What We Do
A. Social
and Marketing Research
B. Community Consultation
and Community Engagement
C. Social Marketing
D. Program Evaluation
E. Executive Leadership
Training and Business Results Coaching
A. Social and Marketing Research
Social research is more than a science (systemized gathering of knowledge),
it is also an art (a skill based on knowledge and practice)
and a craft (a profession requiring special knowledge,
skill, ingenuity, creativity and insight)
...hence the name:
Research is our main game: we offer a wide range of social and marketing research capabilities and expertise, and state-of-the-art research techniques. We undertake both qualitative and quantitative research assignments, including social surveys, focus groups, small group sessions, in-depth interviews, case studies and many other techniques. We have conducted some of the largest and some of the smallest surveys undertaken in this country. Since 1983 we have conducted close to 1,000 research projects. A selection of these projects is provided later.
Social research is about measuring, describing, explaining and predicting social, cultural, environmental and economic phenomena. It often guides the development, implementation and delivery of policies and programs, and assists in the estimation and evaluation of their impacts and outcomes, and plays a crucial role in evidence-based policy-making.
Social research explores:
- social and economic structures;
- social attitudes;
- values and behaviours; and
- the factors which motivate and constrain individuals and groups in society.
Ask for our brochure outlining our research capabilities and experience in more detail.
B. Community Consultation and Community Engagement
The nature of government, community and not-for-profit organisations at all levels is changing rapidly, including the need to become more accountable in the way they work and the services they provide. For many organisations this process includes a growing desire to connect more effectively with the communities they serve.
There are a great many ways to seek people’s views, including many public consultations approaches and many social and market research techniques, and Artcraft Research has extensive skills and experience in these areas. However, all too often, even with the best intentions, traditional community consultation ends up mainly listening to the ‘squeaky wheels’ and the people immediately involved in or affected by the issues. While the views of these people are clearly extremely valuable, it is also essential to ensure that the views of the broader community are taken into account. To do this, we are firm believers in the role of research-based community consultation, in which as well as inviting ‘the usual suspects’ painstaking attempts are made using rigorous research-derived recruitment processes to screen and recruit from the general population (or target audience) to ensure inclusion of a broad (and hopefully close to representative) cross-section, including many people who would not normally become involved in consultations.
Ask for our brochure outlining our community consultation capabilities and experience in more detail.
C. Social Marketing
Social marketing is the art of behaviour change, whether it be a specific target segment (eg, encouraging young people not to take up smoking) or a whole community (getting people to use water more efficiently), using concepts drawn from commercial marketing, and it has both strategic and tactical elements. In most cases, social marketing requires more finesse than traditional marketing campaigns.
Effective social marketing starts with sound research. To understand the target audience for any social marketing campaign, a review of previous research can often help us to get a feel for the beliefs and behaviour of the target segment. Then further research needs to be undertaken to get to really know and understand them, develop and pre-test ideas and concepts, provide accurate baseline measurements against which the campaign can later be monitored, and then regular monitoring, review and adjustment of the campaign. As can be seen in the extensive list of projects in Section 4 below, Artcraft Research has been actively involved in many social marketing campaigns over several decades.
Ask for our brochure outlining our social marketing capabilities and experience in more detail.
D. Program Evaluation
There is clear evidence that the need for independent program evaluations is growing rapidly in Australia and the world, largely in response to calls for greater accountability in the spending of public money, subsidies and grants.
For an evaluation to be seen to be credible, objective and professionally detached, it is important to commission an independent evaluation team with sound research and evaluation methodologies and experience.
Ask for our brochure outlining our program and policy evaluation capabilities and experience in more detail.
E. Executive Leadership Training and Business Results Coaching
Through artcraft training, we organise and deliver customised executive leadership training and development programs that encompass the challenges of managing and leading in today’s rapidly changing environment. Our goal is to provide outstanding, challenging and exciting educational opportunities for professionals who wish to improve critical management and leadership skills, and how to deal effectively with innovation, change and workplace reform by adopting a more global view of management and leadership.
At amaze, your business coach knows about the complex organisational dynamics and politics of modern businesses and organisations, and will provide insight into appropriate goal setting, conduct a ‘reality check’, explore previously unknown options, and support you in developing and sticking to your success plan.