The Three Pain Points of Commissioning Market Research
The Three Pain Points of Commissioning Market Research

You commission a piece of market research. The brief is clear. The business needs answers, and decisions depend on it.
But almost immediately, three familiar pain points start to appear.

Pain Point 1: Timing

You need the insight quickly. Markets move fast, and strategy cannot wait.

Yet the proposed timeline stretches out: six weeks, maybe eight. Sometimes longer if the research spans several countries or languages.

By the time the results arrive, the context may already have shifted.

This is one of the most common frustrations in traditional market research: the time it takes to get from question to answer.

In one recent project, our team conducted research across four countries and three languages and delivered the full results in just ten days. Our record is 24 hours, and this was for a full study with a standard quant plus implicit response testing. 

The point is not simply speed for its own sake. What matters is that the insight arrives while it can still influence decisions.

Pain Point 2: The Truth Gap

When research results arrive, another question often emerges: Consumers do not always behave exactly as they say they do.

When people answer survey questions, their responses are influenced by many factors: social desirability, rationalisation, or simply the difficulty of articulating instinctive reactions. As a result, there can be a gap between what consumers say and what they actually do.

This is sometimes called the truth gap.

One of the reasons our clients value the technology we use is our implicit response test. Rather than relying only on conscious, reflective answers, the test measures rapid responses that reveal more automatic associations that people have with brands, products and services. These implicit reactions are those that drive the purchase decision and are impossible to fake. In practical terms, this provides a clearer view of the motivations and perceptions that shape real-world decisions.

The result is research that gets closer to how consumers actually think and behave, not just how they describe it in a survey.

Pain Point 3: The Cost Structure

Finally, there is the issue of cost.

Many organisations are surprised when they see how research budgets are structured. Large agencies often bundle their broader business overheads into project pricing. The final cost reflects not only the actual research, but also the machinery of the organisation delivering it.

Our philosophy is simpler.

We charge for the research service itself, not for the internal overhead of running a large agency. This keeps pricing transparent and ensures that clients are paying directly for the work that generates insight.

A Different Way to Deliver Market Research

Commissioning research should not mean accepting long delays, uncertain methodology, or costs that stretch your budget. By focusing on three principles: speed, scientific rigour, and transparent pricing it is possible to deliver research that fits the realities of modern decision-making. 

In the end, the purpose of market research is simple: to provide reliable insight when organisations need it most. 
The challenge is delivering it without these three pain points that so often stand in the way.

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