www.mm-research.com
March 2010
Welcome to Research Notes™
Theo Muller, Managing Director, MMResearch™
The weather may not have been the best over summer, but I hope that you are rested and refreshed, and ready to grab the opportunities and tackle the challenges of 2010. It’s going to be a great year! Carpe diem... seize the day! Keep your eyes wide open... there may be an opportunity lurking around the corner.
Opportunities abound, the question is, do you see them? They have a habit of disguising themselves, trying to make themselves invisible. But they are there all right... all you need is some focus, some determination and then a pile of ACTION. Get off your butt and make it happen. You’ll be surprised what a difference it makes.
*NEW* Online Bulletin Board Focus Groups
In Research Notes© of December 2009, we announced the imminent launch of online bulletin board focus groups in the first quarter of 2010. Well, here we are. We are taking qualitative research online using QualBoard™ technology developed by 20|20 Research Inc. of the USA.
QualBoard™ is a new and innovative way to get inside the minds of your customers or stakeholders to uncover deeper and more useful insights. MMResearch™ is leading the way with this cutting edge technology. For more information, view our online brochure or contact us with your project requirements.
*NEW* oMMnibus™ Online
Launching in March 2010
Another new development that we are kicking off in the first quarter of 2010. oMMnibus™ Online is a quarterly online survey of New Zealanders aged 15 years+, recruited from a panel of New Zealanders who frequently use the internet and email as a preferred way of communication. Currently the panel stands at 70,000 - growing at a rate of 3,500 per month.
Simply email your questions to us and we'll take care of the rest. oMMnibus™ Online is very cost effective and extremely time efficient.
Get in touch with us to find out more about oMMnibus™ Online.
Loyal Customers don’t Quit ... Satisfied Customers Do.
Ever wondered why a seemingly happy customer wandered over to your competitor? You did your customer satisfaction survey and over 80% of your customers said that they were satisfied or even very satisfied with your products and services, and yet they are leaving you. Scratching your head? I don’t blame you!
The answer lies in the distinction between a loyal customer and a satisfied customer. Being satisfied is a rational state of mind; a better offer from a competitor may well be the cause for an otherwise satisfied customer to abandon your brand.
Loyal customers on the other hand are emotionally attached to your brand; they are not swayed by better deals from other providers, because your brand (product or services) has a firm place in their heart. Loyal customers are rock-solid ... satisfied customers are not.
Theo Muller, md of MMResearch™, used part of his Christmas break to take a close look at the distinction between satisfied and loyal customers and came to some very interesting conclusions.
Christchurch the hottest holiday destination this autumn
A new poll released on 18 January 2010 shows that Christchurch tops the list of holiday destinations people want to spend their Easter break visiting.
The Mood of the New Zealand Traveller survey quizzed 1,000 New Zealanders aged over 18 about their travel plans, and found that around one in three planned on taking a holiday over Easter. The Garden City topped their list of desired locations to visit, followed by Wellington, Auckland, Queenstown and Nelson.
“It’s a fantastic result for the city and for the region,” says Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism chief executive, Christine Prince.
Landlords concede depreciation tax break should end
The ShapeNZ survey shows 42% of rental home owners surveyed agree the tax break should end, while 38% disagree and 20% are not sure. Some 44% of residential property owners agree it is unfair they can claim the cost of building depreciation against income even if the building is rising in value. 35% of rental home owners say the current rules are fair.
The results cover 219 rental home owners among the 2,281 respondents to a national online survey between February 8 and 15. Results are weighted to represent the national population and have a maximum margin of error of ± 2.1% on the national sample.
National population estimate: December 2009 quarter
The estimated resident population of New Zealand was 4,346,700 at 31 December 2009, an annual increase of 1.3 percent (55,100), Statistics New Zealand said today. "This is the highest population growth since September 2004, when the population increased 1.4 percent, or 56,000 people," Population Statistics manager Denise McGregor said. The population growth in the December 2009 year is an increase from the previous year when New Zealand's population grew by 0.9 percent (39,000).
Although the main contributor to population growth during the December 2009 year was natural increase (excess of births over deaths), the higher growth compared with previous years was due to fewer permanent and long-term departures resulting in increased net migration. Natural increase contributed 33,900, down 1,300 on the previous December year. Permanent and long-term arrivals exceeded departures by 21,300 in the latest year, up from a net migration gain of 3,800 in the December 2008 year.
Highest number of visitor arrivals ever recorded
Short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 341,300 in December 2009, the highest number of visitor arrivals ever recorded for a month. The total was up 19,100 (6%) from the previous high of 322,200 in December 2008. Visitor arrivals have increased in seven of the last nine months, compared with the same months of the previous year.
The estimated average number of visitors in New Zealand per day was 192,500 in December 2009, up 5% from December 2008 (182,800). The Christmas period is a popular time to visit friends and relatives. This purpose accounted for 81,700 of the visitors in New Zealand per day in December 2009, up from 77,400 in December 2008. Holiday visitors averaged 77,500 per day in December 2009, up from 72,000 the previous December.
Bioscience Survey: 2009
The bioscience sector is expanding, with 267 organisations actively involved in bioscience, Statistics New Zealand said in a press release on the 15th of February 2010. Of these, 108 identified bioscience as their primary area of focus (the core group) and generated income of $351 million. About half of this income was from exports of bioscience goods or services. Total expenditure among the core group of organisations was $246 million.
The predominant area where bioscience is applied is innovative foods and human nutrition, for example, the development and manufacture of nutraceuticals and supplements. There are 117 bioscience organisations involved in this area, of which 46 percent are from the active group.
Some 114 organisations work in the area of human biomedical science and drug discovery which includes cancer and infectious diseases. Just over 47 percent of organisations involved in this area are from the core group.
Changing the New Zealand flag
The debate about changing the current NZ flag with the Union Jack in the top left hand corner has been going on for several years. People seem to be going hot and cold on the issue, but lately it appears to be gaining momentum, with people from all walks of life favouring a change in design as a clear demonstration that we are an independent nation and that Mother England is no more.
When I checked my Facebook page yesterday, there were about 8,500 fans wishing to change the NZ flag. I looked again today and there were 9,144 fans looking to change the flag. Is this telling us something?
Precedent of changing the ensign flag in the Commonwealth
Of the 15 Commonwealth realms outside the UK that retain the Queen as head of state, only Australia, New Zealand and Tuvalu still fly an ensign flag.
The other 12, and the dates they adopted their new flags, are:
Antigua and Barbuda (1997), The Bahamas (1973), Barbados (1996), Belize (1950), Canada (1965), Grenada (1974), Jamaica (1962), Papua New Guinea (1971), Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983), Saint Lucia (1979), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1985), Solomon Islands (1977) and Tuvalu (1978).
“If these 12 countries can discard the Jack and keep the Queen, so can we”, says John Ansell on his blog.
Coulrophobia, according to Wikipedia
Who says that clowns are funny?
Coulrophobia is abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns. The term is common, but it does not appear to be used in psychology. It is common among children, but is also sometimes found in teenagers and adults. Sufferers sometimes acquire a fear of clowns after a bad experience with one personally. It can also be caused by seeing a sinister portrayal of a clown in the media, such as the monster that took on the disguise of a clown in Stephen King's novel and film It.
Symptoms of coulrophobia can include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea.
Should cyclists wear a helmet?
The answer to that question in New Zealand is, "Yes", because it is against the law to not wear a helmet whilst riding your bike. New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world where the use of a helmet is compulsory.
Consider this piece of research of paediatricians from the Netherlands where just about everybody rides a bike and where bikes are used as a common form of personal transport. Helmets are not compulsory in the Netherlands.
Ninety-six per cent of the paediatricians taking part in this survey ride a bicycle (68% more than once a week). The bicycle was used as a means of transport (32%), for recreation/sport (11%) or both (57%). When cycling for transportation, 94% never wear a helmet and 2% always wear it. When cycling for recreation, 70% never wear a helmet and 18% always wear it.
The most common reasons given for not wearing a helmet were: 'I never thought about it' (43%), 'Poor appearance' (31%), 'Nobody uses it in the Netherlands' (27%) and 'Uncomfortable' (25%). A vast majority (91%) of the respondents agreed that bicycle helmets are effective in reducing the rate of head injury to cyclists.
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Disclaimer
The information in this publication is credited where sources can be confirmed. MMResearch™ accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the material herein, nor for any losses resulting from the use thereof.
