Market Research Results: Dare to Share

If your company invests in market research that generates fresh customer insights, should you hold it tightly, or should you share it?

There are some obvious cases where you hold it tightly. Data that is specific to proprietary product ideas is a good example. But other cases aren’t so clear-cut.

2 Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring a Market Research Agency

Planning to hire a market research agency to help with a project? Before you do, be sure to create a list of questions you will use to assess potential agencies for fit and qualifications. Some questions are obvious: experience with similar projects, years in business, company size, and so on. But here are two important questions are often overlooked:

1. Do you belong to any professional associations? The answer should start with…

What is Market Research Success?

Market research is successful when it leads to decisions being made and actions being taken. The research is the star, not the researcher.

When we deliver a market research project and no decisions are made nor actions taken, we fail. And it has repercussions. The next time a study is proposed, the audience knows that research can result in wasted time and money—after all, they have seen it happen before.

Conducting Online Surveys Using Online Research Panels

If you are considering using an online panel for an upcoming project, and want some tips on how to manage this important resource, please check out the new white paper on online panels.

5 Things You Need to Know About Online Research Panels

Online surveys and research panels go together like…well, milk and cookies. If they are both high-quality, yummy snack. If either is poor quality, the experience is ruined.

These days, there is a lot of awareness of online panel quality issues. So what does a market research buyer need to know?

Here are 5 things you need to be aware of to find the best panel sources for your needs, and mitigate potential risks. Why is this so important? Because panel quality varies. A lot. You can’t assume all research panels are the same.

Free Market Research Seminars

Some of our online market research classes have been updated, and we need feedback! We’ll be testing the content by offering in-person seminars in Massachusetts. So here’s the deal: attend a free market research seminar, and all we ask in return is that you provide feedback.

The following topics are being scheduled:

When Skimping on Market Research Fails: 5 Cheap Moves That Will Ruin Your Research

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…

Preventing Market Research Abuse

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.

DIY Research Article a Marketing Research Association Winner!

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… Continue reading DIY Research Article a Marketing Research Association Winner!

Out-tasking Comes to Market Research: Why In-House vs Outsourced Is No Longer the Only Choice

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.