Case Study
Sands Research
Background
Sands Research is a pioneer in the emerging field of Neuromarketing. Being an early entrant into an emerging market carries with it unique risks and opportunities. In addition to the usual challenges that start-ups face (funding, growing pains and battling competitors for top of mind awareness and market share), Sands Research must also include an educational component to its marketing strategy to increase awareness and acceptance of Neuromarketing. However, once established, the position of industry-pioneer and leader is one of the most difficult differentiating factors for a competitor to imitate or overcome.
Sands Research, was launched in 2008. Co-founders Dr. Steve Sands and Ron Wright have a proven track record for entrepreneurial success. Their first company, Neuroscan Inc., (a former client of Ms. Blum) became the largest supplier of EEG equipment and software to the neurological research market with over 2,000 university, corporate and national research laboratories worldwide utilizing their products. After the sale of Neuroscan, Dr. Sands initiated research into the brain’s response to advertising. The result is patent-pending software that analyzes and scores media by a consumer’s emotional engagement level. Sands Research has undertaken neuromarketing studies for print and video advertisements (storyboard, animatics and finished product), logos and packaging, retail and hospitality environments, product design testing, signage and website/digital media studies. Sands Research also became the first neuromarketing company to perform combined mobile EEG and eye-tracking studies in retail, hospitality and real-world environments.
Services
- Discovery & Assessment
- Strategic Planning focusing on identification of Target Audiences
- Core Marketing Materials
- Offering Memorandum to Investment Community
- Advertising Planning & Execution
- Outreach Initiatives
The CMO Solution
Based on the dual challenge of an emerging market, and Sands Research’s lack of brand identity and name recognition, CMO began by first working with the co-founders to more clearly define their offering and target market. The owners’ previous company sold products exclusively to the science-driven medical community. This new offering required a shift in thinking; selling science into an industry driven by creativity and competition. CMO conducted a series of Discovery Sessions focused on developing the “science” into a packaged market-focused “solution.” The result was the branding of Sands Research’s Neuro Engagement Factor, or NEF™ score, which rates the level of consumer’s emotional engagement in advertising. The scoring process and results, per study, are detailed in a series of multimedia reports delivered by Sands Research that details consumer’s emotional engagement down to the millisecond.
In addition, CMO worked with Sands Research to translate their offerings into key messages, tag lines, initial marketing materials and improved investor materials. A series of Email blasts was also developed to target Brand Managers of Fortune 500 companies.
Since working with CMO, Sands Research has successfully penetrated several Fortune 500 firms.
Client Feedback
“As a start-up, the outsourced CMO business model is the ideal fit for our dynamic organization. While CMO helped us figure out our best direction in an emerging market, they don’t suffer from analysis paralysis. They execute—and—get results.”
Ron Wright, CEO, Sands Research
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