Not many researchers would agree with Henry Ford and Steve Jobs’s views on market research. Henry Ford famously stated that “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”; while Steve Jobs claimed that “Our job is to figure out what people are going to want before they do.”. On the surface level, these quotes basically state that market research is useless. However, is that really what they meant?
Innovation V.S. Refinement
Both Henry Ford and Steve Jobs are referring to the process of creation and innovation – conceptualising something new into existence. There is a good reason why there are people out there who get paid big bucks to do that, and yes – your average consumers will probably be less capable of that.
However, let’s think about what happened to their products once they were created. For example, while Apple may create completely revolutionary products, they do then spend years refining, upgrading and perfecting all the features. Do all these refinement ideas arise out of thin air, much like their products? While they may not formally label it “research” (or “iResearch” for that matter), surely it is unfeasible to think that consumer feedback plays no part during the perfecting stages.
Making a difference…
Effective research is not about asking people what they want at every stage, but about knowing WHO to ask, WHAT to ask (or listen out for / observe), WHEN to ask and HOW. It’s about understanding when research can make an impact to an organisation, and how to maximise that impact. This is why beyond the need to understand research; researchers need to understand business in order be of true value to their clients.
Written by:
Lana Bruskina – Strategy and Insight Manager
For further information on THINK Global Research, please contact Kristy Ihle (Managing Director) at info@thinkglobalresearch.com.
