Case Study 1.
Using Segmentation to Improve Performance and Communications

A major company in the travel industry was concerned that employees in a critical workgroup had lost trust in management and that morale was declining. The company’s desire to keep this workgroup union free made the situation particularly alarming.

In order to identify the root cause of the perceived changes in employee engagement, Spring conducted a workgroup-wide segmentation and labor vulnerability analysis that included both qualitative and quantitative components. Using the metrics we developed, we discovered that their situation was not as bad as feared – a strong core of positive employees still existed.

In order to bolster this positive group, we developed a team-based program to allow managers and employees to work together to address workplace issues. These teams have resolved many operational and communications problems, and benchmarking studies show that employees are happier and more satisfied with their jobs. As a result, the union was never voted into place and relations with management have improved. Today, the workgroup remains union free, and by continually updating these metrics and acting on the findings, the company is likely to keep it that way for years to come.

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Case Study 2.
Mergers, Culture Compatibility and Employee Acclimatization

A large financial services organization made the decision to integrate three subsidiaries. The company needed to understand its own culture and those of the companies about to join it.

Spring used an all-employee, Internet-based survey to identify the cultures, values and attitudes of employees in the three organizations. By pinpointing cultural differences and compatibilities we were able to provide concrete recommendations for positioning and communicating the integration in ways that resonated with employees. Through this experience the organization has learned the value of research-based decision making and has expanded its role in driving the future of the new organization.

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Case Study 3.
Communicating Public Policy Reform

A long-term client and non-profit membership organization needed to develop and test messages to identify the best way to communicate with the public on the challenging issue of Social Security reform. The underlying complexity and changing attributes of this issue created challenges in conducting effective research with actionable, meaningful insights.

Spring used conjoint focus groups, a creative mix of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to achieve the organization’s goals. The analysis revealed that most respondents chose a plan that maintained the current benefit structure at the expense of possible reform items. Although rhetorically favorable to reform, the group and individuals were in practice disposed to the status quo, favoring little change.

A key result of our recommendations included a message campaign developed to solicit the advocacy of the membership organization’s target audience. Without the research, the message strategy would have been founded on the rhetoric of change instead of preferences for the status quo.

The resulting campaign inspired the membership to begin thinking about these issues in a meaningful way.

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Case Study 4.
Using Employee Engagement to Combat Labor Vulnerability

A large retailer needed to develop sound metrics to measure labor vulnerability across all of its locations in Canada and a means to develop a proactive strategy for employee engagement and retention.

Spring used an all-employee survey to measure and analyze labor vulnerability by site, shift and workgroup. This technique was coupled with intensive site visits including site tours, frontline employee interviews, manager interviews and focus groups.

We provided our client with solid metrics, a complete vulnerability analysis and proactive strategic labor plan. We developed tactics for hiring and retaining quality employees in complex markets and developed a leadership training module for implementation by the labor and HR teams. As a result, the company saw a significant reduction in the number of vulnerable locations and an increase in the number of top-performing sites. Our work continues to inform the labor strategy, people division initiatives and corporate communications.

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Case Study 5.
Learning what your audience doesn’t know about,
is often key to successful communications.

A major trade association was interested in developing a brochure to help Medicare recipients select the best plan among those offered by the new program, called Medicare Part D. The client had a very good start on the brochure, but wanted to be sure that the brochure was as informative, clear, and helpful as possible.

Medicare Part D offers Medicare beneficiaries a variety of choices with regard to the type of coverage, the extent of coverage and the cost. Spring worked closely with the association and an outside team of experts to create successive drafts of the brochure which were tested in focus groups. The end product turned out to be significantly different than the first draft in terms of the content, level of information presented, and design elements. Ultimately, it was effective for beneficiaries and their families.

The most striking finding in the research process was; however, that many people struggled with the first drafts because they did not know much about the structure of Medicare itself, which is comprised of Parts A, B and C. They had difficulty understanding Part D, the prescription drug benefit, in part because Medicare benefits can be accessed in different ways through Parts A, B and C. The fact that individual plans related to these different parts added to the confusion.

The key lesson for our client was to know what the audience needs to know. It can sometimes be difficult for subject experts to put themselves in the shoes of everyday people. As a result, assumptions about what a target audience or customer group knows are not always accurate. In the case of this brochure, integrating basic information about Medicare for the readers enabled the brochure to be a resounding success.