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Riedel Marketing Group knows all about HIP ...
and how you can tap into it today
At Riedel Marketing Group, we have long been intrigued by
the concept that a small segment of consumers tell the rest of us what to buy,
and -- by tracking and monitoring these trend-setting consumers, we should be
able to detect emerging new trends early in their infancy.
Riedel Marketing Group (RMG) initiated the HomeTrend
Influentials project in early 2004.
Our goal:
- Find
the consumers who are
- the
first to jump on important new home-related trends,
- the
early adopters of important new products for the home, and
- sought
out by mainstream consumers for opinions and advice about home products
and home decorating
- Establish
a panel of those trend-setting consumers
- Track
and monitor their attitudes, habits and practices, and buying behaviors
over time
By tracking and monitoring the changes these influential
consumers are making in their home-related habits and practices, and tracking
and monitoring how their attitudes toward their homes are changing, home goods
manufacturers, marketers and retailers should be able to keep their fingers on
the pulse of what these trendsetting consumers are doing, thinking, and buying.
Finding the Trend-Spreading Consumer
We used the Roper
Influentials criteria as the starting point.
Roper Influentials criteria
To be considered an Influential as defined by RoperASW/NOP
World, a person must have done at least three of the following activities in
the past year:
- written
or called any politician at the state, local, or national level;
- attended
a political rally, speech, or organized protest of any kind;
- attended
a public meeting on town or school affairs;
- held
or run for political office;
- served
on a committee for some local organization;
- served
as an officer for some club or organization;
- written
a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine or called a live radio
or TV show to express an opinion;
- signed
a petition;
- worked
for a political party;
- made
a speech;
- written
an article for a newspaper or magazine; or
- been
an active member of any group that tries to influence public policy or
government.
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Our initial research revealed that just because a person is
an Influential as defined by Roper, it does not mean that they are necessarily
a HomeTrend Influential. We have
determined that there are eight
attributes that clearly differentiate HomeTrend Influentials from the
general population.
Our eight HIP Attributes
- Influentials
consider themselves to be trend setters.
- They
enjoy being the first among their friends to purchase the latest new
things for their home.
- Others
seek their advice about home decorating and their opinions on new
products for the home.
- They
like to tell others about new products that they have tried and liked.
- They
willingly try new items (such as new household cleaning products) that
they see advertised or in a store.
- They
like their home to look up-to-date.
- They
like to keep their finger on the pulse of what is new for the home.
- They
enjoy talking about what’s new for the home.
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Establishing a Panel of Trend-Spreading Consumers
The HomeTrend Influentials Panel (HIP) is a proprietary
panel of HomeTrend Influentials (HIPsters). Riedel Marketing Group is the
exclusive source of HIPsters trends and supporting data.
We base our independently identified, quantified, and
monitored panel of 100 HomeTrend Influentials in California,
Washington, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Minnesota, Indiana,
Massachusetts, and Arizona ,
on rigorous measuring criteria. On a ongoing basis, we verify each person in our panel continues to
fit the screening criteria and we refresh our panel yearly to make sure our
data collection stays up-to-date.
Members of the HomeTrend Influentials Panel participate in a range of different
research studies ranging from e-mail surveys to in-home interviews to home-use
tests to online click-through surveys to focus groups, both traditional in-person
and online. They receive an incentive ranging from $10 to $300 as a way of
showing appreciation for their willingness to share their opinions. The amount
of the incentive depends on the type and complexity of the study being conducted.
HomeTrend Influentials Panel Membership Criteria
- Home
owners
- Are
an Influential as defined by RoperASW/NOP World
- Have
painted a room, re-arranged one or more rooms, and/or redecorated one or
more rooms of their home within the past year
- Use
a PC for e-mail/networking
- Have
recommended a new food, household cleaning, laundry, or housewares
products to someone else in the past year
- Are
willing to try new food, household cleaning, laundry, or housewares
products that they see advertised or in a store
- Strongly
agree with at least two of the following statements:
- I
like my home to look up-to-date.
- I
consider myself to be somewhat of a trend-setter.
- I
like to keep my finger on the pulse of what is new for the home.
- I
enjoy talking with my family, friends, and/or co-workers about what's new
for the home.
- Strongly
agree with at least one of the following statements:
- My
friends and family seek my opinion on new products that they may be
thinking about buying for their homes.
- My
friends and family seek my advice about home decorating.
Tracking and Monitoring the Trend-Spreading Consumer
We have every member of the HomeTrend
Influentials Panel complete an in-depth questionnaire every year about their home-related
habits and practices, lifestyle, and family composition. We conduct a two-hour in-home interview with
every new panelist and again whenever panel members work on their homes. We conduct quarterly online bulletin board
focus groups and periodic e-mail surveys.
To tap into the
comprehensive data and information that Riedel Marketing Group gathers from the
HomeTrend Influentials Panel (HIP), continue here.
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