Print or online? Dumb questions are the ones not asked.

The situation
The team at this technical publishing house had an idea: repackage content that it was selling to universities to provide a comprehensive resource and reference product for corporations. But, they needed to know if corporations wanted this information. And, how should it be delivered—printed, CD-ROM or online? They asked O’Donnell & Associates to gauge the market’s receptivity and help them shape this product.

The process
The budget was small, and time was short. So, we conducted a phone survey that gathered feedback on the concept, tested some proposed features and evaluated various pricing options.

The research participants were managers of reference centers and corporate libraries in pharmaceutical and medical companies. But, our client had no list of these potential customers. So, the O’Donnell & Associates analysts used online and library research and phone recruiting to locate respondents at over 100 companies.

The results
Good thing we asked the questions, because it resulted in a successful product. The market was overwhelmingly positive about the concept and about Web delivery of this resource. We developed a blueprint of features, services and content that would make the product compelling. Our client also walked away with a list of potential customers who were interested in learning more about this product