Change is happening fast in the energy sector: While global energy use skyrockets (especially in developing regions), the cost of renewables—particularly solar and wind power—is declining while both natural gas and crude oil production is expanding.

Learn about Godfrey insights that can help you understand 6 misconceptions that B2B marketers tend to make when communicating with the “Mind of the Engineer”.

Take a look at the construction industry landscape in some of the major worldwide regions; see what advertising channels have been effective and what is potentially in store.

When specifying commercial building projects, it’s a team effort among architects, designers, engineers, and contractors. They will work with the building owner or facility manager to reach the best solution for the project. It’s important to understand how each party works together, and what their concerns are, in order to reach each audience with the right message.

A very common reality among B2B marketers is that their annual marketing plan is closely tied to their fiscal year budget. Read about how you can make informed decisions about B2B marketing budget allocations and marketing strategy using the data you have and pairing it with customer insight.

Valuable lessons can be learned by B2B marketers on the power of individual interviews from the Joe Smith Collection recently donated to The Library of Congress. The Smith collection includes 238 hours of poignant, revealing interviews of virtually every rock and entertainment star of the era.

Facebook® is now worth billions of dollars. But marketers are having a tough time getting dollar one from using social media. Let’s dig into why Facebook and other social media sites run into problems when evolving their business model from cultivating friendships (a.k.a., social networking) to growing cash crops.

We have written about the importance of customer insight and unified marketing. For B2B and technology-oriented companies, it isn’t always easy to think beyond the product features. But here is one example of a marketer who is launching a new initiative to build the customer perspective into its global marketing organization.

Today’s technology has so utterly changed the world of B2B insight that any organization can develop insight experts on marketing topics. This (hopefully) humorous post highlights the differences between insight efforts today and yesterday.

B2B marketers are sometimes in a quandary about the validity of qualitative research, including, in-depth interview methodology. This post will be helpful in explaining how in-depth interviewing can produce valid results and may be a better alternative to traditional focus groups for deeper, richer insight.

In the world of B2B communications, some dealers, distributors and sales people are using e-tablets as a communications tool, often for sales presentations. But in a technology toolbox crowded with smartphones and laptops, it’s hard to figure out the real value of e-tablets and digital readers. Are they just another digital gimmick -- or the most disruptive force since Gutenberg’s printing press?

This blog covers understandings and agreements, or social contract that should exist between an interviewer and respondent for a positive outcome and to an honor an implicit professional code of ethics.

In an interesting sequel to last year’s B2B research success story, primary research saves a client from a potentially damaging error in perceiving their audience.

Part four of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how tos” of conducting, analyzing and reporting. This blog covers how to effectively analyze and report insights gleaned from depth interviews for B2B marketers.

Cheap digital readers and e-tablets are making it easier to consume content digitally, which means B2B marketers must consider the impact of the medium on their message – including branding and content strategy.

Part three of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how to’s” of conducting in-depth interviews. This blog covers how to effectively plan and conduct in-depth interviews for B2B marketers.

As 2012 B2B marketing planning should be in full-swing, I find myself internally rationalizing the necessity of early planning. A topical analogy seems evident as the 2012 Presidential Election is one year from today.

Are you willing to hear what your customers have to say, knowing some of it could be ugly? Does the way you interact with them reflect their needs – or your frustrations? And most importantly, are you prepared to respond – really respond – to the insight, and set your own milestones or benchmarks for improvement?

The recent Wisconsin-Michigan State game was a perfect analogy to marketing communications. While the game-winning play got all the attention, every other play and decision had a part in the final outcome.

Many companies don’t think twice about dropping tens (sometimes hundreds) of thousands on focus groups while simultaneously ignoring a golden opportunity staring them in the face with social media.

Part two of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how to’s” of conducting in-depth interviews. This blog covers advantages of in-depth interview methodology over traditional focus group for B2B marketing research.

As marketers and professionals, our clients rely on us to be knowledgeable about of lot of subjects. It’s not surprising then, that many of us fall into the trap of feeling that we have to know everything. Here’s everything you wanted to know about questions, but were afraid to ask.

Part one of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how to’s” of conducting in-depth interviews.

As a parent and a marketer I’m always looking for the positives. Looking at my teens, it became clear to me that there are some basic lessons that span both areas of my life. 

One of the things I truly love about what I do is that what I do is never the same. As an art director, I have to remember all my training—not forget it, and then put that all aside. If you can’t do this, you can’t keep up with all the changes in technology, and you will box yourself in, becoming stagnant.

Have you been considering the need for a mobile app, or better yet, a mobile website? Here are some thoughts and statistics that could change the way you look at your audience and their interactions with mobile devices.

Today, decision-makers include Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y (or Millennials) and now Gen U. Each demographic is unique. Delivering messages and information using appropriate channels is becoming more complex and challenging. Gaining insight into our audiences is critical if we hope to reach prime decision-makers.

Recently I stumbled upon an article about education in the New York Times online archives. It’s a wonderful resource for market research – a treasure trove of 13 million articles going back to 1851.

The article was entitled, "To Really Learn, Quit Studying and Take a Test".

It’s hard to come up with a strategy, or art direct, design, etc. without insight about the target audience. Insight is more than just knowing who your audience is — it's knowing and understanding who your audience really is.

Online secondary research can provide credible support to insight you may already have about your customers, markets and industries…and most of it is FREE!