Leverage Existing Research

(part of Chapter 4: Leveraging Existing Research)

Before you jump into your primary market research head first, it’s important that you first seek out existing, relevant research. This not only saves your organization time, but also prevents wasted funding on a project that would have duplicated existing results.

If finding relevant research seems like a daunting task, don’t worry, there are multiple sources you can turn to. Read on to learn how to get started.

Before funding a new MR study, it is always wise to make sure you understand what relevant research already exists. Here are five reasons why:

1. The answers to your current questions might already exist. Perhaps with a little digging, you will find that the research already has been conducted within the company, but not shared very effectively. You might be surprised how often this happens.
   
   The last thing you want is to proceed with the research, complete it, pay the bills for it, and then find out at the final results presentation that previous research had been conducted. Everyone involved loses credibility when this happens—and it does happen.
   
   I have seen this happen in really ugly ways. Once I was doing a project for a large software company. At the final presentation, their MR manager and I presented some important findings, some of which we knew would be controversial. Imagine our dismay when an executive challenged some of these conclusions by citing similar research the company had done the year before! The MR manager and I had no knowledge of this research.
   
   As it turned out, the previous research had been based on a population with very different screening criteria, so we were later able to understand why the two studies had different results. But it was too late: the presentation’s momentum was completely destroyed.
   
   The lesson is this: You need to know about any other relevant research, if for no other reason than if it does refute your conclusions, (a) you will be able to explain why, and (b) if conflicts truly exist, you can offer a course of action to uncover why.


2. A research agency might already have a relationship with your firm, and might have an internal track record of performing well. Your company, even if a different division or business unit, might have a relationship that can be leveraged. A research agency that performed well in the past will have good contextual knowledge. An agency that already has insights into your markets, customer behaviors, product lines, and company culture, has an advantage over those that do not.
   
   As an added benefit, if your executives already perceive the agency as credible (or as a trusted partner), your project will gain an instant credibility halo that would be lacking if you use a new, unknown agency (which must prove itself to be a reliable source).


3. Important contextual data might be available that will help with the research’s design and execution. Perhaps in your research excavation, you dig up projects that don’t address the current questions but do provide important context. The following is a real-world example of how this helps you ensure project success:
   
   Let’s say you are planning a study of people who currently buy frozen entrees. After some research, you find a past study that showed attitudes and behaviors among this population vary notably by the number of entrees they buy per month (less than five, six to 10, or more than 10). Great! Now you know that in your current study, you need to consider including a quota that will distribute your sample along this parameter. Imagine if you had completed the study without knowing this. You might have—by sheer misfortune—ended up with a sample that was primarily people who buy fewer than five entrees per month. Or you might not have known to capture this variable at all, and you wouldn’t have been able to get a cross-tab on it at the end of the project.
   
   What is a Cross-tab?
   A cross-tab is a simple table that shows how answers to a question vary by different respondent subgroups. As the simple example in Table 4.1 shows, a cross-tab table is a great way to compare responses very quickly. In this case, one can readily see that females are less likely to have a very high level of satisfaction with Company A’s Customer Service, as compared to males.


4. Establishing triangulation points. Is research available to you on the same or even a related topic? If so, it could provide important triangulation points.
   
   Triangulation points are data that can help you to do the following:
   • Quantify a relevant customer behavior.
   • Confirm existence of a related customer attitude.
   • Size a potential demographic group.
   • Reality-check a result using a different data source (such as scanner data).
5. To identify potential risks. You might find that similar, past studies done by your company had encountered obstacles. What were they? Is the current study likely to encounter the same obstacles? If you are forewarned, can you become forearmed? How can you mitigate these risks?
   
   Let me give you an example of what I mean. I once worked with a client who had done some research in the past, and had a really hard time getting realistic data from its target market about actual purchase plans.
   
   This was a company that sold a specific category of IT equipment. Whenever it went out and asked people about their plans to purchase, the results came back too aggressive. The client was struggling to figure out how to use the data, given that the results were artificially high. Knowing that was a challenge in the past helped us to design a questionnaire and analysis approach that would provide a much more realistic view.
   
   (Getting people to realistically report purchase plans is a common challenge in many industries. Some categories are notoriously over-reported, and others are underreported. An experienced MR professional will be able to advise you of options for dealing with this.)

Hopefully I have made a convincing case that finding existing research will enhance the success of your current project. Now, where will you find it?

Finding Existing Research
As mentioned earlier, existing information is commonly found through both internal and external sources:

• Industry associations
• Company library/internal website
• Company consultants
• Internal market research department
• Other agencies (ad agency, PR agency)
• Trade magazines

Here are five examples that will help you get started with your search.

1. Previously funded custom research. First of all, find out if any primary MR has been sponsored by your company in the last three or four years.
   
   You probably do not care about anything older than that because MR has a shelf life. Still, if there has been any recent research done, it is definitely worth looking at the research results and the agency that executed it.


2. Secondary or off-the-shelf research from MR firms. In most industries, there is a host of analyst companies and other third-party sources of data. There are also scanner data, data released by large retailers and other third-party sources that could be available for purchase.
   
   Sometimes the data available for purchase are in the form of a report that might cost $2,000, or $5,000, or sometimes even $10,000. Other data are available in database form, and you may pay to access slices of the data.
   
   There are several websites to consult to find out whether or not such research already exists. Research aggregators like marketresearch.com and the-infoshop.com have databases that you can search.


3. Data from government sources. The U.S. Census is a great source of data, and the government makes it publicly available. Also, the fabulous CIA World Factbook has details on key facts by country, which is very handy if you are doing global research and need contextual information.
   
   Wondering how you would apply census data? Here’s an example: Let’s say you are doing a concept testing study to determine potential adoption of a new home security product. Let’s say the product is more concealable than a traditional system, and has some other cool, new features. You are trying to determine what percentage of the market is likely to buy it.
   
   For that type of product, you are going to be interested in households that have at least a minimum income level. You probably would not target households with, say, less than $50,000 a year in household income. The first thing you might want to do is simply determine from census data how many households fit in the desired range. Five million? 100 million? Well, the answer is actually about 56 million. Good to know, right?


4. Your competitors. Yet another place to look for existing MR is—believe it or not—your competitors. Sometimes companies do MR and then choose to publish some of it. That might be tipping their hand to competitors, but it can also help them fuel a thought leadership campaign.
   
   For example, if I work in the transportation industry, I might want to do research on telecommuting trends and publish it so that my clients know that we proactively seek to learn about customer needs. So, yes, I am publishing data that my competitors now have access to, but I am more interested in just making sure my customers know that we are the kind of company that invests in fresh thinking.
   
   Surprisingly, then, you might find some very good MR available for free on your competitors’ websites (check out the press release sections of their web sites for relevant announcements).


5. Professional associations. Another place to find existing, relevant data is with professional associations. Many professional associations fund research, sometimes even on an annual basis, as part of a membership benefits package. Such research is usually featured on association websites and in newsletters.

This is an excerpt from the book, "How to Hire & Manage Market Research Agencies," which is available on Amazon. Published by Research Rockstar LLC. Copyright © by Kathryn Korostoff. All rights reserved.

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Browse "How to Hire + Manage Market Research Agencies" by section

Intro: Maximize Success: Know The Risks
     Understanding Market Research Challenges

Chapter 1: Know Your Goals
     Planning Your Market Research Project
     Defining Appropriate Goals For Your Market Research Project
     Practical Market Research Planning Considerations
     Questionnaire Design Risks: The Challenge of Staying Focused
     Defining Project Goals Through Questionnaire Real Estate

Chapter 2: Defining Your Project's Scope
     Project Scope: Product Concept Testing and Message Testing
     Project Scope: Market Segmentation
     Project Scope: Customer Loyalty and Win-Loss Research
     Project Scope: Brand Awareness and Needs Discovery
     Revealing Sponsorship of Your Market Research Project
     Planning For Your Target Population: B2B or B2C?

Chapter 3: Considering Internal Audience
     Understanding Your Internal Audience: Research Receptiveness
     Dealing With Hard-Core Market Research Skeptics

Chapter 4: Leveraging Existing Research
     Leverage Existing Research

Chapter 5: Planning Your Agency Relationship
     Building a Relationship With Your Agency
     Hiring a Market Research Agency: Managing Your Budget

Chapter 6: RFIs and RFPs
     The Benefits of RFIs
     The RFP: Finding Great Research Partners
     A Few Helpful Reminders on RFPs

Chapter 7: Market Research Agency Selection
     Tips For Reading Market Research Proposals
     Checking Agency References and Follow-Up
     How to Check Market Research Agency Credentials
     Choosing the Right Market Research Agency

Chapter 8: Managing the Agency
     Project Management Planning
     Keeping Your Market Research Project On Track

Chapter 9: A Successful Deliverables Strategy
     Planning Your Market Research Deliverables
     Planning a Great Presentation of Research Results
     Presentation Tactics and Options

Understanding Market Research Challenges

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Understanding the risks associated with MR is the key to project success. By familiarizing yourself with the risks associated with MR before beginning any projects, you will know what to avoid, resulting in higher success rates and more accurate research results. Read on to learn about the most common market research challenges. Read Article »

Planning Your Market Research Project

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

While planning a market research project may appear to be a fairly straightforward task, in reality, it takes some real time and effort. Agency selection is one of the key factors to project success, so don’t rush the process. Read on to learn about the timeline logistics of hiring the perfect firm and setting things in the right direction from the start. Read Article »

Defining Appropriate Goals For Your Market Research Project

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

When it comes to defining appropriate project goals, it is best to think in terms of questions or hypotheses. Your golden ticket lies in formulating fewer, “high-level” goals rather than multiple ones in need of conquering. Too many goals dilute a project and increase the risk of failure. Read on to learn how to formulate your goals. Read Article »

Practical Market Research Planning Considerations

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Prior to conducting any project, it’s necessary to decide if custom market research is truly the best choice. If custom MR turns out to be the best option for your project, the next step is to think precisely about defining project goals. Market research is truly a garbage in/garbage out process; start with clear goals, and your chances for market research success are excellent. Read Article »

Questionnaire Design Risks: The Challenge of Staying Focused

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

One of the main reasons MR projects fail is due to lack of an agenda, or the inability to stay focused on an originally projected design. As more individuals become involved with a project, they bring with them the risk of transforming a once precise questionnaire into an excessively long one with illogical flow. The most important aspects to keep in mind when designing a questionnaire are fit, flow and length. Without these, the questionnaire becomes a burden on the respondents, which directly affects project success. Read on to find out how to avoid the pitfalls of questionnaire design. Read Article »

Defining Project Goals Through Questionnaire Real Estate

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

It is important that everyone on a team understand the primary goals of a market research project. While getting a group of individuals to agree on priorities may be a daunting task, certain exercises such as Chartstorming™ may help you reach a consensus. Read on to learn how to manage your questionnaire real estate through better group collaboration. Read Article »

Project Scope: Product Concept Testing and Message Testing

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

While defining a project scope may seem like a daunting task, it really comes down to two things; knowing you want to get out of your project, and deciding how you’re going to get it. It also helps to know some of the common language used to define market research studies. Read on to learn about product concept testing and message testing. Read Article »

Project Scope: Market Segmentation

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

While defining a project scope may seem like a daunting task, it really comes down to two things; knowing you want to get out of your project, and deciding how you’re going to get it. It also helps to know some of the common language used to define market research studies. Read on to learn about a common project type: market segmentation. Read Article »

Project Scope: Customer Loyalty and Win-Loss Research

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

While defining a project scope may seem like a daunting task, it really comes down to two things; knowing you want to get out of your project, and deciding how you’re going to get it. It also helps to know some of the common language used to define market research studies. Read on to learn about customer loyalty and win-loss research. Read Article »

Project Scope: Brand Awareness and Needs Discovery

by Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

While defining a project scope may seem like a daunting task, it really comes down to two things; knowing you want to get out of your project, and deciding how you’re going to get it. It also helps to know some of the common language used to define market research studies. Read on to learn about brand awareness and needs discovery. Read Article »

Revealing Sponsorship of Your Market Research Project

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Defining your project scope also includes whether or not to reveal the sponsor of your market research study. Read these guidelines for help making this decision based on best practices and common exceptions. Read Article »

Planning For Your Target Population: B2B or B2C?

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

B2B and B2C research are two very different animals. Which one are you doing? The answer has implications for partner selection, questionnaire design, and sample source options. Read Article »

Understanding Your Internal Audience: Research Receptiveness

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

There are multiple facets to consider about an internal audience’s readiness for market research. These items range from an audience’s receptiveness to specific techniques, all the way to presentation of data. It is important to take note of the your internal audience’s abilities and preferences to make sure they will be able to receive and apply research results successfully. Read on to learn about aspects to consider when assessing your internal audience’s readiness for MR. Read Article »

Dealing With Hard-Core Market Research Skeptics

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

While we all hope for an accepting reception from colleagues when it comes to research findings, it’s a rare occurrence for everyone to be on board. Dealing with internal skeptics is no easy task, but a few precautions taken prior to delivering your research findings can greatly reduce disruption risk. Read on to see what you can do to get skeptics on your side. Read Article »

Building a Relationship With Your Agency

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Before you select a market research agency, think carefully about the type of relationship you want. It’s important that the agency you choose can work with your team in a way that will truly meet your needs. There are hundreds of agencies out there; they do not all have the same styles or collaboration approaches. Read on to learn how to build a great relationship with your chosen agency. Read Article »

Hiring a Market Research Agency: Managing Your Budget

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Before you select a market research agency, think carefully about the type of relationship you want, especially when planning your budget. It’s important that the agency you choose can work with your team in a way that will truly meet your needs. There are hundreds of agencies out there; they do not all have the same styles or collaboration approaches. Read on to learn how to build a great relationship with your chosen agency. Read Article »

The Benefits of RFIs

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Taking time to write either an RFI or RFP may seem like a burden, but in the long run as a form of damage control that saves you both time and money. For market research, it is more common to go straight to an RFP. But in some cases starting with an RFI can “filter” a long list of possible companies down to a more manageable set. Read on to learn how to write RFIs and RFPs for market research. Read Article »

The RFP: Finding Great Research Partners

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

In many cases, skipping an RFI and going straight to an RFP is an appropriate choice. If you’ve already narrowed your choices to a manageable number of potential research partners (no more than 5), it’s time to issue an RFP. A well-written RFP will result in proposals that will help you choose the best research partner for your needs. Read on to learn about the elements of a successful RFP. Read Article »

A Few Helpful Reminders on RFPs

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Documenting your market research in an RFP saves time, energy and money. Some aspects to consider include legalese and deliverables. When looking at the specifics of your market research needs, it is important to consider your internal audience, too. Read on for some practial RFP tips. Read Article »

Tips For Reading Market Research Proposals

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Reading proposals can be tricky. Obviously, a market research agency is trying to sell itself to you, so they’re going to represent their abilities in the best way possible. So what can you do? Learn how to read proposals carefully and look out for details that are too good to be true. Be realistic when considering your needs versus an agency’s abilities, and trust your gut. Read on to learn some practical proposal-reading tips. Read Article »

Checking Agency References and Follow-Up

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

While you should always check a research agency’s provided references, it’s also smart to look for more objective sources who can attest to a firm’s capabilities. In addition, the way in which a market research firm follows-up their proposal submission says a lot about their communication skills and style. Read on to learn about checking market research agency references, and other steps you can take in choosing an agency. Read Article »

How to Check Market Research Agency Credentials

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

There are literally hundreds of market research agencies from which you can choose. Of course, finding ones that have the right qualifications can be tricky. There is no professional certification required in the field, so you need to do a little work. Read on for some tips on checking potential research partners for appropriate credentials. Read Article »

Choosing the Right Market Research Agency

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Once you’ve narrowed your agency choices down to a short-list of finalists, choosing between them can be a daunting task. While it may be tempting to go with the agency offering the lowest price, it’s important to consider other factors, too. Read on to learn some different strategies your organization can use to make the right agency choice. Read Article »

Project Management Planning

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Once you’re hired an agency, then what? Well, if you’re looking to reap the benefits of a successful project, your active involvement is necessary. By working closely with your agency, you’ll be able to represent your internal clients’ needs while providing the agency with important direction. Indeed, your involvement can help the agency be more successful. Read on to learn what to expect from working with an agency once you start the project. Read Article »

Keeping Your Market Research Project On Track

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Though it is easy to jump to conclusions at any sign of trouble, the important thing to remember is that both you and your agency are working towards the ultimate success of your project. That said, there are legitimate issues that may arise. Luckily, most issues have reasonable solutions—and an experienced researcher will help you navigate them. Read on to learn about legitimate red flags versus project paranoia. Read Article »

Planning Your Market Research Deliverables

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

When delivering market research project findings, the most effective approach is one that combines multiple forms of delivery. After all, this information is the kind you want retained by your colleagues so they can really apply it. And we all know that delivering a 100-page slide deck just puts them to sleep. Read on to learn more. Read Article »

Planning a Great Presentation of Research Results

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Think of your project’s final presentation as more of a performance. Assigning roles and specific duties to individuals keeps the presentation organized and engaging. You want the audience to be attentive, so it’s important to include them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or start dialogue. Read on to learn about the basics of a great presentation. Read Article »

Presentation Tactics and Options

by By Kathryn Korostoff, Research Rockstar LLC

Imagine it is the end of a market research project, and you are getting ready to present the final results. Are you ready? With a little planning, you will be. The following Q & A answers key questions about presentation tactics to make sure your presentation goes smoothly. Also offered are some alternatives to traditional presentation tactics. Read Article »