Perception Pulse allows dental implant manufacturers to understand customer purchase behavior, satisfaction, loyalty, AND willingness to recommend the company to colleagues and friends

June 1, 2009—Waltham, Massachusetts—Millennium Research Group (MRG) finds that the top five dental manufacturers in the US scored very differently on customer advocacy, defined as a customers’ willingness to recommend a company to colleagues and friends. Research has shown this willingness to refer is a key leading indicator of revenue growth.

This information is found in MRG’s new Dental Perception Pulse tracking tool, which allows clients to track, quantify, and assess the dynamics of customer behavior and loyalty in the dental implant market. MRG’s Perception Pulse product is currently available in the US dental implant and interventional cardiology markets, and is expected to expand therapeutic coverage across many other major medical markets and geographies throughout 2009.

“There were many interesting findings from the first Dental Implant Perception Pulse study,” says Ken McLaren, Vice President at MRG. “Based on the results from our semi-annual study in the US, the number one reason for customers switching dental implant manufacturers is neither cost nor quality; interestingly, the decision is largely influenced by referrals from colleagues.”

Perception Pulse allows companies to see the derived importance of various perception attributes, defined as product and company features that influence loyalty behavior and purchasing decisions. Survey respondents rank these attributes, which can include factors such as product success rates or company image, in order of importance1, thereby enabling firms to focus on those attributes that have the most impact on customer purchasing decisions. Respondents then score each leading manufacturer on each of these attributes, allowing companies to assess their relative performance and to better focus their sales, marketing, and product development efforts.

“Our detailed Perception Pulse deliverables enable medtech firms to quantify opportunities and threats and to assess the effectiveness of marketing and positioning strategies,” says McLaren. “Clients receive data in an actionable, plug-and-play format that allows marketers and executives to understand competitive scoring on Loyalty Metrics such as advocacy, repurchase intentions, customer satisfaction, and perceived value, as well as the underlying reasons factoring into the customers’ purchasing decision.”