertising practice through the development of a market research tool known as the Cognitive Emotive Power Test. Major multinationals (for example: Wal-Mart, General Motors, Ford Europe, Nestle, Kraft, Procter & Gamble, Disney, Starbucks) have used this system to pre-test advertisements and to select from among competing ads those that score highest on the emotional response scale. Since 2011 Ipsos ASI, the largest advertising pre-testing company in the world has licensed CEP®Test to support up to 10,000 advertising tests annually, resulting in greater brand marketing effectiveness. As a result of the research, companies can improve the ability of their advertising to build a strong brand.

Submitting Institution

University of Bath

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Economics: Applied Economics
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

Shaping Town-Centre Policy and Strategy through Consumer-Based Research

Summary of the impact

Loughborough University research into town centre consumer perceptions and behaviour has changed the awareness, attitudes and approaches of industry bodies, policymakers and retailers with regard to driving evidence-based strategies for town centre recovery. Nationally, it has informed industry bodies such as the British Retail Consortium and the Association of Town and City Management of the value of consumer perceptions for developing and evaluating town centre strategy. Locally, it formed a key component of the evidence-based advice that helped Loughborough Town Centre win a place in the government-commissioned Portas Pilot project to rejuvenate Britain's High Streets. High Street giants such as Boots have also acknowledged its importance.

Submitting Institution

Loughborough University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Economics: Applied Economics
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

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