I’ve been reading a lot of predictions for market research—the typical pontification we see at this time of the year. Some of it has been very inspiring, but too many just rehash the obvious.
Personally, I think there are a lot of interesting theories, a lot of long-term shifts taking place. But as for something we will truly experience in 2015? Something that will really change what we do, how we do it? It’s simple: video-based reports.
A recurring challenge I hear from Research Rockstar students is that of time management. Too often, deadlines converge, fires erupt, or clients “need it yesterday.” So based on my 25 years of market research reality, I have put together 17 time management tips. You can download the full eBook…
Based on the responses of the event’s participants, big data seems to pick up where market research leaves off, and vice versa. One speaker, Justin Sampson, chief executive of Barb, noted that big data fails to understand the context, and the social nature, of life. Market research can fill that void.
When it comes to market research projects, how big is too big?
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.
Market research studies often capture and measure attitudes and behaviors, as if they could all be sorted into neat packages. We carefully structure our questions, and in the case of survey research, even our answers. We use quotas, we use weighting. But are we creating the functional equivalent of genetically modified food?
I’m a fan of Google Consumer Surveys’ limitation on question length. Google limits you to questions of no more than 125 characters long, primarily – I believe – for a better experience for readers of the sites of its publisher partners … [Guest post by Jeffrey Henning of Researchscape]
Why is it so popular? Primarily because it does pass the gut test: market research projects that are fast and good are unlikely to be cheap. Ones that are cheap and fast are unlikely to be good, and so on…
In this article, Jon Puleston tells us about some surprising statistics he overheard while attending the ESOMAR 3D conference:
Given that there are now many different skills involved in market research, and that each of these skill areas is increasing in complexity, how can one market research project manager excel? How can a general market research project manager have adequate skills, time and talent? Maybe it’s time to let people do what they do best. Or alternatively, perhaps assign them by the way their work will be applied?
