Best Market Research Articles of 2013: First in a Series of 10

On a survey, do you check “yes” the same amount as someone in India? Probably not! Cultural differences in multi-country surveys yield inaccurate results. Propensity to agree, untruthfulness, and survey “speeders” vary from country to country.

For Market Research Career Success, Embrace “Less is More”

In the Sunday New York Times (January 20th, 2013 edition), Matthew E. May wrote about, “The Art of Adding Through Taking Away.” The article points to the strength of this wisdom through ancient proverb and more recently by quoting Jim Collins, who apparently observed that, “A great piece of art is composed not just of what is in the final piece, but equally important, what is not. It is the discipline to discard what does not fit…

Surfing Lessons for Market Research Survey Designers

In any market research survey, some participants will drop out, which is just the nature of the beast. The goal is to minimize this drop out rate so that we can meet our overall sample size goals, completely…

In-House Versus Outside-Agency Customer Interviews

It may not be an age-old debate, but it’s one I’ve been hearing a lot lately. In market research, customer interviews (or in-depth interviews, or IDIs) are often a key… Continue reading In-House Versus Outside-Agency Customer Interviews

Not Attending TMRE This Year? Then Consider Market Research University Week

This November 7th to 9th, many lucky professionals will be gathered in Orlando, Florida learning and networking at one of the industry’s premiere conferences: The Market Research Event (hosted by… Continue reading Not Attending TMRE This Year? Then Consider Market Research University Week

Changing Market Research Perceptions, One eBook At A Time

Announcing, “Think Outside The Survey”, a new eBook from Research Rockstar.
Today, some business professionals dismiss market research. Thanks, in part, to popular books like Predictably Irrational, they have learned that self-reported behaviors and attitudes can be unreliable. But the problem isn’t that all market research methods deal with these realities poorly—the problem is that many people assume market researchers rely exclusively on surveys and focus groups. And while these are great methodologies useful in many situations, they are among the most susceptible to the deficiencies of self-reported behaviors and attitudes.

Market Research Strategy Trends in the Fortune 500

Fortune 500 researchers often juggle the need to deliver fresh customer insights with the mandate to minimize research costs. How do they do it? By cutting costs where they can,… Continue reading Market Research Strategy Trends in the Fortune 500

Online Survey Design: No Free Dinner

When bad surveys are circulated, the company that sent them out becomes less trusted. The “consumer” becomes an unhappy customer, and may even tell others about their bad experience—with surveys in general or with the specific company.

How to Use Facebook Polls for Fun and Profit

Typically when we think about market research surveys, we think of questionnaires that have 20, 30, or even more questions. Getting qualified people to complete these questionnaires has become a serious challenge. One alternative is the single-question poll. After all, you’re much more likely to get high response and low dropout rates if you can simply say, “Hi, we have a single question we’d like your opinion on”, rather than requesting a novel’s worth of responses.

Facebook is making polling insanely easy these days…

The Future of Market Research: Here’s What’s Out

The results point to some important changes for the way market research is sold, conducted and reported. No surprise there—we all know that the rate of change in our industry is swift these days.