Discovering Key Moments in B2B Purchasing Decisions
How ethnographic interviews gave deep insight into the 5 most influential moments in purchasing decisions made by district administrators.
Client
McGraw Hill
Year
2024
Project background
A project to better understand the challenges and opportunities their customers face when requesting product samples.
The goal was to uncover specific opportunities within the experience and identify areas where their marketing team could capitalize. Specifically, they aimed to gather insights to inform improvements in their digital sampling process and reduce the costs associated with physical materials.
Phase 1 - Kickoff
I reviewed any existing documentation related to the sampling experience. This included old interviews, surveys, and marketing data. I also met with members of the marketing team to discuss the current process. These efforts were aimed at gaining a comprehensive understanding of the sampling process and closing any knowledge gaps on my part.
Phase 2 - Ethnographic Interviews
Conducted 15 ethnographic interviews (90 minutes) with customers who had recently requested product samples. The goal was to map out the end-to-end process of requesting a sample.
Key objectives included understanding where the physical product sample influenced purchasing decisions and identifying any pain points in the experience.
Phase 3 - Survey
Launched a survey to exploring the time and effort required for product reviews. The goal was to understand how much time reviewers spend evaluating single products versus multiple products and whether they continue their evaluations outside of the scheduled in-person sessions.
Key objectives included identifying the overall time available for reviewing samples or full products and determining if the review process involves multiple stages. These insights were designed to shed light on the workflow and challenges associated with product evaluations.
Deliverables, Impact, and Insight
A comprehensive deck detailing the sampling journey was presented to the marketing team and their leadership. In the deck was an in-depth walkthrough of all the channels, touch points and customer work arounds of the sampling process.
This in-depth exploration identified five key areas in the sampling process where the team’s impact could be most significant, highlighted the crucial role of certain print samples, and uncovered opportunities to enhance their digital strategy.