It doesn't make a lot of sense but apparently it happens more frequently than one might expect. The "it" in this case is the decision by marketers to conduct consumer research and then pay little to no attention to study findings.
"Marketers generally distrust research and data," Greg Stuart, former CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau told AdAge.com.
Some of that distrust can be tied to the perception that consumers simply aren't telling researchers the truth when being surveyed.
Tony Palmer, chief marketing officer at Kimberly-Clark, said, "It's becoming clearer and clearer that what people say and what they do is different. So there's a real need to drive research to newer techniques, toward research that deploys anthropology and observation."
The AdAge.com article cited a number of studies that found a significant percent of consumers contradicting themselves in the course of being surveyed. In one online study, for example, consumers said a brand was worth paying for in one instance and not worth paying for in another.
A point of frustration among professional researchers is when studies are ordered that do not seem, at least to those conducting the research, to have a purpose.
"There is a general belief [among researchers] that over 50 percent of the research done at companies is wasted," said Bob Barocci, CEO of the Advertising Research Federation. "They're asked to do things that, even if the research project is perfect, won't be useful."
According to Mr. Barocci, some studies are commissioned simply to provide quantitative support for a decision that has already been made. "It's covering-your-butt kind of thinking," he said.
Not all the blame should go to marketers. "Often all we do is present numbers," Mr. Barocci told AdAge.com. "We don't present insights."
Discussion Questions: Do you also see evidence that marketers and researchers appear to be operating on two entirely different wavelengths? What needs to be done to ensure the various disciplines work together with greater cohesiveness? What types of changes are needed to get accurate and actionable data from consumers?