Never skimp on budget for:
* Quality sample. Having quality sample is critical. Avoid sources that can’t talk credibly about their recruitment tactics or list sources. You don’t want to bake a cake with spoiled eggs.
* Sufficient sample quantity. If you…
Well, “abuse” may be a little strong…but market research results certainly do get misused. Sometime intentionally; twisting results to confirm existing opinions, or ignoring results perceived to be inconvenient. In other cases, the misuse is accidental—issues such as poorly labeled charts or unclear methodology documentation can easily lead to erroneous conclusions.
Great news! My article on DIY research “Why It’s Good for Everyone” won the counterpoint contest recently run by the MRA’s Alert! Magazine. The article is reprinted in the MRA
Clients seeking to conduct a market research project typically choose one of two paths: do it in-house or outsource to a full-service market research agency. Pretty simple.
But now, a third option exists: out-tasking.
Even if we put aside self-serving forecasts that are patently optimistic, many market forecasts are based on a rather murky mix of supply-side assumptions, total available market estimates, and compound annual growth rate hunches. In some markets, the forecasts rely heavily on input from suppliers to the market (for example, analyst firms ask PC manufacturers how many units they expect to ship).
The US 2010 Market Research conference season will be starting soon. Luckily, this year they are a bit more spread out than last year.
The MRA’s big conference will be in Boston in June.
The AMA’s annual Market Research Conference will be in Atlanta in September.
And IIR’s The Market Research Event will be in San Diego in November.
I can hear the sighs of anticipated exhaustion already. Travel, sessions, expense reports. And the dreaded, overflowing inbox that faces you upon returning to work the next week.
Besides, we have to ask ourselves: do in-person events matter anymore? Look, I am in the business of online training—I LOVE online content. But I do believe that there is still a place for in-person events as well. And here is why:
