MADISON - Scott Daigger, Madison, received a second-place award Wednesday in the Governor's Business Plan competition.
Daigger, a 1998 Monroe High School graduate, operates Sandbox International, a Madison-based company that does marketing research.
According to www.bus.wisc.edu, there were 326 entries in the contest from 106 different locations across the state. The ceremony recognized the entrepreneurial spirit of businesses across the state.
Daigger started his company in 2007 with two friends after he finished school in Madison.
Sandbox International deals with market research with a twist, he said.
"Research is shifting from focus groups, which get a reaction to products, to what people would be interested in buying," he said.
For example, a soft drink company might ask people what they think of a product and use the feedback in the marketing campaigns. Daigger's company uses creative and articulate people to find out what they would want to buy.
"We have an opportunity to make life better for numerous people in a variety of ways," he says on the company's Web site, sandboxintl.com. "To me, Sandbox International represents possibilities. Not just for myself or our Sandbox team, but for everyone we touch with this organization."
Daigger's company has started to look at opportunities for small businesses to use market research. Bigger businesses such as Oscar Mayer or Coca-Cola have the money to conduct research surveys. Smaller business don't have the same resources to conduct the same market research, he said.
More than $200,000 was awarded to businesses in cash and in-kind prizes to the various companies that won awards. Daigger said he isn't sure what his company will receive. It could be a cash prize or it could be an in-kind donation. He said he won't know for a few weeks.
Daigger, a 1998 Monroe High School graduate, operates Sandbox International, a Madison-based company that does marketing research.
According to www.bus.wisc.edu, there were 326 entries in the contest from 106 different locations across the state. The ceremony recognized the entrepreneurial spirit of businesses across the state.
Daigger started his company in 2007 with two friends after he finished school in Madison.
Sandbox International deals with market research with a twist, he said.
"Research is shifting from focus groups, which get a reaction to products, to what people would be interested in buying," he said.
For example, a soft drink company might ask people what they think of a product and use the feedback in the marketing campaigns. Daigger's company uses creative and articulate people to find out what they would want to buy.
"We have an opportunity to make life better for numerous people in a variety of ways," he says on the company's Web site, sandboxintl.com. "To me, Sandbox International represents possibilities. Not just for myself or our Sandbox team, but for everyone we touch with this organization."
Daigger's company has started to look at opportunities for small businesses to use market research. Bigger businesses such as Oscar Mayer or Coca-Cola have the money to conduct research surveys. Smaller business don't have the same resources to conduct the same market research, he said.
More than $200,000 was awarded to businesses in cash and in-kind prizes to the various companies that won awards. Daigger said he isn't sure what his company will receive. It could be a cash prize or it could be an in-kind donation. He said he won't know for a few weeks.