How can privately owned coffee shops that focus on higher-priced, hand-crafted brews win loyalty from today’s teens and young adults?

Undergraduate researchers from Roosevelt University focused on this complex marketing question in a project that has won GfK’s seventh Next Generation (“NextGen”) Competition. The team of Matthew Spahr and Bennet Lanzerotti combined observational, qualitative, and survey research in a study – titled “Helping Artisanal Coffee Shops Connect to the Now Generation” – that offered several key recommendations for boutique coffee shops.

In addition, GfK has awarded Silver and Bronze prizes to two other highly praised finalist projects:

• Silver: University of Puerto Rico – “The Now Generation in a Catastrophe and with Limited Digital Access”
• Bronze: Loyola University, Chicago – “The Swipe-and-Mortar Shopping Journey”

The Roosevelt University team travelled to New York City for a two-day immersion in market research and data analytics at GfK’s offices. They presented their findings, met with some of the Client Mentors who evaluated this year’s reports, and received a $1,000 cash prize.

The NextGen Competition offers undergraduate students hands-on experience with research and data as tools for solving real-world marketing problems. As mobile devices, data analytics and integration, and other forces have transformed market research, the competition has adapted to incorporate these innovations.

Past winners of the competition include teams from Aurora University, Chatham University, Loyola University (Chicago), and Purdue University (Calumet).