Editor’s note: Youme Yai is a project manager at market research firm CMB, Boston. This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared under the title, “The essential ingredients of a successful market research project.”
I’m a big fan of The Great British Baking Show – a TV series following the trials and tribulations of amateur bakers vying to be named the U.K.’s best baker. In each episode the bakers tackle a different skill with increasing difficulty as the competition unfolds.
For those unfamiliar with the show, the second portion of the competition, the technical challenge, requires bakers to make an unfamiliar recipe with scant instructions. They must leverage their baking prowess and creativity to successfully make the recipe and impress the judges, Paul and Prue (or Mary, depending on which season you’re watching). Meanwhile, the competition is timed – which can be really tricky when baking time is unspecified.
As a custom market research project manager, I empathize with these contestants. Here are three ways the technical challenge is like managing a market research project:
- Unique elements. It's possible that contestants have come across the technical challenge bake subject or recipe before. But even if they’re somewhat familiar, the recipes always have some unique element, making them feel new. Similarly, as a project manager you’ve probably done your fair share of customer journey, segmentation or optimization. And while you may be an expert in each topic and approach, every project is 100 percent customized and will almost always include new elements. Maybe the sample is unique, or your company has a very specific business objective. Whatever it is, you’ll need to approach each project armed with your industry experience and thinking cap. Even with brand trackers that are usually repeated, each wave is unique and poses different circumstances. There is no exact list of instructions in market research – you must be innovative and open to new challenges.
- Incomplete instructions. Ingredients are provided during the technical challenge but not always with an explanation of how to properly integrate them into the bake. In a new research project, research objectives, desired business outcome and potentially a sample list may be the ingredients provided but as the project manager you must successfully incorporate these components to uncover actionable insights that meet clients’ (or judges’) needs and expectations. While a crude recipe exists for research (e.g., step one, questionnaire development; step two, fielding … ), it’s up to the research team to use their industry knowledge and experience to successfully account for all ingredients.
- Timing. A fielding period, like the bake time in a technical challenge, may not be explicitly specified at the onset of a project. Therefore, you must use your best judgment and expertise to determine the length of fielding. Much like the bakers watching the oven, you must carefully monitor the metaphorical research oven – response rates, panel entries, etc. – until you’ve achieved desired results.
Unlike the British cake bakers and pastry makers, research project managers are backed by a dedicated team that is integral to the success of each project. From advanced analytics teams to senior consultants with robust industry expertise, successful custom market research projects are a team effort.
Of course, there are a few more differences (no worries or over baked genoise sponge in MR).
At the end of the Great British Baking Show, the food is eaten, contestants are judged, a winner is announced and that’s that. But as market researchers, we don’t just deliver a final report and the show ends. A successful initiative means socializing the findings, conducting follow-up discussions and more.