The New York Times magazine recently ran a feature called the Innovation White Board where it invited readers to submit innovations they had incorporated into their daily lives. Submissions ranged from the simple (e.g., using the leftover milk from your sugary morning cereal to add some sweetness to your coffee) to the more far-out (e.g., automatic pants stretcher).
In the market research world, methodology innovation also runs the gamut from incremental to revolutionary. There are procedural improvements, like developing an in-house panel, and breakthrough changes, like neuroscience, that provide a different type of data. With research functions already overwhelmed with more projects and less time, how can you innovate consistently and successfully? MREB’s most recent research has uncovered several points to consider:
1) Change should not be prioritized for its own sake. Instead, innovation should occur with business goals in mind.
2) Frequent and successful innovation requires active internal support structures. A laissez-faire approach will result in methodology stagnation.
3) Methodology innovation that produces better insight is not the only successful type. Research functions should focus on innovations that increase speed, decrease cost, and are scalable.
4) Incremental change can be business led, while larger innovations require more guidance from suppliers.
MREB members, read more about winning strategies from companies such as Endo Health Solutions, Unilever, and InterContinental Hotels Group in our new whitepaper on Supporting Methodology Innovation.
Related Resources
Commenting Guidelines
We hope conversations will be energetic, constructive, and provocative. All posts will be reviewed by our editors and may be edited for clarity, length, and relevance.
We ask that you adhere to the following guidelines.
1. No selling of products or services.
2. No ad hominem attacks. These are conversations in which we debate ideas. Criticize ideas, not the people behind them.