Market research companies are in the business of uncovering insights. They expose facts and then use those facts to provide context for meaningful action. But even if they have excellent methodologies that garner stellar data, it’s pointless unless they can deliver an end product that is easily understood. Think about your time in school: didn’t you learn more when your teacher was creative and enthusiastic, presenting lessons that were comprehensive, but not verbose, in some sort of memorable way? For this reason, it’s especially important that market research companies don’t negate the quality of their findings with lackluster deliverables that offer nothing but the facts. Good market research is far more than a reiteration of numbers and statistics. It’s the collection and analysis and reporting of those numbers and statistics in a way that is specifically tailored for and to an individual client. Take a look at what you should expect from first-rate market research deliverables:
Accuracy
Of course, first and foremost, a market research report should be accurate. Facts and figures should be firmly rooted in a methodology that matches the research objective(s). Superior data collection is the foundation of all research; if the numbers aren’t correct, then any conclusions drawn from them won’t be, either. Good market research deliverables present solid research results.
Relevancy
But accuracy doesn’t automatically guarantee applicability. To be relevant, market research deliverables must address specific client needs. Whether executive summaries or full-blown research reports, they must represent an understanding not just of the research goals, but of the audience, too. For example, an accurate report might highlight any number of collected facts, but a relevant one will screen the data, choosing to include only the facts that pertain to the issue(s) at hand. Too much information isn’t helpful if it confuses or distracts an audience’s focus. Furthermore, good market research deliverables are also tailored to the company culture and type of people who will be reading them. A report for Amazon executives should look different from a report for a parochial school’s Board of Trustees.
Remarkability
Finally, you should expect that any market research deliverable you receive is unique, memorable and actionable. Almost anyone can gather together facts and figures. However, it takes a well-trained market research professional to gather the relevant facts and analyze and apply them in ways that make you understand what they mean for you. Reports should be entertaining to read, not full of dry, technical drivel that holds no lasting impression or fails to adequately explain (in terms you recognize and comprehend) the insights you need to better your business practices.
Want to Learn More?
Market research deliverables shouldn’t be afterthoughts to carefully crafted research experiences. On the contrary, they should be exclamation points declaring a dramatic end to rigorous thought. Anything less is unacceptable. If you’d like further information about how the choice of market research deliverable affects research actionability, contact our team at Communications for Research.
