So often, market research is conducted in a room where there is a one-sided mirror which masks an audience of vested viewers behind it (think Mad Men). Market research participants are asked a series of questions related to a product, brand, or the like in order for a company to use its marketing money most effectively and create the best brand or product or the best advertising. However, while this often yields beneficial results which can be used to help evolve products or their marketing campaigns, it does not simulate real life. Market research that attempts to survey customers in the act, or at the point of sale, might be the best gauge of the potential success of your product or its campaign. Here's why.
Few of us live in a vacuum.
While some of us live sterile lives of solitude, most of us have to go to work; use public transportation; interact with store clerks; and more. Everyday. As a result, we are not viewing an ad or seeing a product by itself. These external influences can impact our decisions, including product decisions. If there is an opportunity to conduct market research at the point of sale or other key decision making points for customers, then use it. Try it. The results will simulate real life results more truly than traditional market research.
We are moody creatures.
Hormones - including those that regulate hunger, happiness, and sadness - can influence our daily micro-decisions. We might be more inclined to try a product when we are happy than when we are down. In other cases, customer demeanor may not be helpful to understand if a product is a necessity. As such, market research often does not account for this variable but trends may emerge that point to the influence of mood over product decisions. If possible, survey your customers on this parameter during market research.
There is the "market research" effect.
Market research participants often feel like they have to validate being paid to offer their opinion on something. As a result, they will often offer kind feedback when they actually think a product is useless or its campaign does not make sense. Trying to grab customers and survey them during critical points of their day when they might be interacting with your product or its ads is a great way to circumvent this, and the aforementioned, issues.
Few of us live in a vacuum.
While some of us live sterile lives of solitude, most of us have to go to work; use public transportation; interact with store clerks; and more. Everyday. As a result, we are not viewing an ad or seeing a product by itself. These external influences can impact our decisions, including product decisions. If there is an opportunity to conduct market research at the point of sale or other key decision making points for customers, then use it. Try it. The results will simulate real life results more truly than traditional market research.
We are moody creatures.
Hormones - including those that regulate hunger, happiness, and sadness - can influence our daily micro-decisions. We might be more inclined to try a product when we are happy than when we are down. In other cases, customer demeanor may not be helpful to understand if a product is a necessity. As such, market research often does not account for this variable but trends may emerge that point to the influence of mood over product decisions. If possible, survey your customers on this parameter during market research.
There is the "market research" effect.
Market research participants often feel like they have to validate being paid to offer their opinion on something. As a result, they will often offer kind feedback when they actually think a product is useless or its campaign does not make sense. Trying to grab customers and survey them during critical points of their day when they might be interacting with your product or its ads is a great way to circumvent this, and the aforementioned, issues.