Great Falls, Va. - September 6, 2007 eBrain Market Research and Pi Market Research Inc. today announced the launch of a new Consumer Insight market research platform for the Consumer Electronics industry: the Pi-ChartTM

The innovative new joint offering goes beyond demographic, segmentation and perceptual mapping techniques to show consumer attitude patterns in an innovative graphic format. Deeper understanding of the values, attitudes and mindsets of key consumer groups offer CE manufacturers new ways of tuning and targeting their communications, thus boosting sales and optimizing Return on Marketing Investment

The Pi Initiative

Pi is a new way of accessing, organizing and displaying market research data that reveals the values, attitudes and mind-sets of different consumer groups, explaining their impulses – or antipathies – towards particular products or brands.

Pi goes beyond segmentation and conventional perceptual mapping techniques to show quantitative values for all the significant attitudes characterizing a given consumer group, in one simultaneous ‘snapshot’. This leads to deeper understanding of “what makes the group tick”. The technique points up strategies and action points for brands to plan their brand offerings and campaigns.

Pi’s proprietary core tool, the “Pi-ChartTM”, is based on 40 archetypal attitude dimensions. The system has been the product of exhaustive international research into human values and attitudes.

eBrain as CE Research Innovator

eBrain is a full-service market research company specializing in the needs of the consumer electronics industry. As a research provider for more than 1,000 consumer electronics manufacturers, distributors, retailers and installers, eBrain has maintained a position on the cutting edge of research innovation. The decision to work collaboratively with Pi Market Research Inc. was taken in the Summer of 2006.

Said Gina Woodall, eBrain’s vice president:

“CE markets are changing faster than almost any product sector. The focus is no longer simply on technical excellence and product specification. Consumer attitudes, including those on price, multi-functionality and ‘lifestyle compatibility’, play an increasingly crucial role in establishing product success and competitive viability. eBrain sees consumer attitude research as a key tool in keeping ahead of consumer expectations. We see the introduction of Pi as another step in eBrain’s decade-long program of research innovation for the CE industries.”

“CE people seem to love Pi. Clients getting their first exposure to this innovative tool have variously described it as “The Missing Piece of the Jigsaw”, “User-Friendly” and “A Breakthrough”. Our joint study with CEA earlier this year probed consumer attitudes to HDTV products, and revealed startling facts about attitudes to buying CE products from different retailer types – specialist stores vs. general retailers. Another treasure trove of consumer data was the attitudes we uncovered concerning the different sources of information that consumers tap before they buy. The Pi-ChartsTM told the story in an arresting new way. Internet information-seekers show markedly different mindsets from those consulting store staff.”

Gina Woodall, vice-president, eBrain: ginaw@eBrain.com

Charles Dawson, ceo Pi Market Research: charles.dawson@pi-marketresearch.com