Don’t Do Research in Your Sleep
A colleague in market research once complained to me that he felt bored and unchallenged by all the client satisfaction and loyalty research he was doing, claiming he had mastered it to the point that he could do satisfaction and loyalty research in his sleep. I was struck because I could not think of any market research that I’ve encountered — no matter the type or frequency — that felt boring or unchallenging. Certainly none that could be done on autopilot. On the contrary, consistently strong research requires intellectual effort and engaged, critical thinking, no matter how many times the task has been repeated or how familiar the topic may seem.
That reflection came into sharper focus working with a client who was responsible for delivering weekly data reports from a long-running tracking study. Her directive to us was clear: “Nothing goes to my internal clients without insight.” That expectation shaped how the work got done. Each week, we set aside time, closed the door, and combed through the data to uncover new angles or meaningful developments. If a compelling, thoughtful story couldn’t be found, there was a larger question to ask: Would the internal stakeholders find one either? And if not, then why was the company investing in the study at all?
It’s a useful reminder that high-quality market research relies on people who are:
- Curious about the problems at hand
- Intent on gathering the right data to address the right questions
- Meticulous and reflective in turning that data into stories that offer clarity and perspective
None of this is mechanical work. It can’t be done in your sleep.
So the next time someone says, “We’ve done this kind of project so often, we can do it in our sleep,” it’s worth pausing to examine what that means. Are the insights fresh and considered? Is the work helping move decisions forward? If not, it may be time to revisit how the research is being approached — and whether it’s being treated as a process to get through or a practice that should always challenge us to think.
—Joe Hopper, Ph.D.
