Metro Vancouver:
ICI Water Conservation
Market Research Project
The Challenge:
Help Metro Vancouver conduct market research to support the launch of an ambitious new program to promote water efficiency in the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sectors.
The Project:
Metro Vancouver delivers bulk water services to local authorities across the Lower Mainland. When planning a new initiative to help businesses voluntarily reduce the water they use, they came to us for assistance with market research and communication planning.
Working with our partner Metroline Research Group we started with a qualitative research component that involved three focus groups, conducted in downtown Vancouver with between four and six participants. Respondents were recruited from businesses selected by Metro Vancouver based on their water usage. The purpose was to test clients’ reception to the proposed service and the process. Key questions included:
- What will inspire clients to participate in efficiency programs?
- What would contribute to the success of the program?
- What are the real or perceived opportunities and barriers to changing technology and behaviour?
The Result:
Our report found that communicating effectively about this new program has some clear requirements and some difficult barriers. However, we were pleased to find that, overall, many businesses would be on-board. We went on to work with Metro Vancouver on a second phase of the project, which involved an online survey, designed to attain “proof of concept” from a wider audience.