OUGD601 - Practical Research / Research Conclusion

In order to inform the practical project I have undertaken a broad range of research activities that will directly influence the result of the practical response to the brief. Within my dissertation it can be established that the primary method of strengthening a brands identity is to know the consumer inside and out, what they like, how best to engage with them and most importantly what will make them buy the product. The bulk of my research is focused to holistically understand this millennial audience the brief is aimed at. This includes primary and secondary research that analyses the demographic established they are influenced by peers and social media, do not like to be obviously exploited within advertising and they prefer to spend their income on experiences over commodities due to a fear of missing out. Primary research into this demographic include a short questionnaire to establish this target audiences feelings about travel and freedom of movement as this directly related to the concept of the brief. This research established 92% of the sample felt Brexit would change the way in which we travel due to inflated holiday prices and the introduction of a new application system, with 80% of the sample suggesting they would pay for the ability to move freely within Europe for convenience. Following the questionnaire I conducted an interview with a participant from the sample to obtain more qualitative data as to the justifications behind these responses, this established people of the millennial generation would not want to stop traveling as they have grown up with overseas family holidays and their primary research motivation for paying a third party to arrange this application process would be convenience and efficiency due to their busy lifestyle. 

Extended research into the freedom of movement helped clarify this concept, New inspiration was taken from existing business models such as that of split the bills, who target this same demographic to take care of student household bills for a service charge, this use of rhetoric is really interesting and can be implemented within my brief. Research into flags and their iconography established this would be a successful tangible symbol of the movement to associate with the service especially when promoting the brand through social media channels. Finally I researched a range of millennial marketing strategies to obtain how best to engage with the target demographic. Due to their technologically advancing lifestyles found content is most frequently viewed through a smartphone, the demographic respond best to social media influencers such as bloggers and user generated content particularly through Instagram. Utilising the adoption of new technology is 2.5x faster by this generation Live Streaming is a current and engaging way to target this audience with added authenticity of the live broadcast. Lastly Millennials prefer brands that act for social change / good which can positively impact the consumer brand relationship. 

This research directly informs the design process of the practical brief and will allow me to create a strong focused response to the problem through this detailed understanding of the target audience that will succinctly allow the brief to relate to the research essay through this understanding of how to exploit this particular demographics relationship with a brand creating a succinct sense of synthesis between the two.