Ipsos launches two new research tools

NEW YORK - Research group Ipsos has launched PerceptorPlus and BrandStretch -- two research tools aimed at marketers and brand managers.

PerceptorPlus has been designed for companies looking to boost market share and increase brand loyalty.

It gauges the value of a brand by considering its attributes -- such as functionality, brand image and the emotional needs it might serve.

The second tool, BrandStretch has been designed to help marketers identify opportunities to extend their brands into new category areas, while predicting the impact that such a move might have on overall image.

Lauren Demar, Ipsos's chief executive of marketing consumer goods, said: "Brands behave [sic] similar to living beings, so it is important for marketers to understand what feeds the brand, what growth potential it has, and how consumers will interact with it.

"PerceptorPlus takes a holistic view of the brand's essence -- its body and soul -- and BrandStretch examines opportunities to give a brand new life in different categories.

"Knowing how and where a brand can grow will allow it to thrive and succeed."