THE BRIEF
As part of its five-year growth plan, Spandex was seeking a fuller understanding of customers’ current and future needs. While the company already has a strong connection to its customer base across European regions, the leadership team recognised the limitations of large-scale customer surveys and wanted to explore customers’ views more deeply.
To do this, Spandex commissioned AD to conduct a qualitative research project designed to uncover honest, nuanced feedback across key markets. The research aimed to capture grounded customer insights related to the company’s product portfolio, service quality, and overall experience, ultimately feeding into the business’s strategic decision-making.
Having provided strategic communications counsel to Spandex for more than two decades and leveraging our sector-specific understanding and international reach, we were ideally placed to deliver an independent and insightful research programme.
THE STRATEGY
Spandex commissioned a medium-scale qualitative research initiative to complement a quantitative customer survey being conducted in parallel. The goal was to gain deeper insight into customer sentiment and expectations.
To achieve this, we carried out a series of in-depth telephone interviews with 100 customers across four core markets: the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Interviews were conducted in local languages by native speakers, using a defined script and follow-up questions crafted by AD to ensure consistency across responses while allowing for genuine, open dialogue.
AD Communications led the project, managing the full process and providing analysis grounded in market context and sector insight.
THE TACTICS
We worked closely with Spandex to clarify objectives, define roles and responsibilities, and agree a framework to maximise customer participation and secure the optimal number of completed interviews.
The project was structured in three clear phases to support clarity and delivery:
- The preparation phase – We held briefings with key internal stakeholders and developed a comprehensive guide for interviewers, including finalised question sets and
prompts to encourage deeper insight. - The interview phase – Up to 25 in-depth customer interviews were conducted per country (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain), facilitated by experienced native speaking
interviewers with the skill to probe beyond the agreed script. Participants gave their consent for call recording and interviews were transcribed and translated using AI tools for consistency and accuracy. - The analysis phase – We reviewed and analysed over 150 interview transcripts, consolidating the findings into a country-by-country report. A final presentation deck was developed, highlighting themes and differences across regions and key takeaways for consideration. This analysis was delivered in a live playback and Q&A session with representatives of Spandex’s leadership team. The project drew on AD’s specialist sector knowledge and capabilities across strategic insight, project management and data analysis. Crucially, customers were willing to share open and honest feedback with a trusted external research team, ensuring impartiality.
THE OUTCOMES
- AD’s analysis helped Spandex fill gaps in their quantitative survey through honest and impartial, in-depth customer feedback.
- The research is actively shaping aspects of Spandex’s mid- and long-term go-to market strategy.
- Insights are driving short-term marketing plans and sales team training.
Having worked with AD Communications over the past 20 years, I was confident that they were the ideal partner to support and represent us to our customers for the qualitative part of the project.
The results are first-hand, unfiltered customer perspectives that have proved invaluable to our operations.
We have a much deeper understanding of our customers’ perceptions of our current service offering and, as importantly, how to better serve their evolving needs, informing our future plans.
Gabriela Parish
Group Marketing Director
Spandex
