KRC Research

Multimode Research

Using multimode research to develop and track a public education campaign: Your Credit Card Companies and Help With Your Credit

Challenge

Americans value and rely upon credit cards, while distrusting the companies behind them. In 2002, and with even greater urgency in 2008, several of the major credit card issuers and payment systems came together to counter the drumbeat of negativity with concerted efforts to improve their reputation, as well as to fend off legislative and regulatory action.

Research Solution

KRC provided research to support both the "Your Credit Card Companies" campaign (2002-2006) and the "Help With Your Credit" campaign (2008-present). This has included a variety of research approaches:

Foundational research, to thoroughly understand consumers' understanding of credit cards, opinions of the companies behind them, and reasons for feeling the way they do;
Strategic mapping, to determine which of several alternative communication strategies would have greatest probability of achieving the coalition's goals;
Message research, to identify both the actions and the messages most likely to shift the way consumers think about credit card companies;
Public affairs research to identify the specific messages and arguments most likely to change opinions on a variety of legislative and regulatory issues;
Concept testing, to test advertising and other materials, and ensure they had maximum memorability and persuasiveness;
Tracking, to monitor the environment and evaluate the impact of the campaigns-nationally, among opinion leaders, and in key markets; and,
Customer satisfaction research, to assess consumer's actual experiences with the programs that were part of the Help With My Credit campaign.

Results

Research findings guided the strategic development of the campaigns, including concepts and messaging, as well as track progress over time.

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