MARKETING RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMANEmbracing Innovation Quickly and ResponsiblyBy Ted Donnelly, Ph.D., PRCThe marketing research profession has traditionally been conservative in approach and slowto change. Methodologists, by nature, are reticent to embrace new modes of data collectionwithout scores of empirical data to validate such a change.It’s simply in our DNA and what makes usresearch professionals. I cannot identifyprecisely when the cultural shift occurred,but it has been swift and staggering; therehas been more change in this industry inthe past five years than there was in thepreceding 20. As practitioners, we havebeen afforded the opportunity to studypatterns of thinking, observe behaviors ofconsumption and deliver insights in wayspreviously deemed unimaginable. Socialanalytics, biometrics, facial encoding,wearables and geo-fencing are just a smallsampling of the new technologies beingused to monitor the consumer landscape.In the moment once meant an interviewerand a cameraman. Today, that term elicitsprobably a dozen unique offerings. By nextyear, there’s likely to be a dozen more. Asour toolkit expands, we have a chance tobetter align problems with solutions to thesatisfaction of clients who grace us withtheir patronage.However, I would caution the industry notto throw the baby out with the bathwaterby getting too caught up in the movement.Embrace the new tools, integrate them intoyour process and seek a greater variety ofpartnerships. Innovation is an intoxicatingrefrain and makes for far more interestingwatercooler or exhibit booth discussion thanextolling the virtues of conventional wisdom4There is a chordto be struck inresponsibly pushingthe innovationthreshold withoutlosing our identity byinstinctively chasingthe shiny and sexy inperpetuity.and time-tested methods, but the dialoguehas become laced with hyperbole focused onreplacement rather than the complementarynature of what we now have to offer as acollective profession.The concern with a singular focus oninnovation is that it can lead to a misguidedcycle of reinventing ourselves, unfoundedin sound principles but motivated simplyto keep up with the Joneses. There is achord to be struck in responsibly pushingthe innovation threshold without losingour identity by instinctively chasing theshiny and sexy in perpetuity. Ultimately,our responsibility to our buyers is to fill theirpractical need for a greater understandingMRA’S ALERT! MAGAZINE – FIRST QUARTER 2015of their target audience. Choosing the mostappropriate methodology for the objectivesregardless of what is more interestingto propose allows a place for innovationthat does not sacrifice the quality of theinformation delivered.There are simple questions to ask in thisprocess:1. What solutions will best address theinformation needs related to the businessproblem in question?2. What impact does the sampling framehave on the practicality of the variousoptions?3. Which will ultimately produce the mostvalid, actionable findings?4. How do timelines and budget affectthe ability to implement a particularsolution?As you flip through the pages ofthis issue, I encourage you to seek outinspiration. Hopefully, you will discovera new tool to integrate into your process.Embrace the opportunity to deliver insightsin game-changing ways! Just be sure toinnovate for a purpose. Don’t be innovativejust to be entertaining. Be innovative to beinsightful.Ted Donnelly, Ph.D., PRC, is themanaging director of Baltimore Researchand the Chairman of MRA’s Board ofDirectors.

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8 COMMONMARKETRESEARCHMYTHSBy Jess Schwartzkopf6MRA’S ALERT! MAGAZINE – FOURTHFIRST QUARTERQUARTER20152014

Whether you are managing anexisting brand or launchinga new product or service,getting to commercialsuccess can seem daunting. Sometimes youjust need answers before you can proceed.That’s where the right mix of marketresearch is needed.When done correctly, market research canplay a key part in helping predict which ofyour new business or brand ideas will flyin the marketplace. In today’s fast-pacedworld, companies sometime reduce or skipthe all-important research phase and movestraight to testing or validation. All toooften this results in more dollars spent on anincomplete or imperfect idea and extra timespent fixing what’s broken later on. Becauseof this, we want to debunk eight of the mostcommon market research myths that maydramatically impact how your companyviews market research.Myth 1: Market Research is TooExpensiveWe hear this all the time. The question hereis not so much about cost as it is aboutrisk. As an insights manager, you have achoice to make up front: invest the moneynow or invest even more money later.What is it worth to know in advance thata new product will likely fare well beforeyou spend the money to launch it? Thinkabout how hard it will be to explain to yourboss why the new product failed, or whyyour most trusted brand’s market share isslipping, when you could have preventedit with quality consumer insights early on.Remember that market research projectscan be tailored to fit any budget, from smallto generous. Your research partner should beable to work with you to get the informationyou need at a price point you can afford.Consider the cost of the research in lightof the value in upfront decision-makingconfidence, proper concept testing andrefinement, and products or concepts thathave been proven to be ready.As an insights manager, youhave a choice to make upfront: invest the moneynow or invest even moremoney later.Myth 2: A Researcher Could NeverUnderstand My Complex BusinessA researcher doesn’t need to understandthe detailed complexities of your business;they just need to be well-versed in thedifferent types of research available to getthe answers you need. Certainly it helpsif they know a little about your business,MRA’S ALERT! MAGAZINE – FIRST QUARTER 20157

and you should provide them with detailedinformation about it as well as your researchgoals, market and consumer. It can behelpful if they know your industry jargonat some level, but their research expertiseis much more valuable to you. Regardlessof the industry, a good researcher candesign a study that will deliver against yourobjectives. Often, their experience in othercategories will give you a much neededfresh perspective on the challenges youface.Regardless of the industry,a good researcher candesign a study that willdeliver against yourobjectives.Myth 3: We Know Our Customers– Research Would Just Tell Us WhatWe Already KnowDo you really know your customers? Doyou truly know the motivations behindtheir purchases? When you hire a goodresearcher, you gain deeper insights intoyour target customers. A deepdive researchstudy can reveal hidden motivations ordesires that are not apparent in moresuperficial interactions like surveys.Additionally, markets are dynamic; whatis true today may not be true tomorrow.Consumers are forever changing how theyinteract with media, products, technologiesand even their belief systems. It is toughto say you have a pulse on all of that if youaren’t actually gaining feedback from themon a regular basis.It is much easier fora customer to tell aresearcher how your brandlet them down than it isfor them to tell you.Myth 4: We Can Do Our OwnResearchThere are certainly things you can learnby interviewing your friends and internalnetworks about your brand, or going onyour Facebook page and asking fanswhat they think. But there are limitsto this “convenience sampling,” as weresearchers call it. A good researcherpresents themselves as an impartial thirdparty, inviting consumers to tell the truthwithout feeling like they are talking directlyto the brand (where they might not beas forthcoming). It is much easier for acustomer to tell a researcher how your brand8let them down than it is for them to tell you.Getting a half-truth from your customerwill not help get the real answers you need.Researchers are highly skilled in structuringtheir research studies to minimize bias inthe data.Myth 5: It’s Easy to Design a Surveyor Conduct a Focus GroupNot so fast! Anyone can post an onlinesurvey these days, but the old adageholds true: “garbage in, garbage out.” Ifthe survey questions are biased, or theflow is incorrect, your feedback will becompromised. Good surveys use veryspecific pacing, wording, question formats,moderator probing and answer scalesin order to receive valid feedback. Goodfocus group moderators are trained todesign discussion guides that encourageconsumers to actively participate in thediscussion in order to give you a deeperlevel of understanding and a clear view oftheir decision-making process. Also, a goodresearcher can use specialized techniqueslike ethnography, journaling, observation,environment analysis, etc., to help betterpredict what the consumer will actually doonce your brand or product is in front ofthem at the store.Good surveys use veryspecific pacing, wording,question formats,moderator probing andanswer scales in order toreceive valid feedback.Myth 6: Online Research is Not asGood as Traditional Face-to-FaceFocus GroupsThe truth is, both are vital within theresearch world. We agree that yousometimes need to talk to a consumergroup in a personal setting. Some folkssimply won’t be comfortable online (e.g.,older participants, or those who don’t havereliable Internet access). In these cases,face-to-face research is best and sometimesyou just need to observe folks personally tocapture specific body language cues whilethey provide their opinions. However, thedigital revolution has opened a whole newworld for market research. It is now possibleto field research faster, for less money. Youcan access people across the globe for asingle study if needed and, using mobiletechnology, you can talk to them at theprecise situational moment you need (e.g.,while standing in front of your endcapdisplay at a retail location). This is a hugeadvantage over asking a consumer to comeMRA’S ALERT! MAGAZINE – FIRST QUARTER 2015sit in a structured focus group room. Onlineresearch is a vital part of today’s researchtoolbox.Myth 7: Gathering Lots of Data isEnoughIn today’s world, where everyone has adigital phone, every purchase is scannedand every opinion is posted and tweetedon social media, there is more than enoughconsumer data available. In fact, there isso much data it is hard to decipher thevaluable from the invaluable. So how do youslice and dice it? What does it all mean?Data is only valuable if there is insightbehind it to help you find the right direction.A good research partner will not only helpyou access and collect important consumerdata, but will also dig deep to discoverprescriptive insights that can positivelyshape your brand.Myth 8: It’s a Choice BetweenQuantitative and QualitativeResearchQualitative and quantitative researchare meant to complement one another.Quantitative research helps prioritize andscreen ideas while qualitative researchanswers the “why.” They are a powerfulcombination. You can run a large onlinesurvey to help prioritize new productor concept ideas, which will help youunderstand which ideas merit furtherattention and focus based on consumerfeedback. You can then follow up witha qualitative study that focuses on whyconsumers like each of those ideas.Qualitative research can dive much deeperinto the drivers behind consumer behaviorsand purchase intent. It can show thedifference between someone who mightsimply like your product.and someone whobuys it.So there you have it. Eight commonmyths addressed and debunked. Theseare not the only myths we see, but havefound these to be the most common withincompanies, both small and large, acrossmultiple industries.Citation:This article was repurposed from thefollowing original blog post: GutCheck,Jess Schwartzkopf (2014, October 21).Market Research Myths: Part 1 & 2, 1-4, s-part-2.Jess Schwartzkopf is a marketingmanager at GutCheck in Denver, Colorado,a full-service company that focusesand specializes in key market researchapplications in order to help products andadvertisements win.

Showcase your Talent pppppppppppppppphpspp spp pMarketing Systems Groupppppppppppppppp ppppppppp pppppp ppp pppp ppppp pppppp Genesyss ssssssss PRO-T-Sresearchhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh GISS SSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSS SSSS ARCS ppppphpppp ppppp hppppppppppppppppppppppppp ppppppp pppppppppppp pppppppppppContact us at 215.653.7100 or visit our websiteat www.m-s-g.com for more information.MRA’S ALERT! MAGAZINE – FIRST QUARTER 20159

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Thankfully, Schlesinger Associates Does Both Actually, we can’t help you find that perfect fit. However, we will deliver the right solution to fit your exact market research requirements. Whether it is qualitative or quantitative, Schlesinger Associates is your resource for compl