We provide independent assessments of advertising campaigns using print, billboard and television executions. Advertisements have ranged from specific corporate or political campaigns designed to win support on a particular issue through to product, service or corporate image advertising.
Agriculture
We undertook the research that underpinned the largest corporate merger in New Zealand’s history. We have undertaken several studies on primary industry issues for the meat, dairy and animal health sectors.
Aged Care
We have conducted studies amongst elderly people about their preferred living environments and what services or facilities they consider most essential. UMR has conducted detailed market studies relating to retirement village complexes that include nursing hostels and a nursing home in addition to apartments tailored towards the specific needs of the elderly.
Airlines
We conduct ongoing tracking of airline favourability and have undertaken detailed research on airline ownership issues.
Banking
We have conducted studies for major banks on attitudes to a merger of two banks, corporate image, issues management and employee attitudes. UMR has also done research on lending products, stockbroking services and managed investments, particularly for high net worth individuals. See also Financial Services.
Beverage
We have worked on studies for the beer industry on branding and image. We also worked on the industry’s successful campaign against beer excise.
Broadcasting
We have conducted research into public attitudes and expectations of television broadcasting and levels of interest in television programmes and personalities. In New Zealand we have done extensive work for the major television network for many years.
Casinos
We have conducted ongoing customer satisfaction studies and issues management projects for casinos in a number of cities in Australia and New Zealand.
Central Government
We have undertaken a wide range of research covering stakeholder analysis, customer satisfaction, benchmarking and tracking to support strategic positioning for many government departments and agencies. We have also been called in by Ministers and senior public servants to research particularly sensitive issues and undertook the launch research and branding development for a major new entry into the New Zealand market.
Consumer
We have provided research to assess supermarket and competitor strengths, loyalty programmes and to advise on how to expand their reach among competitors. We have also conducted continuous tracking research for one of the world’s leading car manufacturers on new sales and after sales services, and have tracked favourability and brand attributes of petrol companies.
Community
Community consultation is a core area of our business and we have significant expertise researching community attitudes to commercial or government developments that may affect their local area.
Projects include community attitude studies towards new or expanded manufacturing or mining operations; new or extended motorways, tunnels and bridges and the vehicle emission stacks associated with tunnels; new transport services; building of new suburbs; and deepening of ports.
Culture
We provided the foundation research for the establishment and launch of Te Papa Tongarewa – the Museum of New Zealand and have conducted several studies on public perceptions of the New Zealand flag and Waitangi Day.
Education
We have conducted competitor analysis studies for tertiary institutions and stakeholder audits and diagnostic analysis for major educational institutions. We understand community expectations and satisfaction with both school and tertiary education. We regularly test education policies or proposed policies for a range of clients.
Energy
We have conducted research into energy issues for a number of corporates and industry associations. This has covered a wide range of topics including attitudes to different fuels for generating electricity, the greenhouse gas debate, energy supply for industry, alternative energy pricing models and attitudes to privatisation and deregulation of the energy industry.
Environment
Much of our corporate and community work involves research into perceived environmental impacts relating to the projects under consideration – how worried people are about them and how these concerns can be managed. Our work often explores the delicate balance between the need for jobs and a strong economy and preserving a pleasant and liveable environment.
We have also provided direction to communications strategies designed to influence public to take greater responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and recycling at an individual, community and organisational level and to inform energy conservation campaigns.
Financial Services
The financial services sector is one of UMR’s major areas of expertise.
We have worked for retail banks, investment banks, credit unions and insurance companies. We have also been the principal research agencies for one of the world’s major credit card companies for more than 12 years, conducting nearly all their product, customer and merchant relations, brand, promotions and advertising research. Also see Banking.
Health
We have tested many health policies and proposed policies and undertaken diagnostic research that looks in depth at public perceptions of the health system’s shortcomings and areas that need urgent attention. We have also undertaken research in sensitive areas such as with serious injury claimants.
Housing
UMR has undertaken qualitative research into housing tenure aspirations and attainment by age and income to provide an understanding of key drivers influencing declining home ownership rates.
Indigenous Research
UMR is one very few research companies which has a specialist indigenous researcher who covers aboriginals in Australia and Maoris and Pacific People in New Zealand. Many of the topics covered include education, indigenous media and sexual orientation.
Industry Associations
We work for a number of industry associations, exploring public opinion on matters crucial to their constituents.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is one of our core areas of business. This is because infrastructure projects are crucial to the communities around them, involve many millions of dollars of investment and are usually subject to government approval. UMR commonly researches both consumer patronage and the political acceptability of proposed projects. Examples in Australia include the Eastern Distributor, EastLink Victoria (Mitcham Frankston Freeway) and Fox Studios and in New Zealand the location of new power generation facilities.
We have also conducted broad attitudinal research into topics such as private investment in infrastructure and use of public debt to fund infrastructure development.
Insurance
UMR has extensive experience particularly in the accident insurance area. We were also involved in a large hostile takeover of an insurance company.
Local government
We have worked for local councils around Australia including major city councils in Sydney and Brisbane and for Greater Wellington in New Zealand.
Our research includes resident satisfaction studies with council performance as a whole and specific services such as waste collection, road maintenance, processing of development applications, attitudes toward environmental and economic development and on the future of major recreational facilities. We have also assisted councils with management of major projects, including council mergers in central Sydney and gauging public attitudes towards proposed major public or private developments that will have a big impact on a specific LGA. UMR has also played a key role in several major mayoral election campaigns.
Media
We have worked for a range of print and electronic media clients providing research on public perceptions of their products as well as specific news topics. Also see Broadcasting.
Public relations
We have worked alongside many of Australasia’s leading public relations companies providing objective and detailed findings on which they develop strategic communications and lobbying campaigns.
Resources
We have worked for a number of major mining and resource processing companies to explore community attitudes to their existing operations, proposed expansions or new facilities.
Retail Shareholders
We have worked on a number of multi-billion dollar takeovers and mergers, assessing the reactions of retail shareholders, their propensity to vote for or against the transaction and the effectiveness of communications messages in influencing their opinion and behaviour.
Small Business
UMR often researches the attitudes of small business owners as part of a larger study. We occasionally conduct studies specifically targeting this audience, such as attitudes to credit card processing facilities and how they adapted to the GST.
Social Marketing
We have been involved in several successful campaigns designed to change public behaviour patterns ranging from energy conservation to saving for retirement to public responses to biosecurity incursions.
Social Marketing
We have been involved in several successful campaigns designed to change public behaviour patterns ranging from energy conservation to saving for retirement to public responses to biosecurity incursions.
Sports
We have undertaken research for national sports organisations in New Zealand to inform their commercial strategies and improve their services in the professionally demanding world of competitive sport. We have also worked with clients in Australia to maximise the commercial benefits from large sport sponsorships such as the 2000 Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Telecommunications
We conduct ongoing favourability tracking of New Zealand telecommunications companies and undertake corporate image and issues management research for major telecommunications companies. In Australia we have conducted research into attitudes to telecommunications companies with a focus on long distance and international calls.
Transport
UMR has extensive experience across the transport sector. We have researched many of the major motorways and tunnels in NSW and Victoria at feasibility and operational stages. We have worked on a number of rail and light rail projects, including some “Very Fast Train” proposals. In addition, many of our broader projects include some evaluation of local transport.
In New Zealand, we have researched land transport safety issues, vehicle emissions control and for international airports covering issues management and customer satisfaction.
Treaty of Waitangi
We have undertaken extensive research into levels of understanding of and interest in the Treaty of Waitangi among the general public in New Zealand.
Unions
We have undertaken a wide range of research for unions on members’ services and future positioning including a nationwide study on attitudes towards Australia’s centralised industrial relations system.
Utilities
Essential service infrastructure such as water and electricity have featured directly and indirectly in many UMR studies. Topics have included privatisation of power services, community attitudes to current services, how demand could be controlled because of environmental factors or supply shortages, attitudes to desalination and water recycling, and neighbourhood attitudes to the expansion of electricity transmission lines.
Voluntary sector
We have undertaken projects for international relief and aid agencies on donor member motivation. We have also conducted reputation research amongst members of the donating public and volunteers for a major Australian charity in a crisis situation.
