How Q helped Metasight save 70% of the time and 60% of the cost of running a TURF analysis

Challenge

No reliable tool to conduct TURF

As the CEO of data intelligence firm Metasight Technologies, Wenshuang Zhang has many years of experience performing complex analysis, including TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency) for his clients.

“We use TURF a lot, especially for advertising research,” he explains. “For example, for a feature study, I might want to find out what the best combination of features are for a product. The product might have 15 features, but my client can only print five on the package. So I use TURF to figure out which five are the best to present to customers.”

But Wenshuang didn’t have a convenient tool for TURF. At first, he tried using an SPSS extension to run the analysis, but he quickly found that the tool lacked the power to deal with more than 30 items and had very limited functionality.

“It would take a very long time to work and produce results,” Wenshuang remembers. “Sometimes we would get results in a few minutes, and other times SPSS would run for a long time, and eventually it would just say that it couldn’t produce results.”

Wenshuang and his team also tried using an in-house, Excel-based tool that they had developed. But he found that he had to spend a lot of time formatting and preparing the data in advance.

“We had to convert the data to the exact format we needed and define rules to transform the data before we could do anything with it,” he says. “Excel has a lot of limitations.”

Wenshuang needed a powerful tool to perform TURF that had better functionality than SPSS, and didn’t require the same amount of data preparation that their in-house solution required. Something that could help him save time, cut costs, and wow his clients.

“Sometimes we would get results in a few minutes, and other times SPSS would run for a long time, and eventually it would just say that it couldn’t produce results.”
Wenshuang Zhang, CEO, Metasight Technologies

Solution

Finding the perfect tool for TURF

When Wenshuang started working with Q, he loved how responsive and receptive to feedback the customer service team was.

“In the early days, Q’s TURF feature was more basic,” he explains. “After I sent my feedback, all the features I requested were added, and they all worked perfectly.”

Now, Wenshuang has the perfect solution to conduct TURF for his clients.

“All of the features I wanted are incorporated in Q, so it can do all of the things I need it to,” he explains. “Plus, it has a brute force algorithm, which is a big advantage, and it integrates with R.”

With Q, Wenshuang no longer has to worry about preparing data, and he knows the tool is powerful enough to handle as many items and combinations as he wants.

“We were recently doing ingredients research for a client. There were 154 ingredients, and we wanted to generate different combinations,” he says. “That would have been impossible with SPSS.”

Plus, Wenshuang doesn’t have to worry about spending time preparing his data beforehand. Q can perform TURF in a fraction of the time he needed before.

“Sometimes when you use other tools to do an analysis, you basically have to start by preparing the data,” he explains. “When you’re setting up Q, it’s already running. By the time you finish the set up, the results are already there.”

And if Wenshuang ever does encounter an issue, he knows he can count on the customer service team to step in quickly.

“It really is the best and most responsive team,” he says. “Any time I submit a problem, the problem is solved the same day, sometimes even within one hour. It’s really very efficient.”

Result

Faster TURF for a fraction of the cost

Now, several years after switching to Q, Wenshuang says the advantages of the tool are clear. Q allows them to perform TURF much faster than they ever could before and saves them 70% of the time they used to spend on it.

“Before Q, I had to train my colleagues to run the analysis. With Q, even my junior researchers can do TURF. So, it saves their time. It saves my time. It helps us save 70% of the time to run the same analysis as before,” he says.

In addition to the time savings, Q has also helped Wenshuang cut the costs of doing TURF down by 60%.

“The most expensive part of our industry is people,” Wenshuang explains. “By making it easier and faster to perform TURF, Q saves us 60% of the cost of doing the same analysis without Q.”

Best of all, using Q to perform TURF allows Wenshuang to add more value for his clients.

“With Q, I can easily see the questions, and try different things. It’s much easier than before, and there are many more opportunities to try TURF analysis,” he explains. “Sometimes, that surprises the client. When we present a report that exceeds client expectations, it makes the client very happy. Thanks to Q, we are able to add value.”

Before Q, I had to train my colleagues to run the analysis. With Q, even my junior researchers can do TURF analysis. So, it saves their time. It saves my time. It helps us save 70% of the time to run the same analysis as before.
Wenshuang Zhang, CEO, Metasight Technologies