Idaho Transportation Department Project Development Conference Tools for Informed Decision-Making Seattle th Ave NE, Ste 200 Bellevue, WA Boise 225 N. 9 th Street, Ste 200 Boise, Idaho April 7, 2005  2005 Northwest Research Group, Inc. 225 North 9 th Street, Suite 200, Boise, ID All rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, information storage, and retrieval system, without permission in writing by the publisher.

Marketing Research & Planning Focus Groups Telephone Surveys Intercept / Face-to- Face Interviews New Technologies

What is Marketing Research? Marketing research is the... –Systematic and objective –Identification, collection, analysis, dissemination, and use of information –For improving decision making related to the identification and solution of problems and opportunities in marketing

Research in Transportation Survey by AASHTO found that... –Three out of five states surveyed conduct some research –Research is conducted primarily to:  Measure level of satisfaction with current level of service  Determine public opinion –Relatively little use of research to:  Define products and services  Test new products and services

Typical Research Questions Who are our customers and/or our non-customers? What do they want? Are people aware of what we do / offer? What do they know / think about our programs / services / agency? Which service / product attributes have the largest influence on customer / stakeholder satisfaction? Are there market segments that are being underserved or contain high levels of latent demand? What are the best / optimal combinations of attributes to create a program / service the public will actually use? How is the environment in which we operate changing?

The Research Process

Offer… Focus Groups An in-depth understanding of perspectives or opinions of the targeted population in greater detail than can be attained through other methods Understand the consumers’ decision process Uncover service needs and preferences Ascertain attitudes, behaviors, intentions Explore how to communicate / position program / ideas Test new programs, services, ideas Assess public policy issues Evaluate advertising / marketing efforts Develop or test questionnaires Are used to…

Offer… Telephone Surveys Direct access to a sample of the entire market with the ability to conduct longer and more complex interviews The most reliable method to obtain data that can be reliably projected to the target population interest Measure satisfaction Identify usage behaviors and latent demand Measure communications effectiveness Develop market share & segmentations Measure awareness / attitudes / usage Assess sensitivity to key issues – e.g., price Evaluate product, program, or service concepts Are used to…

Offer… Intercept Surveys Efficient method for sampling customers at a specific time of behavior (e.g., transit ridership, driving in a specific corridor). Generally used for low-incidence populations Identify origins and destinations Identify potential customer segments Measure (with care) awareness / attitudes / satisfaction Observe behavior (ethnographic research) Test products / services / strategies Obtain contact information Are used to…

Include… New Technologies Obtain quick feedback on the dissemination of product / service information via company website Test new products and services Obtain quick feedback on dissemination of information on web site Conjoint analysis Experimental designs Measure customer satisfaction Supplement other survey methods to increase response rates – mixed mode surveys Are used to… Internet Surveys Mobile CAPI (Palm or Wireless Devices) Global Positioning

Case Studies Federal Highway Administration / ITD Puget Sound Regional Council New Jersey DOT

Case Study # 1 Federal Highway Administration Idaho Transportation Department Traveler Opinion & Perception (TOP) Survey

The Situation National policy on the Quality of Highways established in 1992 –Goal: Provide a durable, smooth, safe, aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sensitive, efficient, and economical highway system Surveys conducted in 1995 and again in 2000 –Measured travelers’ opinions and perceptions of the nation’s highway / roadway system –Individual efforts by separate program offices –Limited use of data by states

The Research Solution Comprehensive review of... –Past research by FHWA –Existing research in the public domain conducted by other government and not-for-profit organizations Focus groups with travelers to identify... –Key requirements for service –Language they use to talk about system Telephone survey conducted to... –Establish / update baseline measures of service quality –Identify a set of Strategic Imperatives – actions to be taken to improve customer satisfaction –Provide key indices that would allow participating states to benchmark their results

Results

Results Relationship between Overall Satisfaction with the System and Extent to Which Travelers Feel They Are Getting Value for Their Tax Dollars

Results Relationship between Extent to Which Travelers Feel they Are Getting Value for Tax Dollars and Support for Future Transportation Projects

Case Study # 2 Puget Sound Regional Council Baby Boomer Focus Groups

The Situation By 2030, it is projected that the population of seniors in the U.S. will more than double. –Almost all of these seniors will have been licensed drivers nearly all their lives –Seniors in the future are likely to be more dependent on a car than today’s elderly –Most seniors will continue to drive but will also face at least some mobility barriers –They are likely to suffer from some physical or medical problems but want to continue an active lifestyle

Research Approach Focus groups conducted with... –Current retirees –Baby boomers Objective –To understand the differences in current travel behavior among older people and those who will enter that segment –To determine how travel behavior is likely to change based on expectations of those moving into retirement –To bring to light transportation planning issues that may not be currently addressed in today’s travel demand forecasting efforts

Some Results Upcoming retirees will be more affluent –Do not anticipate traveling less, just differently Many upcoming retirees anticipate continuing to work and/or being active as a volunteer –Regular, commute type travel may not decrease as much as anticipated

Some Results Increasingly reliance on the Internet –Will become a substitute for some trips – shopping, banking –Use for trip planning and mapping provides new / additional avenues for traveler information Travel is becoming more difficult –Congestion and driver behavior a significant issue –More requirements / demands for safety programs

Case Study # 3 New Jersey DOT Evaluation of Pavement Markings and Retroflectors

Objective / Methodology To develop a threshold value of retro- reflectivity level below which a pavement marking will no longer be considered “bright enough” to be useful for motorist nighttime guidance In field test using... –In-person (in-vehicle) observational research –64 drivers invited to drive along a 32-mile stretch of road equipped with pavement markings –Interviewer rode in car with driver to administer questions –Rated nighttime visibility of the pavement markings

Results Acceptable level of retroreflectivity for drivers aged 55 and younger was mcd/m2/lux and mcd/m2/lux for drivers over the age of 55 years. –Older groups rated the retroreflectivity significantly lower than other age categories did. Concentrating resources on re-striping pavement markers with retroreflectivity below 130 mcd/m2/lux would achieve a greater increase in driver satisfaction than re-striping pavement markings with retroreflectivity above 130 mcd/m2/lux.

Northwest Research Group, Inc. From Data to DISCOVERY!! Rebecca Elmore-Yalch President / CEO (208)

Company Profile Founded in 1985, NWRG delivers the power of knowledge to our client partners through... –Fresh perspectives & insights –State-of-the-art research solutions –Quality principles and processes –Unparalleled customer service Our vision is to... –Do quality work –Contribute to the industry –Make money – for our client partners and for us –Have fun and be challenged doing it

Company Profile To reach this vision, NWRG... –Provides the highest quality marketing intelligence and consulting services in a timely and cost-effective manner –Is a leading, sole-source provider of innovative and quality research solutions –Develops long-term, quality relationships with our client partners and communities –Promotes individual growth among its employees

Company Profile Originally headquartered in Bellevue, WA, NWRG opened an office in Boise in April 1999 Today NWRG... –Employees 20+ full-time research professionals in Boise and Bellevue –Headquarters are in Boise –Operates a 70-station phone center with 100 plus part-time employees –In-house Internet surveying capabilities –Works with transportation agencies nationwide  Chicago Transit Authority, Federal Highway Administration, Michigan DOT, CALTRANS, Virginia DOT, Puget Sound Regional Council –And with public agencies in Idaho  Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho Lottery, Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, City of Boise