Facing everything from budget roadblocks to red tape, numerous client-side researchers referenced the lack of appreciation for the value of good research as the most frustrating part of their jobs in Quirk’s 2017 corporate researcher survey. Without understanding and accepting the importance of research – or knowing the capabilities of an internal marketing research team – companies miss out on valuable insight and researchers risk losing funding or even their jobs.
To better understand how corporate researchers educate internal stakeholders I reached out to several client-siders to discuss how they overcome these challenges and frustrations.
While these conversations made it clear there is no universal formula, many of the individuals I spoke to mentioned the importance of establishing your position as that of a trusted partner and expert, not just a data provider; discussing strategy with internal stakeholders before conducting research; and presenting a solid case for your research results. With these strategies client-side marketing researchers gain the ground necessary to educate internal stakeholders on the importance of MR and begin to change company culture.
Develop a partnership of trust
“Heavy use of outside strategic consultants this year who helped direct several market research studies that we [internal marketing researchers] then developed and helped deploy but they [vendor] reported on. Could have done it all in-house but top management is not aware of internal capabilities.” – Anonymous respondent, Quirk’s 2017 corporate research survey
Dave Mendelsohn, senior manager, global marketplace insights, Amex Insights, says trust is the most important factor when looking to gain internal buy-in for research initiatives.
“When [internal stakeholders] learn to trust you as a partner and expert, rather than a data provider, you’ll be able to strip away the details on ‘how it was done’ to provide the simplest, most straightforward answer to their business question. Once trust has been gained, they will look to you for answers,” says Mendelsohn.
Ednei Hishida, manager, global online research, GM, echoes Mendelsohn’s belief that trust is an important factor when educating internal stakeholders about the value of research.
“Our services are recommended mostly through word-of-mouth,” says Hishida. “There is a strong push internally to learn from customers and base all the decisions from these insights. Several ‘first-time clients’ come to us not knowing what to expect. In our case, we gain their trust by being transparent – what can and cannot be done – and walk them through the process, frequently communicating with them in case anything needs to be changed.”
In a 2017 interview with Quirk’s, Tyler Kettle, international insights program manager, Google, also pointed to developing partnerships of trust throughout the company before bringing ideas to leadership. Kettle recommends crafting a business plan that highlights the benefits and potential risks of a new approach to present to potential internal advocates. By having a plan in place, you are being transparent and internal stakeholders are more likely to become your advocates.
Conduct research to inform strategy
After you have developed a relationship of trust, one of the best ways to educate internal stakeholders about the value of marketing research is to work with them from the start to ensure the research you conduct will best inform strategy. While most organizations have some form of measurement program in place, there is often a disconnect between gathering the data and actually using it.
John Lo, director, marketing intelligence at the University of British Columbia, recommends that researchers work with internal stakeholders to better understand what the company intends to do with the resulting data and information before conducting any research. “Strategy without research is blind,” says Lo. “Research without strategy is just measurement.
“When research is done for the sake of measurement, it offers less insight than when research is conducted to inform strategy,” says Lo. “It is often helpful in planning research to start by asking internal stakeholders what they intend to do with the resulting data and information. This line of inquiry can occasionally get people’s backs against the wall, so you may need to frame it accordingly for your audience. Still, the aim is to get stakeholders thinking about what additional information they would need to respond and react to the research findings.”
Hishida also recommends involving the internal client and working with strategy from the beginning: “Bottom line, the internal client is an active part of the process the whole time. This has been working well for us, with positive feedback from our clients. With many, we have even developed a nice partnership as we collaborate in developing projects together.”
Based on my converstations with these researchers, here are three questions to ask your internal stakeholders to get you started on developing a collaborative, strategy-driven project:
- What are the underlying influencers of the key measure?
- What strategies would you take if the result was unfavorable?
- What additional information would you need to inform those reactive strategies?
One respondent to Quirk’s 2017 corporate researcher survey shared that their success in educating staff and gaining internal buy-in was attained using a similar method: “We sell marketing research to our [internal] clients as a way to develop marcom strategy. This approach has been successful and clients are beginning to understand the value and invest in this area more frequently.”
Presenting research results
Once you have the trust and attention of your internal business partners and your study is complete, you must work on presenting a solid case for your research results.
In Quirk’s 2017 corporate researcher survey we asked, “What is the biggest change your company will make regarding marketing research over the next year?” Many respondents pointed to the desire to better integrate research results:
- “Working to act on the information and data collected.”
- “Having market research better integrated with areas outside of marketing and sales.”
- “Learning how to use the data/insights produced.”
Client-side researchers I spoke to recommend a two-part approach when looking to integrate research results.
First, you must identify which internal stakeholders you will present your results to. It is important to share insights at all levels of the organization, catering your findings to each audience. To do this effectively researchers should think back to the partnerships of trust they developed before conducting the research. Lean on these relationships to help identify and connect with individuals throughout the organization who can best incorporate your findings.
Next, researchers should focus on key takeaways, providing information in a direct, succinct manner. In an early 2017 interview with Quirk’s, Irene Voisin, senior market research manager, Groupon, shared her tips for effectively presenting marketing research deliverables to stakeholders: “Project managers and executives are busy and MR research insights are just some of many data points they take into consideration … In my experience, the most effective presentations offer discussion points that spur a conversation, but a one-pager with just the two-to-three key takeaways or dashboards that they can easily pull out and remember/reference are ideal.”
One way researchers can keep things brief is by creating an elevator pitch of results. Mendelsohn is a firm believer in the elevator pitch. “One of my mentors at Amex likes to say, ‘A presentation is about persuading, not informing,’” he says. “Informing can be done in an e-mail.”
By sharing appropriate research takeaways at each level of the organization – be it a one-pager for an executive briefing or a short video for the entire company – you are helping drive home the research results while jumpstarting the use of the data. And when data is used, you increase the relevancy of research throughout the company, potentially leading to better buy-in for future studies.
The value of good research
It is up to each internal MR department to show stakeholders that marketing research is a critical component to a successful company – not simply a necessary evil or a waste of time. Client-side researchers must take the first step to develop partnerships of trust and educate stakeholders about the value of good research.