Should You Really Be Doing Consumer Research for That?

(A loving intervention from someone who makes a living doing consumer research)*

For someone who genuinely loves market research, and has built a career around it, you wouldn’t expect me to say this: sometimes, you really don’t need to do research.

I know. It feels almost illegal to say out loud.

But as much as I love immersions, diaries, ethnos, and a beautifully weighted dataset… it physically pains me to see tens of thousands of dollars spent on studies that end up as a PDF on a shared drive titled “Final_v7_reallyfinal_USETHISONE.pptx” and never referenced again.

Research is powerful. But unnecessary research is just very expensive noise.

So before you commission another study, here are the questions I always ask, especially when budgets are tight, timelines are tighter, and patience is… well, nonexistent.

1. Do we already have the answer and just haven’t bothered to look?

Let’s start with the uncomfortable one. In even the most “mature” organizations, I see a familiar pattern: Data lives over here. Insights live over there. And no one is on speaking terms.

Meanwhile, the answer you’re hunting for is quietly sitting in: DTC data, CRM, shopper panels, habits & practices, sales trends, customer service logs, product reviews.

Before you brief an agency, go talk to your data friends. You might be one SQL query away from saving $50K and three weeks.

Hot take: A good analyst + a curious insights lead = 50% of your research needs covered.

2. Is this a “let’s ask people” problem… or a “let’s watch what they do” problem?

Marketing’s default reflex to uncertainty is: “Let’s ask the consumer.” Sometimes that’s right. Sometimes it’s… adorable.

If you’re trying to understand: price sensitivity, cross-shopping behavior, switching patterns, product adjacency, true usage behavior.

…people are already answering you. With their wallets. And their clicks. And their returns.

Behavioral Data > Claimed Data. Always.

Use surveys when you need meaning. Use behavioral data when you need truth. Use both when you want to be dangerous!

3. Is this actually noticeable… or are we testing vibes?

This is where many well-intentioned studies go to die. If your: “new” pack is 3% lighter in color, “updated” logo is a kerning change, “new” message is the same sentence with one synonym swapped.

…don’t be surprised when your results come back flat and everyone looks confused.

Before you test, ask: “Would a real human notice this in a grocery aisle, on a phone screen, or while half-watching Netflix?”

If the answer is “probably not,” you don’t have a research problem. You have a boldness problem.

4. Is this an unknown… or are we just seeking emotional support?

Let’s be honest. Sometimes the decision is already made.

And research is being used as: insurance, validation, political cover or a very expensive comfort blanket.

I am not anti-validation. But if the train has left the station, don’t pretend this is discovery.

Instead, ask: What can we still learn that will improve execution? How can this feed the next iteration? What would make this useful even if nothing changes?

If you’re doing a copy test, get diagnostics—not just a score.If you’re testing concepts you can’t all fund, use it to build your future pipeline. If you’re going to research, at least make it count.

5. What decision will this actually change?

This is my favorite and most underused question. Not: “Is this interesting?”, “Would leadership like this?”, “Could this be a cool slide?” .

But: “What will we do differently if we learn this?”

If the answer is vague, uncomfortable, or starts with “well… it depends…” pause.

Research without a decision is just intellectual entertainment. (And we already have podcasts for that.)

6. Do we have the organizational muscle to act on this?

Another quiet killer of good research: no activation plan.

Before you invest, ask: Do we have resources to act on this? Is anyone accountable for the outcome? Will this survive the next reorg / fire drill / leadership change?

If the answer is no, either: change the scope, or find the right the stakeholders, or save your money and your sanity.

Insights don’t drive impact. People do.

7. Are we solving the real problem… or the politically safe one?

This is where senior insights leaders earn their stripes. Sometimes the brief says: “Test the new campaign.”

But the real problem is: “No one understands our value proposition”, “Our product is too complex”, “Our pricing makes no sense”, “Our experience is broken”.

Research won’t fix strategy. But it will expose it. So before you greenlight the study, ask: Are we brave enough to hear the real answer?

If not… maybe don’t ask.

The uncomfortable truth : Great research is a growth accelerator. Bad research is an expensive distraction.

And unnecessary research is just corporate procrastination with better branding.

Being a strong insights leader is not about doing more research.

It’s about knowing when not to. That’s not anti-research. That’s respect for it.