At FieldworkHub, we want to to be your trusted partner to manage market research projects from start to finish, providing guidance and a deep understanding of your research needs and objectives. Here are FieldworkHub’s five key considerations for market research projects:
- Understand the benefits of conducting both quantitative and qualitative market research: Two of the most important questions that you must answer for your organisation to succeed are “who is your customer?” and “what does your customer value?”. If you can’t answer the questions then you are in dire need of market research. The questions may sound simple, but they don’t necessarily have simple answers. Quantitative market research (surveys) will help you collect factual information about your customers: numerical answers to questions such as “how old are they?” and “how likely are they to recommend your brand to their friends and family?”. But knowing about your customer is not the same thing as knowing your customer. That’s where qualitative market research (depth interviews, focus groups and online bulletin boards) comes in. Qualitative research will enable you to look below the surface and help you understand why your customers behave the way they do. Conducting both types of research will give you a richer picture of your customers than either type of research on its own.
- Be clear about your project objectives: It is vital to understand the goals of your research project and articulate them clearly to your researchers. This helps them to understand the context and make suggestions on your research plan. At FieldworkHub, we make an effort to understand our clients’ objectives, who the stakeholders are and what is at stake for them when we first start to discuss a new project. This information, together with a good general knowledge of the external landscape such as competition and trends in the market, allows us to see the bigger picture and ensure that the research delivers what you need it to do.
- Select the most appropriate methodology: There are many different research methodologies to choose from, even in times like these when most research is being conducted remotely. We can advise you on the right combination of methods to gather insights to inform your business decisions. We’re always available to talk through the pros and cons of different methodologies as tools to achieve your project objectives, including online surveys to collect numerical data, focus groups to measure reactions and spark ideas and discussions with your target audience, in-depth interviews to discuss complex topics and explore decision making in detail, and online bulletin boards to capture behaviour when it happens and where it happens,
- Get in front of the right respondents: Once the research objectives and methodology are agreed, we can start finding the best participants for your project. This step is key because if you’re not speaking to the right people, you’re not going to get the information that you need. We make sure that each respondent who takes part in our qualitative research is carefully vetted and we call them to verify that they meet your target profiles before putting them in front of you. Where needed, we can provide a wide range of market research services, including moderation, screener and discussion guide design, translation, transcription, analysis and more. At FieldworkHub your research consultant will track progress throughout to ensure excellent standards and timely delivery.
- Present your results effectively: The point of commissioning market research is to get actionable insights. No matter how well your market research has been designed and executed, if you don’t present the findings in a clear and compelling manner you're unlikely to get your stakeholders to commit to take the action you were hoping for. A pro tip here to make your message stick in people’s minds: tell a good story. Storytelling is the secret weapon that brings your research to life, enabling you to grab the attention of your decision-makers and helping them remember the conclusions more easily. A great way of bringing your story to life is to introduce personas that give a face and a name to an audience segment, such as Lois the loyal customer and Valerie the value-seeker, is a powerful tool and strongly recommended.
Our UK and international research consultants always strive to build a good understanding of your research requirements from the outset. They will assess project feasibility and ensure that all your objectives are considered, before recommending an approach and providing costs and timescales. Our agile approach to project management allows us to quickly adapt to your needs, and we relish a challenge! Contact us here or call +44 20 7458 4950 to unlock your insights.
