What are the benefits of customer journey mapping? Which part of their journey is the most critical?

"My current company has familiarized me with customer journey mapping as they feel it's an incredibly practical approach to understanding our clients, their entire process from beginning to end, their biggest pain points, and then what we can do to alleviate those needs. I have been part of a team that breaks down customer surveys and uses those pieces of information to fill in the gaps of what is missing when it comes to product features and our service benefits. I believe the most critical part of the journey is right before the decision stage, where a customer is considering, and comparing alternatives. When a company can exceed expectations at this stage, its nearly guaranteed to make the sale."

Many organizations will utilize a customer journey map to represent their customers' process visually, and to understand their needs, pain points, and motivation better. The interviewer wants to see that you understand the importance of understanding your customers' experience from start to finish. Discuss what you believe to be the most critical part of the customer journey, and why.

"I have a lot of experience with mapping the customer journey and believe that the greatest benefit of this visual process is that it allows a company to see a clients' journey from end to end, reliving the customer experience. I once worked with a restaurant franchise who wanted to gain opportunities to put a smile on the faces of their guests. I helped them by mapping out the critical stages their customers went through including awareness, consideration, decision, use and then loyalty and advocacy. I believed loyalty and advocacy to be the most vital stage because, if you can gain a loyal customer, you are earning many more customers from referrals, while also keeping the customer you initially worked so hard to acquire."

What is the key to quickly developing trust with a company under crisis?

"I believe the key to developing trust with a company under crisis is to show them that you have empathy for their situation, but that you are the expert in getting them out of muddy waters. It's important to show understanding, yet hold your position as the subject-matter expert. Similar to how a physician would demand presence and show confidence when meeting a patient for the first time, so would I show that confidence in my work, knowledge, and expertise."

When Ipsos takes on a client who needs help with their public affairs, they need to know that you will be able to build trust quickly so that you can make quick progress on their needs. Discuss how you plan to develop confidence with companies who find themselves in a vulnerable position, needing your assistance.

"I think the best first step to developing trust with a company under crisis is to show them immediately that I have done my homework on their situation. Before our first meeting, I would brief myself on absolutely everything I would need to know to make well-educated comments and suggestions. This genuine interest in their needs will almost always be enough to build a foundation of trust."

In your opinion, what would be the top three most important questions to ask in a customer survey?

"First and foremost, I believe it's important to eliminate as many yes/no questions as possible and move into interval questions or multiple choice. The most important questions to ask in a customer survey would be 'What changes would most improve our service?', 'Would you recommend us?', and 'What do you like most about our services?'."

Ipsos is well known for helping its clients measure customer experience by leveraging surveys and research. There is a multitude of approaches a client could take with a customer survey. The interviewer is curious to know what your favored approach is. How questions are framed in a survey is very important so be sure to have a few thoughtful questions prepared.

"It's essential to ask effective questions that do not lead the survey taker in any way. From my studies, I believe the questions that have the most impact and offer the best insight, include 'What did we do best?', 'What can we do better?', and 'Would you recommend us?'. These questions will reveal a lot about a company, product, or service performance."

In your opinion, what is the best practice for handling bad press?

"I believe the best practice for handling bad press is to have one dedicated spokesperson for the company, who can create a consistent message and image for the public to absorb. Generally, this would the be CEO or another leader of the company, who has been trained on positive talking points when dealing with the press. Despite the crisis, this person should remain focused on the positive aspects of their company by speaking to its strengths."

Ipsos works very hard for their clients, ensuring that any bad press, or public crisis, is handled with professionalism and suave. The interviewer would like to see that you are on the same page as Ipsos when it comes to helping their clients manage their public affairs.

"Many companies have recovered very well from a crisis, and the common factor seems to be getting ahead of the bad press. One step could be to push negative reviews and bad comments away from page one, using SEO techniques. Another would be to call the media and get your talking points out before they can turn a negative situation into a full-blown crisis. This effort could including putting together a list of potential questions, and having key members of the company practice answering those specific sets of questions."

Storytelling has become an essential part of connecting with audiences of all kinds, and using it to market to potential customers is no exception. How can we use big data to employ this tactic in a way that resonates with their audience?

"Big data is important in marketing campaigns because of the insight it provides into the behavior and other personal aspects of your audience. When using it for storytelling in your campaign, you want to know what your audience cares about and how your brand or product relates to an emotional level. Let's say that you are marketing an accounting service for small business. You have collected a huge amount of data to understand the challenges and needs of people that would benefit from your services. The data shows a pattern of small businesses frequently switching accounting software. Digging further into the data, you find that a major frustration they are experiencing is finding a robust yet budget-friendly solution. Instead of just telling this group how your service compares and the price, you can evoke their emotions by telling a story of someone who was just like them and how your service solved their problem. The data has now allowed you to connect to the human side of your prospect in a way that posting product specs and pricing alone will not."

Here you can provide an answer that briefly explains what big data is and how it can be used to craft stories to which an audience will relate. You can give specific examples of kinds of data that can be used, or that you've used in the past, as for storytelling in a campaign.

"Having a system to use big data efficiently allows you to identify behavior, trends, and interactions within your audience. It lets you humanize and customize your advertising so that it's meaningful instead of disruptive to them. From big data, I've extracted information that tells me what kind of person buys a product, how much they spend on it, when they buy it, how long they use it for, and what makes them want to repurchase. Having this information, I get a clear picture of who is interested in a product and why. Understanding much of their background and history, I know when they'll be receptive to learning about a new product and at the right time, I approach them with a story of someone who is like them, shared similar struggles, and how they were lessened or resolved by what I have to offer. This approach is a human-centric, problem-solving one that companies can use to achieve a lasting connection that can't be earned using the outdated approach of demanding consumers' attention and telling them what they need."

Explain Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM).

"Enterprise Feedback Management gives a company the ability to collect and manage customer feedback, then use those results in various ways. This tool gives companies the ability to be actionable as it relates to the customer experience. Customer Experience Management lets a company oversee every customer interaction, allowing for fast improvements and exceptional service. I see in your job posting that you are asking for experience in Verint and Wootric. I have around three years of experience with each and consider myself an advanced user. I look forward to using these critical tools at Ipsos."

EFM and CXM are terms often used in the relationship management and management consultancy industries. Show the interviewer that you are familiar with these terms by breaking them down briefly. If you have exposure to a particular type of EFM or CXM software or tool, be sure to mention that experience. If Ipsos suggests a specific resource in their job posting, do some research to familiarize yourself.

"EFM tools allow a company to increase its efficiency by collecting and evaluating customer data and feedback. A CXM will take that data and provide real-time insight related to every customer interaction. When a company has deep insights, they can better service their clients, earn more revenue, and gain a larger customer base. The software and tools which I am most experienced include Medallia and ForeSee. I was pleased to see that you use these tools at Ipsos North America as well."

Ipsos enhances its clients' brand identities by creating designs that will leave an impression in their audience's mind. Can you describe how you've have helped a client to connect with their audience using their visual identity?

"I recently worked with a client that wanted to revive their brand's visual appeal. I developed a good feel for the brand through many conversations, interactions with the product, and even their audience. As an account manager, my job was to help translate that feeling into words. I liaised between the client and the graphic design team to create a logo, color scheme and overall concept for the website, social media accounts, and collateral. Everything had to be consistent - our goal was for the audience to recognize instantly, even subconsciously when they came into contact with the brand's materials. I helped the client to involve other departments of their organization and their audience through testing and polls. The engagement and backing of the many people associated with the brand made this facelift a success, and once final changes were rolled out, they were embraced by most."

Your interviewer may ask this question to find out what experience you have with helping to build on a brand's appearance in a way that will appeal to their buyer persona. You can answer by describing design conception and testing for various forms of content, such as logos, etc.It's not necessary to discuss actual design steps or tools to answer, but you do want to consider understanding the customer's identity goals and their audience as part of the planning and execution process.

"I am often tasked with coordinating visual branding projects in my current position. To make these projects successful, I ensure that all materials and communications related to the project are delivered to the right parties and stored properly for future reference. While handling the project's administrative tasks, I'm essentially a second set of eyes to the designers and project managers. I speak up if I see something missing or not quite right, I help with reporting on information that's needed, scheduling conferences, ensuring we meeting deadlines, and other details that may otherwise be overlooked."

Ipsos helps companies to build brand identities that accurately represent their core values while creating a lasting connection with their target audience. In your opinion, what is the best way to build a brand across digital platforms?

"While researching online brand loyalty campaigns in the past, I've found the first place to start is by studying the audience and their preferences. Once I've learned these, I need to concentrate advertising efforts where they spend most of their time online in their preferred formats. Next, relatable messaging raises their awareness and interest in the brand. For example, if I wanted to promote a new video game to the tween demographic, I wouldn't try to reach on lifestyle blogs or conventional TV. Studies show that this demographic, 10-13-year-olds that love video games spend a large amount of time on YouTube, SnapChat, and newer video and photograph sharing platforms that are emerging. In my opinion, finding the audience across various platforms where they already feel most comfortable is the best way to stay in front of them, generate and hold their interest."

When asking this question, your interviewer wants to hear about your knowledge of digital loyalty branding from a generalized perspective, and about the likely experience you have in this area. You can speak to today's standard methods and provide your opinions on them supported by market research or past professional projects.

"In my opinion, the best approach to digital branding campaigns online is setting the foundation of what our brand truly is. What is the heart of what we do and what is our message? Next, we must ask who is moved by our message, or who is our audience? What platforms and apps do they use and hang out on, online? What motivates them and how do they make decisions? All of the answers to these questions will allow us to build a strategy to catch their interest in our brand. To retain this interest and build loyalty, I've experienced that it's effective to take cues from campaigns that have already made an impact on our audience, while testing new designs, copy, promotions, etc. that are consistent with the feel of our brand, but we also need to keep things from getting stagnant, excite, and delight. Long-term consistency in our messaging and targeting to meet our audiences' expectations over a long period to build trust is crucial."

Have you ever trained a client on how to implement the data they receive in a customer survey?

"I have trained many clients on how to take the data they have received from surveys and research, and make it work for them. The projects I have assisted with include the development of customer loyalty programs, rewards programs, and new customer acquisition initiatives."

Survey and research findings are wonderful to have, but can still leave a company feeling paralyzed until they know what to do with that information. The interviewer wants to see if you have experience walking your clients through the best ways to implement the data you have helped them to obtain.

"While attending university, I helped a few of my fellow students during group work to better understand how companies can leverage their people-powered data, to benefit the bottom line. I look forward to working with Ipsos and learning more about how to help my clients create programs and tweak their services to reflect better what their customers are saying."

A business owner often has multiple priorities and needs guidance on the upkeep of their digital presence, so it remains a valid part of promoting and growing their business. How can our services ensure that it does?

"A company may know their products, services, and even goals very well. However, understanding important details on how to reach their audience, staying current on digital trends, and making good use of data whether it's for an industry as a whole or down to individual business level can be daunting with so many other responsibilities at hand. Consulting with a professional in the digital space can streamline these needs. They're knowledgeable and come with best practices to execute needed research, tests, etc., more efficiently. They can supply clients with neatly packaged, data-derived ideas for swift implementation."

Answer by sharing your ideas on how consultative orientation from a marketing firm can be a source of value to clients. There are a variety of ideas that can be presented, but stick to around three that you feel are of high importance so that your answer is detailed enough and still holds the attention of the interviewer.

"Research, expertise and creative perspective are all points where a company benefits from digital marketing consultation and ensures their digital presence remains updated. It provides tremendous value to individuals within the business that are already wearing multiple hats and lets them concentrate their efforts where they are most useful. They don't have to deep dive into unknown subjects, and the consultant instead supplies summaries that only include crucial information. This way, they can quickly build on their strategy and apply the best tactics to make a positive difference."

Tell me about your experience with statistics when it comes to customer surveys.

"My exposure to statistics and customer surveys comes from my previous role where I would collect and organize the data for our statistical team. Although I do not have experience taking deep dives into the data, I do fully understand how to take real-time feedback for product and service improvement initiatives."

Walk the interviewer through any exposure you have to customer surveys and breaking down the data and statistics that come from those surveys. You can discuss any studies you have led or been a part of.

"I have a bachelor's degree in mathematics, so I look forward to taking my formal education and applying it to the data collected in the customer surveys led by Ipsos. The bulk of my experience at this point comes from multiple case studies I took part in while attending university."

What do you believe is the biggest culprit of reputation crisis, today?

"I believe that the biggest culprit of reputation crisis today remains an unclear vision. When a company seems to be split on their vision, their talking points, and their overall brand, that will be a significant weak spot. The moment something goes awry, this weak spot will grow and threaten the health of the company in its entirety."

The interviewer would like to understand what you believe to be the biggest driver of crisis for companies, today. Discuss how you feel the digital age has affected the way companies are viewed in the public eye. You could also address common factors that you see when it comes to reputations threats, today.

"In today's digital age, I believe the biggest culprit of a reputation crisis is lack of planning when it comes to the social media and social networking side of a business. The internet is forever, and many companies still do not have clear branding and messaging strategy when it comes to their online footprint. These days, all it takes is one bad tweet that is misconstrued by the public, and a company could be facing a firestorm online."

What are the advantages of hiring a public relations firm?

"The biggest advantages of hiring a firm such as Ipsos include the existing media contacts that you can offer a client, which they will likely not have. Getting ahead of the press is often the biggest key to recovering from a crisis and an independent public affairs party will always be much better at this. Also, a company like Ipsos will be able to be more objective when it comes to problem-solving, as they are not personally involved in the daily operations."

Not every company will be large enough to have an internal PR department, which is often where companies like Ipsos come into play. There are a plethora of advantages to hiring a public affairs specialist such as the ability to find experts in your particular sector, rather than a generalist. Also, a great PR firm will be more neutral and objective when it comes to crisis or reputation management. Discuss with the interviewer the ways that you feel Ipsos would be of great benefit to their clients.

"There are many advantages to hiring a PR firm or agency like Ipsos. Some of these advantages include unbiased opinions, a more proactive team, excellent media contacts, and expertise in a specific niche."

What tools are you familiar with when it comes to customer experience surveys?

"The customer survey tools I have used the most include SmileBack, Zendesk, and Nicereply. I have many years' experience in utilizing these tools for the most detailed data and outcomes. Could you share with me which resources you use at Ipsos? I am eager to apply everything that I know to the tools used here."

The interviewer would like a breakdown of the specific tools and software you have used in the past when it comes to customer surveys and studies. There is a multitude of options available in the customer relationship management industry. Try to find out what Ipsos uses, and if possible, tie in your experience with the tools that you will be using in this specific role.

"At this early stage in my career, I have used the most basic tools including SurveyMonkey. I do find that solution to be simple yet powerful when it comes to collecting customer feedback. With that said, I am most interested in learning the internal systems and robust software used at Ipsos."

How do you believe social media has changed the public affairs game?

"Social media has changed the public affairs game in every imaginable way. Social media has entirely changed how companies communicate with their target customers and vice versa. Communication through traditional advertising used to mean one-way communication, and social media has changed it to be a two-way street. Now, customers can engage with any brand by liking, sharing and commenting. This engagement means more real-time data for companies, on how their content is performing, allowing them to quickly steer away from a potentially ineffective, or even damaging campaign."

Social media has changed the way we do nearly everything in business, and the interviewer would like to know the ways you believe it's had the most significant impact when it comes to public affairs. Ipsos is well known for providing expertise in media relations and social innovation so it will be vital for you to show your depth of knowledge on the topic of social media.

"I believe that social media has forced companies to look at the flaws in their customer service, and customer engagement strategies. Social media now ensures companies build genuine customer relationships through conversation. Today, customers can take to Twitter to report bad customer experiences, for instance. This action means companies must address complaints immediately."

Name some solutions for customer experience optimization.

"When a company is engaged, has defined values, and a clear understanding of the customer journey, they are then ready to optimize the customer experience. I believe that true optimization comes from strategic customer engagement and segmented customer solutions versus a 'one-size-fits-all' option."

When it comes to client relationships and the client experience, the interviewer wants to know that you have solutions that will optimize the customer experience. Ipsos works hard to ensure that their clients are very well set up to serve their customers, and it's essential that you can express how you are ready to contribute to this goal.

"I believe the best solutions for optimizing the customer experience include identifying gaps between a clients' service and that of their biggest competitor. Also, segmenting their offering and advertising. Next, continually evaluating the capabilities of an organization while immediately repairing any identified gaps."

What does the term 'people-powered data' mean to you?

"The term 'people-powered data' to me, means taking the data that the public or your customers tell you, and then turning it into actionable programs and change. It's one thing for a business to collect information, but it another idea for a company to take that data and use it as a driver for change."

The interviewer would like to know if you have insight when it comes to the importance of data that comes from research and survey data from the public. Discuss what you know about data powered by people, and why you believe it is a critical approach for any business.

"People-powered data comes from the idea that a company looks at what their customers, and the public, are saying to help shape and form their products, services, and other offerings."

The ability to write clearly and succinctly is critical when building public relations campaigns for Ipsos clients. How have you developed and strengthened your written communication skills through your prior work experiences?

"In my prior positions, writing has been a key component of my job responsibilities. As an analyst, my writing skills were used to communicate to a variety of team members with varying backgrounds. When I moved on to public affairs, I learned to write for an even broader general audience through a variety of press releases. As I exercised my writing skills, I found the challenge was to write an explanatory piece in a clear and concise manner. Through many different PR projects, I can confidently say this is now a strength of mine, and I look forward to possibly providing this skill to Ipsos."

As expected, written communication skills are essential when working on PR campaigns. Ipsos hiring managers are interested in candidates who have made efforts to strengthen their communication skills over the years.Talk about different projects and situations where you had the opportunity to utilize and build your writing skills. Also, highlight any strengths you have with a particular writing style or possibly a public affairs project you worked on where your writing skills played a critical role.

"Writing has always been a passion of mine throughout my education and career. Working at a few different companies, I have been able to hone my writing skills through a variety of projects. I have written creative pieces as part of the marketing team and also have developed informational pieces while working on blog posts for the company website. These experiences have helped me develop clear and descriptive writing skills necessary while working on public relations campaigns. I continually seek ways to improve my business writing skills through workshops and seminars and am an avid reader of business news journals, which gives me exposure to many different writing styles."

When have you led a team in creating a new digital strategy campaign for your company or a client? What was the outcome?

"I was once working on a large account where the client had been using the same strategies for a very long time. Their marketing team was all hard-to-convince, tenured employees who had success in the past. But as times were changing, they were losing traction. They didn't know what to do because it seemed their product remained the same, and as did their audience, but they were losing market share. They had been advertising on the same channels forever and somehow; they failed to notice their audience spending time on new platforms and adapting to new technologies. Rather than try to convince my clients with presentations, pie charts, and the traditional means, I gathered them together for interactive discussions. They all filled out forms about major purchases they'd made over the past five years, then shared them out loud. What we found from their stories was that in their personal lives, they had been receptive to new technology. For some reason, however, they believed their customers had not. Through this exercise, I connected them to the hard data I had to present and convinced them it was time to try new things."

The purpose of this question is to find out what your innovative potential is. It's also meant to uncover whether you have the necessary skills to drive change and influence various players involved in evolving digital strategy campaigns.When you answer this question, it might be tempting to rehash overhaul processes you've learned from past situations, but this is not what you want to do. You'll want to talk about your ideas and actions that have driven change.

"As a marketing coordinator with a startup, I had noticed that our digital strategy did not involve enough paid promotion. The company was operating on a very tight budget, and the business leaders would almost immediately shut down any ideas involving inorganic growth without any consideration. Rather than trying to argue this point, I took the initiative and became highly active on our company social media pages. As a result, we were receiving double the amount of leads through them after just one month. I shared this information with the sales team first, and they immediately became supportive of making enhancements in this area. With their backing and proof from my initial efforts, I was able to convince our leadership that a small investment in social media advertising had the potential to double the influx of leads, and I gained their buy-in on making it part of our strategy."

As you may know, we help clients plan marketing strategies from start to finish. What do you believe are the critical stages of creating and implementing plans in digital strategy to ensure their success?

"The stages of planning in digital strategy include goal-setting to ensure your plan aligns the business objectives, assessment, market research, budgetary, and timeline planning. These stages are the foundation, and once your plan is in action, you will test and analyze results to make changes as needed. This is your monitoring stage, and it will be ongoing to ensure goals are met. Lastly, I believe the first step, assessing business objectives, to be the most important."

Based on your experience, describe the different phases of digital marketing planning that need to take place from start to finish.Avoid elaborating too much on each phase because it will make your answer too long. You want to make your answer sound more conversational and less like you're reading a list. Answer each phase with just a couple of words, or one sentence each. Lastly, finish your answer with a brief description of which step is most important for your project to have success.

"When creating a digital marketing plan, I always start by defining goals. What are the plans for reaching them and how do they fit into the business as a whole? Next, audience research and planning takes place. This data drives decisions on advertising channels, content, and user experience plans. Market testing to see how the audience interacts with apps and ads typically will move me into the next phase of finalizing the plan, scheduling benchmarks, etc. Once it's in place, the last steps are to measure and analyze results."

If you could only pick one area of focus to build on and connect with a target audience, what would it be, and why?

"While I think that a brand's strategy is usually successful due to its various moving parts. I have seen that emphasizing values is a vital part of building a strong connection with the target customer. When surveying customers of a company whose value proposition was being the most reliable in their industry, I learned they chose this brand over others because they believed they could rely on them no matter the time of day or night. These findings made me understand that the value of reliability struck a huge chord with the audience, so I planned a successful ad campaign that showed its employees serving customers overnight, on weekends, and holidays. If I were only allowed to chose one area of focus to boost branding, the value would be it due to this experience."

Your answer will likely not be considered right or wrong, but it will give your interviewer insight on your thought process, how you connect with an audience and your decision-making abilities. Try to resonate with facts or data.

"Studies show that the most impact made on an audience is at the emotional level. If your audience feels that you understand their hopes and dreams, they'll also believe that you're well suited to help achieve them. Almost 48% of consumers say that they rely on companies they trust for guidance on products and services that will help them. So, if I could only focus on one area of building a brand's identity, I'd choose to build a connection with the audience by demonstrating our knowledge of their wants and needs and how we can help to attain them."

Research is an integral part of the brand development process. What is your analytical experience as it relates to brands?

"I am excited about the possible opportunity to put my brand analytical skills to use to meet the brand development needs of Ipsos' clients. My previous projects have allowed me to gain extensive experience in evaluating and monitoring clients' brands. Through my analyses, I have been able to identify opportunities for clients to improve their brand positions. My brand analytical experience helps me determine what measures need to be looked at to make careful brand development decisions."

Ipsos is looking for candidates with some level of brand analytical experience. Your experience may be related to any phase of the process, as long as it is relevant to brand development or brand evaluation. Some areas brand analytics come in to play is in identifying target audiences, developing creative and selecting channels. Also, brands go through ongoing evaluation through customer surveys. These are examples, and your brand analytics experience may include other areas.

"As an active team member on a brand development team, I was tasked with making recommendations on target customers and providing analytics to support them. While working towards developing my recommendations, I learned the importance of 'telling a story' through the analyses. The ability to look at 'the numbers' and build a 'story' is an important skill to have in the brand development process as it can help Ipsos clients make the necessary strategic brand decisions."

Helping clients with their brand strategy is one of the first phases of brand development. How can your experience with brand strategies be of value when working with Ipsos clients?

"My prior positions have given me the opportunity to work on brand strategy teams. My main role in these teams was providing analytical support for the strategic decisions made. In doing so, I was able to work with and learn from my teammates and also learn about the strategy building process. I am confident my experience gives me valuable perspectives on the process, which can help the strategy building phase for Ipsos clients run more smoothly. Also, my strong analytical viewpoint gives me a great foundation on which to make strategic decisions."

Ensuring a client has a strong brand strategy is one of the first steps in successfully helping it develop its brand. Therefore, it is crucial to Ipsos that its team members have experience in this area.As you respond to this question, talk about what role you took while working on brand strategies in prior positions. Specifically, address how you can bring value to Ipsos client relationships concerning your experience with brand strategies.

"I had the fortunate opportunity to participate in a brand strategy team in a creative capacity. My role was to give input on how the company's brand was to be represented in advertisements and on social media. An important lesson I learned as part of this team is that members' roles are dependent on one another. It is essential to understand the contribution everyone is making so you can better accomplish your tasks. I believe my ability to understand the various roles of a strategy team will help Ipsos' teams work more productively and efficiently."

Ipsos has worked with some of its clients on their content marketing strategy, which is an essential aspect of brand development. What role do you think content marketing plays in developing brands?

"I have witnessed firsthand the importance of having a solid content marketing strategy in place. Content marketing allows you to make a connection with your target audience through educational information. A company's ability to provide content valuable to readers boosts its reputation as an expert on that particular topic. The content should be related to the products and services the client offers. Also, clients should tie their offerings into the content without losing the authentic nature of the piece by taking a strong sales tone."

It is vital that team members at Ipsos understand the purpose and importance of a well-defined content marketing strategy. Hiring managers at Ipsos want to see that you know effective content marketing builds more than awareness of a client's brand.In your response, convey your understanding of the purpose of content marketing which is to build a positive reputation for a client's brand. Also, stress the importance of making a connection with the target audience.

"Content marketing's purpose should be both to increase the visibility of a brand and to build up a client's reputation. Also, companies should look to create value for the audience by providing educational information. The value provided to the target customers creates a connection and builds up the company's reputation from their perspective. Content marketing takes brands a step further beyond awareness."

At Ipsos, we believe in learning from other companies' public relations campaigns, both positive and negative aspects of them. Can you talk about a campaign you have seen that taught you a lesson applicable for future campaigns?

"The Dove Real Beauty campaign was a successful campaign for the Unilever company as it addressed an alarming statistic - at that time, only 2% of women considered themselves to be beautiful. The campaign used 'real' women in the campaign as opposed to professional models. Unilever was successful as initiating the conversation about real beauty, and it increased sales during the campaign. I believe it was successful at identifying a theme that many women could relate to and a successful connection was made with its target group."

Ipsos believes in learning from successes and mistakes, both internal and external to the company. Hiring managers are looking for a candidate with the same mentality.By sharing a specific campaign that provided a learning opportunity, it lets hiring managers at Ipsos know that you are proactive about learning to build high-quality PR campaigns. It also shows your ability to identify aspects that could be improved in campaigns that were not entirely successful.

"A Pepsi Ad starring Kendall Jenner in the middle of a Black Lives Matter protest. The problem with this campaign was it minimized the seriousness of this movement as it portrayed a Pepsi being the solution to this deep racial issue. I learned from this campaign how important it is to get feedback from people of various races and backgrounds. If this qualitative research were done before the release, Pepsi likely would not have faced the backlash. Money and time spent on research are worthwhile to avoid potential damage to the company image and brand."

Ipsos is looking for candidates who can handle crisis communications quickly and effectively. Do you have experience managing communications for a company during a crisis?

"In one particular situation, my client had an undetected error at one of their manufacturing facilities causing products to be shipped and sold with a safety issue. This situation required us to work with their operations department to understand the manufacturing issue while coordinating communications to their customers and retail outlets. What I learned from this situation is that teamwork and coordination with other departments is key to dealing with complex client issues."

Crises come up quickly and unexpectedly, and companies need to react promptly to limit any damage to their brand or reputation. Ipsos clients need public relations experts come prepared for these type of situations.Include in your response a specific example of a crisis you handled and explain how you went about managing the situation, particularly as it relates to communications. If you have not had experience in this area of PR, talk about what you think would be essential to consider when handling crisis communications for Ipsos clients.

"Although my PR experience has not included crisis communications, I have received training and actively participated in building emergency protocols for crises. Through this experience, I have learned the importance of working with other departments to address the issue quickly. In these crises, it becomes a company-wide effort and not just a PR matter. When working with Ipsos clients, it will be important to understand their products or services and operations well to be ready to react to crises."

Do you have experience with designing and implementing customer experience programs?

"I have experience with customer experience programs, right from the customer journey map to full implementation and training. The most recent project I was a part of was for a residential real estate company who needed help defining the voice of their customer. Our team walked them through a process that included a customer-centric approach and a full-blown Voice-of-the-Customer program design."

Customer experience programs are systems that companies incorporate to improve their overall CX (customer experience). These programs can include a mixture of new services and solutions, added programs, or even intuitive software. All of this then amounts to a positive and refreshed customer experience. Walk the interviewer through the knowledge you have with designing or implementing customer experience programs.

"Although I have not worked directly with designing or implementing a customer experience program, I do have an understanding of them. If I were to design one, I would begin with developing ways for a company to deliver innovative customer experiences consistently. My focus would be on transforming various steps of the customer journey from awareness to the loyalty stage. I am eager to learn more about customer experience programs with Ipsos."

When working with Ipsos clients, it is useful to have some understanding or experience with community relations. Tell us about your experiences in this area, a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.

"My work experience in public relations has shown me how important it can be to develop strong relationships with community organizations. In particular, while working with an organic Consumer Packaged Goods client, I worked diligently to develop a relationship with a national non-profit promoting healthy eating habits. The most challenging aspect was selecting an organization that fit my client's mission and brand well. Once we worked out the details of the partnership, both parties benefitted, and the relationship promoted my client's brand in a positive light."

Community relations can play a significant role in public relations campaigns. Therefore Ipsos' hiring managers are looking for candidates who have experience building relationships with community organizations. Part of the challenge is identifying those organizations that are a good match with a client's brand and company values.In your response, be sure to highlight at least one specific community organization you started a relationship with and mention any challenges you faced and overcame. Talk about why this particular organization was a good fit with your past company or client.

"Building a relationship with a non-profit or community organization is important as it shows a company cares about worthy causes and is active in the community in which it does business. Because my company is the largest employer in the town where the headquarters are located, I recommended working with a local non-profit aiding low-income families in the area. Once the organization was selected, I found it somewhat challenging to outline the details of our relationship. We wanted to make a profound impact on the community while ensuring the connection was relevant. With feedback from our employees, we were able to develop a relationship where our contributions were meaningful to our company and beneficial to the non-profit."

Do you have experience presenting research and survey findings to groups of stakeholders?

"I have presented the results of approximately 40 customer surveys to a variety of clients. In these meetings, I like to have many visuals available to help the team and stakeholders understand the data very clearly. Most of the time, the company owner or a couple of executives are present, along with members of the clients' marketing team. Overall, I am very confident in my ability to present survey and research data in a compelling and easy to understand way."

Leading presentations can be unnerving, and the interviewer wants to know how well you do with a task such as public speaking and presenting. Walk the interviewer through your experience by outlining the types of presentations you have made, to whom, and how you felt the performance went, overall.

"Being new to my career I have not given formal presentations; however, I have done mock presentations in school. I believe that with more experience, and additional training, I will be able to present survey and research findings in a very clear manner."

Brand development is a continuous process. At Ipsos, we help our clients with brand tracking efforts. Describe your experience with the brand tracking process.

"I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to manage several brand tracking surveys. These experiences have allowed me to understand better the measures to track to ensure a clients' brand is healthy. With one particular client, we were able to measure the damage to its brand after a product recall took place. Through the data, I was able to define what aspects or topics needed to be addressed in a public relations campaign to mitigate further brand damage."

Brand development is ongoing as clients' industries and customer preferences change. Tracking brands allow Ipsos clients to monitor customers' and the general public's perception of their brand. In doing so, it gives them the opportunity to make adjustments to the strategies they have in place.Talk about how any experiences you may have had with the tracking process, whether from analytical or strategic perspectives. Include a specific example of what you learned from the brand tracking process and how it affected the strategic changes made.

"In my past positions, I have taken a strategic role in working with brand tracking data. My experiences included opportunities to make strategic decisions based on learnings from brand tracking studies. Through one particular tracking study, we learned that customers did not perceive that my client had a strong bond to the community. Because of this finding, I initiated a campaign to highlight my client's work with non-profits in the area. I believe my ability to take the data and translate it into actionable steps will help Ipsos better serve their clients. "

Ipsos North America Interview Questions

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1. What are the benefits of customer journey mapping? Which part of their journey is the most critical?
2. What is the key to quickly developing trust with a company under crisis?
3. In your opinion, what would be the top three most important questions to ask in a customer survey?
4. In your opinion, what is the best practice for handling bad press?
5. Storytelling has become an essential part of connecting with audiences of all kinds, and using it to market to potential customers is no exception. How can we use big data to employ this tactic in a way that resonates with their audience?
6. Explain Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM).
7. Ipsos enhances its clients' brand identities by creating designs that will leave an impression in their audience's mind. Can you describe how you've have helped a client to connect with their audience using their visual identity?
8. Ipsos helps companies to build brand identities that accurately represent their core values while creating a lasting connection with their target audience. In your opinion, what is the best way to build a brand across digital platforms?
9. Have you ever trained a client on how to implement the data they receive in a customer survey?
10. A business owner often has multiple priorities and needs guidance on the upkeep of their digital presence, so it remains a valid part of promoting and growing their business. How can our services ensure that it does?
11. Tell me about your experience with statistics when it comes to customer surveys.
12. What do you believe is the biggest culprit of reputation crisis, today?
13. What are the advantages of hiring a public relations firm?
14. What tools are you familiar with when it comes to customer experience surveys?
15. How do you believe social media has changed the public affairs game?
16. Name some solutions for customer experience optimization.
17. What does the term 'people-powered data' mean to you?
18. The ability to write clearly and succinctly is critical when building public relations campaigns for Ipsos clients. How have you developed and strengthened your written communication skills through your prior work experiences?
19. When have you led a team in creating a new digital strategy campaign for your company or a client? What was the outcome?
20. As you may know, we help clients plan marketing strategies from start to finish. What do you believe are the critical stages of creating and implementing plans in digital strategy to ensure their success?
21. If you could only pick one area of focus to build on and connect with a target audience, what would it be, and why?
22. Research is an integral part of the brand development process. What is your analytical experience as it relates to brands?
23. Helping clients with their brand strategy is one of the first phases of brand development. How can your experience with brand strategies be of value when working with Ipsos clients?
24. Ipsos has worked with some of its clients on their content marketing strategy, which is an essential aspect of brand development. What role do you think content marketing plays in developing brands?
25. At Ipsos, we believe in learning from other companies' public relations campaigns, both positive and negative aspects of them. Can you talk about a campaign you have seen that taught you a lesson applicable for future campaigns?
26. Ipsos is looking for candidates who can handle crisis communications quickly and effectively. Do you have experience managing communications for a company during a crisis?
27. Do you have experience with designing and implementing customer experience programs?
28. When working with Ipsos clients, it is useful to have some understanding or experience with community relations. Tell us about your experiences in this area, a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.
29. Do you have experience presenting research and survey findings to groups of stakeholders?
30. Brand development is a continuous process. At Ipsos, we help our clients with brand tracking efforts. Describe your experience with the brand tracking process.

Ipsos North America Interview Questions

1. What are the benefits of customer journey mapping? Which part of their journey is the most critical?

2. What is the key to quickly developing trust with a company under crisis?

3. In your opinion, what would be the top three most important questions to ask in a customer survey?

4. In your opinion, what is the best practice for handling bad press?

5. Storytelling has become an essential part of connecting with audiences of all kinds, and using it to market to potential customers is no exception. How can we use big data to employ this tactic in a way that resonates with their audience?

6. Explain Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM).

7. Ipsos enhances its clients' brand identities by creating designs that will leave an impression in their audience's mind. Can you describe how you've have helped a client to connect with their audience using their visual identity?

8. Ipsos helps companies to build brand identities that accurately represent their core values while creating a lasting connection with their target audience. In your opinion, what is the best way to build a brand across digital platforms?

9. Have you ever trained a client on how to implement the data they receive in a customer survey?

10. A business owner often has multiple priorities and needs guidance on the upkeep of their digital presence, so it remains a valid part of promoting and growing their business. How can our services ensure that it does?

11. Tell me about your experience with statistics when it comes to customer surveys.

12. What do you believe is the biggest culprit of reputation crisis, today?

13. What are the advantages of hiring a public relations firm?

14. What tools are you familiar with when it comes to customer experience surveys?

15. How do you believe social media has changed the public affairs game?

16. Name some solutions for customer experience optimization.

17. What does the term 'people-powered data' mean to you?

18. The ability to write clearly and succinctly is critical when building public relations campaigns for Ipsos clients. How have you developed and strengthened your written communication skills through your prior work experiences?

19. When have you led a team in creating a new digital strategy campaign for your company or a client? What was the outcome?

20. As you may know, we help clients plan marketing strategies from start to finish. What do you believe are the critical stages of creating and implementing plans in digital strategy to ensure their success?

21. If you could only pick one area of focus to build on and connect with a target audience, what would it be, and why?

22. Research is an integral part of the brand development process. What is your analytical experience as it relates to brands?

23. Helping clients with their brand strategy is one of the first phases of brand development. How can your experience with brand strategies be of value when working with Ipsos clients?

24. Ipsos has worked with some of its clients on their content marketing strategy, which is an essential aspect of brand development. What role do you think content marketing plays in developing brands?

25. At Ipsos, we believe in learning from other companies' public relations campaigns, both positive and negative aspects of them. Can you talk about a campaign you have seen that taught you a lesson applicable for future campaigns?

26. Ipsos is looking for candidates who can handle crisis communications quickly and effectively. Do you have experience managing communications for a company during a crisis?

27. Do you have experience with designing and implementing customer experience programs?

28. When working with Ipsos clients, it is useful to have some understanding or experience with community relations. Tell us about your experiences in this area, a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.

29. Do you have experience presenting research and survey findings to groups of stakeholders?

30. Brand development is a continuous process. At Ipsos, we help our clients with brand tracking efforts. Describe your experience with the brand tracking process.