Industry overview
What is shaping information services
Data, ratings and information providers need to understand what users actually need, keep their data fresh and size new opportunities accurately.
- Users want timely, verified data in their workflow
- Data collection at scale needs strong quality control
- New products need validation before launch
Client background
An industry research publisher, working in United States & Canada. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- An industry research publisher
- Sector
- Information services
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Qualitative research, Marketing automation, Data analytics & dashboards
Client challenge
Subscribers were not renewing. Renewal rates had fallen for two years, and sales teams were offering discounts to retain subscribers. Renewal rates had fallen, and the publisher relied on discounts to retain subscribers.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: reducing churn for a research subscription service.
- Uncover the motivations and barriers people do not state in a survey.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 30 interviews.
Audiences we typically reach in information services
Data users and analystsSubscribers and enterprise buyersData contributorsProspectsPartners
Geographic coverage
Coverage: United States & Canada. Markets: United States and Canada.
- United States
- Canada
Research methodology
A qualitative design, built to uncover motivations, decision processes and the language people actually use.
- 1Brief
- 2Subscriber interviews
- 3Usage analysis
- 4Insight
We interviewed subscribers and analysed usage to find disengagement patterns. Interviews included subscribers who renewed, those who cancelled and those who had downgraded, and usage data showed which reports and alerts people actually used. We combined interview findings with usage data to build an early warning score for disengagement.
Qualitative researchMarketing automationData analytics & dashboards
Sampling strategy
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- interviews
- 30
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
- Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking
Key findings
- Low usage predicted cancellation.
- Account managers began contacting low-usage subscribers months before renewal.
Engagement predicted renewal.
Recommendations
- The publisher introduced onboarding and personalised alerts.
- Share the findings with the teams closest to customers so they can act quickly.
What we recommended, and the client put into practice
Business impact
- Renewal rates improved, and discounting fell as the value of the subscription became clearer to users.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Interactive dashboard
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: will users pay for a new feature?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.