NEW YORK, N.Y. /New York Netwire/ — SKIM, an international market research agency, will kick-off a new series of free educational webinars for the U.S. market on May 10. Each value-packed webinar is designed to provide marketers, researchers, and product/brand managers with actionable insights they can put into practice in their own organizations.

* Your chocolate. Your fans. Your strategy. Social media research made actionable
Thursday, May 10, 2-2:30 p.m. EDT
By Sourabh Sharma, project manager, SKIM New York.
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/346273702 .

Join Sourabh Sharma as he presents a social media research case study comparing consumer attitudes regarding a selection of well-known and niche chocolate brands.

Social media research is all about listening instead of asking. When individuals communicate freely and spontaneously online, their comments are often more candid and truthful. Any product or brand that is talked about online can leverage social media to formulate strategies for consumer-targeted marketing, advertising, and channel communication. Illustrated by a real world case study, attendees will learn how SKIM researchers translate social media conversations into actionable insights and marketing opportunities for brands including Toblerone and Hershey’s.

Sharma will discuss:

o “Your chocolate”
* The online competitive landscape
* A brand’s perceived identity
o “Your fans”
* Consumer personas based on online behavior
* Online platform effectiveness
o “Your strategy”
* Consequential actionable recommendations.

Attendees will learn how to use social media to measure brand equity and reach, gauge the competitive landscape, and get closer to consumers by understanding their truthful, candid and current brand perceptions.

* Product portfolio and revenue optimization
Thursday, May 24, 2-2:30 p.m. EDT
By Juan Andres Tello, director, Consumer Americas, SKIM New York.
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/353140414 .

In a competitive consumer environment, it is essential to price your product right. In this webinar, Juan Andres Tello will explore ways to optimize pricing and product portfolio composition to maximize overall revenue. Tello will examine various scenarios such as what happens when product prices are adjusted, pack sizes are decreased, or premium/value line extensions are introduced.

Professionals in consumer pricing, marketing strategy, and research roles will learn how research insights can drive smarter pricing and optimization decisions – even in the most competitive consumer markets. Attendees will learn how to optimize their pricing and product portfolio composition to maximize portfolio revenue.

Tello will discuss:

o Motivations for revenue optimization
o Making the marketing research shift from insight to foresight
o Building blocks of a revenue optimization system
o Sample revenue optimization strategies
o How to deliver optimization results to both internal and external clients.

* Developing winning claims
Thursday, June 7, 2-2:30 p.m. EDT
By Paul Janssen, director, Communications Research, SKIM New York.
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/914035246 .

What distinguishes a winning communication strategy from one that falls flat? Paul Janssen will share the results of a SKIM meta-analysis of hundreds of claims across 14 categories. Among the compelling findings, results show that a tangible promise of value is critical to a claim’s success. Attendees will also learn how popular communications tactics (e.g., humor, comparative advertising, jargon) can unintentionally undermine the message and render a claim ineffective.

Janssen will illustrate how re-analyzing large amounts of data across studies and categories can be a powerful tool for generating essential consumer insights. Armed with new insights, marketing and research attendees will be prepared to develop more effective claims, which can be broadly applied to any communications strategy.

SKIM is an expert in the field of new product development, communication and pricing decisions, offering strategic insights and customized solutions to support clients in the development and review of their marketing strategies. To learn more about the research services offered by SKIM or to register for one of the new marketing webinars, visit http://www.skimgroup.com/attend-our-marketing-webinars .

About SKIM:

Founded in 1979, SKIM is a dynamic and rapidly growing market research agency with offices in Rotterdam, Geneva, London and New York. A new San Francisco office will open in July 2012. Combining market-specific expertise and knowledge of advanced research methodologies, SKIM is a valued partner for multinational companies in consumer packaged goods, healthcare, consumer health, telecommunications and financial services. Visit www.skimgroup.com for more information.

Copyright © 2012 New York Netwire™ and Neotrope®. NewYorkNetwire™ is a news publication of the Neotrope News Network and a trademark of Neotrope – all rights reserved. NEWS SOURCE: SKIM