Comprehensive Consumer Insights: A Multi-Method Case Study
Multi-phase consumer research to inform marketing and product strategy, combining focus groups, surveys, and IDIs.
Usability Sciences
Mar 25, 2025
FinTech
Comprehensive Consumer Insights: A Multi-Method Case Study
Multi-phase consumer research to inform marketing and product strategy, combining focus groups, surveys, and IDIs.
Usability Sciences
Mar 25, 2025
FinTech
A global data firm wanted to know:
How can the company effectively communicate its value proposition to different demographics?
Objectives
Understand consumer needs/issues with credit monitoring and identity protection to improve products.
Objectives
Understand consumer needs/issues with credit monitoring and identity protection to improve products.
Attitudes and knowledge gaps towards credit reports, and ID protection.
Attitudes and knowledge gaps towards credit reports, and ID protection.
Unmet needs or desired features in credit monitoring/ID protection.
Unmet needs or desired features in credit monitoring/ID protection.
Reactions to the company's marketing content, emails and videos.
Reactions to the company's marketing content, emails and videos.
Marketing strategies based on demographic insights for customer groups.
Marketing strategies based on demographic insights for customer groups.
Research Plan
Research Plan
1
Focus Groups
Capture regional diversity with exploratory discovery of multiple segmented groups.
1
Focus Groups
Capture regional diversity with exploratory discovery of multiple segmented groups.
2
Quantitative Survey
Validate and quantify the focus group insights and test a few additional hypotheses.
2
Quantitative Survey
Validate and quantify the focus group insights and test a few additional hypotheses.
3
In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)
Dive deeper into personal stories and nuances that emerged in the focus groups and survey.
3
In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)
Dive deeper into personal stories and nuances that emerged in the focus groups and survey.
4
4
“I check my score, but I have no idea what to do with that information."
“I check my score, but I have no idea what to do with that information."
Key Learnings
Key Learnings
Many people do not fully understand credit reports, scores, or related services, leading to confusion and misuse.
Many people do not fully understand credit reports, scores, or related services, leading to confusion and misuse.
Neither the client's value proposition or offerings are well-known or understood among potential customers.
Neither the client's value proposition or offerings are well-known or understood among potential customers.
Credit information is readily available for free – and this makes them reluctant to pay for credit monitoring.
Credit information is readily available for free – and this makes them reluctant to pay for credit monitoring.
Most people engage with credit in reaction to specific triggers, rather than as a regular habit.
Most people engage with credit in reaction to specific triggers, rather than as a regular habit.
Results
This research uncovered four high-impact opportunity areas:
Results
This research uncovered four high-impact opportunity areas:
1
Become an education resource
Position the company as not just a monitoring service, but a guide in the credit space.
1
Become an education resource
Position the company as not just a monitoring service, but a guide in the credit space.
2
Differentiate from Free Alternatives
Sharpen the value proposition by highlighting what free tools don’t provide.
2
Differentiate from Free Alternatives
Sharpen the value proposition by highlighting what free tools don’t provide.
3
Emphasize Trust, Security, and Transparency
Showcase security measures to build credibility.
3
Emphasize Trust, Security, and Transparency
Showcase security measures to build credibility.
4
Employ Personalized, Trigger-Based Outreach
Rather than trying to get users to log in constantly, meet users when it matters most.
4
Employ Personalized, Trigger-Based Outreach
Rather than trying to get users to log in constantly, meet users when it matters most.
Suggested Industry Reads
Check out other case studies from similar industries to see how others tackled the same challenges.
Suggested Industry Reads
Check out other case studies from similar industries to see how others tackled the same challenges.
FinTech
Comprehensive Consumer Insights: A Multi-Method Case Study
Multi-phase consumer research to inform marketing and product strategy, combining focus groups, surveys, and IDIs.
E-commerce
Omnichannel Research
Omnichannel research tracks user behavior to design seamless, consistent experiences across digital, physical, and human touchpoints.
Pharma
On Call, On Demand: A Diary Study of Patient-Nurse Connections in a Digital World
Mixed method research, with a primary focus on longitudinal evaluation of value and utility
FinTech
Comprehensive Consumer Insights: A Multi-Method Case Study
Multi-phase consumer research to inform marketing and product strategy, combining focus groups, surveys, and IDIs.
E-commerce
Omnichannel Research
Omnichannel research tracks user behavior to design seamless, consistent experiences across digital, physical, and human touchpoints.
Pharma
On Call, On Demand: A Diary Study of Patient-Nurse Connections in a Digital World
Mixed method research, with a primary focus on longitudinal evaluation of value and utility
©2025 Usability Sciences
©2025 Usability Sciences