MARKET RESEARCH INSIGHTS & BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

Today we hear from one of our publishing partners and the focus is on franchises and how market research can protect and inform the frachisee.

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) was previously recognized as the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) and, due to some revisions made by the Federal Trade Commission in the July of 2007, its name was changed and a legal document was created for the benefit of franchisees.

Everyone loves free stuff. This isn’t jut stating the obvious. Market research backs up this maxim. Ninety two percent of all credit cards issued in 2011 had a rewards component, up from 57 percent in 2003. As of 2008, the average American adult had at least two co-branded or affinity credit cards. Not only that, but according to both MasterCard and Visa, co-branded cards are used more often than all other cards and generate higher transaction volume.

The most prevalent categories for co-branded cards, in order of popularity are chain retail stores, airlines, restaurant/entertainment/sports, and hotels/auto rentals. So how do co-branded credit card companies leverage this general desire for incentives to expand their customer bases?