"Investment in knowledge pays the best interest." 
Benjamin Franklin, one of America's most influential business and political legends in history

Some of my affiliates have said now is the time to network and it's not the time to cut back on marketing.  I would also add now it's the time to research, to know your customers - their perceptions, needs, desires, life values… so that you are proactive and know how to best respond in good times and bad.

For social organisations, it becomes even more important to know and nourish the social and cultural needs of your community during tough times.   People may have to limit their spending but it's not equivalent to succumbing to a lesser lifestyle.

Make the Best of Your Investment

How do we effectively acquire the knowledge that we need for 2009 and beyond?   Let me share with you some cost effective strategies to help reach your investment objectives:

1.  Focus on the strengths of your organisation and outsource your research projects to a specialist researcher to get the best value for your time and investment

2.  Choose a researcher who questions your research needs, designs the research to thoroughly and reliably answer your needs, and conveys the results for your marketing applications, so you effectively gain mind-opening insights, and not just plain nice-to-know data (for more hints on choosing a researcher, please refer to WHYS Views - Qualitative Research Industry Practice Guideline)

3.  Adopt a cost-effective research method in the choice of research participants, contact method and research coverage

4.  Embrace new technology and new channels of marketing communications

• Many organisations have formed their own online communities to reinforce their brand communications, image and customer loyalty.  Some have taken a step further to interact with their customers, gather feedback and opinions for new marketing plans and thrive on their research investment even in adverse conditions.
• There is an ongoing debate on the benefits of online vs offline research.  The method to choose will depend on factors including the profile of your target market, depth of research insights you are after and how sensitive the research topic is.

5.  Act on the research findings when they are fresh, current and relevant

• For commercial organisations, shelving the research report and delaying actions may mean losing customer loyalty to competition who acts more promptly.
• For social organisations, the community will be grateful for prompt and responsive actions to their suggestions.

Long Term Approach

In the last twenty years, I've worked with many clients who have a long term program of continuous research and converting knowledge into actions.  These are the organisations which flourish from their research efforts and those are the consumers and communities who benefit from sharing their views - from a better product or service to an enriched way of life.

Research is an investment for effective allocation of resources to help achieve your organisational and financial goals.

WHYS Research

Qualitative research specialist        Focus groups        In-depth interviews        Community forums        Online communities        Consumer life values        Concept, advertising & communications        Branding & customer retention        Website evaluation

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