Latest News
Taking Qualitative Research Online.
Online qualitative research is a new and innovative way to get inside the minds of customers or stakeholders to uncover deeper, more useful insights. MMResearch™ is leading the way in New Zealand with cutting edge QualBoard™ 3.0 technology. QualBoard™ is ideal for conducting a wide variety of research projects including opinion seeking, gaining customer insight, evaluations, product/concept testing and idea generation.
For more information, please click here for our brochure or contact us to discuss your project requirements.
February 2010
Loyal Customers don't quit ... Satisfied Customers do.
Customer satisfaction ... So what! Satisfied customers still abandon your brand if the “bribe” or incentive is big enough to go somewhere else. The question is not how satisfied your customers are, but how emotionally attached they are to your brand.
In his essay "Loyal Customers don’t quit ... Satisfied Customers do", Theo Muller, md of MMResearch™ aims to debunk the long-held belief that customer satisfaction research is the one and only measure to determine customer loyalty. In fact, a customer satisfaction score is nothing more than a snapshot of how customers feel about your products, your service or your brand, at a given point in time. Tomorrow is another day and they may change their mind if one of your competitors offers a better deal. If the bribe or incentive is big enough, even satisfied customers will abandon your brand in droves. The reason for this is that merely being satisfied, or even very satisfied, is a rational state of mind – there is little or no emotion attached to that mind set. So any customer loyalty assumed from their level of satisfaction alone would be misplaced. Read more
January 2010
Hutt City Council looks into community representation.
The Hutt City Council (HCC) commissioned MMResearch™ to undertake an evaluation of the effectiveness of community representation in Lower Hutt as it wants to obtain a better understanding of current representation arrangements that enable communities to actively participate in local decision making. The focus of the research is to uncover the overall effectiveness of how delegations, functions and mechanisms work and whether improvements can be made to ensure that decision making and governance by Council fully reflect local community participation.
The evaluation findings assist HCC in assessing the effectiveness of the operational structure of Community Boards or Community Committees and identify any improvements that may be able to be made in the way Council works with Boards and Committees and, in turn, how Boards and Committees work with their respective communities. Read the report
December 2009
When research is not Research.
Theo muller, md of MMResearch™, was invited to speak for the Rotary Club of Eastern Hutt (Lower Hutt, New Zealand) on a research related topic. He decided to look into the meaning of the word “research” and how people, particularly politicians, like to use the phrase “my research tells me ...” or “research has shown that ...” etc. More often than not they may have spoken to a handful of people who happen to support their political agenda. In his speech, Theo investigated a current local issue and conducted his own research – real research – to prove that the politicians don’t always get it right. Are you surprised? Read more
November 2009
Get on your bike!
Wendy Dinsdale, Researcher with MMResearch ™, wrote this very informative article about the use of bikes as a means of personal transport. In this day and age of high petrol prices, more and more people are considering hopping on their bike and ride to work. It makes sense. It’s cheap and healthy.
As Wendy states in her opening comments "using bicycles as an alternative means of transportation (as distinct from recreation) has many well-known benefits for society – it lessens motor vehicle traffic congestion and pollution; reduces reliance on car imports and oil resources; not to mention the health benefits of burning all those extra calories getting from A to B. It makes sense, therefore, that the "get on your bike!" message is not only supported by the public’s policy makers, but is proactively promoted........."
In her research, Wendy unearthed some really interesting statistics about the use of bikes and bike user behaviour in many countries of the world. A must read!
Read more
May 2009
Banking Survey
MMResearch™ recently undertook a banking brand awareness survey to measure the level of branch awareness in communities throughout New Zealand. As a token of our appreciation, those who participated in the survey were entered into a draw to win a $150 prize. We are happy to report that the lucky winner of this draw was James Thorne from Otaki. Congratulations, James, and thank you to all those who took the time to participate in this important survey.
April 2009
Wendy Dinsdale, researcher at MMResearch™, writes about young people’s participation in the voting process
Inspired by the latest round of US and New Zealand elections, Wendy has taken a look at the very topical issue of young people's participation in the voting process. The age group '18 to 24' is notorious for its low voter registration numbers and poor turnout on the big day itself - a problem not just confined to New Zealand. What are the underlying reasons for this disengagement, and what are we doing about it to ensure that the voice of this generation (tomorrow's leaders) gets heard? Click here to read Wendy's article.
December 2008
Taxi Users Survey
The New Zealand Transport Agency (formerly Land Transport New Zealand), commissioned MMResearch™ to conduct a survey of taxi users in the main centres of New Zealand in June 2008.
The main purpose of the survey was to canvas the New Zealand public's confidence in the taxi industry including perceptions of how safe and secure the use of taxis is as a personal transport option, the overall standard of taxi driving and driver behaviour and the condition of the taxi fleet. The survey also informed Land Transport NZ of the level of public knowledge and understanding of passengers' rights when choosing to use taxis, together with the rights of the taxi driver/operator.
The report may be found by clicking here or by clicking on the following link, http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/commercial/docs/taxi-survey-report.pdf. Please note, that by clicking on the NZ Transport Agency link, you will leave the MMResearch™ website.
October 2008
Winners of the SPARC 'Upball' survey prize draw
A fun survey, conducted recently by MMResearch™, looked at the effectiveness of the Mission-On 'Upball' campaign. 'Upball' is a free game developed by SPARC to encourage kids to get off the couch and get active. It consists of a big, green inflatable ball and an accompanying game book full of activity suggestions.
By participating in this survey, respondents were entered into the draw to win one of three $250 grocery vouchers - the lucky winners of which, were Michelle Blue of Invercargill, Aroha Ririnui of Te Puke, and Bronwyn Kilgour of Hastings. Congratulations!
On behalf of SPARC, we would like to thank all those who participated in this survey. The results will be very useful for SPARC in their ongoing goal to encourage Kiwi kids to be more active.
October 2008
Greg Walton on adding value.
Greg Walton, Senior Project Manager at MMResearch™ in Wellington, New Zealand, reviewed two case studies of recent MMResearch™ projects to illustrate the discussion topics of adding value to market research projects and seeing how this fits with the client's 'big picture.' Producing the information the client has asked for is one thing. Being involved - post research - in how this data can be used at a strategic level is quite a different proposition as sometimes we're obliged to report what a client doesn't see they want/need!
Market researchers have to have the ability, experience and knowledge to work with the client interpreting the data and demonstrate how the research findings can be used to advance the client's business. Read more ..
June 2008.
Wendy Dinsdale joins MMResearch ™
Wendy joined MMResearch ™ in April this year in the position of Researcher. She is a marketing and business psychology graduate from Massey University. Wendy's theoretical background is reinforced by practical research experience, particularly quantitative research.
Wendy has a strong interest in human behaviour and a desire to apply her research skills developed over five years at university. At MMResearch ™, Wendy will join the "quant" team and work closely with Audrey and Greg.
May 2008
Market Research Society of New Zealand interviews Theo Muller
The following interview was published in the November/December 2007 issue of InterVIEW, the MRSNZ bi-monthly newsletter. The interview was conducted by Duncan Stuart. Duncan started his interview with the following introduction.
Theo Muller is Managing Director of MMResearch ™ and his career includes marketing with Lever Rexona and the New Zealand Dairy Board (Fonterra) before founding MMResearch ™ in 1993. That makes his Wellington based firm one of the longest surviving niche players in the industry, and you don’t survive and thrive for 14 years without doing many things right. What clearly works at MMResearch ™ is Theo’s intellect, his innovative thinking and his employment of a team of really talented individuals who are notable not just for their qualifications, but also their diversity. Clearly Theo likes to put alternative and challenging thinkers into a project to see what happens. It’s all about chemistry.
As far as we can recall, at least going back to 1995, this was Theo’s first attendance at the MRSNZ Conference: so we asked him if the chemistry at Rotorua worked for him.
Q: Theo, what triggered your attendance this time?
Frankly, it was curiosity more than anything else. My first thoughts were that I could meet some people and industry colleagues, whose names I had heard so many times, but I had never met them. Rosemary, Jesvier, Ngaire, Jonathan to name a few. I thought that it was high time that I met some of these people after having been in the industry for a respectable period of time and a member of MRSNZ for more than 10 years.
Q: New attendees often feel a bit apprehensive – will they know anybody in the room? Will they connect? So, what was it like for you?
I agree. Whilst I am not the shy type, I guess there was some apprehension. That was soon dispelled when I turned up in the dining room on Wednesday night and Mark Lloyd, who I had met only a few weeks ago, immediately invited me to join their table. What a wonderful introduction and the conference had not even begun! Helping to fill the paper bags with sponsors’ goodies after dinner seemed a natural thing to do. I went to my room looking forward to what was to come.
Q: What did you hope to get out of the conference: what were your expectations?
As I mentioned earlier, my first priority was to meet people. I did not come to the conference with huge expectations, simply because I had not given that a great deal of thought. I could not have been more pleasantly surprised by the quality of the papers and speakers. I learned heaps and my "buttons were pushed" more than once.
Q: Tell me about some of the papers that you found interesting.
Truly, they were all interesting. I could not possibly think of any paper or guest speaker that did not do anything for me. I found Duncan’s opening address inspiring and thought provoking. I really enjoyed John Kirkland’s presentation and his innovative way of "getting inside the heads" of at risk youths. Jesvier’s paper on ethical marketing is a reminder to us all, also in the market research industry, that we are accountable for how we behave and what we promise. Mark McCrindle’s presentation "New generations, New Trends: Engaging with Today’s Respondents", was obviously well researched. It has always been fascinating to me how the different generations go about living their lives and the decision-making process they engage in. If there was one regret, I would have liked to see a paper on social marketing or social research. I think it would be great if we could encourage one of New Zealand’s many social researchers to deliver a paper at the 2009 conference, if there is one.
Q: I can’t imagine that as a researcher you weren’t distilling everything you heard and developing themes. What themes would describe the conference – not just the papers but the whole vibe?
As a non-active member of MRSNZ, I felt enormously welcomed and made part of the team. No questions asked. That was a real eye-opener to me. This industry is alive and well. There is a huge amount of goodwill amongst members and a willingness to share. I also take away from the conference the realisation of the considerable intellectual horse power in the Society. That bodes well for the future.
Q: What were two highlights for you?
One of the highlights for me was meeting the many people I did manage to talk to, particularly during the breaks and social time. Market researchers are full of fun and that is something that I have to remind myself of from time to time. The party was great – even though I miserably failed to dress up for the occasion – half an hour on the dance floor was like running a half-marathon. (Thanks, Ngaire. Baby boomers still know how to join in). The other highlight was the reconfirmation, that the New Zealand market research industry has a huge amount of collective knowledge, experience and professionalism. In my view we are right up there with the rest of the world!
Q: Returning to your desk, are there things you’ll instigate or do differently as a result of the Conference? Did it move your mind?
The conference did move my mind in more ways than one. As researchers we cannot afford to sit on our laurels and do the same thing over and over again. We have to open our minds to new ways of doing things, new methodologies, new approaches – not for the sake of doing so, but in response to an ever changing economic and social environment. The conference, or rather the people at the conference, representing mostly small research companies, brought it home to me that sometimes we need to forget that we compete with each other in the market and look at ways we can work together, feed off each other and grow. The synergy will be phenomenal!
For me, the conference, the people and the papers will continue to raise questions. The answers are probably there somewhere, as long as I am willing to see them.
Q: Last question. Next conference is 2009. On the basis of what you experienced this time, are you or members of your team likely to attend next time? Why is that?
Yes, I will be there. Yes, I will bring some members of my team with me. Yes, I will work on my resistance to theme-dress for the occasion. The 2007 Conference was an eye-opener to me and I live to regret that I have not been to any of the previous conferences. Many thanks to Claire and the conference organisers.
December 2007
Greg Walton joins MMResearch ™
Greg Walton has joined MMResearch ™ as Senior Project Manager. He has strong strategic and tactical marketing experience and skills and knowledge in building firm competitiveness. Greg comes to the company with a background in private sector marketing, international marketing and more recently, academia, where his passion was developing 'manager friendly' pathways to firm internationalisation (beyond exporting). Greg has a BA in International Politics and International Relations and an MBA.
November 2007
LIANZA Remuneration Survey
The Library and Information Association of New Zealand, Aotearoa (LIANZA) has commissioned MMResearch ™ to conduct the second Remuneration Survey for Librarians. The first survey was conducted in 2005. The data collected in the survey is currently being analysed and LIANZA will publish the results for its members on the LIANZA website in due course.
We wish to thank all librarians and assistant librarians who took part in this survey for their time and commitment in completing the online questionnaire. It gives us great pleasure to announce that Avis Ackerman of Auckland City Library is the lucky winner of the $200 petrol vouchers.
November 2007
PSIS, the home of Family Banking.
It would not surprise me that one day, when "googling" the concept of customer service, one of the first things that pops up is PSIS. PSIS – a small banking provider in New Zealand – lives customer service as no bank does. This becomes clear the moment you set foot in one of their branches – a friendly environment where customers feel at home, because of the personalised attention they get from their staff. They actually WANT to help you; they go out of their way to assist and take a real interest in their customers and their families. A novel concept, indeed! Little wonder that PSIS’s mission is to provide practical ways for families to prosper.
I was talking to the CEO of PSIS recently and he told me this wonderful story. A story that totally typifies the culture of the company. The CEO and his wife attended a function celebrating the retirement of one of their branch managers. It goes like this.
"My wife and I spent the day in Tauranga on Friday, 7 September. The occasion was the celebration of David Mayston’s retirement; he has been with us, as our Tauranga Branch Manager, for over 25 years.
We spent most of the day in the branch, meeting and greeting customers who came to wish David well. In the evening, we shared a meal with David, his wife, their two sons and branch staff and their partners.
It was a day full of surprises. I had sort of expected to meet a few customers, make a couple of speeches, have dinner and come back home. This was an experience well beyond anything I could have imagined.
The farewell function started at 10:00am, in the branch, and lasted all day and into the evening. Sweets and savouries, and coffee and tea, were served in the branch all day.
There was a large banner on the wall, referring to David’s retirement, that customers could sign. A projector was set up, screening / projecting photos of David over the years, onto another wall.
Customers visited right through the day. Most brought a little card, and sometimes a little gift as well. David’s wife was serving customers refreshments and helping staff.
We had two groups of visitors from the local Marae. They sang and prayed, and told stories. David responded with a song of his own.
A 17 year old boy (member of the New Zealand Youth Choir that won the equivalent of a gold medal in an international competition in China a couple of years ago) came with his mum – and, as a gesture of "thank you" to David, he sang Oh Danny Boy.
This is the son of a woman, a solo mother, who managed to raise two wonderful children. David (through PSIS) had helped her along the way, with small loans here and there – and she has always paid back. Her younger son is a talented artist, who won the PSIS prize for the colouring-in competition last year – his was on one of the photos flashing on the wall, shaking David’s hand. The older one was the member of the choir.
This was all happening in the middle of the branch, while the usual business of the branch was going on at the counters and in the offices.
A customer in his 40s showed me a photo of his family, and pointed to a young girl in the photo, saying: "I owe her to David." Some years ago David had lent him $1,000. He was leaving the branch, ecstatic to have received the loan. David said to him, "Buy a bunch of flowers for your wife." He came back about a year later and said: "David, I came back to apologise. I did not buy my wife a bunch of flowers that day; I bought her one red rose instead – this is the result" (pointing to his very young daughter’s photo).
I met a young mother who was opening a savings account for a three month old boy. She said, "He is richer than I am – he already has $900 in his PSIS account; I have nothing." She is a third generation customer.
The elderly customers, who had been looked after by David over many years, wanted to know who the next Branch Manager was. I introduced them to the new Branch Manager. "Oh yes; we know her," they said. They were relieved. They trusted her; just as they had trusted David over many years.
The words I heard most frequently during the day were: help, trust, fair and firm.
As we were leaving the restaurant late that evening, I shook David’s hand, thanked him for the day and said that it had far exceeded even my wildest expectations. His eyes filled as he replied: "I am delighted that you had a chance to personally experience the stories I have been telling you over the past five years." He seemed to be genuinely very happy that he had a chance to show me personally that his stories were all true."
What a story!
In today’s hectic environment where we are getting conditioned to using computers, pushing buttons and computer generated voices instructing us what to do, it is nice to know that some organisations are smart enough to let real people do what they are naturally good at – care, show interest and help.
September 2007
KiwiSaver Syndicated Research
MMResearch ™ is undertaking a syndicated survey about KiwiSaver using its oMMnibus™ as the main vehicle for data collection. The survey will go in the field in October 2007, three months after KiwiSaver was introduced. This survey is of interest to all KiwiSaver Scheme Providers.
The main purpose of the survey is to measure awareness, depth of understanding, quality of information and level of up-take of KiwiSaver.
For more information email Yolene Bassett, oMMnibus™ Manager at MMResearch ™ on yolene.bassett@mm-research.com
September 2007
Alice Cleland makes important contribution to new book
Dr Alice Cleland, Research Advisor with MMResearch ™ in Wellington, has recently co-authored a chapter for the book: Professional Practice of Psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand, published by the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS). The purpose of the book is to provide "best-practice guidelines" for psychologists in New Zealand.
In her chapter, Alice, and her co-author, Mei Williams of Massey University, provide an overview of Asian peoples in New Zealand, with particular reference to their cultural beliefs, perceptions of mental health, and barriers to help-seeking behaviour. A discussion on the psychology of migration and the implication of this on psychological practice is also presented. The chapter concludes with suggestions and recommended guidelines for psychologists working with Asian peoples in New Zealand.
Although the focus of the chapter is primarily on practice guidelines for psychologists and practitioners working with Asian peoples in New Zealand, the chapter is also relevant and may be of interest to those who are not necessarily working with Asian peoples at the "grass roots level", such as researchers and policy analysts, as it provides interesting and important contextual information about this cohort of the New Zealand population.
September 2007
Winners of the lucky prize draw of the PSIS customer survey
We are very pleased to advise that Mr Ron Kirby of Rotorua and Mr William Murray of Wellington were the lucky winners of the random prize draw of the most recent customer survey. They each received grocery and petrol vouchers to the value of $250. The draw was performed by Ms Audrey Ng, Senior Research Executive with MMResearch ™, assisted by Research Assistant Mrs Yolene Bassett. The response from customers to the survey was overwhelming and the information obtained will help PSIS in its never-ending quest to improve customer service.
PSIS is the home of family banking. In the 2007 Annual Report, PSIS Chairman, David Gascoigne, reiterated the bank’s business philosophy: PSIS exists to provide practical ways for families to prosper. PSIS is the only bank in New Zealand that is 100% owned by its customers and with a focus on personal banking, it is the bank’s sole aim to help its customers and their families. PSIS staff have been reviewing all of the branches, products and services to ensure that they are all user-friendly and offer the best family service possible. Family Banking comes very natural to PSIS.
July 2007
A new partnership in the making.
MMResearch ™ in Wellington and Global Insight Market Research of Brisbane have entered into a collaboration agreement. This is exciting news for the two companies, their staff and clients. Both companies are similar in size and have complementary skills and experience.
The companies will collaborate on a range of research projects on both sides of the Tasman, exchange information and develop a joint staff training and staff exchange programme.
"This is truly a win-win-win situation", said Theo Muller, Managing Director of MMResearch ™. "First of all, it is a win for our respective clients as they will have access to a much broader skills base, allowing us to add more value to their research dollar. It is also a win for our teams in Wellington and Brisbane, creating accelerated learning opportunities and career development. The companies will also win with this partnership, as we will be operating in a bigger geographic market and we will have the ability to support each other with extended resources".
Murray Dempsey (pictured), Managing Director of Global Insight Market Research added, "one of my team members spent a couple of days in the MMResearch ™ office recently and the exchange of information and synergy was hugely valuable to both sides."
June 2007
Dr Alice Cleland joins MMResearch ™
Dr Alice Cleland has recently joined MMResearch ™ in the capacity of Research Advisor, with particular responsibility for research design, methodology development and quality assurance. Alice has several years’ experience in market and social research in New Zealand. Prior to joining MMResearch ™, she was a senior researcher with one of Wellington’s largest market/social research companies.
Alice has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Waikato and has a solid 9-year background in research. She is familiar with all facets of the research process from the conceptualisation, implementation, to the delivery of projects. Alice is also recognized as one of New Zealand’s specialist researchers on the Asian population.
Please contact Alice on alice.cleland@mm-research.com
February 2007
MMResearch ™ re-invents itself
On the 25th of October, the Minister for Economic Development, the Hon Trevor Mallard, unveiled the new corporate identity of MMResearch ™ to a gathering of clients and friends of the company.
Our brief to the designers was evolution, not revolution. We want to build on what we have achieved over the past 10 years and to evolve an image that will be taking us into the future. The brand name was off limits - it has achieved a high level of awareness and recognition and we want to develop it into a brand that enjoys nation-wide recognition.
Minister Mallard commented on the importance of market research, particularly in a society that is growing more complex by the day. He complimented Theo and his team on their achievements to date.
The function was attended by many of MMResearch ™'s clients and stakeholders. To view the photo gallery, click here.
November 2006
MMResearch ™ launches oMMnibus™
At a gathering of clients to mark the re-launch of the MMResearch ™ brand, Managing Director Theo Muller announced the introduction of oMMnibus™. oMMnibus™ is a powerful research tool that uses proven methodologies to provide quick and relatively inexpensive responses to questions about markets, products and national opinion.
oMMnibus™ allows organisations to track changes in New Zealanders’ perceptions, awareness and opinions over time or to take a "one-time snapshot" of the New Zealand population.
oMMnibus™ has many different applications, but is particularly well suited to advertising and brand awareness research, product usage research, lifestyle and recreations research and research to gauge opinion on current topical issues. oMMnibus™ is conducted quarterly and surveys a total of 600 New Zealanders over the age of 15.
To read more, click here
November 2006
A Personal Experience with a Message for the Business World
Audrey Ng, Research Executive with MMResearch ™ in Wellington, talks frankly about a personal health scare she experienced earlier this year. Losing her hair to Alopecia was hard to cope with, particularly for a woman who takes such care of her personal appearance.
When specialists advised her to "wait and see", Audrey, true to her profession as a researcher and not being happy to sit back and do nothing, did her own research. As a direct result of this, her hair is coming back.
Audrey’s story is not about hair loss. It’s a story about not taking "no" for an answer. It’s a story of being pro-active and it’s a story that has a direct application to the business world.
Sepetember 2006
Thank You to Wellington City Mission Research Participants
We wish to thank all those who responded to our recent survey of Wellington City Mission donors. Responses have been very insightful, and they will help the Mission to continue serving the greater Wellington community.
MMResearch ™ donated $1 toward the Mission for every questionnaire that was completed and returned before Wednesday 20th September, 2006. Seven hundred and twelve questionnaires were returned completed.
See below for photographs of Theo Muller and Andrew Robertson (of MMResearch ™) presenting the cheque to David Nelson and James Austin at our office in Petone (Pictures taken on Wednesday 27th September).
Photo 1: Theo Muller (Managing Director, MMResearch ™) and David Nelson (CEO, Wellington City Mission)
Photo 2: James Austin and David Nelson (both of the Wellington City Mission), and Theo Muller and Andrew Robertson (both of MMResearch ™)
September 2006
Wellington City Mission Research
The Wellington City Mission has appointed MMResearch ™ to help gain a better understanding of those who donate and those who don't donate to The Mission.
As you will be well aware, the number of charitable organisations and worthy causes within New Zealand is huge, and seems to grow all the time. The Wellington City Mission is almost totally reliant on the generosity of Wellington residents to fund its community service programmes. It has become increasingly important to understand the reasons why people choose to support the Mission, or why they may have chosen to stop supporting The Mission. We aim to find out what can be done to encourage people to donate.
MMResearch ™ will be donating $1 to the Wellington City Mission for every questionnaire that is completed and returned before Wednesday 20th September 2006. The total amount donated will be announced here shortly after that date.
August 2006
Attitudes toward Bicultural Policy in New Zealand
Andrew Robertson at MMResearch ™ and his colleagues in the School of Psychology, Victoria University, recently published a psychological study of Pakeha attitudes toward bicultural policy in New Zealand.
In their article they distinguish between attitudes toward bicultural policy "in general" and specific aspects of bicultural policy, such as Maori claims to the foreshore or reparation for historical injustices. While many Pakeha New Zealanders support the "ideal" of biculturalism (66%), many oppose its "resource specific" aspects. Their research shows that those Pakeha who experience a sense of responsibility for past injustices are more likely to accept the "resource-specific" aspects of bicultural policy.
Their article can be found in Volume 34 of the New Zealand Journal of Psychology, or email us for a copy.
August 2006
Winners in the Prepared Food/Ezee Meal Surveys
During July 2006, MMResearch ™ conducted two surveys on behalf of Mission Foods Limited, who produce and distribute "home-style" heat-and-eat meals through community centers and churches throughout New Zealand. Mission Foods is a not-for-profit organistion. All Mission Foods’ proceeds are fed directly into the community and the Wellington City Mission.
Over 3000 questionnaires were distributed to New Zealand residents in the North Island and upper half of the South Island.
By participating in these surveys, respondents had the opportunity to enter into the draw to win $100 worth of grocery vouchers. The vouchers were won by Mr Alf McIntyre of Wellington and Mrs Rita Day of Nelson. Congratulations!
We wish to thank all those who participated in these surveys.
July 2006
Winner in the Tertiary Student Accounting Survey
The Tertiary Student Accounting internet survey was conducted by MMResearch ™ in May/June 2006. By participating in this survey, respondents had the opportunity to enter into the draw to win an iPod Nano. Bruce McNivian was drawn as the winner! Congratulations!
We wish to thank all those who participated in this survey.
June 2006
Mission Foods appoints MMResearch ™
Mission Foods Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wellington City Mission and operates out of its own premises in Titahi Bay. Mission Foods produces and distributes a range of main, light, snack and dessert variants – EZEE MEALs – and distributes these through a network of 60 distributors throughout the North Island and the top half of the South Island.
The meals have been developed to be high quality, "home-style" (just like mother used to make), nutritious, convenient and cost-effective with sufficient choice and variety to provide a fully balanced diet for those who wish to make EZEE MEALs the mainstay of their food consumption.
Mission Foods have appointed MMResearch ™ in Wellington, who will assist them with their market research requirements, particularly profiling the target audience, brand awareness and reasons for using/not using EZEE MEALs.
June 2006
Winners in the Survey of Interests and Leisure Activities
The Survey of Interests and Leisure Activities was commissioned by The Dowse and Petone Settlers Museum and conducted by MMResearch ™ in April/May 2006. Over 2000 questionnaires were distributed to residents in the Wellington region. The purpose of the survey was to gain a better understanding of how people spend their leisure time and to determine what influences participation in different kinds of leisure activities..
By participating in this survey, respondents had the opportunity to enter into the draw to win $200 in Westfield shopping vouchers and an iPod Nano, valued at $350. The Westfield vouchers were won by Ms Elaine Moffatt and Ms Leigh Brewer and the prize for the iPod Nano went to Lauren Jackson. Congratulations!
We wish to thank all those who participated in this survey.
June 2006
Know your questions
It may seem obvious, but asking the right questions in a quantitative research survey is vitally important. Attitudinal questions, in particular, are a minefield – because they measure things which cannot easily be observed (such as beliefs, opinions, feelings, and psychological dispositions).
In “Good Banana Cake”, Andrew Robertson, Research Executive with MMResearch ™ of Wellington, discusses the development of attitudinal questions. He provides some tools to help clients assess the process that their researchers are using to develop such questions.
It can be hard to tell, by examining the final product, whether your questions measure what you want them to measure. Andrew encourages research users to understand enough about this process to question their research provider.
“Trust between a researcher and a client is essential because a researcher needs to make many independent decisions when developing a research programme. Get to know them. Check that they understand your needs, and who your target population is.”
May 2006
Remuneration Survey of the New Zealand Library and Information Profession for LIANZA
The Chair of the LIANZA Remuneration Survey Committee, Steven Lulich, announced the release of the full report of the Library and Information Profession's Remuneration Survey, conducted by MMResearch in Wellington.
The full report - the LIANZA Remuneration Survey of the New Zealand Library and Information Profession - is available free of charge to all LIANZA personal and institutional members. The report has been posted in the Members Only section of the website - in the Online Library on the Publications page. Print copies of the report are available to Non-Members for $100 and to LIANZA Members for $50 per copy. Contact Rob Arlidge, Business Development Manager, LIANZA on email rob@lianza.org.nz
March 2006
Theo Muller writes about the tendering process in the market research sector
There is much to do about productivity in New Zealand. Politicians on both sides of the House argue that productivity in New Zealand is comparatively low and if we are to climb a few more rungs on the standard of living ladder, we need to improve productivity.
Yet, so much productivity is wasted in the tendering process currently advocated by most local and central government departments. It is not uncommon for ten or fifteen market/social research agencies pouring in vast amounts of time and money in the fond hope of becoming the one "winner" in an open tender or Request for Proposal. Literally thousands of dollars down the drain for each of the "losers". Theo offers an alternative to this wasteful tendering process. Click here to read more.
March 2006
Andrew Robertson joins MMResearch ™
Next month Andrew Robertson will join the team at MMResearch ™ as a Research Executive. Currently Andrew is a researcher at Victoria University in Wellington. Andrew has a degree in Psychology and a First Class Honours Degree in Industrial and Organisational Psychology. He is six months away from gaining his PhD in Social Psychology.
Andrew will be a real asset to MMResearch ™, particularly in the area of quantitative research methodologies and analysis in the broader field of social science.
6 October 2005
Audrey and Theo talk to university students
On 13 September 2005, Audrey and Theo of MMResearch ™ were invited to do a guest lecture for Dr Janet Carruthers' Marketing and Information Management class at Victoria University of Wellington for second and third year commerce students. Their topic was market research. Audrey, who holds a Masters degree in marketing from Victoria, spoke of her time at MMResearch ™, the type of work she does and how she gets involved in all aspects of market research from proposal writing to developing questionnaires, analysis work and preparing the final reports and presentations.
Theo highlighted that a career in market research could be very exciting, demanding and rewarding. It is exciting because of the variety of work. "In any one day you can be working on projects for three different clients and the projects are bound to be very different as well", Theo said.
A career in market research can also be demanding as is the case with many professional services providers. You are working for clients who expect high standards in terms of quality of work, a creative approach to problem solving and timely delivery of results. "If you cannot deliver in any of those aspects, someone else will. We live and work in a competitive environment", Theo said.
A job in market research is also very rewarding both in terms of job satisfaction as well as from a financial perspective. Market entry salaries may not be the highest, but sound technical qualifications combined with a few years' experience will see you moving up the salary scale pretty quickly.
Theo concluded his talk with some suggestions to students about writing an effective CV and he made a strong plea to his audience to make a real effort of writing an effective cover letter. "Just flicking your CV to a prospective employer is not good enough", he said.
September 2005
PSIS selects MMResearch ™ as its market research provider
In a desire to get the most out of their market research, PSIS "went to the market" in search of a market research company that has the ability and resources to manage all external market research projects for the financial services provider.
PSIS did their homework. First they sourced a list of potential research companies from a variety of sources including: companies they had worked with in the past, recommendations from other industry related people and the internet. They were clearly looking for a company that had similar values to theirs and that would go beyond just supplying market research; they wanted a company to partner with at a strategic level.
Upon completing and evaluating the list of possible research companies, PSIS invited four research companies to meet with them and provide input into the development of the research brief. Subsequent to this meeting PSIS prepared a brief and invited the companies to prepare and present a partnership proposal to them. The whole process was thorough and very professional, but no less demanding on both sides. Eventually, MMResearch ™ was selected as the preferred partner.
September 2005
MMResearch ™ appointed as a preferred market research provider to the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants has recently embarked on an ambitious re-branding campaign for its Chartered Accountant and Accounting Technician brands. As part of the branding campaign, the Institute invited three Wellington based market research companies to tender for market research services in respect of advertising and brand awareness tracking research. Surveys will be conducted on a quarterly and six-monthly basis amongst members of the target market.
“The standard of proposals received was very high and made it difficult to select the final research agency. In spite of this, we are pleased to advise that your proposal was selected as the preferred proposal”, wrote Bev Edlin, General Manager External Relations of the Institute in a letter to Theo Muller, Managing Director of MMResearch ™.
August 2005
MMResearch ™ wins contract for Library Remuneration Survey
Press release by Steven Lulich, President of LIANZA and Chair of LIANZA Remuneration Survey Committee.
The Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) has contracted MMResearch ™ Ltd to carry out a remuneration survey to measure the remuneration levels of those working in permanent and fixed term library and information jobs in New Zealand. LIANZA has jointly commissioned the survey with other library and information organisations.
MMResearch ™ has teamed up with cwb associates to bring together the skills, expertise and professionalism required for a high profile survey such as this. Steven Lulich, President of LIANZA, says their involvement will add a level of professionalism in the way the survey is conducted and analyzed. "Their reputation will help make our survey a more accurate and reputable tool for use in library and information salary lobbying and advocacy issues," he said.
The remuneration survey will be in two steps - a moderating phase to be carried out by LIANZA and the actual remuneration survey which will be carried out by MMResearch ™ Ltd.
In the moderating phase a survey will be posted to all LIANZA institutional members (this will be addressed to the library or information manager) and to schools with School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA) personal members (i.e. this will be addressed to the Principal). The survey will request information about the institution as well the job titles that are used so they can be matched against a generic set of job categories that will ultimately make the survey applicable and comparable across the whole library and information sector. The survey for the moderating phase will be sent out this week, with a ten working day turn-around period for responses.
In the remuneration survey phase each personal member of LIANZA, SLANZA, New Zealand Law Librarians (NZLL) and those non-members nominated by LIANZA institutional members in the moderating phase, will receive an invitation as well as a password to complete the remuneration survey online at the end of July. Topline results of the survey are to be presented at the LIANZA 2005 Conference in September.
July 2005
