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Sponsor’s comment
3
Market research – your best investment?
M
arket research is probably research campaign can give businesses the
one of the most under- competitive edge they desperately need
valued and ignored when everyone is tightening their belts.
marketing tools of our age. Investing money in research will
It is often viewed as an essentially go straight back into your
expensive and fruitless exercise that allows business, streamlining your sales and
companies to gather a wealth of customer marketing and giving your teams the
data, but all too often, fail to turn the confidence that your approach is the
results into something tangible for the best it can be.
business. Indeed, badly conceived However, to make research effective for
“Investing money in research
research or relying too heavily on the organisation, there needs to be an
pre-prepared research can fail to deliver investment in careful planning and
will essentially go straight lasting change, but if you get it right, understanding the goals and the desired
back into your business
the impact on your businesses bottom output. Don’t waste precious time and
line can be substantial. money asking your customers or target
streamlining your sales
This is especially pertinent now when audience questions where the answers
and marketing and giving
times are tight; it is even more important aren’t going to teach you anything you
to accurately understand what your don’t already know. Probe, be creative, get
your teams the confidence
customers want and how to reach them the right sample size and don’t be afraid of
that your approach is the
most effectively. Even if you know who the telephone; online research has its place
your target audience is, it’s what you know but nothing can rival the depth and quality
best it can be”
about them that will really make the of insight gleaned by a skilled researcher.
difference. A well-designed and deployed claire@kingpin-intelligence.com
Claire Roy, head of research and marketing,
Kingpin Intelligence
Contents
4 Knowing me, knowing you
Digital techniques have opened up new opportunities for market research, but the
traditional methods are still valid, says Brett Matthews
8 Case study: Microsoft
The software giant worked with Kingpin Intelligence on a project to build better
relationships with software developers
10 Best practice
What factors should be considered when planning and running a market research
project? Brett Matthews investigates
12 Opinion: Digital communities
Nia Emly-Jones of Freshminds says online communities offer exciting new opportunities
for B2B research
13 Opinion: Herd mentality
SPONSORED BY
Consultant Mark Earls says hyperconnectivity is having a huge impact on how human
beings interact, which in turn creates significant opportunities for B2B research
15 Supplier directory
This publication was produced as a supplement MEDIA DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: David Lewis DESIGN: ICD, West Sussex
of B2B Marketing, September 2008. TEL: 020 7438 1376 info@icd.gb.com
EMAIL: david.lewis@b2bm.biz
EDITOR: Joel Harrison
©
Copyright Silver Bullet Publishing Ltd 2008
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