Market Research Follies … We have all seen them … Inflammatory headlines like “1 in 2 Smartphone Owners Access Travel Content” usually from syndicated research suppliers quoted in websites and blogs. These types of headlines drive me crazy and give honest market researchers a bad reputation.[/wptabcontent]
That being said, there is all too often no definition or perspective given like “1 in 2 Smartphone Owners Access Travel Content … when on the Road”. Then there are some important details left out like: Over what period of time? … All smartphone owners, or only those that travel x times per month/year? … What is included in “travel content”? (probably everything from weather forecasts, checking on departure times, boarding passes, etc.).
I have worked for two industry research and analysis firms and the purpose of “inflammatory headlines” is to get “hits” and perhaps generate interest in becoming a subscribing client, buying a research report or just raising overall awareness.
The Problem
From my experience the marketing teams at these companies have never worked as a researcher or an analyst and are doing damage to their brand. They are typically measured on how many citations the press release gets (the electronic equivalent of “column-inches”, thus their motivation to get attention. But as the old saying goes … “Call me anything … just call me”.
Like much “bad” behavior in companies, how people are measured drives their actions.
The Risk
All too frequently one of the headlines is seen by a senior executive who wonders why “we” didn’t understand this, or wants to use it as justification for a pet project. Try to reason with them but don’t get too technical, citing confidence levels or margins of error, unless they already know about such things.
A Good Response
Your best course of action is to dig a little and develop a succinct and thoughtful follow-up that points out the shortcomings and your concerns, not just of the particular research, but also, show other examples of equally inflammatory research headlines to get your point across. Consider developing a one paragraph proposal to do your own unbiased research beginning with a small group to keep the budget modest.
The Cost of Small Sample Market Research
Depending upon the screening required and the method used, the research itself could be as little as $2,500 – 3,000 for 200 interviews presented in simple crosstab format with no analysis, which is adequate for most simple questions. Digging to a second level where only 10% of the respondents answer a question requires 10 times the sample, driving up the cost correspondingly.
In both of these cases, you or your team will need to do the analysis yourself. Otherwise you will pay extra for your market research supplier to do it for you.
