Blog

I recently wound up a 90-minute conference call only to be informed that a decision was made to not do the pre-concept research we’d been discussing over the past week. The reason? There was no budget (again) and the client didn’t see the value.

This got me thinking (as many of those kinds of calls do), why is it that marketing research is usually the first to get cut? And why is it often viewed as a “necessary evil,” especially by our agency partners? More importantly, why does this seem to be happening more often, even as Canadian marketers are looking to innovate more?

I have been on both sides of these calls, making and receiving decisions just like this one, and I’ve developed what I think is a pretty solid theory for why these short-sighted decisions happen more often than they should. With total marketing budgets, where research typically sits, being squeezed, brands are taking a critical look at the “non-working dollars,” which research falls under. In this climate, the death knell sounds for a majority of research when marketers fail to take a measured and collaborative approach in thinking it through.

All marketing research should inform, or better yet, inspire the end-marketing decision and (of course) increase your chances for success and a better ROI. With that purpose in mind, here are three simple questions to ask about your research project to ensure it is setting your brand up for success, and that you’re getting the most from that “always challenged” marketing research spend.

Have you considered including a “control benchmark?”

When used properly, including a relevant competitive or internal benchmark can provide just as much, or more, insight than simply comparing to a normative database. How many times have you been in a review meeting where the most senior person in the room asks “How does this compare to the product concept we tested last year?” Or “How does this compare to advertising our competitor is currently running?” Including a benchmark helps to directly address and answer those good questions; and it doesn’t have to cost a lot.

Have you developed a formal brief with sign-off from all key stakeholders and agency partners?

Sorry, but that three-paragraph email briefing cc’ing your Marketing Director doesn’t count. Let me ask you this. Would you ever jump into a creative or new packaging project without a brief? Likely not, I’d think. The same should hold true for any marketing research.
The brief does not have to be complicated. I’m talking about a one or two page document which includes background/context, the overriding business objective, what you want to learn from the research and, of course, your core target, with rationale. I cannot count how many times I’ve seen good ideas do poorly during research because we weren’t talking to the right consumers. Make sure you have full confidence you are focusing on the most viable target segment. Or better yet, use the research to help you.

Have you involved your agency partner(s) in every step of the research?

If they are going to live (or die) by these marketing research results, wouldn’t it make sense to include the agency in selecting an approach, writing the questionnaire, conducting actual research observation when applicable, and handling the final debrief? Including your agency partner in each step helps get their buy-in and commitment to the final results. This can also help keep them motivated when those results aren’t ideal and they have to go back to the drawing board (which has been known to happen).

So next time that important marketing research project comes along or is threatened by a hovering budget-cut cloud, please for the love of the Marketing gods, be sure to ask yourself the three questions above. While it won’t guarantee immediate success, it will reduce your risk of a failed launch and help keep your agency partners truly engaged in your business.

Paul Neumann
Paul Neumann is a partner at Synqrinus, a research startup specializing in research that helps brands optimize advertising, new product concepts, packaging and the shopper experience. Paul previously was director of planning, research and media for Diageo. On May 14, Paul will be the instructor for an ACA course, “Getting the Most out of Your Marketing Research,” aimed at any junior to mid-level marketer who manages their brand’s research projects.

To register for the course, email Candice Cuadrado at .
Complimentary for ACA members only