Effective Research Means Getting Past the Gatekeepers

Over the years Research Solutions (now Synovate)  has won more Market Research Effectiveness Awards than any other company.  But before readers think this is an advertisement, it’s a worthwhile fact to know because of the key question it raises – what makes research effective?  And of crucial importance, in trying to answer the question amongst my colleagues, we’ve realised that this is a question that needs to be asked not by market researchers, but by the buyers of market research – more often than not, marketers.

Most readers will believe that they know how to ensure that their research is effective – write a good brief, select your supplier carefully, ensure the proposed methodology appears appropriate and ensure you get to check the questionnaires or other tools before they’re put into field.

But frankly, these procedural aspects are not what makes market research – and thus marketers’ research budgets – effective.  And from reviewing what lies behind the many awards won by Research Solutions it is clear that it is not necessarily the result of a long-term research relationship, or a new one enjoying a particular degree of freshness.  It’s not due to especially innovative techniques, nor huge budgets.

The one uniform factor underlying all these award-winning projects has been the use and acceptance of the research throughout our clients’ organizations.  This means that the research’s design and eventual use has not been subject to any gatekeeper’s controls or politics, and that each project has been accepted and contributed to by all the internal clients.

This is of course not an argument for managing one’s market research by committee, and nor need it be seen as undermining a research manager’s role.   Instead, it reaffirms what can be gained by research managers when they actively consult with their internal clients, and invite the research companies to participate in these consultations.  In contrast, showing a research company only a research brief, without sufficient explanation of the real decisions resting on the research – and all the related politics – runs a high risk of missing the great opportunities that the researchers could identify if only given the chance.

In addition, keeping the research company at arms length also means that on the occasions that the research results are controversial or challenging, then the likelihood of the research being duly accepted and acted upon is reduced.

Of course, many marketers reading this will be only too familiar with the argument I have presented above – there’s nothing new about research companies pleading to get closer to their clients’ companies.  There’s also nothing new in the fact that market research companies are indeed more likely to be kept at a safe distance in contrast to other consultancies, whether they be Beca or McKinsey, or of course the ultimate client schmoozers, advertising agencies.  Examining the English business scene certainly proves that the business consultancy industry has repeatedly leapfrogged the market research industry in both income and influence, so there is truth in the matter.

Given that other outsourced business consultancies have been able to gain the influence so desired by market research industries, the willingness to invite external companies into the fold does appear to be there – it just doesn’t extend to market research companies as often as they would like.  Therefore the onus appears to be on the market research companies to question why these other companies get to the boardroom table whereas market research companies generally do not.

Some of the reasons are clear:

• Market researchers are not usually good at keeping things simple and easy to understand.
• Market researchers are often too focused on the ‘interesting’ rather than the ‘relevant’.
• Market researchers too often accept marketers’ questionable demands to avoid working for competitors, despite the fact that the extra sector insights that could be brought to their research can add significant effectiveness.
• Market researchers need to communicate more frequently and effectively with their clients – just as any relationship needs good communication.
• Market researchers have to focus less on the clients’ questions, and more on the decisions that their clients need to make.