Configure part of the responsibility of market research to offer guidance and assistance to managers who need help with a self-developed survey effort. Consulting on questionnaire development. Helping set adequate controls to ensure that appropriate respondents, and only appropriate respondents, respond. Guiding the choice of surveying method to ensure adequate coverage of the desired population.
In other words, win them over by providing a true consulting role.
I understand that this may be a major shift for market researchers, especially when goals and objectives are still set primarily on the number of completed projects and the like.
Is it worth the potential time, energy and effort to turn in this direction? Becoming in essence a boutique market research house inside the corporation or organization?
If the quality of some of the surveys I have seen both online and by email invitation are any indication, the answer surely is yes. Some are barely adequate; others are abysmal and embarrassing. I have to assume that they are being generated completely underneath the management radar. Mostly the offense is shoddy writing, unclear and sophomoric. And ratings scales that are obviously tilted. These are basics that would never (well, almost never) make it past the brand or communications police, let alone market research groups, at most companies.
Market researchers might be gritting their teeth about this trend, but assuming a mandate to help the well-meaning but misguided DIYers might yield benefits. First and foremost, brand image will be better protected. Moreover, helping DIYers might lead to new internal clients. Certainly, too, it would provide an opportunity to provide a far superior market research study and thus higher quality information for managerial decision-making.
Fighting the DIY trend appears hopeless; rather, market researchers might consider how they can make their knowledge and skills more readily and easily available for the DIYers of corporate America.
Comments welcome.
Dr. Bob
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