Understanding and Learning Research

Last week during a visit to present the "Ten-Step Approach From Idea Generation to Market," we entered into a discussion about upstream research, namely the exploratory and experimental phases of research. It was agreed that almost all the consumer and market research today is conducted in the evaluative (or confirmatory) mode. That is, we are usually faced with the task of evaluating the merits of a specific idea or prototype. It seems that very little research is conducted for the purposes of learning or understanding.

There are a number of reasons for focusing most of our attention on the evaluative research. The three most common are time, money and reward for moving projects along. Management and many researchers see little value in knowledge. Their value is attached to short-term progress in the market. Perhaps this is one of the contributing factors to the 90% failure rate of new market introductions.

Assuming that we have identified a new opportunity, I believe that before we do any planning as it relates to the development of the solution to the need that gives us the opportunity, we should spend time and effort understanding the need. We should spend time observing the consumers doing the task involving the need. Understand the current approaches to the solution and their degree of success. We should confirm first hand that there is a real need and a resolution is valued by the consumer. This research involves such approaches as: In-Home Observations, Habits and Practices Studies, Value Assessments, Purchase Motivation, etc., before any attempt is made in developing a solution. This research will help in creating the vision of the new product, its performance and physical characteristics.

The above thoughts remind me of a request I had some years back to evaluate a new institutional product the company had been working on for over two years. They had identified a product category that had two needs they felt they could incorporate in a single design that would lead to market domination. After less than 30 minutes on the phone, listening to their solution to a perceived market need, I asked my contact when was the last time they had visited a hospital to confirm the need. As it turned out, it had been eight years ago when his last child was born. I immediately took the researcher to a local hospital to observe the operation of the pediatric department. Within minutes he discovered that other manufacturers (three) had not only solved his perceived needs, but had made other substantial improvements in the product category since he had observed the hospital protocols. A Team of four researchers had been working over two years on a product that had no value in the market.