The Hindu Business Line : HLL managers to get real-time consumer experience

Hindustan Lever Ltd has facilitated online research for its marketing managers by offering real time consumer experiences across its various branches and offices.

Cutting down on cost and travel for its managers, the company's market research department has decided to invest in technology that brings `live' research on the desktop screens for managers across the country.

According to Mr B.V. Pradeep, Head of Consumer & Market Insight & Regional CMI Leader HPC Asia, HLL, "As part of our consumers' windows programme, we have decided to get our consumers into the heart of the organisation. Managers can now get real time experience of their consumers without moving from their desks.''

Video screenings

Groups of consumers who have been identified as target groups are drawn in for their responses with the help of a moderator at video screening programmes and the marketing managers can view the proceedings on their desktops.

"Marketing Managers at HLL across regions can come together to watch their consumers across different parts of the world,'' says Mr Pradeep. Incorporating a chat facility with the moderator, HLL would specify the target group of consumers it would like to have responses from. The market research department would facilitate this by roping in other market research companies.

Field force team

"Our field force would network with other market research companies which are in the communications area to draw in the target group of consumers,'' he says.

The company has revamped its market research field force team. The sales team will also work in tandem with the field force team to find out activation insights for the various brands among customers.

Says Mr Pradeep, "The purpose is to help the sales team do a better job in terms of bringing about activation insights.''

Bringing in the concept of a consumer window, HLL has been trying to connect with its consumers for the past couple of years through the new initiatives in its market research set-up.

Meanwhile, HLL has also transferred its panel of 50,000 households with IMRB, reducing its fieldwork over the years. Today almost 30 per cent of its market research is done in-house while the rest has is being by its `strategic partners' such as IMRB International, AC Nielsen, Research International, among others.

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