Strategy & Tactics
6/6/14
A dose of data for your springtime allergies
Like many people, I have “seasonal allergies.” March and April bring sneezing fits and foggy brain days for me. Often I get a sore throat and headaches. One year I went through three strep throat tests and a course of antibiotics before my doctor decided my swollen throat was caused by allergies. Knowing you’re allergic […]
By Beth MulliganRead More
5/27/14
Yes, that college degree is still worth the cost of attendance
Here at Corona, we help organizations make strategic decisions via our research and strategy services. But individuals can also use research to make strategic decisions. We read a lot these days about the cost of higher education. While rises in health care costs get more attention, inflation in higher education costs have actually outpaced them, […]
By Kevin RainesRead More
5/20/14
Using data to improve your life
It’s easy to dream of all of the ways in which organizations can use data to further their business. The fun doesn’t have to only be left up to organizations, though: have you ever stopped to think about all of the ways data can be used in everyday life? Similar to organizations, individuals can benefit […]
By Matt HerndonRead More
5/16/14
Can you spot statistically significant differences in your data?
Making data-driven strategic decisions frequently involves understanding differences. For example, are there differences in public opinion, demographics, or the way people behave? Are there differences among groups of people, between two points in time, or differences from one program to another? Many of our clients ask for help measuring differences and sparking insights from the […]
By Matt BruceRead More
3/21/14
How to creatively solve problems
I read this article in the Atlantic a few months ago which described how a surprising number of inventions and innovations in various fields are coming from people who are not experts in the field of interest. It reminded me of how some scientists have created computer games based on real world problems, and people […]
By Kate DarwentRead More
3/18/14
Four questions to ask before starting your evaluation
Evaluation is a helpful tool to support many different decisions within an organization. Evaluation can take on many forms (e.g., summative, formative, developmental, outcomes, process, implementation, etc.), and the first step is to identify what kind of evaluation will be most useful to you right now. Regardless of whether you need to measure your outcomes […]
By Beth MulliganRead More
3/17/14
4 ways to report customer satisfaction
In my previous post we discussed two common types of satisfaction surveys. In this post we’ll touch on the many ways to report results. Suppose we have the following question: Q: Taking into account all of your experiences with X, please rate your overall satisfaction with X: Extremely satisfied Moderately satisfied Slightly satisfied Neither satisfied […]
By David KennedyRead More
3/5/14
Why pay research participants?
We’ve probably all received some type of payment for participating in research before, whether it was for completing a survey, participating in a focus group or online community, or other form of research. But should we be paying people for their participation? While it would be nice if people would be intrinsically motivated to take […]
By David KennedyRead More
2/20/14
Is cluster sampling a good fit for your survey?
Here at Corona, we strive to help our clients maximize the value of their research budgets, often by suggesting solutions that get the job done faster, better, or at a reduced cost. In survey research, developing an accurate sampling frame (i.e., a list of the study population and their contact information) is instrumental for success, […]
By Matt BruceRead More
1/10/14
Where does a SWOT come from and where does it lead?
Prior blogs I’ve written have established the link between company-level strategic planning, which includes competitive strategy, and marketing organization planning. I’ve also discussed several analytical tools used for competitive strategy, including the SWOT analysis (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats). I was recently reading through a LinkedIn group’s lively dialogue on the topic of SWOT analysis. One theme that arose is […]
By Leo LewisRead More