Are you Tweeting? We are! Last month, we conducted research among Millennials to better understand the reality behind the marketing buzz. Our conclusion? While it has only about 8 million users today, Twitter is going to be a significant force in online marketing, news and social media in the future. Our work has been reported by Media Post and TVNewsday. Get the full report on our study of Millennials and social media below.

If your firm has an email database of customer names, you may also be interested in this month's discussion of research using customer databases. Finally, we are excited to share our new process for identifying growth ideas and quantifying their impact on the business in volumetric (ROI) terms. We are calling it 'Proof Point Piloting' and would love to hear your reaction.

P.S. Follow me! @carol_phillips

We decided it was time to get the Millennial point of view on social media. We partnered with CJNI to conduct two online groups among young adults 18-30. The groups explored how brands and news media are connecting with Millennials through Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

We learned many Millennials do not use Twitter for the simple reason that they don't why they need it. They already have many ways to connect with friends online, and aren't actively seeking new ones. For young adults, Twitter doesn't add much functionality beyond that already provided by Facebook (and this was early March before Facebook became more Twitter- like).

Millennials told us social media is important to them, but information is the main reason they use the Internet. Consequently, they would welcome better integration of news, especially well-edited news with a human face and voice, into their social media platforms. When they engage with brands in social media, they expect information, not friendship.

CJNI is using this research to advise their TV media clients about how local TV news can leverage social networks. A well-attended webinar last week titled, "New Ways to Connect: Social Networking and Local Television", has generated a lot of talk in the industry. Both the webinar slides and our report can be found on our web site under 'whitepapers'.

How Millennials View Social Media: Why Should I Be Your Friend?

We've learned a lot about conducting customer research through these studies across categories as diverse as higher education, window film, home appliances, spirits, and fast food. Encouraging customers to participate requires extra thought and attention; response rates can be as low as 1% and as high as 12% depending on the invitation language and incentive offered (tee shirts and coupons work best!). Over and over, we've found the effort is worth the investment.

Here are a few examples:

The Michiana Family YMCA The YMCA had many years worth of member satisfaction data, but knew little about prospects. A market-wide survey revealed there are a lot of home exercisers who would consider a YMCA membership if they only knew more about it. Prospective members want information and assurance on affordable individual fitness programs, while members are more interested in family-oriented programs. We are working with the YMCA and its agency, Chicago-based Kauffycan, to craft messages specifically designed to bring in new members, while reaching members with more ideas about how to get the most from their membership.

Westlake Ace Hardware By comparing findings from its 'Ace Rewards' database with survey data on homeowners in its trading areas, Westlake is gaining insights about how proximity and brand perceptions about selection and service work together to influence visit frequency. This information will help direct media and merchandising strategy, as well as allocate marketing resources across markets.

Harlem Globetrotters Our work helped the Globetrotters and its agency, WONG DOODY of Seattle, to understand the differences between their core fans and more casual ticket purchasers. And there is a difference! The learning was applied to make 2009 an attendance record shattering year. (See link below for more on the Globetrotters' phenomenal recent success!)

Harlem Globetrotters featured in 3.25.09 Sports Illustrated: "Still Crazy After All These Years"

We have found a way to make the jump with greater confidence by using a framework and activation process we call 'Proof Point Piloting'. It involves 1) determining the best ideas, 2) understanding the underlying economics, 3) concept and market testing, 4) implementation and measurement.

We recently had an opportunity to try Proof Point Piloting on behalf of one of our clients. We conducted two consumer research projects among Loyal customers and Switchers. The first, a quantitative survey, provided an economic model by accurately sizing the market in terms of visit frequency, spending by brand, and customer type. The second study was in-depth qualitative research. This study identified four promising strategic areas, each based on an insight about decision-drivers. Each area was translated into a detailed implementation concept. Finally, all four concepts were evaluated quantitatively for their potential to provide revenue lift by targeting 'Switchers'.

The research found each of the four concepts had strengths, but only one met the predetermined volumetric criteria required to provide a return on investment. This idea is now moving to in-market testing stage with clear success metrics. The entire process from insight to implementation required less than 3 months.

To learn more, check out our latest PPT presentation, "Proof Point Piloting".

Proof Point Piloting: Making the Jump from Strategy to Implementation