{"id":24045,"date":"2021-01-08T09:10:58","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T13:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=24045"},"modified":"2021-01-18T01:35:52","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T05:35:52","slug":"how-to-use-market-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-use-market-research\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Market Research for Effective Campaigns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you want to know how to use market research? How can you use research to learn about the market and create ads?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using market research can help you do more than make ads. Knowing how to use market research can make you more likely to convince people to take up your ideas, and can help you formulate strategic ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about how to use market research and what it can mean for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Use Market Research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research not only helps you create good marketing and advertising\u2014it can also help you win arguments.<\/strong> For example, when Ogilvy was working with British Travel, the chairman wanted to feature trout fishing in a tourism ad. Ogilvy got him to change his mind by showing him research that had determined American tourists weren\u2019t interested in trout fishing in the slightest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, however, people can be resistant to research, particularly if they don\u2019t like what it says.<\/strong> (For example, one of Ogilvy\u2019s clients spent $600,000 developing a product before having research done. Research revealed that the target audience wasn\u2019t interested. The client called Ogilvy a \u201cdry hole\u201d and left the meeting). You can make research look more official and weighty by involving a graphic designer and printing a hard copy of the report rather than sending a typewritten memo listing the findings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, sometimes research falls victim to confirmation bias\u2014people only pay attention to the research that supports their existing position.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do you know how to use market research? Let’s find out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effective Surveying<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Much marketing and advertising<\/a> research comes from surveying, and there are three things to keep in mind to get accurate results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consideration #1: Sample Sizes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, small samples and ballpark findings are all you need.<\/strong> (Shortform example: If you want to know how many people understand the word \u201cpyrrhic,\u201d if the first five people you ask don\u2019t, you\u2019ve got your answer\u2014you don\u2019t need anything statistically significant to determine that you should choose a more common word.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other cases, particularly for trends, you do need large samples, strict methodology, and statistically significant results.<\/strong> This is an important part for how to use market research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consideration #2: Dishonesty<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some interviewers don\u2019t like talking to strangers<\/a> and instead fill out the surveys themselves. Other times, respondents lie to interviewers. <\/strong>To manage the second problem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Ask a potential interviewee a question to judge their honesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n