As SRA marks its 30th year in business this month, we are reflecting on where we started in 1985 and where we are now.
Taking a look back to 1985 when Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Mikhail Gorbachev was running the Soviet Union:
- The first version of Windows 1.0 was released
- The number of cellphones in the country totaled slightly over 340,000
- The typical smaller firm had one microcomputer
SRA had a computer room that was shared by all staff at the time!
- Few Americans had a computer and, according to Commodore Magazine (September 1987), “15% of American homes have a computer and the other 85% don’t seem the least bit interested. The general feeling is that the home computer is a fad and there is really no practical purpose for a computer in the home.”
- The number of fax machines in the U.S. exploded to 500,000
- Coca-Cola changed its 99 year formula to release the New Coke which was a colossal failure
The Coca-Cola story is a perfect example of the value of market research and how the lack of well thought out and developed research led an international behemoth to its knees. While they did exhaustive taste testing and thought they had developed the perfect New Coke, they lost sight and had no idea of the loyalty customers had to their existing product. It is rumored that the CEO of Coca-Cola in 1985 received a letter from a customer requesting that he provide his autograph since “in years to come, the signature of the dumbest executive in American business history may be worth a fortune.”
While the world is a different place than it was in 1985 and the tools and methods used to conduct professional research and the people working in the industry have dramatically changed, the value in market research has remained the same.
SRA delivered the following to our clients in 1985 and continues to do the same in 2015:
- Provide tactical and strategic insights to drive sound decision making
- Understand the needs of existing customers and targeted prospects and competitive position Provide recommendations to create opportunities to make your organization sustainable and successful
Today, the mantra we live by every day for projects we undertake is that it must:
- Be fast
- Provide actionable results
- Be cost effective
The methods and tools involved in market research have changed with reliance on all aspects of technology key, in spite of the fact that some audiences still require traditional data gathering which involves phone surveys, in-person focus groups, and depth interviews. Almost all research projects which SRA conducts today are multi-modal meaning we use:
- Landlines
- Cellphones
- Social media
- Online focus groups
- Research panels
- Big data
- Ethnography
Lastly, we want to take this opportunity to thank all the clients we have had the privilege to serve over many decades, with great anticipation to continue being of service to you and contributing, as a partner, to your future success.
About SRA
SRA Research Group is a solution-based consultancy with the vision for our clients based upon the fundamentals we continue to deliver – Strategy, Results and Achievement – since our founding 30 years ago. Our firm provides research services and support to organizations geared toward understanding and measuring how to best keep their customers and clients satisfied. We are a trusted partner that helps frame issues, develop solutions, and refine opportunities.
Contact SRA at (561) 744-5662
Visit our website at www.sra-researchgroup.com
Follow us on Twitter @SRAResearchGp
Follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/sra-research-group
