"It really gives us a unique way to stay in touch and be close with consumers. We're on their turf.
"—Gretchen Waitley, a consumer insight manager with Kraft
"It's different from traditional research because it doesn't take so long to plan and to get the information back. Within 24 hours, we launch an activity. They [internal teams] will actually have useful information to be able to start working on… there's nothing like that to keep people motivated and excited and working forward. I've had engineers that are blown away by what they get from customers, and those of us who work with customers on a regular basis say that's what it's all about and that's why we have this tool and that's why it's so amazing...
"—Tanya Maurer, HP
"…for a company that is so decentralized, we were able to gather all of our internal constituents requests and wants and desires, marry those with what we were trying to accomplish from a corporate perspective, and then partner with you all at Communispace, to make sure that the tool accomplishes those things.
"—Winston Warrior, COX Enterprises
"Members like and enjoy the experience of being part of an online community. They form bonds of association with others in the groups or with facilitators who work with the groups in a professional way. Members are honest, providing both positive and negative feedback.
"—Lori Givan, senior consumer research project leader, Hallmark
"Our community is our window into our cancer patients' treatment experience. We are now getting a real sense of what it's like to stand in a patient's shoes, to know what it's like to be faced with such tough decisions and issues day in and out – and how to create a better care giving experience for them.
"—Ellen Sonet, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, National Comprehensive Cancer Network member
"I liken it to being in a locker room with the guys, that's something I would never be able to do.
"—Alison Zelen, Unilever
"A community is a great sounding board and reminder of what is real. Customer attitudes and expectations are always evolving and companies who want to be leaders must really know their customers and deliver what is relevant, important, and compelling.
"—Kathy Armstrong, HP
"...we immediately saw the benefit of having consumers talking with us and with each other around the clock. It enabled us to stay in almost constant touch with our consumers. While Kraft certainly benefits from getting their reactions to new product ideas and the like, the true benefit is developing deeper relationships and the dialogs that result. Our consumers were no longer demographic statistics—they became real people with strong opinions, deep feelings and daily challenges that they were willing to share with us. Knowing our consumers at this level is invaluable in helping us deliver the best possible products and programs to meet their needs.
"—Gretchen Waitley, Kraft
"This community is so valuable to me I will fall on a sword for it. We were able to ‘get the guy' in his gut – get an emotional context. The community allowed me to achieve credibility as a market researcher by understanding the customer in-depth and then driving global teams and business partners to make strategic decisions.
"—Alison Zelen, Unilever
"In the old days – a couple of years ago – we would have built this before we tested it. We'd have pushed the product out there without as many insights, and we would have made more mistakes.
"—Curtis W. Stoelting, Chief Executive, RC2
"We have always been very impressed with the professionalism of your company, and the ability to focus on and understand our needs. The tour of Communispace really demonstrated the culture/environment that is cultivated there, which is obviously benefiting clients!"—Marsha Gillen, Anthem
"This experience confirms again that Unilever made the right choice to work with Communispace. It truly is a pleasure to work with people as smart, creative and dedicated as your team."—Christyne Dzwierzynski, Unilever North America
"Four years ago we started with one community. Now we have 5, and every day we are learning more about our customers that validates or impacts how we do business.
"—Calvin Vass, CDW