Editor’s note: Linda Lutz is research manager, Cox Automotive, New York. Colleen Hennegan is vice president, MarketVision Research, Cincinnati. The authors would like to thank Cox Automotive researchers Amy Anderson, Alex Bland, Marc Harwitz and Trent Thacker for their insights. This article is the result of interviews in which they shared how they judge their success.  

As we start a new year, it’s time to step off the treadmill of our daily to-do list and think beyond the next deadline to see how others (partners and leaders) perceive the value of our work. With this in mind, we recently interviewed corporate researchers at Cox Automotive, asking how they view the value of the research they provide. What is their criteria for success? Below is a summary of the interviews. 

Can you show a true ROI? 

Not many researchers can show a true ROI; for suppliers, we rarely get to see what happens with the research after we deliver the insights. It can even be hard for clients to keep track of what happens to the product or service because they are often moving on to the next project. But when opportunities arise to demonstrate ROI, we need to show it. Here are two opportunities where we can show a true ROI:

  1. Satisfaction research. The most obvious opportunity is satisfaction research. Can you prove that turning around an unsatisfied customer or client delivers back to the organization? That can justify the cost of the research, but can you utilize the feedback in aggregate to lead innovation?
  2. Innovation insights. Impacting the bottom line isn’t always found by simply providing support. Sometimes raising the flag of concern prevents development costs from hurting profitability.

“If you have to ask if you are adding value, you probably aren’t.” – Alex Bland, Cox Automotive 

Are the results of your work actionable? 

Can you trace the direction of your work to an action or change the company/brand made? Take a moment to think about the impact of your team’s work and make a list of the projects that drove action. Think about what made them successful. Can you repeat it? If your projects aren’t making the impact you want, consider the following:

  • The deliverables. While many researchers like to see the details, most marketers are looking for the story they can tell. Are you putting the insights in a format that can be easily socialized? What about using more photos, quotes and videos to allow your customers to support the story? Push to help deliver stories and not just charts.
  • “So what?” Remember, your partners are as busy as you are, so making a clear connection is important. Thread the insight through to the action they need to take. Try to make time to talk to them about the insights; don’t just deliver a report to their inbox. Be a part of the strategic decision-making process. 

“We better be driving change.” – Trent Thacker, Cox Automotive

Is your work driving consensus and building confidence? 

Support knowledge-building and instill confidence. The days of people spending a career in one category are gone. It used to be that marketers would jokingly predict what respondents were going to say in focus groups. While some still have this long-developed base of knowledge, other professionals are moving through and up to different brands, products or categories so fast they don’t have time to develop their gut reaction to the customer. As a researcher, we should be the gut of the organization and help build consensus around what ideas are best (not because the boss’ daughter came up with something, but because we know the customer will understand and respond to it). If you aren’t currently in the room when the questions are being asked: 

  • Promote insights. You won’t be asked if they don’t know your value. Do a little research public relations by creating an Insight of the Week and send it around in a short e-mail or offer a lunch and learn bringing your customers to life. You can also create a “Did you know?” campaign –anything to help others see you as the link to their customers.
  • Take a look at the research archives. Are you getting all the value out of the research you already have? Can it be repurposed? Make sure you are familiar with what has been done in the past. 
  • “I will show value. I will show value …” Think business issue first, then consider methodology options. Can you use secondary data to help build the survey instrument instead of doing qualitative first? Can you do web-based interviews instead of in-person interviews in three cities? Can you use an online community to get an ongoing pulse or deliver quick answers? If so, it’s OK to show that savings to your partners. They will appreciate it and you.

Does the research live on? 

Do you see your work quoted repeatedly in the organization, or even outside the organization? Are there one or two stories shared to new employees that helps them understand your customer? How far has a piece of your research gone up the chain? Have you ever heard the president or CEO use a number or repeat a story that came out of your research? If this isn’t already happening for you:

  • Look forward in your research. Read and/or listen to leaders and what they are talking about. Take time to think about what the overall goals of the organization are and how your research relates. Share the insights to a wider group. Can PR use the insights to craft a message? Can sales reps quote a statistic in a challenger sale situation? 
  • But not too far. A researcher told a story about delivering some forward-looking insights to a leadership assembly only to be asked, “How will that make us a dollar tomorrow?” Read the room – know how far out you should be and connect it to that dollar.

“It’s the ‘so’ and the ‘so what.’ You have to make the connection to the business.” – Amy Anderson, Cox Automotive

Are you getting more research requests? 

Are your internal partners beating down your door, filling your inbox or otherwise swamping you with requests? They should be. If they aren’t, you aren’t adding value. The reality is, if the requests aren’t coming, then you may need to rethink your standing in the company. If you currently aren’t getting enough requests:

  • Don’t tout “research.” Get connected to a project and offer insights, not research. Internal partners hear “research” and often see dollar signs and may shut you down. But when you say “insights,” they may listen to what you have to say next. 

“If we are doing it right, there should always be demand.” – Marc Harwitz, Cox Automotive

Renewed sense of purpose

As this new year starts, review the past just long enough to learn from it. We encourage you to use these five questions to evaluate and ask yourself: How much value are you providing? Then, lay the plans for this year armed with these five questions and a renewed sense of purpose.