Case studies

A RIBEN project can take many different forms. It could mean selling an existing product or service into a new market, finding more cost effective ways of doing things or adding additional dimensions to your products or services. It could also provide research information on new markets or competitors, all of which will help your company make better-informed business decisions.

Example projects

Examples of the type of work which could be undertaken using a Business Voucher include:

A local independent garden centre is seeking to understand the changing nature of consumer demand for gardening and leisure products in recession. A Business Voucher could fund an academic to review available evidence on changing customer behaviour in recession, competitor responses, and offer advice to the SME on potential marketing strategies for better aligning its business with demand.
A retail SME is considering introducing a simple customer loyalty scheme to improve customer patronage. Work funded through a business voucher could provide advice on cost-effective methods to enhance customer loyalty, based on insight into existing schemes, methods, and consumers’ reactions to them.
A retailer trading association is seeking to understand how its SME members may cost-effectively introduce mechanisms to enhance sustainable consumption. An academic from the RIBEN consortium could kickstart the process with a review of the kinds of successful mechanisms which have been used elsewhere and an action plan.
A small clothing retailer would like to use the Internet to sell its products more widely. A Business Voucher could provide funding for a study into the desirable objectives and the challenges of implementing such a strategy.