What better way to prepare for 2012 success than to plan for some training?

Research Rockstar’s training options have been expanded, and now include 4 options:

• Online Training: Self-paced, Flash-based classes. These fully narrated classes are super convenient—learn the topics you want, from wherever you want, whenever you want. These classes are $129 each, and include 30 minutes of instructor access.
• On-site Training: Have a group that needs training? Want to train them all at once? On-site sessions range from 3 hours to 12 hours, and are available on many topics including Market Research Basics, Questionnaire Design, Market Segmentation, and more.
• Real-time Single Classes: Taught in our virtual classroom, these classes combine the convenience of online training with the power of real-time instructor access. At $245 per class, this is best for students who desire interactivity.  Click here for the current schedule.
• Four-week Power Programs: Also taught in our virtual classroom, these 4-week programs offer a deeper dive into market research topics, and include interactive exercises that boost retention. Oh, and they are also fun. Our January 2012 offerings are Market Research Project Management (starts January 10^th) and Online Research Methods for 2012 (starts January 19^th).  All classes start at 1:00 p.m. EST. Psssst…if you miss a class, they are all available for replay.

What is a virtual classroom? Students see slides, hear the instructor, view a white board, and can ask questions. Plus the whole class is recorded and is available for replay for 30 days.

By taking classes virtually, students avoid the cost and aggravation of travel, while still enjoying instructor access. The classes are each designed to be very real-world; the 90 minute sessions are fast-paced and focus on practical information.  After completing a class and a brief assessment quiz, students receive a certification of completion.

Any questions? Please contact Cathy Leonard 508.691.6004 ext 701 or CLeonard@ResearchRockstar.com.

This November 7^th to 9^th, many lucky professionals will be gathered in Orlando, Florida learning and networking at one of the industry’s premiere conferences: The Market Research Event (hosted by the Institute for International Research).

But since not everyone has room in their calendar, or budget, for conferences, Research Rockstar is offering an alternative—a way to get market research learning the week of TMRE, but in the convenience of your own workspace, and without spending thousands of dollars.

The other market research event, Market Research University Week, will take place during the same week as TMRE. Students will get a bundle of four great classes and an hour of one-on-one time with instructor Kathryn Korostoff for $579.  And with Research Rockstar’s on-demand scheduling, you can choose exactly when to take each class, any time between November 7th and 10th.

At Research Rockstar’s Market Research University Week, students will gain fresh, practical market research knowledge from the comfort of their home or office. Students can pick four classes from the following set of options:

• Ask It Right: All About Scales and Answer Options for Questionnaire Design
• How to Hire a Market Research Agency: Practical steps for a Successful Process
• Learning from History: Using Win/Loss Research to Improve Sales Success
• Market Segmentation: Practical Steps to Research Success
• Product Concept Testing: Practical Steps to Research Success
• Reorganizing the Market Research Function
• Social Media Meets Market Research: Social Media and Social Networking as Market Research Resources

Each class is 40-80 minutes long. After registration, students will be sent an email link that will allow them to specify their four selections and  choose the time slots that will best suit their needs.  All four classes can be taken in one day, or spread out over four days. For more information on Market Research University Week, please click here.

Are you tired of people being cynical about market research? Tired of explaining to people that market research is, in fact, much more than surveys and focus groups?

Me too.

Announcing, “Think Outside The Survey”, a new eBook from Research Rockstar. Members can access it on the Members’ pages. All others, please click here.

Today, some business professionals dismiss market research. Thanks, in part, to popular books like Predictably Irrational, they have learned that self-reported behaviors and attitudes can be unreliable.  But the problem isn’t that all market research methods deal with these realities poorly—the problem is that many people assume market researchers rely exclusively on surveys and focus groups. And while these are great methodologies useful in many situations, they are among the most susceptible to the deficiencies of self-reported behaviors and attitudes.

Our goal, as market researchers, is simple: we don’t want business professionals to dismiss “market research” because they equate it with surveys and focus groups.  Our goal is to get them to understand that market research is more, much more.

That’s why this new eBook presents fourteen market research methods that aren’t surveys nor focus groups. These are the methods we need to raise awareness of, so that people, won’t dismiss market research—even if they are dismissing surveys.

Please share this eBook with your friends and colleagues. Let’s spread the word that it is time to think outside the survey.

Do you cringe whenever you see a survey design crafted by one of your colleagues?

Do you question whether your choice of scales and answer options is yielding the best data?

Has your organization ever released an online survey—only to get results that are too vague to be actionable?

Let’s be honest—a lot of people with no training write surveys these days.  And it shows.  If you or your colleagues are in New York please join me for a crash course in online survey design.

All students will receive a workbook and online access to additional materials.

Our agenda:

• 5 steps to planning a successful online survey
• How to avoid common survey design problems
• All about question types and scales
• How to minimize bias and maximize honesty
• Tips for getting people to complete your questionnaire

This event is being hosted by Research Rockstar, the NY AMA, and Greenbook.

Learn more | Register today

Twitterversity News!

Based on input from attendees of the first Twitterversity, the next two topics have been selected and are scheduled as follows:

July 19: Social Media Research: 101 Social Media Research Tips

July 28: Principles of Market Research Project Management

Thanks to all who provided suggestions and ideas. Your input has been instrumental in planning these next two events.

For those who missed the first Twitterversity, this is a Twitter-only event where mini-lessons are released with the hashtag #MRXU. It’s a great way to capture facts, definitions, and best practices.

To join the mailing list for details, agendas and updates, please sign up here. You can unsubscribe at any time.

If you throw “social media” and “market research” into a blender, what do you get? It depends on the exact recipe you select. The good news is that whatever you decide to try first, you can start with some free samples.

In terms of what many organizations can most easily test today, social media monitoring, social sampling and prediction markets are great options.

If you want to learn more about these methods, their pros and cons, and suggestions for getting started with them, please check out Research Rockstar’s new class: Social Media Meets Market Research.

Sign up for the class before May 25^th with coupon code 472Z1 and the class will be just $99.

This 73-minute online, self-paced class includes an automated, interactive self-quiz. With this fast, easy market research training, you will be ready to start “tasting” the samples, without the risk of a nasty BassOMatic mess.

Please check out the class preview: PREVIEW LINK.

Are you or your colleagues interested in creating great online surveys? Have you been meaning to take a class, but perhaps found other options too boring, lengthy or costly?

Then please join me for a practical, fast class on June 9th, in Waltham MA. In just under three hours, attendees will learn the basics of planning, designing and writing great online surveys.

This is a small class format, so everyone will be able to ask questions and get answers. All attendees will receive a class workbook and sample survey designs.

Click below for details!

Research Rockstar Survey Design Class June 9

This week, Research Rockstar gave away three (3) FREE VIP memberships to readers of the QuestionPro, Survey Analytics, and Research Access blogs. Winners will have 24×7 access to classes on:

• Market segmentation
• Questionnaire planning
• Product concept testing
• Delivering research
• And more

The three winners are…drumroll…Yuchen Chen, Cassie Rhodes and Katrina Gan. All three have been notified by email.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Did you participate in the January 11, 2011 MRXU Twitterversity? Even if you missed it, the word cloud below may give you a sense of what took place. Also, you can still get the transcript and other Twitterversity news. Just sign up here:

MRXU, the free Market Research Twitterversity, will begin Tuesday January 11th, at 6 am! In addition to the 117+ lessons that will be released by topic (see agenda below), our visiting professors have all agreed to offer virtual office hours. That means that during the hours below, they will be monitoring #MRXU for any questions. So don’t be shy! All times are US, Eastern Standard Time.

Office hours:

6:00 AM Basic Concepts & Common Jargon

8:00 AM Introduction to Market Research Project Planning

10:00 AM About Survey Projects

12:00 PM (Noon) About Qualitative Research

2:00 PM Emerging Research Methods

4:00 PM Receiving Research Results

5:00 PM Delivering Research Results

7:00 PM Tips for MR Buyers

9:00 PM Market Research Career Planning

Be sure to follows hashtag #MRXU Tuesday January 11th to capture the 117+ mini-lessons.

A total of 35 market research industry predictions were posted during the last two weeks of 2010.  For each one, people could vote for or against the item, resulting in a net score.  Our highest positive score is 31: Vaughn Mordecai’s prediction that, “Combined & Alternative Modes of Collection Actually See Traction.” In contrast, the most negative score was my own, “Survey Research will be Dead by 2015″; an obvisously extreme statement, which I posted in reaction to the Phillip Graves’ book (I wanted to see what kind of response the item would stir up).

I’ll be posting detailed results over the next week.  Until then, the site is still open if you would like to see all of the results. I also encourage you to read the many insightful comments (there are over 100 comments from various voters).

Note that the top 10 includes ties.

Please leave any comments or questions here, or contact me at 508.691.6004 ext 705, or KKorostoff@ResearchRockstar.com.

This past week, I have been moderating a prediction market on the future of market research. Thirty-one ideas have been posted (by myself and others), stating our predictions for market research. Over 300 votes have been cast so far.

I have been fascinated by prediction markets for some time, and this has been a great opportunity to run one myself. I am using IdeaScale as the software platform. It’s been a great learning opportunity for me, in terms of promoting, monitoring and moderating activity.

But the real surprirses have come from the results so far.  Scores for each prediction are based on taking the number of votes “for” an item less the number of votes  “against” it.  As of 12/14/10 at 8 am EST, here are some results (these are preliminary and likely to change over the next few days):

-3. Social Media Research to Capture 25% or more of MR budgets by 2012. It had actually been hovering around positive 3 and 4, then came down! Does this mean more people really think SMR will not take off? Or that clients will use free/low-cost tools such that it won’t take up much budget?

-1. In 2011-2012, MR Departments will see budget growth. Every time I see this one start to inch up,  new votes come in and keep it close to zero. I wonder if the issue here is that when it comes to budgets, “flat is the new up”? Or are MR departments simply expected to get more output from the same budget levels (due to new technologies, methods)?

-9. Survey research will be dead by 2015. Despite all of the hype from Consumer.ology, the Philip Graves book, researchers still see plenty of demand for surveys. Sure, their application is evolving, but they aren’t going extinct.

12. Market Research Reports Will Move Online. Some comments in this section say they already have. In my experience, that is true for trackers, but not most other studies. PowerPoint decks are still common—even if they are delivered electronically (not in print with nice bindings, like in the old days).  Or is my view too US-centric? Outside of the US, have research clients truly migrated towards online reporting tools?

These are just four of the twenty-two predictions in voting. Other items to check out  include:

• Combined & Alternative Modes of Collection Actually See Traction
• In-house MROCs will Soar, Supporting DIY Trend
• By 2015, 80% of surveys will be integrated w other apps
• Only 10 of today’s Top 50 MR Firms will be in the Top 50 by 2015

Voting will remain open until we break 500 votes, which will likely be Dec 20^th (given current voting volume trends).  Vote here (VOTE) and be sure to read the comments—we have had some really great contributions!

Over the next few weeks, we will see a flurry of end-of-year market research industry predictions. Many will rehash things we have known for years. Some will predict the “end” of market research. And a precious few will give us fresh, useful ideas about the industry’s future (see this post from Tom Ewing’s Blackbeard blog).

We do this each December, and this year will be no different.

Or will it?

I suggest that rather than just release our various predictions on fragmented blogs, twitter feeds, article sites and LinkedIn forums, we add a new element. One that will give us all a chance to vote on the predictions—so that we can leverage some collective judgment and identify the “best” predictions.

To support this, I have set up an IdeaScale voting site titled, “Market Research Predictions Site.” 

I have started by posting 9 of my predictions (though I confess, one is there to stimulate debate, and not because I actually believe it myself). You can vote on mine, and add your own (which others can then vote on).

My plan is to let this site run for a few weeks, and then conclude it by publishing (and sharing) our top 20 predictions, along with recognition of our top market research futurists.

I know you all have a lot of demands on your time, and I don’t want to impose.  But if you can spare even 5 minutes, you will see that it is very easy to vote and add your own predictions. Perhaps this will be an easy way for all of us to gain fresh insights for 2011 and beyond. I know I can’t wait to see which predictions get the most votes.

[Please leave any Comments here, vote here: http://mrpredictions.ideascale.com/, or leave a comment on my blog line at 508 691 6004 ext 703]

Best Speaker: Dawn Lacallade from ComBlu. For content, delivery style and just being so refreshingly honest.

Most (delightfully) unexpected content: Kelley Styring’s presentation on the One-armed Dove Hunt, which is a core piece of research for her current project, “The One-handed World.”

Most amusing: This award goes to the Shopping Track. Apparently, research on shoppers is a rather slippery topic; I heard contradictory data from 3 Shopper Track speakers. I won’t name names. But I sat in on 3 sessions in this track, and the speakers all eagerly shared convincing data—that was inconsistent with each other.  Has list-based shopping gone up or hasn’t it? Are lists important or is it a myth? I have no idea.

Most embarrassing: A certain professor espousing on the wonders of MaxDiff for needs-based segmentation models had two major, factual errors about MaxDiff in his presentation. Ouch!

Best Keynote: Jonah Lehrer.  This was tough, as I liked some of the others too…but I have to be honest and say that Jonah’s was most filled with aha’s for me. Either that, or he hypnotized me with his ceaseless pacing back and forth through his entire speech.

Most Frustrating: The San Diego Bayfront Hilton. This is the second market research conference I have been to at this facility in the past year or so. Note to all market research conference organizers: avoid this facility until they fix the g*d d*mn WiFi access in the meeting rooms. ALL meeting rooms must have WiFi.

Most Disappointing: Transaction triggered email surveys hailed as an innovation. Really? Innovative? Um, haven’t these been around for years? Sure, lots more organizations could use them that haven’t done so yet, but innovative? No.

Nicest Keynote Speaker: Isn’t Richard Thaler, Co-Author of Nudge, just the nicest genius you ever met? Great speech, wonderful anecdotes…and just so nice about it. And he TOOK QUESTIONS. None of the other keynotes did.

Most Useful Insights about Technology: Chris Anderson, Author of “Free: The Future of A Radical Price,” “ The Long Tail,” and Editor of Wired magazine. His talk about the “closed” Internet and tablet computers was excellent. And while I am not sure I agree with all of his conclusions, I appreciate a well thought-out presentation that inspires new ideas. See my lengthy review of his keynote here: LINK.

Most Abused Topic: Market Segmentation. I attended two of the sessions on segmentation. One was from an agency that showed an approach that struck me as bizarrely inactionable. Maybe it was just intended to showcase that they are good at analytics? I’m stumped. One of the things I know about segmentation is that if you want clients to actually use the model, it needs to be clear and understandable. Not complex and convoluted. The other segmentation session is a headscratcher—see my detailed review of it here: LINK. In contrast, the best segmentation case study I saw while at TMRE was actually one where segmentation was more of a sub-topic; it was in the session “Systematically building strategic insights into the decision-making process,” by Jeff McKenna from CMB and Becky Alseth of Avis Budget Group. The information Jeff presented on the Avis segmentation research was clear and credible. For my review of that session, click here: AVIS.

Kudos to IIR for a Great Show

Overall, TMRE was well worth the time. Booth traffic looked good, most of the sessions were quite good, and the quality of the Keynote speakers was excellent.  The ratio of client side folks to suppliers was the best I’ve seen at a show all year (others were far too skewed to suppliers). I even liked the corny emcee guy—he always made me laugh. The TMRE staff were all great and helpful—an excellent team (note to IIR: all of these people deserve raises for their hard work and excellent attitudes!).

So did I miss any other awards? What award would you like to give for TMRE 2010?

And a tangent…

Just one little thing I’d like to see different at the next TMRE:

A Daily paper. Yes, we want to think everything is digital. But I spoke with many people who said, “A blog? Really, there’s a show blog?”  This is totally selfish (since I’d love to think that everyone at the show was reading my articles), but it might be helpful to pass around a daily show paper with highlights from the blogs, reminders about where lunch will be, etc. Yes, I know, not very green of me…but even a one-page paper might be useful.

Links to all of my TMRE posts:

Dan Heath keynote review: http://themarketresearchevent.blogspot.com/2010/11/tmre-2010-injecting-emotion-into-market.html

Avis session review: http://themarketresearchevent.blogspot.com/2010/11/avis-budget-group-3-types-of-research.html

On Social media and sampling: http://themarketresearchevent.blogspot.com/2010/11/social-media-convenience-samples.html

My review of Chris Anderson’s speech: http://themarketresearchevent.blogspot.com/2010/11/tmre-2010-tablet-computers-closed.html

Me being a little too blunt on my own blog? http://www.researchrockstar.com/market-segmentation-southwest-airlines-style/

The AMA’s 2010 Market Research conference is coming soon (September 26-28). I will be there, and encourage anyone interested in educational and peer networking opportunities to join me.

Great Keynote Speakers

Take a look at these speakers—what an amazing list!

• Stan Sthanunathan, VP Strategy and Global Insights, Coca Cola
• Daniel Marcu, VP Research, IFC/Sundance
• Lane Cardwell, CEO, Boston Market
• Joe Batista, Chief Creatologist, HP
• Julie Propper, Director of Advertising Analytics, ESPN
• Dave Norton, CMO, Harrahs
• Clare Hart, Former Executive Vice President, Dow Jones & Company

My Top Pick

There will be many great speakers, but I always particularly enjoy practical market research applications. That is why I am especially  eager for this session: Isabelle Helms and Morgan Richards from AutoTrader.com will be presenting, “Building a Cost-Effective, In-House Normative Concept Test Program.”

Interested in seeking user feedback before you launch a new idea on your site? Limited concept testing research budget?  Then join us for this innovative session as we share how AutoTrader.com developed the “Concept Lab”, an in-house research solution enabling researchers to test new and revised online concepts with site users in a cost-effective manner.

My Session

I am pleased to announce that I will be presenting with Michaela Mora, at one of the Advanced Learning Sessions: Market Segmentation & MaxDiff: A Practical Application.

“Have you ever used MaxDiff in a market segmentation project? If you are looking to add an option for designing segmentation studies, join us for an interactive session on MaxDiff for Market Segmentation.

This session will start with a brief introduction to MaxDiff, for those audience members who may not have used it before. We will then proceed to scenarios of using MaxDiff to support a market segmentation analysis, including an actual case study. This session includes an interactive exercise for audience participation. The session will also include practical success tips.”

Conference Details

Place: Atlanta , GA
Date: 9/26/2010 12:00 PM  – 9/29/2010 12:00 PM

Sign up: Register by 8/26/2010 11:00 PM  for early registration fee (Registration Info)

I hope to see you there!

Market segmentation is all about sales and marketing ROI. The premise is that to maximize success with a large population of customers, it is best to divide it into logical subgroups. By dividing one large, generalized market into subgroups, you can fine-tune your product, messaging, promotional, distribution and related strategies to meet the specific needs of unique customer groups.

Segmentation models vary from basic to complex, and the approaches to developing and applying them is a topic for an entire book itself. But here are three examples of the very real benefits a segmentation model delivers:

1. Plan product roadmaps. It’s a lot easier to craft a roadmap when you have internal agreement about the profiles—including needs and behaviors—of the most attractive customer segments. If decision makers share a common view of what the most attractive segments are, and their emerging needs, planning new products and product improvements becomes a far more time and resource efficient  process. Not to overlook the obvious benefit that customer-inspired product ideas are more likely to succeed.
2. Embrace niche marketing. Few companies can afford to compete with the big fish in the big pond. Instead, a segmentation model shows you how to be a big fish in a little pond—or several little ponds.  A segmentation project can be designed to identify, profile and select profitable niches.
3. Setting your budget. Why let a marketing budget be set by something arbitrary, such as percent of sales? A segmentation model can provide a more meaningful, analytical approach. Given the size of attractive segments, and objectives for each segment (awareness/preference/market share, etc.), a strategic budget aligned with actual goals can be built. When you take this approach for the first time, you will likely find yourself investing less in some marketing programs, and more in others.

These are just 3 examples—there are many more. Indeed, there are many ways that a segmentation model can help your organization make money and save money. That said, actually creating a segmentation model is fairly complex, and success requires a very thoughtful planning process. Before you start, I strongly urge you to get assistance from someone who has experience with these types of studies—either a  consultant or a market research agency.

For those interested in learning more about market segmentation, I have three offers for  you:

First, please check out my new white paper, “9 Ways Market Segmentation Improves Business Success.” GET WHITE PAPER

Second, check out the preview of the new, 53-minute online introduction to market segmentation, “Divide & Conquer: Practical Steps to Market Segmentation Success.” CLASS PREVIEW [Research Rockstar VIP members: please note that this class is currently available in the members’ area—just log-in, click, and view!]

Third, for those interested in on-site training, I now have a more in-depth, 2-hour version of the online class, which includes interactive exercises for teams planning to create a market segmentation model. For a class outline, email me at KKorostoff@ResearchRockstar.com. Thanks!

Have you been waiting to take a Research Rockstar class, but just not yet gotten around to it?

Maybe it would help if you could see what an online class looks like. So here’s a video:

A few more things to know about our online market research classes:

• All classes are fully narrated, so you may want headphones if you are in a public area.
• Members can watch classes as often as they want.
• All classes are hosted—there is nothing to download!
• Most classes are just 30 to 60 minutes.
• All classes are designed for people who are actual buyers and users of market research; the content is extremely practical.

And remember, you can always start with a FREE membership.

A recent post here about online panels resulted in some interesting conversations with both in-house market researchers and a panel provider. Based on these conversations, I was inspired to elaborate more on the topic of online panels for those who may not have had the experience of working with them yet. So, if you are considering using an online panel for an upcoming project, and want some tips on how to manage this important resource, please check out my new white paper on online panels.

Online Panels: 7 Threats to Market Research Success

This 5-page white paper elaborates on what can go wrong when using an online panel, and how to mitigate these risks.

Truly,  panels are a great resource for anyone conducting surveys these days. And with a little practical advice, you will be able to use online panels successfully.

Yes, I want the Free White Paper about Online Panels! CLICK HERE

Some of our online market research classes have been updated, and we need feedback!  We’ll be testing the content by offering in-person seminars in Massachusetts. So here’s the deal: attend a free market research seminar, and all we ask in return is that you provide feedback.

The following topics are being scheduled:

• Introduction to Market Research Project Types & Methods (2 hours)
• Introduction to Market Research Project Management (2 hours)
• Product Concept Testing (1.5 hours)
• Designing Online Questionnaires (2 hours)
• Divide & Conquer: Introduction to Market Segmentation (1.5 hours)
• Creating Your Market Research Strategic Plan (1.5 hours)

Interested? Fill out this short form and you’ll get date and location information:  Seminars.  As soon as details are confirmed, you’ll get an invitation.

Thanks!

Great news! My article on DIY research “Why It’s Good for Everyone” won the counterpoint contest recently run by the MRA’s Alert! Magazine.

The article is reprinted in the MRA blog, here: Link1

I’ve received some amazingly positive response to the article. Most notably, from one of my favorite market research bloggers, Jeffrey Henning of Vovici, who declared it, “The best thing @ResearchRocks has ever written!” (@ResearchRocks being my twitter name).  It got circulated widely around the Twitterverse, and was even cited as inspiration for a wonderful blog entry by Canek Riestra (@criestra) here: Link2,  or in English here (using Google translate—so an ok version, but not perfect): Link3

Winning the contest also means I will have the opportunity to write 4 more columns in 2010 for Alert! My next article will be in the June issue.

So in case you missed it, here it is: Link4.  I welcome any feedback! And I always enjoy a good debate

Blogs tend to be a little less filtered than traditional magazines and newsletters. And that is exactly why I like to read them. In the market research space, there is no shortage of blogs. But I do find myself regularly checking these 5 (I’ll post a part 2 on other faves next week):

MR Heretic’s “Market Research Death Watch blog.” First, I just love the word “heretic.” Consistent with the name, the blog posts fresh, unforgiving looks at market research. Always worth a read. My only complaint: wish he posted more often! From a recent post, “The experimenters are labeled heretics by those with a vested interest in the status quo. The MR dinosaurs can see the comet hurtling toward them, but they refuse to evolve while the money is still flowing into their pockets.”

From Vovici (Vovici blog),  honest observations of market research trends, obviously based in lots of experience. This blog also shares useful data. Check this article out—you ‘ll see what I mean: LINK.

“Bad Research; No Biscuit” (blog link) posts wonderful critiques of online questionnaires and related topics. I don’t know who this person is, but I think the blog is great. Love the screen shots from actual surveys so that we can all ridicule the bad research together. Hope I never see one of my clients’ surveys here!

Zebra Bites by Katie Harrris (who also is on Twitter) covers qual research topics, with a good dash of sharp thinking about research communities as a recent focus. I also like her format: she tends to post short pieces that make a strong observation and then asks the important questions. She makes me think.

Compete’s blog. OK, this is more tidbits of actual research data than a blog about research…but I like it. The folks from Compete post frequently about current topics. What’s the buzz on Droid? They blog it here: LINK.  Pretty generous data sharing.

MRB, the Market Research Bulletin. Calls itself, “a member driven online bulletin board.” But to me, it often reads a lot like a blog; timely articles, current topics, with a focus on news from the market research industry…but some commentary as well.

Others have been excellent, but not updated in months You know who you are….

So what research-related blogs do you read?

[Hey, are you located in Massachusetts? I am hosting a seminar in Burlington on 12/8 for people interested in learning about online questionnaire design: http://researchrockstarclass.eventbrite.com/]

Want to help plan Research Rockstar’s next online class topic? If so, please take this little one-question poll. Hey, I have to practice what I preach, don’t I?

BTW, this is a free poll from Vorbeo. Cool site, amazingly simple tool.

[I welcome any and all comments! Every 2 weeks I randomly select a commenter to win a Rockstar Mug: PIC. Next drawing is 10/23.]

I hate bar charts.

Well, maybe “hate” is kinda strong. But you know what I mean.

A market research report that consists of 100 bar charts and pie charts is boring. And while I’d love to think market research has some socially beneficial aspects, curing insomnia is not what I have in mind.

Often, people get stuck in a rut. You get used to asking questions a certain way, you get comfortable with particular scales, and you develop styles—even templates—for reporting research results.

If your audience is falling asleep, or you are just looking for a more compelling way to convey a study’s “so what” results—consider shaking up your visual displays.

Michael Lieberman (@StatMaven for you Twitter folks) and I were talking about the issue of compelling visual displays a few months ago. He and I decided that between the two of us, we could put together some practical, real-world visual displays for market research reporting. Displays that intuitively convey complex ideas. Displays that showcase research actionability. Displays that simply make looking at data a little more interesting.

Thus we created the free eBook, “Marketing Research Insights: 22 Visual Displays.” Available on Scribd (LINK), the book is divided into sections such as Research process, Customer satisfaction, Competitive analysis, Win/Loss research, Brand awareness and more. Each display is accompanied by a very brief description of how it can be used.

Now for all of you Tufte fans: Tufte is great. Gorgeous books. Inspiring concepts. But not all that relevant to most market research projects (oh, the hate mail I will get!). Sorry, but it’s true.

If you have any questions or comments about the eBook, please leave them here, or email us: KKorostoff@ResearchRockstar.com or Michael@MVSolution.com.

Tip: if you have not read an eBook on Scribd before, I recommend you use the “book” view option. Once in Scribd, in the lower left corner of your window, you will see the words “view mode.”  I suggest you select “book” from the dropdown list. For me, it makes for easier online reading.

As you can see, the web-site updates are complete! What do you think of the new look and new features? Please give me your feedback here, by phone or by email.

For those of you who buy Research Rockstar classes, the biggest news is that I have simplified the process of buying and watching them. Now, access to classes is based on memberships. Four membership levels are offered, starting with Free. Yes, Free. The higher the membership level, the more stuff you get.

As a Rockstar member, you get access to a members-only page where you will see various courses, eBooks, and templates listed. Just click to view a class (no more downloading huge files!). Or, click to download a PDF (for eBooks and templates). And view classes as many times as you wish.  New classes are added monthly, sometimes even weekly, so check your membership page periodically.

I want to thank the team at Men with Pens for making the updated site look so great.  You guys rock!

If you have been planning a research project involving customer interviews lately, you may have found yourself debating: should I hire an outside market research agency, or use in-house resources?

It’s a debate I hear a lot lately. Even clients who have hired research agencies to do interviews in the past are now considering the in-house option.

And the reasons aren’t just money-related (though that is a factor).  Two additional reasons for choosing the in-house approach include:

1.    The desire for near-real-time feedback.
2.    The need to create direct learning opportunities.

When handling customer interview projects (or IDI projects, if you prefer) in-house, you do get the benefit of fast feedback. The folks making the calls may be right down the hall from you, and it’s easy to pop in and ask for updates.  As issues come up, you and the interviewers can choose to modify screening criteria, update the interview guide, or escalate discoveries—and do so very quickly.

And the learning opportunity for those folks actually conducting interviews? It is fantastic. And that’s true whether the interviews will be conducted by executives, middle managers or other staff. There is nothing like talking to even just 5 or 10 actual customers one-on-one to create deep, impactful insights.  More often than not, after people conduct their first customer interviews, I hear them say things like, “I never knew our customers thought that!”

Risks Ahead

Yes, the benefits of doing interview projects in-house are huge. But so are the risks.

The biggest risk: alienating clients. Folks who have not been trained to do customer interviews may have trouble asking questions—and listening to responses—in a purely objective way. Clients get annoyed if they feel they have been nice enough to cooperate with the research request only to feel manipulated or misunderstood by a company representative.

Another big risk: underestimating the amount of work involved. If you have never done in-house interviews before, you may not realize how much time it takes. You may need to write a screener. And then there’s an interview guide itself to create. Then recruiting and scheduling the interviews. Don’t forget arranging for recording and possibly transcribing. And how about reading and synthesizing the results in a way that can be shared? It really does take a lot of time and skill.  I have seen clients embark on these projects, confident that they can do them, only to have the project turn into a never-ending-nightmare because the staff involved simply could not take enough time away for their primary responsibilities to make it happen in a time-efficient manner.

So just be sure to consider the alternatives. There are market research agencies and freelancers that can handle customer interview projects very well—and have the skills and resources to do them professionally.

Be Honest with Yourself

So if you’re thinking about having non-researchers help out with customer interviews, it is certainly viable. And has some real benefits. But watch out for those common roadblocks, or the money you save on an outside agency could end up being more than risked with customer fallout and excessive staff time.

[Interested in learning more tips to manage in-house interviewers? Interested in training non-researchers to conduct research interviews? Check out Research Rockstar's latest online tutorials:   Training Volunteer Interviewers (Free!) and  Conducting Research Interviews: 12 Tips for Stress-Free Interviewing ]

In your organization, do you have a growing number of non-market researchers doing market research? You know what I mean: people using free or low-cost tools like Survey Monkey, Zoomerang and Wufoo to collect data without the sanctioning of the research department? Or those gathering customer insights from Twitter, Facebook, or their own personal blogs?

You are not alone.

It’s rampant. And the genie is out of the bottle.

Of course, if it gets out of hand, we have to be concerned about:

• Annoying customers too many research requests. Especially those that may be redundant.
• Inconsistent standards, such that data from different efforts cannot be compared.
• Poor questionnaire design, leading to misleading data, or worse data.

You get the drift.

So what to do? Try to stop it? I don’t think so.

Look, you now have a volunteer army of market researchers (even if they don’t know it). They are data collectors, insight mavens and customer listeners. GREAT!

Yeah, I know the familiar arguments: “…it takes training,” or, as someone tweeted to me recently, “…just because you could pull out your own tooth doesn’t mean you should.” Uh huh.

Look, I know it’s uncomfortable. We market researchers take a lot of pride in our skills, discipline and experience. But the genie is out of the bottle, and it isn’t going back in.

So we have a choice:
1.    Deny, complain, prohibit. (good luck with that)
2.    Find a way to leverage the trend in a sensible way.

So we should let it run rampant?

Does this mean we should sanction all DIY customer surveys? Encourage sharing of all market insights gathered from social networking sites?

No, of course not.

• We still have to make sure our valued customers are not over-surveyed, or subjected to bad questionnaire designs.
• We must make sure research is coordinated (no redundant studies, please).
• We have to help people understand what results are anecdotal versus reliably conclusive.
• We must make sure confidential information is protected (training people on what information is confidential and should not be shared or even hinted at on social media forums, etc).
• We need to make sure suitable data is shared, and shared appropriately.

And that’s where training and policies come into play.  With a little planning and common sense, success is absolutely feasible.

Embrace the Chaos!

[Research Rockstar now offers a one-hour online course to help you turn unsanctioned market research into useful insights.  Check out, "Leading Your Volunteer Army: Turning Unsanctioned Research into Market Insight Gold." Or email info@ResearchRockstar.com]

You’ve just spent weeks, maybe months, executing a great primary market research project. You created a final report that just sings (insert angel chorus sounds here). It’s full of insights and fresh perspectives that could save or make real money for your organization.

Any nobody is reading it.

Ouch.

Why not? Is the issue motivation? Is it just too hard for your audience to prioritize taking the time to read the report?

Or is it skill? Are they uncomfortable reading market research data? Or unsure how to tackle a report efficiently?

In my experience, a little training can go a long way in these situations. So I created a free tutorial, “10 Tips for Reading Market Research Reports.” A 10 minute edition is on YouTube, and the full, 23 minute version can be downloaded as a Flash file from the Research Rockstar store. Did I mention that it is free?

Please send these links to any colleagues you have who may be dragging their feet. With these 10 tips, they’ll learn great tactics for reading a market research report so that they can get what they need from it,  easily and efficiently.

Link to YouTube edition.

Link to Flash version download.