Without data, all you have is another opinion.
“Without data, all you have is another opinion.”
I can still hear these words from my first boss echoing inside my head. This adage is one that I learned just days into my market research career. One decade and hundreds of research projects later, it remains a foundation of my approach to the work.
Every client is sure they know their industry — living it day in and day out. But, without concrete data, what some view as experience I view as assumptions. And you know what they say about assuming.
It’s dangerous to make decisions based solely on perception, anecdotes or other intangible sources. For example, vocal minorities can appear more significant than they are, or more deeply rooted issues might not surface without further investigation.
Each campaign is a puzzle, and market research is the frame. The role of research is to inform a campaign’s context, shape and direction. What is important? How do the pieces fit together? Where should the focus stop?
Each campaign is a puzzle, and market research is the frame.
In many cases, I’ve seen the solution to a “data-driven approach” be one-dimensional: a survey. Although it can be a good start, one tool doesn’t build the whole frame of the puzzle. It takes a more holistic research approach.
Here is what I believe about conducting expert market research:
- Identify a clear objective. Specifically identify what you want your research to reveal or the questions you want to answer. Never do research just for research’s sake. Be purposeful and build toward something actionable.
- Understand the context of the situation. When defining a research approach, no question is out of bounds. It’s imperative to understand what is happening in the world around your target audiences. Context allows you to craft the most efficient approach.
- Define what you are trying to learn, and what you’re not. Identify the goals of your research, and remain disciplined. It’s easy to want to squeeze every bit of information from a single round of research. Don’t be greedy. Prioritize what is important to your objective, and understand what is merely a luxury. Stay focused.
- Assemble your methodology wisely. There are endless ways to conduct research, and different tools are better suited for different goals. I use an arsenal of options available based on the project at hand, including a proprietary digital research platform, phone polls, focus groups, individual interviews, media analysis, social network analysis, landscape analysis and other forms of primary, secondary and tertiary research. Each method must be sound, defensible and necessary for the objective.
- Place yourself in your audience’s shoes. Think creatively when it comes to reaching audiences and asking questions. Asking the same questions in different ways or a different order can elicit different responses. Including different terms for the same issue in a social media analysis could provide a more complete picture. It’s important to consider how people speak, think and act differently when you’re conducting research.
- Produce actionable insights using a holistic view of your results. Every piece of foundational market research should be purposeful and driving toward action. As data analysis is conducted, it should be viewed through the lens of a combination of all the sources used. Does the survey data tell the same story as what was found on social media? Were media stories also a discussion point in focus groups? And most important: How do these insights inform the direction of the campaign?
Market research is a multidimensional endeavor, using many tools to create the most defined, informed and well-positioned campaign in order to win.
In campaigns, market research is the foundation — the frame of the puzzle. It’s this starting point, firmly grounded in data, that positions the remainder of the engagement to be successful.
After all, without data, all you have is another opinion.
