Market Research Is Insufficient; Insights Are Mandatory

October 7, 2006 · 6 comments

 

At a CMO panel at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference, the moderator, Randall Rothberg of Booz Allen Hamilton, asked, “What is the difference between research and insights? Rebeca M. Johnson, Brinker Corporation (restaurant chain) said:

Researcher is good at technical tools…quantitative and qualitative. Insights provider uses those tools to provide actionable recommendations to the company. They manage with research but lead with insight. It’s a difficult person to find, so we’re nurturing them on our own.

Is market research dead without insights?

 

  • http://watchsportslearnmarketing.blogspot.com/ Nick Wright

    Max,

    Yes, research is dead without insights.

    Example (from copywriter John Carlton’s Marketing Rebel Rant newsletter): In one study half a group of volunteers were offered a chocolate chip cookie from a jar with ten cookies in it… and the other half were offered one from a jar with only two cookies. Guess what? The group with the two-cookie jar consistently reported that their cookies tasted better, and felt they were worth more.

    That’s the research part.

    The insight: A product will have a higher percieved value if there is only a limited number of the products left.

    Hence the “there are only 25 left so call now…” type ads.

    You need research… but you also need to gain insights from the research to help sell more.

    That’s my .02

    Nick Wright

  • http://watchsportslearnmarketing.blogspot.com/ Nick Wright

    Max,

    Yes, research is dead without insights.

    Example (from copywriter John Carlton’s Marketing Rebel Rant newsletter): In one study half a group of volunteers were offered a chocolate chip cookie from a jar with ten cookies in it… and the other half were offered one from a jar with only two cookies. Guess what? The group with the two-cookie jar consistently reported that their cookies tasted better, and felt they were worth more.

    That’s the research part.

    The insight: A product will have a higher percieved value if there is only a limited number of the products left.

    Hence the “there are only 25 left so call now…” type ads.

    You need research… but you also need to gain insights from the research to help sell more.

    That’s my .02

    Nick Wright

  • http://www.mb-blog.com Nigel Hollis

    Is research dead without insights? No, but it does not have anywhere near the same value to the purchaser.
    However, insight requires data as an input. That data better be “good” or else the insight based on it could be “bad”. Combined the two have real value.

  • http://www.mb-blog.com Nigel Hollis

    Is research dead without insights? No, but it does not have anywhere near the same value to the purchaser.
    However, insight requires data as an input. That data better be “good” or else the insight based on it could be “bad”. Combined the two have real value.

  • Stu

    Just the researchers are dead, without the insights.

  • Stu

    Just the researchers are dead, without the insights.