Kantar believes that results should be measured to determine the success of marketing efforts. What are some key performance metrics you look at to decide whether marketing efforts have fallen short of, met, or exceeded expectations?

"Typical KPIs that should be measured to show whether a campaign has been successful or not are the value of spend, lead counts and source quality, the value of sales before, after and during the campaign, profit, and return on investment."

The interviewer wants to know about your knowledge of common key performance indicators across the marketing industry and how they should be understood regarding a successful or unsuccessful marketing campaign. Answer by listing the key performance metrics that are usually tracked during marketing campaigns.Do not provide specific metric numbers from your current or last position. Be general by naming the metric rather than providing numbers which may be confidential, or more information than what the interviewer needs.

"KPIs can vary based on campaigns. If your main focus is to grow an audience, for example, it's important to look at growth in numbers of followers, engagements on social media and blog posts, referrals, and new email list subscribers."

"KPIs can vary based on campaigns, however, generally, I'd say that ROI is an important KPI on all campaigns. My background is in social media marketing and so KPIs I have used a lot prior include followers, engagement rate, likes, comments, shares, page views, and reach. However, if you were looking at the performance of an email marketing campaign you would want to look at click-through rate, unsubscribe rate, and open rate."

How did you prepare for this interview?

"I am well versed in what Kantar offers and have spoken with a couple of my friends who have worked with your organization in the past, on the client side. I have prepared a fresh and updated portfolio of my work for you today. Also, I reviewed the job description in full, and I have a couple of questions prepared, which I would like to discuss at the end of our meeting if time allows."

Kantar is a worldwide, leading organization with over 30,000 team members. For this reason, they need to know that you genuinely want this job. They want to hear the steps that you took to prepare for your interview today. The wrong answer is that you are winging it! Even if you did not have a lot of time to prep for the meeting, or it was a last-minute booking, chances are you still took the time to search the company online or read through the job description. You can be brief and quickly touch on the ways that you prepared for the meeting.

"Your organization is one that I have had my eye on for some time now. I am well aware of Kantar's history and took some time this week to get to know your services. I feel well prepared for our meeting today."

"I was already familiar with what Kantar offers, however, I did further research into the company. I also spoke with a friend who worked for Kantar in the past doing the same graduate role."

Is compensation the most crucial factor for you when taking a new job?

"Salary is important to me because I know that I am skilled and well educated. With that said, I do look at the full picture which includes factors such as benefits and the amount of paid vacation time."

The interviewer would like to know how much emphasis you put on pay when considering a new position. In addition to compensation, there are many other factors in a fulfilling career. These other factors may include:- work/life balance - amount of travel involved in the role - overall medical and health benefits - additional perks such as car allowance, cell allowance, spending account - the industry you will be working in - amount of vacation time - the type of clients you would be working with - the location of the company - career growth opportunity - the size of your new team - the company's reputation - overall workplace cultureTalk to the interviewer about other factors that are important to you when considering a new job. If you are not sure on details for this role, you can ask!

"Several factors are important to me when taking a job. Compensation is a driving component but so is the company mission, culture, benefits, and location. I am looking to have an easier commute than I currently experience."

"Salary is an important factor, however, I also consider other benefits such as holiday days and hybrid working. It is also important to me that the work I am doing is impactful, and valued and that I am learning new things."

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?'."

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."

"I think the questions that offer the most insight would be "What can we do better?" "Would you recommend us?" and "How did you find out about us?"

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."

"I don't have a huge amount of real-world experience with customer journey mapping outside of learning the four stages during my studies however I would say that based on my studies the most critical point is the awareness and interest stage. The benefit of customer journey mapping is that you can experience how the customer interacts with your company at all stages and see where to improve this experience and where the most sales are abandoned."

Can you describe a time a client required a customized marketing solution, your role in the process of creating and deploying it, and any collaborative efforts involved?

"Yes, I was an Account Manager to a client that wanted to measure and compare critical metrics from different sources. We reviewed the features on all of the tools we had at the time, but none allowed us to see all the data in one place. I explained the problem to our analysts on staff who found a way to pull raw files that contained the data from our system. They automated a process where it would regularly transfer and sort into Excel. They also created an easy interface where I or any basic Excel user could access and manipulate the data. After they created the tool, I tested it with them for two weeks to make sure it was working correctly. I then shared it with our client, and we were able to use it throughout their campaign."

The interviewer asks this question to understand your level of experience with selecting or creating the right marketing technology for a client's needs. From your answer, they'll try to determine if you already have skills that will allow you to immediately be an asset to them in this area of their process.To answer this question, you should first confirm that you have experienced working with a client that required a custom solution in the past. In summarized detail, you should explain what your role in the client's project was, their technology need, and how you determined that it would require a custom solution. You should concisely explain who else was involved in building the solution - analysts, developers, or third party vendors for example. Finally, tell how you were able to test the solution and successfully roll it out for use with the client.Avoid discussing projects where you had minimal involvement or focus on team efforts saying 'we' when referring to action taken. Say 'I' and talk about your direct participation in a project. The interviewer wants to hear about your contribution and expertise.

"Yes, my current employer has clients that need to track audience engagement on their website and social pages. As a Marketing Coordinator, I work with admin duties like maintaining the systems they've selected to track results. When clients want to add or subtract features to suit their needs, I read through program FAQs or contact the software program helpdesks to walk me through the configuration of the features. I'm continually responsible for reporting and ensuring the reports allow us to see results in the way the clients prefer based on their feedback."

Kantar believes that for visitors to have an enjoyable experience on a website or an app, its functions and formatting should be human-centric. How does this tie into the big picture when it comes to digital strategy?

"The experience on a company's digital platforms needs to be human-centric and designed to fit in with the customer's needs. I know this from experience because I've seen campaigns where a company placed a lot of focus on collateral or different kinds of content, but when the customers made it to the website, whether because it was unattractive or they couldn't figure out how to use it, they quickly lost interest. When sufficient thought isn't given to matching the target audience's preferences to a digital platform's functionality and feel, it can contradict all other messaging and branding that's been convincing until this point. They lose trust or become confused, and this causes them not to go to the next step. In this situation, the final result for the company is negative, and they suffer a loss in sales."

Your answer to this question will help the interviewer see into your philosophy behind user experience, its impact, and the importance in digital strategy. First, tell the interviewer how your beliefs in user experience align with the companies digital strategy. Then explain exactly how it complements other areas of the strategy as well as the direct impact it makes.

"Website and app experiences that are designed with customers in mind are an essential part of digital strategy. The online platform may be the first or only place where the customer gathers an impression of a company, then decides whether or not to make a purchase. When user experience is well-planned, the website or app can become a place of comfort for the customer and allows them to feel connected with the brand. It also makes decisions easy for the customer. Being able to intuitively navigate a site to learn about product details and pricing, for example, or seamlessly follow calls to action and complete purchases lowers the resistance and pushes sales to the finish line. Finally, the positive experience creates new opportunities because happy customers often return and refer others."

Tell me about one area of business-to-business market research that can be done to help improve a company's revenue and profitability?

"One area of focus that has created a lot of interest for businesses in recent years has been environmental regulation. Due to clean air and similar initiatives, many companies have been forced to change product composition and production practices. Market research helps the companies look for alternatives as changes are being made, and identifies the demand for new regulation-friendly products that can be created to meet the needs of an evolving industry. Besides helping with identifying, pricing, and sourcing cost-effective new materials and methods to continue producing products, companies also reap the benefits of being able to advertise newly improved, environment-friendly products. In many cases, this attracts a new genre of consumers that are highly conscientious and often willing to spend more. This can even reposition a brand's reputation in terms of product quality and justify increased pricing."

To answer this question, think of a specific element that businesses can control or react to that affect their bottom line. This can include market data like location, material costs and availability, and sector trends and regulatory changes, for example.

"An example of areas where market research can make a direct impact relates to overhead costs and fair market values for goods or labor. These cover a broad field of interest and can include research on pricing for material, production, even salaries and payscale for industry and locale. Without having conducted proper research beforehand, a company may not be able to set realistic expectations in these areas and many others which can negatively affect spending, business operating income, ability to generate revenue, and ultimately profitability."

We often conduct large scale research projects for entire industries and produces periodical reports for widespread distribution. How have you leveraged data from such reporting and for what purpose within your field?

"A time I've used data from industry reports was during a time that a significant economic slowdown was predicted across industries. Needing to know how it would affect my sector in electronics, I paid close attention to data on tightening credit, a pending increase in tariffs on manufactured goods and components being imported from countries in Asia, and consumer confidence. I knew this information would set the pace for my entire company and within my line of business, we prepared by decreasing expectations for hiring, supplies, and avoidable spending. We also generated creative new cost-conscious programs to cater to the conservative frame of mind we expected our customers to be in for a period to come."

To answer this question, first explain that industry reports provide insights on topics like major trends within an industry, leading ideas, technology, and economic highs or lows. Since this information is meant to help set the pace for a certain period and provide guidance for all companies within a segment, you can explain how it helped you contribute from within your business unit toward overall company goals.

"As a leader in a national retail company, I've found industrial market research reporting to be helpful in terms of helping an entire business conduct long-term planning. Sure, there are those snippets of information that are particularly important to specific departments within a business. However, I've found that it's more effective for the executive team to digest this information in a series of brainstorming sessions that lay the foundations for cross-departmental strategies to be built. The product management, IT, marketing, and sales groups can review the insights and data released, then leverage available resources on each team to accomplish large undertakings like product line changes, customer perception resets, and other necessary adjustments to prepare for the near future."

Reporting and analytics are crucial for Kantar to monitor and gauge results and demonstrate ROI to clients. Give an example of a client report you've created, and how the data from that report helped you to plan the next steps of their campaign.

"One of my client's goals was to increase the number of purchases completed through their website. They had no clear direction on how to do it. I added a sophisticated analytics tool to the back end of their website to see where traffic on their website was originating from, and to analyze the behavior of customers from the different sources. After compiling the data for a set time, I put it into a simple format to allow my client to see two metrics: Traffic Sources and Completed Sales. This report helped us to realize that most visitors that made purchases came from one social media site, so we decided to increase the budget for paid advertising there to reach more potential customers."

Here, the interviewer wants to make sure that you understand the importance of measuring and delivering results to clients who need a return on their investment, and that at some point, you've been responsible for monitoring and reporting on activities and outcomes. They also want to see if you are an analytical thinker, how you react to data, and what kind of data you're most familiar with.You can answer by providing an example of a report you've created to track and show marketing activities, and critical results. You may choose to tell them about reporting on a campaign that was successful or not and explain adjustments you made for increased success.

"I'm usually working with a number of clients who are on similar programs at the same time. The repetition in these programs allows me to suggest the most useful KPIs that they'll want to see every week. For these clients, I find it efficient to pull high-level reports from our system that include website and blog traffic, click-thru rates, and other data to compare week-over-week results. We have quick calls with them to review every Friday and dig further into the data, what's caused fluctuations of any activity and if needed, adjust our course of action."

"I would conduct monthly analytics reports when I was a freelance social media manager and use this data to adjust our strategy for example as video content was performing better we tailored our strategy to create more video content. I also would conduct weekly analytics reports at _____ to do the same thing."

The customer avatar is key to building the right audiences for Kantar clients. How do you collect data needed to create an ideal customer profile, then determine the strategy for targeting prospective customers that are a match?

"When creating an ideal customer profile, I review analytics from my client's website, app, and CRM to see what kinds of people have purchased or shown interest in purchasing from them. I hone in on customers that have the best buying habits or potential, finding out more about where they're live and work, income range, and other demographics. I take note of any trends or similarities among this group of customers. I may conduct surveys or interviews within my targeted demographic to further understand their motivations. This all helps me to craft a customer avatar, which becomes my center of a strategy for deciding on platforms, messaging, and promotions."

The interviewer would like to uncover your experience with identifying, advertising to, and creating a following of potential customers.You need to explain how you determine what kind of people would be interested in your clients' product or services, and why. Your answer should explain how you research information including demographics, location, educational or professional backgrounds, their challenges, and their goals. When it comes to targeting, you'll need to explain how you know where your customer avatar shops, the platforms they use most frequently, and how they make purchases. Do not refer to customer profiles or targeting strategies you've implemented using data that came from third-party research. The interviewer wants to know how you conduct research and planning on your own.

"In the past, I've had to create a customer avatar for a client that had no previous sales but was competing against existing businesses. To do this, I purchased market data to find out who my client's competitors and their customers where. I found out what those customers' challenges and goals were. I looked into data on spending habits, and conducted polls, often incentivizing participants so I could discover shortcomings in competitors' offerings. Using this information, seasonal, and demographic data, I came up with a target customer profile and put together a timely campaign to reach them with language that would appeal to their desire for a solution that would ultimately fulfill their needs."

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 presentation 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."

"Yes, I have experience presenting the analytics reports I conducted each week/month back to clients."

What is an example of a market segment you've worked on in the past and how did it help the campaign you were working on?

"Market segmentation is all about organizing statistical data on potential customers for targeting. There are many different areas to focus on but an especially important area to consider is demographics like gender, location, education level, and various others. I worked on a campaign where we were marketing trendy handbags and had to ensure that I understood the group of people that would be interested in them, where they shopped, their preferred price range, how they'd use the product, and more. All of the demographic information gathered to create the segment helped me to decide on the right style, places, and times to market to the audience. It also prevented me from advertising to people that would likely not be interested in the products."

Your interviewer will be listening for your expertise in this common area of marketing. To answer, you should briefly explain what the market segment is and how you put segmentation into action. While segmentation is essentially profiling, avoid providing any examples that might include sensitive or potentially offensive statistics that could make anyone uncomfortable.

"An example of a market segment that I've worked on involved identifying customers based on what stage of the decision-making process they were in. This was funnel segmentation. I worked to identify the point in time when potential customers give off a buying signal. To do this, I had to sort through all kinds of data to know if the customer wanted to move to the next step, what brought them to this point and how to encourage them onto the next step. Using this information to pinpoint characteristic behaviors, potential reasons for conversions, and reasons they may not convert, I was able to recognize work with programming to activate a sequence on our website that would commence after detecting these signals and facilitate the completion of purchases."

Tell me about your statistical expertise 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. There are a few ways to analyze statistics, so be sure to discuss your approach.

"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 Kantar. The bulk of my experience at this point comes from multiple case studies I took part in while attending university."

Kantar helps companies to establish an important aspect of their overall marketing strategy: positioning. How have you helped with a company's positioning strategy in the past?

"I once worked with a company that was not seeing any benefit from their marketing efforts. When I reviewed their ads, I noticed that they were sending unclear messages and thought this might be the reason. They offered so many services that it was hard to understand what they were about. Trying to market all of them at once was difficult for them and confusing to their potential customers. I decided that instead of focusing on the many services, the company should take the customer-centric position and become the known problem-solver within their niche. After understanding who my client's ideal customer was, we worked to get a single message to them. The message was that my client understood their problems and knew how to help. Customers were attracted to this message and would contact my client when they wanted help. My client, in turn, was able to sell various services to them that would in fact help through a consultative process. This was a lot more effective than putting out ads with long lists of offerings which were not compelling at face value."

The interviewer asks this question with the intent of finding out if you understand what positioning is and if you have worked on positioning initiatives during your career. Assuming that you have, briefly describe the situation, what the positioning strategy was, and the outcome. If you don't have an example from your own experience, you can confirm that you understand the idea of positioning and provide an example.Positioning is often a part of the big picture when marketing a company, so when you answer be careful not to include too many other details that will distract from what the specific positioning strategy might have been.

"I have not been part of creating a positioning strategy, but I know that positioning is essential to establishing a brand's place in the market and differentiating it from the rest. For example, a new automotive brand can stake its claim in the market by positioning against a well-known competitor. The first thing this does is allow people to remember the new brand by associating it with a name they're already familiar with. The second thing it can do is remind the audience of weak points of the well-known brand, proposing to be different or better on those points. Finally, by positioning against a competitor that already has market share, a company can quickly earn the business of some of the existing company's unhappy customers instead of having to emerge from anonymity independently."

Performing market research helps us determine the direction a company should take to promote their products and services. What is a crucial point within this scope that research uncovers?

"One key point that can be considered while conducting and assessing market research is the position a brand already has from the consumer's point of view. This information is important because a company can build an entire campaign aimed at capitalizing on this position. This can mean building on already established roots to solidify market share and disqualifying any competition from occupying the same slot. Understanding the customer's perspective of a brand also provides opportunities to strengthen the bond between them and the company, as well as seek out new, similar customers with similar mindsets and needs."

There are many strategic decisions, and tiers of elements within them, that can be based on data gathered during market research. With a broad range of information in mind, your answer should include an example of a birds-eye-view conclusion that becomes the foundation or main driver behind a campaign.

"Market research is great at helping a company before they build or launch a new product because it can show if there is any place or demand for it before determining investment. For example, if your product is similar to one that's already available to consumers, what would make them elect a new product over the one they're already familiar with? Market research can tell you if they aren't satisfied with the prices, packaging, quality, or other aspects of the product that you can improve upon. Not only can the offering be conceptualized into something more attractive at this stage, but a strong value proposition to go to market with can be developed."

In digital strategy, a company should perform audits of their business' online space to identify ways to get started or assess current performance. How can we ensure Kantar service is of utmost value to its clients?

"When working with a client that is trying to figure out why their online traffic has declined or struggled to pick up in the first place, we first want to understand what their company's core offering is, what their desired results are, and what they've been doing so far to achieve them. The first step will be to assess their current strategy - find out what's working, and what isn't. A number of tools can be implemented to measure their website, online ranking, traffic and conversion history. Next will be a comparison of their results to competitors', and finally, we'll look for opportunities being missed by the client and within their space in general. Our goal should be not to overwhelm the client with data, but to provide them with concise, actionable feedback. Simplifying the findings and planning process for the customer will help them to achieve a better, more immediate impact post-audit."

Show that you have an understanding of research and strategy audits, what their purpose is, and how a company can benefit most from them. When answering this question, you'll not only explain how to ensure the auditing service will provide value, but will also touch on what the client's result will be.

"When working with a client planning to enter the marketplace, an audit helps a company to develop and launch their product in the best possible way. This audit should help them to create a highly targeted marketing plan to drive sales more quickly and recoup startup and initial investment costs. For example, as you perform an audit for a client preparing to launch their business in a particular niche, you should conduct keyword and demographic research to understand its consumers and their demands. This helps the client understand what messages they need to send to their audience to advertise their services, where they should advertise, and uncovers consumer needs that aren't being met by other providers already. Your client can also use this information and further tweak their product or service to stand out as different and better position themselves against their competition."

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 research space can streamline these needs. They're knowledgeable and come with best practices to execute needed research, surveys, 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 research 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."

If you could only pick one area of focus for your clients 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 company values is a significant 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. This finding 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."

This question is one where your answer will likely not be considered right or wrong, but it will give your interviewer insight into your thought process, your decision-making abilities, and how you lead your clients to connect with their audience.

"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."

What is an example of a small detail that can make a big difference in marketing?

"One small detail that makes a difference when marketing a product is color. Whether it's through online advertising or the packaging it comes in, it plays a large part in helping customers get the essence of the product before they try it. For example, if a company is marketing grape soda, I would advise them to make the packaging a shade of purple that is commonly associated with grapes. If the grape soda comes in an orange package, this will repel grade soda lovers. First of all, they may not even notice the grape soda in the orange package since grape soda is seldom if never, associated with the color orange. Next, if they notice the grape soda in the orange package, they may suspect it won't taste like grape. They'll likely err on the side of caution and pass on the product. This is an example of how something small is a big deal and can be the difference between product selling or being ignored."

Answer this question with a conclusion from marketing studies, or try answering with an example from your direct experience. You can talk about colors, shapes, packaging materials, and other appearance-based elements that sway consumer decisions about products. The preferred response will involve something tangible that influences consumers after interacting with products by seeing, hearing, or touching.

"Some studies show that attention to aesthetic detail can change the experience that a customer believes they'll have with a product. There was once a study where the same hand lotion was given out as free samples on two different websites without any mention of its brand or quality. It was of mid-grade quality and packaged in a simple white and black tube. One website that offered it was elegantly designed for luxury shoppers, and the other was designed as a closeout site for discount shoppers. When surveyed on the samples, customers that received the sample from the luxury site described its packaging as modern with clean lines, and they reported that the product itself was light and refreshing. By contrast, customers that received the sample from the discount site reported that the packaging looked dull and that the product itself was watery. This study was proof that the websites' appearances had a lasting influence on the customers' perceptions and whether they believed that they'd received a high-quality or sub-par product."

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 Kantar."

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 an audience will relate to. 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. Your answer should primarily focus on how to use the data to contribute to the process.

"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 is a human-centric, problem-solving approach 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."

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."

What are some free and paid tools you've used to conduct market research and how have they been helpful?

"I have used tools like the Metrostudy database, as well as purchased lists from research agencies to gather important information about the market I'm working in like area income level, family size, and home sales data. As far as free resources, I've collected information from local municipalities to review trends in the market including customer insights and sales information, and have collected information organically through conducting surveys during events like open houses to get a pulse on the local market."

Your answer may vary by industry, but the purpose of this question is to determine your experience with specific market research platforms and finding ways to research outside of them, or independently. You can name paid and free platforms or sources you've used to gather information about products and your audience.Don't forget to study the job description so that in your interview, you can list any tools the company says are helpful in the role you're interviewing for. If you are familiar with a tool but don't mention it, they may assume that you don't have any experience in that area.

"While conducting market research for the automotive industry, I've extracted data from and used competing platforms like Nielsen, and IHS. Some of this data was paid for by the company and received on a subscription basis, and other information could be obtained through free industry publications. With information from one or just a few platforms in some cases, I can understand market trends, pricing, and put together projections without having to piece together data from a large number of sources. This makes getting organized and formulating a strategy for my campaign more efficient."

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 Kantar and learning more about how to help my clients create programs and tweak their services to reflect better what their customers are saying."

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 Kantar? 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 Kantar 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 Kantar."

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."

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. Kantar 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 your service and that of your biggest competitor. Also, segmenting your offering and advertising. Next, continually evaluating the capabilities of your organization while immediately repairing any identified gaps."

What marketing tools do you work with regularly and how do you stay current on development updates and new product releases?

"I've worked on CRMs like Salesforce and SAP, and other proprietary programs. I'm also very familiar with Wordpress, and content automation services like Buffer and Social Pilot. I take time out to review product release emails I receive to stay aware of new features in the programs I use regularly. I read new tool reviews on blog posts that I come across while researching new solutions for my clients. I also watch at least one video per week on my free time about marketing strategy; this is another way to hear about new tools and tricks this."

Your interviewer wants to know how familiar you are with the industry's applications. They also want to know if you intentionally stay up-to-date on new programs, tools, and product developments.You can list the most popular tools you currently work with or have worked with in the past, and mention whether you have worked on proprietary systems. Mention any skills with less common programs that are in demand. Avoid mentioning programs that you haven't worked with for 3-5+ years, or any system you aren't comfortable enough to have a user-level technical discussion about. Also, don't mention proprietary systems by name unless they were built on a well-known framework where your knowledge could transfer.

"Currently, I'm working in a number of customer relationship databases, design tools for content creation, content management system, marketing automation, and analytics tools. I follow industry leader newsletters, listen to podcasts, and occasionally visit tradeshows to stay on top of upcoming technologies in my field."

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 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 Kantar."

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 Kantar 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 Kantar as well."

Kantar Operations Interview Questions

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1. Kantar believes that results should be measured to determine the success of marketing efforts. What are some key performance metrics you look at to decide whether marketing efforts have fallen short of, met, or exceeded expectations?
2. How did you prepare for this interview?
3. Is compensation the most crucial factor for you when taking a new job?
4. In your opinion, what would be the top three most important questions to ask in a customer survey?
5. What are the benefits of customer journey mapping? Which part of their journey is the most critical?
6. Can you describe a time a client required a customized marketing solution, your role in the process of creating and deploying it, and any collaborative efforts involved?
7. Kantar believes that for visitors to have an enjoyable experience on a website or an app, its functions and formatting should be human-centric. How does this tie into the big picture when it comes to digital strategy?
8. Tell me about one area of business-to-business market research that can be done to help improve a company's revenue and profitability?
9. We often conduct large scale research projects for entire industries and produces periodical reports for widespread distribution. How have you leveraged data from such reporting and for what purpose within your field?
10. Reporting and analytics are crucial for Kantar to monitor and gauge results and demonstrate ROI to clients. Give an example of a client report you've created, and how the data from that report helped you to plan the next steps of their campaign.
11. The customer avatar is key to building the right audiences for Kantar clients. How do you collect data needed to create an ideal customer profile, then determine the strategy for targeting prospective customers that are a match?
12. Do you have experience presenting research and survey findings to groups of stakeholders?
13. What is an example of a market segment you've worked on in the past and how did it help the campaign you were working on?
14. Tell me about your statistical expertise when it comes to customer surveys.
15. Kantar helps companies to establish an important aspect of their overall marketing strategy: positioning. How have you helped with a company's positioning strategy in the past?
16. Performing market research helps us determine the direction a company should take to promote their products and services. What is a crucial point within this scope that research uncovers?
17. In digital strategy, a company should perform audits of their business' online space to identify ways to get started or assess current performance. How can we ensure Kantar service is of utmost value to its clients?
18. 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?
19. If you could only pick one area of focus for your clients to build on and connect with a target audience, what would it be, and why?
20. What is an example of a small detail that can make a big difference in marketing?
21. Do you have experience with designing and implementing customer experience programs?
22. 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?
23. When have you led a team in creating a new digital strategy campaign for your company or a client? What was the outcome?
24. What are some free and paid tools you've used to conduct market research and how have they been helpful?
25. Have you ever trained a client on how to implement the data they receive in a customer survey?
26. What tools are you familiar with when it comes to customer experience surveys?
27. What does the term 'people-powered data' mean to you?
28. Name some solutions for customer experience optimization.
29. What marketing tools do you work with regularly and how do you stay current on development updates and new product releases?
30. Explain Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM).

Kantar Operations Interview Questions

1. Kantar believes that results should be measured to determine the success of marketing efforts. What are some key performance metrics you look at to decide whether marketing efforts have fallen short of, met, or exceeded expectations?

2. How did you prepare for this interview?

3. Is compensation the most crucial factor for you when taking a new job?

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

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

6. Can you describe a time a client required a customized marketing solution, your role in the process of creating and deploying it, and any collaborative efforts involved?

7. Kantar believes that for visitors to have an enjoyable experience on a website or an app, its functions and formatting should be human-centric. How does this tie into the big picture when it comes to digital strategy?

8. Tell me about one area of business-to-business market research that can be done to help improve a company's revenue and profitability?

9. We often conduct large scale research projects for entire industries and produces periodical reports for widespread distribution. How have you leveraged data from such reporting and for what purpose within your field?

10. Reporting and analytics are crucial for Kantar to monitor and gauge results and demonstrate ROI to clients. Give an example of a client report you've created, and how the data from that report helped you to plan the next steps of their campaign.

11. The customer avatar is key to building the right audiences for Kantar clients. How do you collect data needed to create an ideal customer profile, then determine the strategy for targeting prospective customers that are a match?

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

13. What is an example of a market segment you've worked on in the past and how did it help the campaign you were working on?

14. Tell me about your statistical expertise when it comes to customer surveys.

15. Kantar helps companies to establish an important aspect of their overall marketing strategy: positioning. How have you helped with a company's positioning strategy in the past?

16. Performing market research helps us determine the direction a company should take to promote their products and services. What is a crucial point within this scope that research uncovers?

17. In digital strategy, a company should perform audits of their business' online space to identify ways to get started or assess current performance. How can we ensure Kantar service is of utmost value to its clients?

18. 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?

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

20. What is an example of a small detail that can make a big difference in marketing?

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

22. 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?

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

24. What are some free and paid tools you've used to conduct market research and how have they been helpful?

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

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

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

28. Name some solutions for customer experience optimization.

29. What marketing tools do you work with regularly and how do you stay current on development updates and new product releases?

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