WISCWisconsin Innovation Service Center

WISC ReseaRch seRvicesMore inforMation, including saMple reports, is available on the Wisc Website at http://wisc.uww.edu.

it was Really helpful to get a thIrd-party perSpeCtIve and

InSIghtS ouR company could pRofit fRom. . . WISC helped us see aReas wheRe we could Improve and thus InCreaSe our buSIneSS.

tRamont coRpoRation

find the best customer groups to focus on now and in the future. diversify your market position to better withstand downturns. Wisc researchers interview target customer representatives to:

• Identifykeydriversofpurchaseandsupplierdecisions

• Determinewhichmarketsegmentsindicatestronggrowthopportunities

• Understandsupplychainattributesandsupplierselectioncriteria

• Discoverunmetneedsinmarketsegmentsthatmatchyourcompany’scapabilities

• Locatepotentialcustomersintargetmarketsegments

Customer DiversifiCation assessment

Customer assessment

Work with Wisc to create, implement, and interpret “voice of the customer” surveys for current and potential customers. customer surveys can range from in-depth phone interviews with current high-value customers to brief interviews with potential customers. use research results to:

• Refineproductandservicemixestobettermeetcustomerneeds

• Recognizeemergingprofitopportunities• Understandyourcompany’spositionrelativetocompetitorsfromthecustomer’sperspective

• Pinpointstrategiesfordrawingcustomersawayfromcompetitors

despite the downtuRn in the economy, g&g machine is taRgeting

neW CuStomerS and neW InduStrIeS foR an addItIonal fIve perCent over

the existing sales pRojections. g&g machine

market assessment

Discover key success drivers for the new geographic location or market segment your company wants to target. Determine who the current players are, who dominates the market, and whether there is room for your company to compete. Understand the competitive landscape with key information including pricing strategies and identities of lead customers. Gain access to all the information needed to:

• Measurecompetitiveness• Createapositioningstrategy• Determinemarketaccessibility• Estimategrowthpotential

Distributor assessment

Understand which distributors have a presence in certain market sectors or geographic locations and explore whether they would be interested in partnering with you. Connect with a distributor who has relevant sales channels that will quickly move your product to market. These assessments enable you to:

• Findthebestdistributorforyourproduct• Refineproductandservicemixestobettermeetcustomerneeds

• Recognizeemergingprofitopportunities• Understandyourcompany’spositionrelativetocompetitors

UP TO 60 PERCENT OF THE INFORMATION WAS IMMEDIATELY USABLE, INCLUDING 20

TO 30 NEW CONTACTS AND FUTURE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES I DID NOT KNOW EXISTED. THE TIME THIS REPORT SAVED ME ALONG

WITH THE IN-DEPTH CONTACT INFORMATION WAS INVALUABLE.SMARTFLOW TECHNOLOGIES

new ProDuCt assessment

Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of new products at an early stage saves time and money and enables you to focus on products that are likely to succeed. The best time to find out that a product idea is likely to fail is early in the process, before too much time and money have been invested. For products with promise, having an objective, third-party evaluation may result in stronger investor interest. WISC researchers will:

• Evaluatetechnicalfeasibility• Determinethelevelofcompetition• Estimatemarketneed• Identifytrendsinthemarketthatmayaffectproductsuccess

WISCWisconsin Innovation Service Center

ComPetitive intelligenCe searCh

Use WISC research to better understand the competition and to improve your company’s position in the marketplace. Gain insights into competitors’ advertising, pricing, and positioning strategies. Discover what sales practices, distribution methods, core competencies, and unique capabilities may be supporting their market dominance. Delve into their management, facilities and expertise to see how your company compares. Develop more effective competitive strategies as you:

• Identifytargetcustomers• Uncoverthekeyproductsfeaturedbycompetitors• Exploreindustryandmarkettrendsfromtheperspectiveofrelatedcompanies

• Benchmarkyourplansandprioritiesrelativetootherindustryplayers

WE TURNED TO WISC TO PROVIDE RESEARCH TO HELP US APPLY FOR A

$750,000 SBIR GRANT FOR AN E-LEARNING PROGRAM TO EDUCATE RURAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. . . . WE QUOTED WISC DIRECTLY IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, WHICH HELPED US COMPLETE THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN DOING THIS

TYPE OF RESEARCH OURSELVES.

TERRA NOVA LEARNING SYSTEMS

liCensing Partner searCh

Partnering can be the key to profitable product and invention development. Licensing new products and technology involves sharing of knowledge and experience. Whether used by independent inventors or existing companies, this sharing can benefit all parties by increasing profit opportunities and expanding market access. WISC provides information needed to:

• Targetpotentiallicensingpartners• Decideatwhatstageofproductdevelopmenttoapproachthem

• Anticipatewhatinformationthecompanywillexpect• Knowwhomtocontact• Learnaboutacompany’sexperiencewithlicensing

newproducts

THE WISC REPORT LED TO CLOSING TWO DEALS, WHICH INCREASED OUR BUSINESS 60 PERCENT IN ONE YEAR. IT OPENED OUR EYES ABOUT WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO STAY AHEAD OF OUR COMPETITION AND

BECOME MORE PROFITABLE.VTI VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES INC.

ENTERING A NEW MARKET IS EXPENSIVE, AND, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL NEW MARKETS WERE APPEALING, WE NEEDED TO TARGET THE MOST PROMISING MARKET. WE USED

THE WISC INFORMATION TO SUCCESSFULLY EXPAND INTO NEW MEDICAL MARKET

SEGMENTS.HUI MANUFACTURING

I HAVE FOUND THE MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES AT WISC TO BE AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE FOR NOVICE INVENTORS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND SEASONED PROFESSIONALS.

THEIR STAFF ARE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN AND INVESTED IN THE SUCCESS OF THEIR CLIENTS. WISC IS ONE OF THE TOP RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO INVENTORS AND BUSINESSES

SEEKING INSIGHTS INTO THE MARKET.

LOUIS FOREMAN, FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF ENVENTYS AND CEO OF EDISON NATION

Discover market drivers

Measure customer satisfaction

Attract new customers

Understand competitors

Assess new product marketability

Identify licensing potential

Improve distributor connections

USE WISC RESEARCH TO GAIN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

WISC MARKET RESEARCH DRIVES PROFITABLE DECISIONS.

Because WISC is partially funded through federal and state grants, the costs for research services remain affordable to new inventors and small businesses as well as innovative manufacturers and high-tech companies.

Fees for customized research projects are determined on a case-by-case basis according to the project scope, time and resources required.

More information and sample research reports are available on the WISC website at http://wisc.uww.edu.

Please contact a WISC market research manager at 262-472-1365 for more information or to request a proposal.

Wisconsin Innovation Service Center University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 1200 Hyland Hall Whitewater, WI 53190

GETTING STARTED WORKING WITH WISC

http://wisc.uww.edu P: 262-472-1365 F: 262-472-1600 innovate@uww.edu

FUNDEDINPARTTHROUGHACOOPERATIVEAGREEMENTWITHTHEU.S.SMALLBUSINESSADMINISTRATION.

SBDCSMALL BUS INESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERU W - W H I T E W A T E R

WISCWisconsin Innovation Service Center

university of wisconsin

whitewater