How to evaluate research companies & softwares

With the research landscape shifting so quickly and dramatically, deciding on the right research vendor for your business needs can be challenging. R&D professionals, Brand Managers, and Consumer Insights teams are no longer comparing apples to apples, because there’s a whole basket of fruit options available to today’s researchers.

For decision-makers, that means you not only have to decide which research solution to go with, but also you have to consider what type of research solution you need in the first place.

That’s what we’re here to help you parse today–by the time you finish this article, you’ll have a better idea of the research landscape, the strengths and weaknesses of each kind of solution, and a strong foundation on which to make a decision on the best solution for your business needs.

Traditional market research firms

For entire generations of those trying to build and sell products, full service market research firms were the go-to research solution. In the days before software, companies relied on teams of people to conduct manual research in the field, often stopping shoppers in store or sending snail mail to run consumer surveys, or running focus groups or product tests at central locations behind a double mirror.

This kind of market research continues today, and many brands still rely on this research methodology, especially the biggest brands in the world like Coca Cola or L’Oreal who may still partner with global market research firms like NielsenIQ, Toluna, or Quantilope.

There are shortcomings to this approach, though. For one, this level of white-glove, high-touch manual service is available only to the largest players in the game due to the high price tags.

More importantly, though, is the reality of large, manual research projects: they take longer. As the world changes and product development cycles shrink from years to months, and even months to weeks, everyone from the world’s largest enterprise CPG manufacturers to emerging players are looking for faster, more agile solutions.

Market research firms with software solutions

Many of these legacy market research firms have taken note of the evolving needs of their clients and responded in turn by building software solutions. NielsenIQ’s Byzzer or MMR’s Product Hub are just a couple of examples.

It’s not always easy for a large enterprise to translate their research services into self-serve software. It’s difficult to manage prior customer expectations for high-touch service when offering a more self-reliant solution. It can also be difficult for large firms to develop software products with the same agility a small startup can achieve.

The landscape of software offered by multinational market research firms is not monolithic, but it’s helpful for decision-makers to understand the potential pros and cons when evaluating their options.

Digitally-native research software

The software revolution and evolving needs of a fast-moving industry mean that not only are traditional market research companies shifting resources to software development, but also many new companies are springing up with digital-first research solutions for CPG, B2C, retail users and more. Highlight, Attest, Suzy, UserTesting, FlavorWiki, and UpSiide are just a few examples of platforms in this category.

Once again, there are pros and cons to these digitally-native solutions that decision-makers should be aware of. Just as legacy market research firms with deep research expertise may lack a modern software experience, digitally native platforms may offer a world-class software experience, but lack a true specialization in research.

This fracturing amongst digital-first research platforms is where the job of the decision-maker becomes especially challenging.

4 factors to consider when evaluating a market research or product testing company

• Are you testing a digital or physical product? Digital and physical product research requires totally different methodologies and areas of expertise, so it can be challenging to find one platform able to do both well. When testing digital products such as websites or mobile apps, UserTesting is a popular option, especially for multimedia qualitative feedback. For physical product testing, you’ll need a solution with expertise in your category and an airtight approach to shipping & logistics, such as Highlight.

• Are you testing a product at all, or just conducting a survey? There are also multiple solutions available for conducting general research. If you need to reach a global audience at a relatively low cost, consider an option like SurveyMonkey, or a pulse survey specialist like Suzy. If you’re looking to reach a highly niche audience of professionals, you should look into solutions like Centimeter or Clay that enable you to reach, for example, participants who are all Director level and above B2B marketing professionals.

• Do you need one-off research or are you looking to build a team driven by data? For teams that want to infuse their operations with customer feedback, almost every research software solution offers some form of subscription package. The question for decision-makers then becomes: What is my priority? For those focused on CPG innovation along the product lifecycle, from ideation to prototyping to renovation, an end-to-end approach like Highlight’s is most suitable. For those teams looking for white glove service, a more traditional market research firm like Nielsen or Kantar may be the right choice. If you simply need quick access to feedback from the general population, not tied to any specific product, a platform like Suzy or SurveyMonkey might be the right fit.

• Do you need feedback from a global audience or US only? An important thing to consider is audience reach. While Highlight’s proprietary community is highly engaged and articulate, they’re limited to the US only. Companies like SurveyMonkey, SPINS, or Quantilope can provide a more global reach with their international panels.
  

What sets Highlight apart from other digital-native research software

While product teams building everything from washing machines to running shoes use Highlight to conduct high-quality consumer research, what really makes Highlight different is its specialty in CPG. Research design programmed by real sensory scientists plus automated analytics like Penalty or Alienation Analysis are purpose-built with CPG product innovators’ needs in mind.

The addition of concept testing, digital pulse testing, and other product development needs like claims testing mean that whether you’re managing one product or a line of products, you can get the data you need to support every stage of the product lifecycle. Highlight’s transparent, flexible, and seamless approach to IHUT (in-home usage testing) with end-to-end logistics and shipping makes it a popular choice for physical products of all sorts, not just in the CPG space.

Not sure if your research needs could be met by the Highlight platform? Schedule a call with a member of the team to describe your business needs and see if there’s a good fit.