Marketing in Real Life

A colleague of mine is on a panel at this week's MRA conference discussing technology's impact on research, and specifically what the switch away from analog tv means for this industry. In discussing the topic with him it dawned on me that as technology leaders rush forward with the latest and greatest, it is important to remember that researchers rely on normal consumers to feed us information and that they are who we should be focused on, not the small percentage of people who have pre-ordered the Blackberry Bold or bought the iPhone the week it came out. Certainly the expectations of online interactions have changed. People expect to have a say and want the opportunity to express themselves fully through open-ended comments. They want to be a part of the conversation, not just listeners. They expect research environments to function smoothly and incorporate more than text. But its important when you are desigining a study to think about the target audience and their comfor...

With the downturn in the economy, I've been asked by at least a dozen people recently how that will impact research budgets. Its too soon to tell for sure, but Forrester recently released a report with ten ways to "Recession-proof Market Research." Four jumped out at me: Require a clear business outcome for every primary study... This one I learned years ago from Chadwick Martin Bailey's John Martin. Never conduct a study if you don't know how the information is going to be used. And from a provider standpoint, don't assume an RFP is completely thought through. Put revenue focus in every survey you field... Another key to successful designs is focusing on key outcome behaviors (e.g., trial, purchase, cross-purchase, advocate) and their attached revenue. Its nice to know what people think, but satisfaction doesn't necessarily drive revenue. Reduce sample sizes based on the level of confidence needed in the results... Ask yourself how many respondents yo...