Editor’s note: This sponsored article draws on findings from Maze’s State of Market Research Report, based on a survey of 200+ research and insights professionals. The full report examines how expanding roles, rising demand and AI are reshaping market research – and what teams need to turn learning into lasting influence.
If you’re working as a researcher, you already know the role is changing. But you might not know the extent to which your peers are going through the same shifts. To better understand how market research is evolving, Maze surveyed 200+ research and insights professionals. The findings, published in the State of Market Research Report, show how role convergence is happening and research teams are being asked to do more with less. But the survey also revealed surprising findings that point to the impact research can have on organizations when it meets decisions while they are still in flight.
Demand is stretching resources thin
There’s a rising tension between what market research teams are expected to deliver and the people, time and budget available to do it. This squeeze spans three dimensions:
- Speed: 78% said expected delivery speed increased.
- Volume: 70% said research requests increased, while 64% began supporting more business functions.
- Complexity: 64% said project complexity increased.
Only 30% reported increased research budgets, while 24% reported increased headcount. That gap forces hard trade-offs, as urgent requests can displace important exploratory research, follow-up analysis and the work required to preserve previous findings. Maze calls this the research squeeze.
The job is expanding, but influence isn’t guaranteed
This research squeeze is happening while the job itself expands. Participants reported adding an average of 4.5 responsibilities to their roles over the past two years, reflecting the increasingly blurred lines between market research, customer insights, UX research, strategy, analytics, competitive intelligence and AI governance.
And research is no longer confined to people with “researcher” in their title. In Maze’s survey, market research professionals made up just 19% of participants, with people across marketing, strategy, UX research, customer experience and consumer insights actively involved in the work.
This role convergence gives researchers an opportunity to connect more of the evidence behind decisions and move closer to strategy. But taking on more doesn’t necessarily mean having more influence.
So how can market researchers make that broader role count?
1. Get involved while the decision window is still open.
While 89% of participants said research is viewed as a strategic partner, only 33% said it usually enters while a problem or opportunity is first being defined. Maze’s analysis points to a clear decision window: Reported influence remains nearly unchanged during problem definition and option exploration, then begins to decline once a preferred direction takes hold. Research doesn’t need to be present in the first meeting, but it does need to arrive while options remain open.
2. Build on what the organization already knows.
Eighty-two percent of participants agreed that research helps their team learn over time, but only 68% said people across their organization can access and use previous research.
Before beginning another study, bring together the relevant customer, market and competitive evidence that already exists. Keep new findings with enough context for future teams to understand when they still apply and when changing conditions call for new research.
3. Help the evidence lead to action.
Four in five participants said a majority of their three most recent projects informed a decision or led to action. Researchers can support that follow-through by explaining what the evidence supports and what the team should do next.
“Sometimes research produces findings without a clear path to a decision. If the output is just a report or readout, people may say thank you and move on. But when a finding is tied to a specific, actionable recommendation, it’s far easier for stakeholders to act.” – Angie Liang, Independent Research Leader
4. Use AI to make room for human judgment.
Eighty-four percent agreed that AI increases research capacity. Teams can use it to draft research materials, analyze and synthesize findings, work across datasets and surface relevant past research. In Maze’s survey, 74% used AI for analysis and synthesis, while 55% used it to manage research knowledge.
That capacity still needs clear standards and human review. Ninety-six percent agreed that reviewing AI-generated outputs is essential. Researchers remain responsible for deciding which questions matter, evaluating the evidence and connecting findings to the decision.
5. Turn individual projects into a system of learning.
Research has more influence when what the organization learns remains useful beyond the project that produced it. Maze calls this a system of learning: connecting what the organization already knows with the decisions it’s making now.
Teams establish a shared understanding, stay alert to what has changed, identify the questions that matter and bring in new research while there’s still something meaningful to shape. The result is a stronger starting point for the next decision, rather than rebuilding context every time.
Research that strengthens the next decision
Researchers are being asked to cover more ground at a time when demand is rising faster than resources. That broader remit creates pressure, but it also puts researchers in a position to connect evidence that once lived across separate disciplines. Maze’s State of Market Research Report goes deeper into what that shift means, including the research squeeze, how teams are using AI and what Maze’s analysis reveals about the relationship between timing and strategic influence.
Download the free report at maze.co →
The lines around market research are blurring. Maze’s State of Market Research Report explores the forces reshaping market research, with insights from 200+ research and insights professionals on role convergence, rising demand, AI and strategic influence.