Author Archives: Angeline Martin

About Angeline Martin

As Marketing Manager, Angeline has more than 20 years of marketing management experience. She holds a BA (hons) Business Studies degree, specialising in marketing, from the University of Ulster. A Chartered Marketer, Angeline is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

  1. Insight-Led Strategy for Restaurant Brands

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    In a world where every restaurant is on Instagram and every takeaway has an app, it’s harder than ever for marketing managers to cut through the digital noise and reach customers effectively. 

    How can a restaurant be seen, heard, and remembered by the right customers, on the right platforms, at the right time?

    That’s where working with a market research agency that offers both quantitative and qualitative insight makes a difference.

    Our approach blends online surveys with in-depth interviews and on-the-ground research – including surveys conducted around your restaurant’s physical location. This local insight is often overlooked, but it can be the key to unlocking relevant marketing strategies.

    For example, footfall surveys conducted near your venue during peak hours can reveal who your potential customers are, what they’re doing nearby, and how likely they are to engage with local offers. Are they office workers on lunch breaks? Students looking for deals? Tourists browsing for somewhere authentic to eat? These in-person insights can feed directly into your digital strategy – shaping how you target them.

    Quantitative research tells you what’s happening. We run surveys that identify your core customer segments, track digital channel usage, and pinpoint which platforms are most effective. Are your target customers scrolling Instagram at lunchtime or looking for dinner deals via Google search? We’ll find out.

    Qualitative interviews uncover the why – why they prefer one delivery app over another, why they follow some resyaurants on Instagram and ignore others. Including local street-level surveys brings it all together with real-world context.

    Understanding your audience from street to screen, means you’ll spend your budget more effectively. To find out more, please get in touch.

  2. Continuing Our Commitment to Employee Wellbeing with Follow-Up Well Checks

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    At CARD Group Research & Insight, we believe that wellbeing is not a one-time effort, but an ongoing commitment. Following the very positive feedback from our team last year, in our employee survey, we were pleased to continue to work with Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS).  This year, we offered a second round of Well Checks as part of the NICHS Work Well Live Well programme.

    Our team’s interest in last year’s health screenings made it clear that these checks provided value, not just through the insights each employee gained, but in the conversations they started around personal health and lifestyle. This year’s follow-up Well Checks offered employees another opportunity to monitor key health indicators such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, helping them stay informed and proactive about their wellbeing.

    This year’s checks were delivered by Laura Gordon from NICHS. Her professional, approachable manner put everyone at ease and encouraged one-to-one discussions. Employees were able to track changes since their last screening, reflect on progress, and receive personalised lifestyle advice tailored to their individual needs.

    Our team members have shared how these checks have helped them stay motivated to make healthier choices, from improving sleep habits, to being more mindful of diet and stress.

    As our Wellbeing Champion, Roxy Thompson, said “The follow-up Well Checks have been a fantastic way to keep health and wellbeing front of mind for our team. It’s been great to see colleagues think more about their health and ask questions to improve their health.”

    To learn more about how your organisation can benefit from the Work Well Live Well programme, visit the NICHS website.

  3. How Market Research Gives a Restaurant a Competitive Edge

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    Opening a restaurant involves more than developing a great menu or hiring the right team. Without a clear understanding of the market – customers, competitors, and environment – even well-executed concepts can underperform.

    At CARD Group Research & Insight, we work with restaurant brands to build that market understanding through structured, data-driven market research. The result? Clear insights that support evidence based decisions around pricing, positioning, marketing, and menu development.

    Why Market Research Matters in the Restaurant Industry

    Market research helps restaurant brands to reduce risk and identify opportunities by thoroughly understanding customers. It provides answers to key questions:

    • Who are the target customers, and what are their preferences?

    • What are the prevailing trends in the local dining landscape?

    • Which competitors operate nearby, and how do they position themselves?

    • What gaps exist in the market?

    With reliable data, marketing teams are better equipped to design customer-focused experiences, refine the offering, and allocate resources effectively.

    A Practical Framework for Restaurant Market Research

    Our recommended approach to restaurant market research follows five core steps:

    1. Define the Objectives

    Begin with clear, specific research goals. For example, a client may want to test demand for a new cuisine style, evaluate pricing sensitivity, or understand what drives repeat visits. Clear objectives ensure the research efforts are focused and actionable.

    2. Understand Market Conditions

    Market conditions include local demographics, lifestyle habits and dining preferences.

    3. Develop a Targeted Marketing Strategy

    With insight into a client’s ideal customer, we support the development of marketing plans that align with customer behaviours and expectations. This includes messaging, channel selection (e.g., social media, local advertising, events), and brand positioning that reflects the value proposition.

    5. Test the Concept

    Before making major investments, pilot testing helps validate ideas. Whether it’s a new menu item, pricing model, or promotional strategy, testing on a small scale lets a client collect feedback, refine the offer, and scale with greater confidence.

    Market Research Tools

    Our research methods include surveys and focus groups to discover prospective customer wants and needs.

    Ongoing Insight for Long-Term Growth

    Market research isn’t a one-time task—it’s a continuous process that supports adaptability in a dynamic industry. As customer expectations evolve and new trends emerge, staying connected to the market through reliable research enables a client to respond quickly and maintain a competitive position.

    At CARD Group research & Insight, we offer tailored research services for restaurants at any stage – from concept development to growth planning. Our clients range from national chains to multinational chains. 

    We bring structure, insight, and clarity to our client’s strategic decision-making. If you would like to find out more about our market research services for restaurants, take aways and cafes, please get in touch.

  4. Improving Customer Retention & Loyalty through Market Research

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    Customer retention is a top priority for banks, but keeping customers loyal in an increasingly competitive market is no small task. With more choice than ever, customers can easily switch banks for better interest rates, digital services, or personalised experiences. To strengthen customer relationships, banks need to understand what keeps customers engaged – and what drives them away. This is where market research becomes critical.

    Identifying Customer Pain Points

    Market research helps to uncover the reasons customers leave. It could be poor customer service, lack of personalised offers, or uncompetitive fees. Research pinpoints the exact issues that lead to churn. Banks can proactively improve their services and prevent customer loss by addressing these issues.

    Understanding Loyalty Drivers

    What makes a customer stay with a bank for years? Market research provides data on key loyalty drivers, such as trust, convenience, and rewards programmes. Understanding what matters most to different customer segments allows banks to tailor their retention strategies – whether it’s enhancing customer support, refining loyalty programs, or simplifying digital banking experiences.

    Measuring Customer Satisfaction

    Ongoing research, such as customer satisfaction surveys and Net Promoter Score (NPS) tracking, helps banks monitor sentiment over time. Regularly assessing customer satisfaction enables banks to identify trends, respond to emerging issues, and make data-backed decisions to enhance the overall experience.

    Personalising Customer Engagement

    A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works in banking. Market research helps banks understand customer preferences, so they can offer targeted communication, personalised product recommendations, and tailored financial advice. This leads to deeper relationships and increased retention.

    Staying Competitive

    Benchmarking customer satisfaction and loyalty against competitors using market research helps banks identify gaps and opportunities. Understanding how their offerings compare enables banks to refine their strategies and stand out in the market.

    With the right insights, banks can develop lasting customer relationships, reduce churn, and build long-term loyalty – with the aim of sustainable growth.

    To find out more, please get in touch.

  5. 5 ways market research is vital to the banking sector

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    The banking industry is evolving rapidly, and customer expectations are changing just as quickly. Customers want seamless digital experiences, appropriate financial advice, and products that cater to their needs. To keep up with changing customer needs, banks need accurate and timely insights. Market research helps banking teams understand these shifts, enabling data-driven decisions to improve customer experience and retention.

    Tracking Emerging Trends

    Customer preferences evolve with changing technology, economic conditions, and generational shifts. Market research agencies provide valuable insights using surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Whether customers are shifting towards digital-only banking or still value in-branch services, market research helps banks to anticipate these changes and adapt their marketing strategies.

    Enhancing Personalisation

    Modern banking is about delivering relevant, tailored experiences. Market research helps segment customers based on financial goals, spending habits, and service preferences. These insights allow banks to refine their product offerings, communication strategies, and customer support to better meet individual needs.

    Competitive Benchmarking

    Understanding how a bank compares to competitors is vital to strategic decision-making. Market research delivers key metrics on customer satisfaction, brand perception, and service expectations. When gaps and strengths are identified, banks can adjust their approach and differentiate themselves in the market.

    Strengthening Customer Communication

    Effective communication is key to building strong customer relationships. Market research helps banks understand the language, channels, and messaging that resonate with different customer segments. Whether it’s simplifying financial jargon or optimising customer support interactions, insights from research ensure that communication strategies are clear, relevant, and impactful.

    Driving Strategic Decision-Making

    Market research is not merely data collection – it enables banking insight managers to make smart, customer-focused decisions. Specialist market research enables banks to improve customer satisfaction, enhance loyalty, and remain competitive in the fast-changing financial arena.

    To find out more, please get in touch.

  6. How to plan more successful business improvement district events with data-driven insights

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    Planning an event for your Business Improvement District? Market research ensures your initiatives meet local business needs, attract the right audience, and generate real economic benefits for levy payers.


    What data tells you about BID events

    • Which events work best for your BID: You can build up historical data to show which events drive maximum engagement as well as revenue for local businesses.
    • What local businesses need: Surveying and interviewing local businesses reveal how events can best support business growth.
    • Who Your Audience Is: Demographic insights reveal your most valuable target audiences to ensure marketing activity is targeting the right people.


    Steps to Data-Driven Event Planning

    • Conduct Pre-Event Research: Use surveys and consultations with local business to ensure the event is aligned with local business goals.
    • Monitor Event Performance: Track event attendance, visitor types, sales, and customer engagement.
    • Analyse data and adapt future strategy: Use post-event feedback from both local businesses and BID visitors to improve future events.
      Why customer and local business insights matter

    With a research centred approach, BID events become more than just entertaining visitor gatherings – they become powerful tools for economic development.

    To find out more please get in touch.

  7. Are your BID events driving business growth? Market research tells you.

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    Business Improvement District (BID) events are designed to attract foot traffic, engage the community, and support local businesses. But how do you know if your events are truly delivering results? Market research provides the data-driven insights you need to measure impact and refine your approach.

    Why Event Evaluation Matters

    Market research helps track key performance indicators (KPIs) like:

    • Increased foot traffic and sales during events
    • Business engagement and participation levels
    • Public perception and community feedback

    How Market Research Helps

    • Pre-Event Surveys: We can gauge business expectations and community interest before planning.
    • Data Collection: Each visitor segment contributes differently to the town center’s overall value. Some visitors come less frequently but spend more, while others visit more often but spend less. Understanding the number of unique visitors to a town center enables BIDs to tailor events and initiatives to attract the most desirable visitor segments, maximising economic impact and engagement. Our TREADS system determines the number of unique visitors coming to a town centre and helps BIDS set targets for which ones to focus on to increase the right type of footfall.
    • Post-Event Analysis: Gather feedback to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

    The Bottom Line

    Market research allows BIDs to ensure that their events are not just entertaining but also economically beneficial. Data-driven decisions help justify funding, improve future events, and maximise business growth.

    If you would like to find out more about how our business improvement district market research services, please get in touch.

  8. Using behavioural economics to boost employee engagement

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    At CARD Group Research & Insight, we believe in the power of data to drive meaningful change within organisations. Traditional employee surveys have long been a cornerstone for gathering insights, and they remain invaluable tools for measuring employee engagement and satisfaction. However, by incorporating behavioural economics principles into our surveys, we can uncover deeper, more actionable insights that go beyond surface-level responses.

    Capture underlying motivations behind employee behaviour

    Behavioural economics allows us to account for the psychological, emotional, and social influences that shape how employees think and act. When integrated with traditional survey methods, these insights help us design more effective questions and interpret responses in ways that provide a clearer understanding of what truly motivates and engages employees.

    Enhance Internal Marketing Strategies with Richer Insights

    Our approach ensures that employee surveys not only capture employee satisfaction but also uncover the underlying motivations that drive engagement, loyalty, and performance. With a better understanding of these behavioural patterns, companies can refine their internal marketing strategies, create better workplace environments, and build stronger relationships with their teams.

    Improve recruitment with behavioural insights

    Behavioural economics also plays a crucial role in enhancing the recruitment process. Understanding the psychological and emotional factors that drive candidates to choose a particular employer means that companies can tailor their recruitment messaging to attract the right talent. With insights into what truly motivates job seekers, such as work-life balance, career development opportunities, or company culture, businesses can design more targeted recruitment strategies that resonate with their ideal candidates, ensuring a better fit and a smoother hiring process.

    Boost employee retention with data-driven strategies

    Retention strategies can also be significantly improved by applying behavioural insights. Understanding what keeps employees satisfied and engaged—and what could lead them to leave—enables companies to address potential issues proactively. Identifying factors such as recognition, career growth opportunities, and company culture, enables businesses to create personalised retention strategies that foster long-term loyalty. This can ultimately reduce turnover rates and ensure that employees remain committed to the organisation over time.

    Create personalised engagement strategies that drive results

    Behavioural insights complement traditional surveys, enhancing the data gathered to provide a richer, more nuanced understanding of your workforce. This allows companies to create more personalised and effective engagement strategies that align with the unique needs and preferences of different employee segments, leading to stronger employee satisfaction and productivity.

    Gain comprehensive insights that drive positive change

    At CARD Group Research & Insight, we’re committed to helping businesses gain the insights they need to drive positive change within their organisations. If you’re interested in learning how we can enhance your employee surveys using behavioural economics, get in touch with us today.

  9. 5 points to create data-driven internal marketing campaigns to boost employee engagement

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    Effective internal marketing is crucial for driving employee engagement, and at the heart of any successful approach lies a strong communication strategy. Data-driven insights help you craft strategies and internal marketing campaigns that resonate with employees and deliver results.

    These are five elements to consider when developing internal marketing campaigns to improve both engagement and success:

    1. Collect Relevant Data

    The first step is to gather data that reflects employees’ preferences, behaviours, and needs. A specialist market research company will use tools to gather and analyse data and provide you with insights that will help you understand what your employees care about most. These insights form the foundation of your internal marketing strategy, ensuring it is evidence-led.

    2. Segment Your Audience

    Not all employees have the same needs or preferences. Segment your audience by factors such as department, length of employment, job role and geographical location. This will allow you to tailor your messages and campaigns to address the unique needs of each group.

    3. Personalise Your Messaging

    Data allows you to create personalised, relevant content that resonates with employees. Use the insights you’ve gathered to develop messages that address the needs and concerns of each employee group. Personalised emails, newsletters, or intranet posts will increase engagement and make employees feel valued.

    4. Use the Right Channels

    Understanding how your employees prefer to receive information is crucial. Whether it’s via emails, digital displays, or intranet updates, use the channels that your employees are most responsive to. Include data-driven decisions to select the most effective communication channels and ensure your message reaches the right people.

    5. Measure and Optimise Campaigns

    After launching each internal marketing campaign, monitor engagement levels and gather feedback. Metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and participation rates provide insights into the effectiveness of your campaigns. Use this data to refine and optimise your future campaigns, ensuring continuous improvement.

    To find out more about how we can assist you with data-driven insights for internal marketing and employee engagement, please get in touch.

  10. A 5 Step Guide for Effective Internal Marketing Campaigns that Engage Employees

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    How to Understand Employee Needs and Preferences

    Understanding employee needs and preferences is more crucial than ever today. Without a clear grasp of what motivates and engages your team, creating effective internal marketing campaigns can be challenging. Ineffective internal marketing can lead to disengaged employees, low morale, and decreased productivity. However, with the right approach, you can gain valuable insights that will help tailor your internal marketing efforts to resonate better with your workforce and improve productivity. Here are five steps to achieve this:

    1. Conduct Comprehensive Employee Surveys

    Start by gathering direct feedback from your employees through employee surveys. These should cover various aspects such as job satisfaction, preferred communication channels, motivational factors, resonance with company values, and suggestions for improvement. Ensure anonymity to encourage honest responses. Incorporate behavioural economics to understand subconscious feelings and motivations.

    An analysis of the survey results will identify common trends and specific areas that need attention. Engaging an external market research company is recommended to ensure that the research is valued as independent, that accurate data is gathered and correct insights are derived from the data.

    2. Utilise Focus Groups for In-Depth Insights

    While surveys provide a broad overview, focus groups can offer a deeper understanding of employee sentiments. Select a diverse group of employees from different departments and levels within the company. Facilitate discussions on specific topics such as workplace culture, benefits, and communication effectiveness. The qualitative data obtained from these sessions can reveal nuanced insights to complement survey insights. Again, a specialist market research company will be able to develop the most effective discussion scripts,  impartially moderate conversations and obtain accurate evidence to inform strategies.

    3. Leverage Data Analytics Tools

    Employ data analytics tools to track and analyse employee behaviours and preferences. This could include monitoring performance metrics, and participation in company programmes. These can help identify patterns and correlations that indicate what drives employee engagement and satisfaction. These insights enable more informed decision-making for internal marketing strategies.

    4. Segment Your Workforce

    Just like external marketing, internal marketing benefits from audience segmentation. You can segment your employees into different groups based on factors like demographics, roles, and length of employment. Understanding the unique needs and preferences of each segment allows you to create more personalised and relevant marketing messages. For instance, what motivates new hires might differ significantly from what long-term employees value.

    5. Continuously Monitor and Adapt

    Employee needs and preferences are not static; they evolve over time. Therefore, it’s essential to establish a system for continuous monitoring and feedback. Regularly conduct surveys,  hold periodic focus groups, and keep an eye on data trends. Use this ongoing feedback loop to adapt your internal marketing strategies, ensuring they remain aligned with the current workforce sentiment.

    Case Study: Enhancing Employee Engagement at a Belfast based company

    A Belfast based company needed help with their workforce. Although the workers appeared to be fairly happy, the company struggled with low morale during certain periods throughout the year. Management needed clarification about the specific causes of dissatisfaction that were impacting morale. To gain a better understanding, we launched an anonymous employee survey focusing on job satisfaction, workplace conditions, and management communication. 

    The survey revealed that some workers felt undervalued and lacked proper recognition for their efforts. In response, the company introduced a reward and recognition programme and implemented regular feedback sessions with management. Within six months, overall employee engagement improved, leading to a noticeable boost in productivity.

    Why Partner with a Market Research Company?

    Understanding employee needs and preferences is a complex, ongoing process that requires expertise and resources. This is where partnering with a market research company can be invaluable. At CARD Group Research & Insight, we specialise in providing comprehensive market research services that offer deep insights into employee preferences, and sentiments. Our tailored approach helps you create more effective internal marketing campaigns that resonate with your whole team, leading to higher engagement, improved morale, and increased productivity.

    Following these steps and leveraging our expertise will enable you to transform your internal marketing efforts, creating a more motivated and cohesive workforce that drives your company towards success.

    If you would like to find out more about our employee surveys, please get in touch.