The role of research: Q&A with Rachel Carter, Arlington Research

Reliable and robust insights are more important than ever for businesses today, as they look to stand out in a competitive landscape. Whether it’s consumer, headline-driven research to underpin a PR campaign and help cut through the noise; or industry specific insights and data to support key decision making.

To understand the key role played by research today and what it takes to create the perfect campaign, we put a few questions to Rachel Carter, Head of Research at our sister company Arlington Research to find out more.

Why should companies consider research?

Most people do their research before spending money. Consumers read reviews, speak to family and friends, or use comparison websites before buying the latest gadget – so why not businesses? Why invest money developing a new product or launching a new marketing campaign if you don’t know what is important to potential consumers or if and how it will be received by the target audience?

Research has multiple uses. Understanding what customers want and need helps identify gaps and opportunities. It minimises risk by informing decisions, evaluates success and identifies potential improvements.

Additionally, research can turn you into an expert. If you’ve researched a market, you can talk confidently about the challenges and issues being faced. Quoting statistics in content enhances credibility, positioning you and your business as experts in the field offering solutions to their problems.

What are some of the common misconceptions you hear when it comes to investing in research and how do you dispel them?

“Market research is too expensive”

Research should be seen as an investment, not a cost. The data gathered can save a company from much larger financial outlay by avoiding misguided strategies, unsuccessful campaigns, or brand launches. It is also scalable and flexible to fit most budgets.

“But we already know what our customers want”

Customer behaviour evolves and what worked in the past may not be relevant today. Sometimes, internal knowledge can also reflect biases or a limited view of the market. Research can reveal insights that aren’t immediately obvious and uncover unexpected trends or underserved customer needs as well as validate assumptions.

“We’re too small for market research”

Research comes in many forms and sizes to fit most budgets. Just speaking to a small focus group of target customers can be enlightening. Knowing your market can also give you a competitive edge over larger, less agile companies.

“Research takes too long”

With the methodologies available we can deliver quick turnaround insights, but we do recommend taking the time to get the questions right at the outset. There’s nothing worse than getting back results that aren’t useful.

What excites you most about your work?

Mainly the variety of subjects I get to work on. Every research project is interesting because, no matter what you think the results are likely to be, or how specialist the topic, there will always be something to surprise or intrigue you. This also reminds me that people aren’t always logical or rational in their behaviours or attitudes.

What is the best or most quirky project you’ve worked on?

I’ve researched everything from franking machines and stamps to mortgages and accountancy courses. So many highlights along the way but one of the most interesting and insightful campaigns was eight years spent researching the award-winning ‘Army Be the Best’ recruitment marketing campaign. This involved brand and advertising tracking, ethnic minority recruitment monitoring, future forecasting (Generation 2010), mystery shopping, and evaluating the fulfilment process and website.

What advice would you give to businesses considering research to ensure a successful campaign?

• Know exactly what you want to learn from the research. Clear objectives inform the research design to ensure relevant outcomes
• Think about exactly who you want to research – but be realistic and not so restrictive they are hard to find. Every adult in a country will be a consumer, but not everyone is a CEO of an online beauty retailer with 1,000 employees in London!
• Identify the questions you want answered or ideal headlines; this helps design a survey and questions to provide you with exactly what you need
• Make sure relevant decision-makers and teams are involved from the beginning. Their input helps shape the research questions and ensures they are invested in using and supporting the findings. This could be your salesforce as well as the C-suite
• Don’t try to gather too much data in one project. Keep the research focused on key objectives instead of adding in ‘nice to know’ questions
• Invest time in getting the questionnaire right; give every question the ‘so what’ test when reviewing to ensure it will provide you with what you want to know
• Be realistic in the amount of time needed to get the survey and questionnaire signed off, especially if you have lots of stakeholders
• When you get the results, work with the researcher to help you understand the nuances of the data. They will help you interpret it correctly, and avoid drawing the wrong conclusions or overgeneralizing
• Be open to findings that may challenge your assumptions or perceived knowledge within an organisation. Often, negative results are just as valuable, highlighting areas that need improvement or reconsidering

To find out more about how research can enhance your next campaign or underpin your business decision, get in touch.