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Perspectives
Why Do I Need A Research Expert?Many organizations, large and small, seek to get by with focus groups and customer surveys that are simplistic, poorly conceived, weakly executed, and, to put it bluntly, junk. This is neither a controversial nor rare opinion among those who understand what research really means. Who should be looked to to know what quality research really means? People whose careers are predicated on it, people who have studied it and utilized it at the highest levels at research institutions and universities. People like us.Collecting The DataThe first step is data collection. Slapdash approaches to collecting data; approaches that are not systematic, that do not target the right populations (or understand the population represented by their sampling strategy), and that use instruments not validated through rigorous evaluation are a waste of both time and money. If you agree that every business can do with more of both, please keep reading.In fact, the market data you collect is just one step in many that come before and after a process rightly called Analysis and Research. Too often companies collect data using poor methods, with the wrong samples, deployed in the wrong way, with too superficial an analysis. Not only are these approaches a waste of time, but their negative effects are multiplied when companies act on this information. However there is good news. You do not have to do it this way. Interpreting The DataAccurate, objective, and valid interpretation of the data is the final key step, and often the one that requires the greatest skill. Superficial interpretations will give you superficial results that may be wrong or not produce clear, actionable strategies. These are often easy and "sound good." But it is the stuff below the surface where the real action is-do you believe everything you first see or hear because it "seems to make sense?" Let's make an analogy to health. Anyone with 30 bucks can go into a drugstore and buy a blood pressure monitor and determine they have high blood pressure. But what is the ` cause of that blood pressure? What can you do to lower it? These are questions only a medical professional can answer. And oftentimes the data produced by market research can only be accurately analyzed and interpreted by professional researchers. That's where we come in.In times like these, companies need to look for an edge to distinguish themselves from competitors and to act on the true and accurate desires and wishes of their customer base and clientele. Using superior market research and analysis produced by individuals with world-class training in these approaches is not only the best approach, but ultimately also the most cost-efficient route. In The LimelightThe Otter Research BlogOtterCulture and Consumer Research ConsultancyCopyright© 2011 Scarcliff Salvador Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |