We are pleased and proud to present this guest post on behalf of Alex Sodek, Chief Research Officer at Decision Insight:   As researchers, our job is to provide answers. “This is the packaging treatment that maximizes trial.” “Here is the optimal price.” etc. So, when we can’t identify a definitive answer, it can be frustrating. It goes against our nature! That is why flavor sorts, or line optimization studies, can be challenging. We want so badly to say “this is the optimal line up.” Black and white, no questions asked. When you are working from a small set of alternatives, it is more feasibl ..read more

This Trend Could Change the Future of Market Research Talent Acquisition A recent article in the Wall Street Journal shared exclusive data analysis of standardized critical thinking tests taken by college students.  The results were not encouraging for the pipeline of Market Research talent in the future: At more than half of schools, at least a third of seniors were unable to make a cohesive argument, assess the quality of evidence in a document or interpret data in a table, The Wall Street Journal found after reviewing the latest results from dozens of public colleges and universities that ..read more

An Open Call for Guest Posts From Market Researchers Are you a Market Researcher who has an insight they want to share with the world?  Do you have a methodology that you are an expert in and want the opportunity to showcase that expertise?  Do you or your company have a great capability that you would like to share with others in the Market Research community and need a forum to explain it?  Netizeninsights.com is willing to give you that platform.  Read the objectives below, and, if you feel you have a topic that is a fit, contact us! Why We are Looking For Guest Posts: When we founded Netiz ..read more

10 Reasons Why Lidl Will Be the Single Most Disruptive Force in US Retail This Decade When I say Lidl will be the single-most disruptive force in US retail in the next decade, there is no caveat.  No, I didn’t forget that Amazon.com exits.  No, I don’t mean just “Brick & Mortar” retail.  I mean what I said.  I believe that Europe’s largest grocer, Aldi’s fiercest international rival, and one of the largest merchants in the world will be the most disruptive force on US retail this decade.  In June, when the German grocer opens its doors, it will leave an indelible mark on US retail.  Whethe ..read more

3 Recent Research Topics That Every Market Researcher Should Understand Research topics are difficult to narrow down into the three most important to understand.  In this article, we will take a look at 3 areas of exploration for market researchers to “consider,” because we feel strongly that understanding these research topic areas will make you a better market researcher. Research topic 1 – usafacts.org Steve Ballmer (former Microsoft CEO) started a nonprofit company called usafacts.org with the purpose of simplifying the US Government (federal, state & local) using a statistical approac ..read more

Some of the Web’s Best Advice on  Preventing Survey Bias With the advent of DIY survey programs like Survey Monkey and Google Surveys, market research is becoming more democratized.  Marketers, sales people, and amateur market researchers now have massive base sizes at their disposal to produce the data they need (or want).  Further, as market research expertise is becoming more specialized, fewer CPG Market Researchers are out-sourcing more and more survey design and programming to their vendors. As survey research democratizes and the check-and-balance expertise of in-house Market Researcher ..read more

How to Get the Most Out of Your Offshore Resources Having a remote personal assistant might sound like a dream.  While you sleep, someone overseas in a country like India, Poland, or the Philippines is gronking your data and doing your busy work.  As we stated in previous articles, we believe automation will play a big part of the future of market research.  However, until that day comes, utilizing offshore resources is still a big part of how work gets done in the market research industry today.  Unfortunately, for some, it isn’t the dream they expected. Working with offshore resources can ca ..read more

Segmentation: WHO Needs It? Segmentation can cause contentious debates between Market Researchers.  On one hand, Marketers and Market Researchers who love it, swear by it.  They believe that by deeply understanding which consumer segments they need to target, they can better design products and propositions.  On the other hand, quant-focused researchers like volume forecasters and panel experts are skeptical.  Pointing to the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute’s principles of “How Brands Grow,” these experts, and even high-profile CPG companies, are ditching segmentation.  So who is right?  Or should I ..read more

Product Restage Hero:  The Strategic Questions You Need to Be Asking Working on a product restage isn’t as fun as launching a new product.  First of all, the canvas isn’t blank.  Secondly, your business partners may be veterans of driving new product trial, but less familiar with how to grow an existing brand. If you are unlucky, the marketer will quickly decide new packaging and a new TV campaign are the solution.  After some artwork “upgrades” and thankless hours of focus groups, concept testing, and copy testing, the “new” version of the product launches.  Sales remain on their present traj ..read more

Storytelling, a Better Choice Than “Nerdy & Wordy” Storytelling is powerful.  Research indicates that up to 70% of what we learn is consumed through storytelling.  As children, we sat on our parents laps and listened to them read stories to us.  Whether it was The Cat in the Hat or Scuffy the Tugboat, stories were among the first ways we began to learn and understand the wider world. As adults, we still communicate in parables, anecdotes, and analogies.  The ability to weave a good story is an essential skill for market researchers.  So much of the research we do, whether it is in-home eth ..read more