REIMAGINE

the possibilities of the research function.

THE SETTING:

SheKnows Media, a women’s lifestyle media company, hoped to reimagine the role its research team could play in the wake of rapid M&A activity and personnel changes.

THE STRUGGLE:

Executives wanted to elevate the research team as a strategic thought partner for both internal employees and their external clients. And that required both personnel training and broad communication of the different research tools and insights available to them as a strategic decision-making tool.

THE TURNING POINT:

To aid that effort, Research Narrative built and managed a 4-pronged strategy that:

  1. Integrated new research tools to bring fresh insights to the business
  2. Established an ongoing chain of communication to keep sales and account managers in-the-know
  3. Developed an “added value” guide to help sales and account managers know of the different types of studies available to them and how to execute each successfully
  4. Coached and mentored junior personnel to enrich their research insights and work autonomously

THE RESOLUTION:

The streamlining of communication and research processes, along with coaching of junior personnel, allowed the SheKnows research function to grow and cultivate trust – without an increase in budget or headcount! And that allowed SKM to more effectively manage overhead, contributing to the successful sale of the company to Penske Media.