Why do you want perform that research study?  What is making you rethink your strategy?

Is the research being performed because you always perform it (i.e. your annual customer survey)?  Is it just time to put together next year’s plan?

Imagine the following…

  • A company conducts an online survey because it’s quicker and cheaper to gather feedback about a new product  — but are their customers easily reached through online surveys?  Will they get the depth they need from a simple survey?
  • An organization jumps into social media because everyone else is — but will they reach their target market this way?

To get the most out of your research — to implement the right tactics — focus on the problem and your goals first.  Then design the solution.  There are many methods of research you could conduct and there are many strategies you could adopt – and its easy to get caught up in the details rather than tackling the bigger questions.

Have a clear goal and the rest will follow.