In another very challenging year for market research, Explain, the Newcastle based engagement and insight company, has seen revenues rise by 20% to a record £976,000 in the financial year just ended.

Commenting on the year, Kim Davis, deputy managing director said the successful year was still behind the target the company had set itself.

“At the half-year end in September revenue was 34% up and we really thought we could achieve £1m for the first time but December and January were very poor months. Sales have climbed again in the last 3 months but not by enough to make up the shortfall. The team is delighted to have made top bonus of one month’s salary, worth 8%, but our MD had promised everyone a weekend trip if we achieved the magic figure so that would have really topped off the year.”

Some business sectors have been very active, especially financial services with building society clients and the utilities sector. We are in the middle of major projects to engage with customers and stakeholders involving water companies on the periodic review set by OFWAT and electricity distributors on the OFGEM ‘willingness to pay’ consultation.

The new private social media engagement product Better Communities which we launched last year is now making a major contribution for clients that bought it and revenues. It is the ultimate engagement and research tool because it is driven by the consumer as well as the companies behind it and the most interest has come from companies with 100,000 customers or more. The challenge, when there are still 8 million people in the UK without digital communication, is to ensure it reaches out to all groups and communities. Home, the social housing provider, has made huge strides to take Better Communities into neighbourhoods to give their tenants a real say on the delivery of their services.

The annual company sales conference last month, set out the sales budget and plans for the next financial year, one of which was to invest in a new CATI (computer aided telephone interview) centre in the city. We took out a 10 year lease on premises at No 32 Leazes Park Road which is just 50 meters from the Head office and this will make recruitment and management of the centre much easier. Fortunately nearly all of the 20 call centre staff have moved from the previous location in South Gosforth and there is now room to take on up to another eight staff.