The eBook can be downloaded, for free of course, and is organized into four sections:

• How to manage the client, which covers practical tips for keeping your client (whether internal or external) happy.
• How to avoid common errors, which provides practical best practices for dealing with issues such as global research, the certainty of conclusions and ROI.
• How to plan the research, which discusses specific market research best practices on managing research participants and putting some basic systems in place.
• How to get great data, which addresses some common market research challenges that can impede your ability to get objective, useful customer insights.

Click here to get this great, free market research reference resource before taking on your next market research projects.

~ Kathryn

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At last week’s AIMRI conference in NYC, I had the opportunity to meet market researchers from around the world: Czek Republic, England, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and more.  A small but dedicated group of researchers met to share current insights on market research trends, and to constructively discuss our industry’s future.

With contributions to the conversations by John Mackay (who, among other roles, is the founder of The Research Club), Lenny Murphy, Ruth Stanat and others, some of the presentations—and discussion—repeatedly pointed to an underlying question:

Is the volume of “traditional” survey work declining, or is it simply that the volume of other methods is growing faster? In other words, the market research pie is growing, and surveys have a smaller slice of a larger pie?

Personally, I don’t see any evidence that the volume of surveys is declining—if anything it is increasing. But I also see plenty of evidence that as a percent of the total, surveys are declining.

Evidence was abundant at AIMRI as well. Consider the presentation by Marshall Toplansky of WiseWindow, who shared a case study example of using a combination of social media research and ethnography as a Phase 1 to a quantitative Phase 2. This is consistent with many cases I see in client-side organizations; market research surveys are still being done, but are increasingly augmented by other methods.

As further evidence, consider that three of the ten presentations were specifically about panel based research. Panels (at least for now) are largely focused on data collection for online surveys.

And finally, lest there be any last doubt that surveys are still being done in volume, consider this: by my last count, there are now over 50 companies offering online survey platforms. Okay, this isn’t a fact specific to the AIMRI conference, but if survey volume was shrinking, I don’t think we would be seeing such a surge in new software platform entries.

Surveys are here. Vast volumes are done every day.  But as other options grow in volume, market research agencies simply have to ask themselves: what does the term “full service agency” really mean in today’s context?

[Our new Intro to Quantitative Data Analysis program starts next week! Taught in the Research Rockstar virtual classroom, this new 4-week program is geared to anyone interested in quantitative analysis, even if you have no previous background in statistics.]

Research Rockstar’s live, online, interactive, instructor-led classes are fun and fast-paced. These classes take place in our own virtual classroom once a week for four weeks. Complete a Power Program and receive a certificate that declares you are a Research Rockstar.  Better still… if you miss a class, have to leave early, or would just like a little refresher to review a few days later, you’re in luck! All live classes are recorded and available for review for 60 days.

So, what topics will our spring 4-Week Power Programs be covering? We’re glad you asked!

This spring, we will be holding power programs that cover Market Research Project Management, Online Research Methods for 2012, and an Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis.

Interested? Click here to learn more and register yourself or your staff for one of these great programs. Seats are limited, so sign up today!

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If so,  you should try Research Rockstar’s new eLearning classes. They’re live, online, interactive, instructor-led, fun, and fast-paced. All classes are available for replay, so they can be watched more than once at anytime (within 60 days) after the live class takes place.

Want more? OK, on top of the information-packed 1.5 hour live class, all students get a 30-minute one-on-one session with the instructor. So, not only can you ask questions during the class, but you can also chat with her privately after class to address any other questions you may have.

All classes meet in Research Rockstar’s virtual classroom.  All single session classes are $249 per student.  Upcoming topics: questionnaire design, survey scales, social media research, in-depth interview projects.

Click here to view all the current offerings and to register for the class of your choice. Seats are limited, so don’t delay & sign up today!

Click here to see what other people are saying about our classes.

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For our friends in Australia & India, we are pleased to announce we are offering a FREE demo class so that you can try out Research Rockstar’s virtual classroom and see what you think of our classes.

In our new class, “Ask It Right: Choosing Answer Types & Scales”, Research Rockstar covers Likert Scales, Semantic Differential Scales, Constant Sum, Ranking Questions, Rating Questions and more.  We specifically highlight examples of how to structure answer options for common market research needs, including customer satisfaction, product concept testing, and more.

Click here to read more.

Click here to sign up for FREE.

Here are some time zone equivalents for the convenience of our friends overseas. April 2nd, 10pm EST (UTC-4 hours (EDT)) is equivalent to the following:

• April 3rd, 10am in Perth, Australia  UTC+8

• April 3rd, 1pm in Sydney, Australia  UTC+11

• April 3rd, 12pm (noon) in Brisbane, Australia UTC+10

• April 3rd, 7:30am in India; from Mumbai to Kolkata UTC+5:30

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It is a classic dilemma; many companies that are selling in numerous countries can only afford to do research in a subset of them. How does a market researcher deliver research with this obstacle? Three steps to take are as follows:

• Be crystal clear when delivering all research results. What is the geographic scope of the research? A specific country? Region? I have seen it happen many times; the audience assumes that since their company is “global” the research is as well—when in fact the research may have been based on 2 or 3 countries.
• Select the countries carefully. Too often, researchers select countries based on past projects (“We always do our research in the U.S., UK, France, and Germany.”). Challenge old assumptions! What mix of countries will give you the insights you need for your organization’s current business initiatives?
• Educate the audience on how geographic variations impact customer behavior and attitudes. This usually applies more notably to consumer markets than B2B ones, but issues still arise. Here are just a few quick examples out of many known issues:
  • Different colors have different associations by geography. Red is “positive” in some cultures but negative in others. This can impact reactions to ads and product packaging.
  • Internet access penetration varies by country, and in many cases, within countries. Some brands have enormous word of mouth via online media, which will not have an impact in certain geographies.
  • The role of male versus female heads of households or the person driving purchase decisions for certain categories varies by country. Thus, research about purchase intent or price sensitivity based on one country cannot be assumed for all.

  By educating the audience on such issues as they apply to the research being done, you can advise them on what findings are likely to be at greatest risk for country-by-country variations, even when you didn’t have budget to actually conduct research in every country of interest.  Ideal? No. But still an important risk mitigation step.

Global Perspectives from Market Research

In an ideal world, market researchers would have adequate budgets for multinational research needs.  But in reality, we often have to focus on a limited number of countries for a given project.  Mitigate the risks by selecting countries carefully, communicating with the audience precisely, and providing contextual information about known regional variations in customer attitudes and behaviors.

Principles of Remarkable Research: Part 20 of 20

Remarkable Researchers understand that markets change—sometimes quickly. And often more quickly than do companies. The implication for remarkable research is twofold:

• Always let the audience know the expected shelf life of the research. Are the findings likely to reflect reality for one year? 2 years? 3 or more?
• Clearly identify which foundational/underlying assumptions exist that, if changed, could meaningfully influence conclusions.

I am reminded of the arctic fox that changes color rather dramatically from brown in the spring to white in the winter. But it is not easy, its fur changes slowly, growing an entire new coat. In other animals, change happens more quickly with some species actually changing the pigments in their skin. For example, nudibranches (the tiny sea creature pictured above) change color by altering their diet. When a nudibranch eats coral, its body uses the pigments. The pigments are visible, and the animal becomes the same color as the coral.  Why do I digress? A metaphor exists here for research. When markets change, it can require growing a completely new coat of fur (doing new research), or it can rely on mechanisms that change the output to reflect current reality.

[This is the twentieth article in a series of 20 mini-posts titled, “Principles of Remarkable Research.” But I can't help myself; I have one more post coming next Tuesday and then the series will be over.  Don’t want to miss it? Subscribe to our blog via email or RSS.]

Remarkable research distinguishes between conclusions, hypotheses, and “directional” results—and is precise about which is which.

While it may seem obvious to you as a market researcher, it is not always clear to the audience. The person receiving the research results often makes assumptions, which may be incorrect. Common assumptions may be about the research’s scope, thoroughness, and suitability for extrapolation. So when delivering research results, be crystal clear:

• Are the market research findings firm? Directional? Anecdotal? Or are they just hypotheses that require further investigation?
• Is the research based on current customers, potential customers, a mix, or some other population all-together? Can we extrapolate findings based on one group to other groups? If so, what is the basis for this?

Communicating both the certainty and context of findings is important; the last thing we want is to have well-intentioned research turned into misinformation. Even if it isn’t deliberate.

[This is the nineteenth article in a series of 20 mini-posts titled, “Principles of Remarkable Research.” Don’t want to miss this series? Subscribe to our blog via email or RSS.]

Remarkable research projects validate conclusions and enrich context by weaving in additional data sources. Sure, the fresh insights from your thoughtfully executed project are great—but they will carry more power if they are supported by additional sources. Your audience will have much more confidence, and thus be more likely to use your research, if they have multiple data points. Relying on a single source of market insights often feels like having a single point of failure. You want a confident audience!

• Take a lesson from the U.S. FDA; there are roughly ten clinical trials for each new drug the FDA approves.
• While you may not find other data sources that directly support your findings, you may find some that provide relevant profiling data for the target population, or insights into related or similar markets, which may support your findings. There is a plethora of secondary research available these days; with a little digging, you may be surprised at what you can find.

[This is the eighteenth article in a series of 20 mini-posts titled, “Principles of Remarkable Research.” Don’t want to miss this series? Subscribe to our blog via email or RSS.]

Two categories of software tools are available to turn crowdsourcing into a practical market research option: idea management platforms and prediction markets. While these categories are distinct, they have a common theme: creating web-based destinations to generate, prioritize, and assess ideas (or predictions). IdeaScale, Infosurv, and Inkling are just three of the platforms that offer trials. Again, new technologies are allowing remarkable researchers to gain customer insights, collaboratively and quickly.

• Tip: Watch out for all of the confusing semantics flooding the twittersphere and market research journals. Collaboration, crowdsourcing, cocreation, open innovation are all popular words that in reality overlap a lot. The idea is simple: inviting a “crowd” (a broad public network, a list of customers, employees, or a set of business partners) to easily share and vote/comment on ideas. The mechanics may vary but the fundamental concept is the same: engaging a group of people of your choice to participate in virtual brainstorming sessions resulting on a prioritized set of ideas. The ideas may be product options, tag lines, sales forecasts, or just about anything else you can think of.

[This is the seventeenth article in a series of 20 mini-posts titled, “Principles of Remarkable Research.” Don’t want to miss this series? Subscribe to our blog via email or RSS.]