The new year is upon us and perhaps as at no time in recent memory, it feels like marketing research is on the cusp. The cusp of what? That’s the problem: I’m not sure.
We’re all familiar with the big issues facing our industry. They include:
Obsolescence via DIY research tools and the rise of big data. Who needs researchers when I can send out my own surveys as often as I want and do it for free? Why commission ad hoc projects when I can just scrape the Web?
Obsolescence via Google Consumer Surveys. See above and add “for a small fee” and “two questions at a time.”
Obsolescence via Google and Facebook. Two giant entities with equally giant development budgets. They’re both already dabbling in research. Why do I sometimes feel like they’re working on the killer app that will put the nail in our coffin?
Obsolescence via the big consulting firms. Their words somehow command more respect from the C-suite than the MR function and they often seem to do what we do better than we do it. How did that happen?
Long-time readers will know that I’m optimist by nature and while the above threats are certainly present and real, I don’t truly believe they’ll be the end of marketing research as we know it. I’ve heard and seen too many examples of creative, motivated and enthusiastic people who are doing their best to keep the insights-gathering function relevant and top-of-mind with important internal audiences.
What are some of things that they do that you should be doing too?
Step outside your comfort zone. Researchers can’t afford to embody the stereotype of the passive, data-gathering number-cruncher anymore (if they ever could!). They need to be driving the research process and discussions that surround it. Insights should be delivered, not just offered.
Improve your skill set. Take classes, read books, attend conferences. Arm yourself with new ideas and new capabilities so you can meet challenges head on rather than being surprised by them.
Read up on the competition. By competition, I mean the aforementioned Googles and Facebooks and giant consulting companies. Set up customized news alerts to stay on top of what they are doing. Read their press releases. Listen to their Webinars. What can you learn from them to beat them at their own game?
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Beyond using the project requests you field from your internal customers as a barometer, try to understand the pressures they are feeling from their own internal groups. How can your insights function help ease their pain and make their lives easier? How can you package and deliver the information they need in the form that works best for them, not just for you?
Think different/get creative. Look outside the realms of research and your own specific industries for inspiration. What can you learn that might help you or your organization view or solve a problem in a new way? Are there long-standing practices or beliefs that are ripe for a re-think?
Do it for them. Is DIY research running rampant in your organization? Talk to the people sending out those surveys. Why are they doing so? In many cases you realistically won’t be able to compete with their reasons but are there times when you can provide them a similar service through a fast, no-frills option?
A few minutes
I offer these ideas with the full knowledge that all of us are already busy beyond belief. I get that. So there’s no need to tackle them all. Just try to carve out a few minutes here and there to take some forward steps. You’ll be surprised how far you can get.