Editor’s note: Adam Rossow is partner and head of marketing at Denver research firm iModerate. This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared here under the title “Don’t overlook research’s other benefit.”
In a recent blog post, my colleague Bethany Wilczynski argued that we never know with certainty what will have the most impact on which customer. Therefore, we have to ensure that each experience individuals have with a brand, from e-mail communications to packaging to customer support, is flawless.
Thankfully the touchpoints above, and others that quickly spring to mind, are often created and executed with an eye on the customer experience and how it will shape their perception of the brand. But there is a touchpoint – one that can hit customers numerous times, one that requires both their time and effort and one that helps shape the future of organizations – which is often formed with little if any regard for the customer: the market research project.
The goal of most research initiatives is to help us make a choice, provide direction or simply give us a better sense of things. C-level execs, insight teams and marketers focus on what they need to come away with from an insight perspective but often overlook what our consumers take away from the experience. And the landscape is littered with damning evidence. Some of the greatest offenders are well-known but still called into action time and time again: the 45-minute survey; the online exercise plagued with technical hurdles; the underutilized and poorly-maintained community; the same question asked eight different ways; and the uninspired quant questionnaire.
Just think of how you felt the last time you were on the losing end of one of these initiatives. Let down? Unappreciated? Angry? Irrelevant? If it was tied to a brand, what affect did it have on how you viewed the brand and how you think it viewed you? Despite all the brownie points it might have accumulated with you, did it serve as a negative tipping point?
Let me be clear: The desire to have the research experience “just not suck,” an unspoken goal of some organizations, isn’t exactly inspired change. Market research has the ability to be one of an organization’s most successful marketing touchpoints and most of us are missing the boat. We are in the era where control is firmly in the hands of the consumer. They expect to speak out, be part of the process and communicate with brands. Fulfilling their desire for this type of relationship can be accomplished in part by simply including them in good research. And when they are given the chance to truly engage, when they feel like their voice matters, when they are able to offer their opinions in a thoughtful way, they feel special and valued. In terms of how we want our customers to feel, is there much more we can ask for?
In this day and age there is simply no excuse for unimaginative research that doesn’t engage. There are gamification approaches, live interaction options, a myriad of imagery-based activities and fun virtual ethnography techniques at our fingertips. There are so many great tools and design options available that finding one that meshes with specific research objectives and is additive is relatively easy. Not comfortable with new technology? Leave the tools in the toolbox and just design a concise, clear, non-repetitive, targeted, smart research exercise that doesn’t put your respondents in a box. There’s no need to be flashy as long as you’re thoughtful.
The opportunity for research to work harder for your organization and your brand is there and it’s a simple one to take advantage of. All it requires is a bit of a paradigm shift to think of research as more than just a feedback mechanism and treat it like what it really is: a vital customer touchpoint.