Research needs more creativity

The market research feature, Public Enquiries (MW April 5), while highlighting several different agency types using “different” and “adventurous” methodologies, does not show how research can be made to be holistically more effective.

We firmly believe that one of the key reasons for the lack of genuine innovation in the Nineties is because of researchers asking the same questions and using the same processes, which therefore elicits predictable responses from consumers. With so many “expert” consumer respondents now in existence , a fresh creative focus is required – this should in turn generate a new age of consumer responses.

Creativity needs to be injected into research using environment, stimulus and people (ESP). These are the elements that make creative research more effective. The effects and subsequent advantages of creative stimulus and a creative environment, however, can be negated by moderators who are unfamiliar, and hence unconfident, with creative techniques, and by insufficiently creative respondents.

I try to introduce a higher level of “interactive” stimulus in consumer workshops, so that we can interpret the sensory experiences of the consumer. Often, what consumers say and do are conflicting, so this helps us to intuitively read between the lines and make research more effective and meaningful.

Claire Nuttall

Brand strategist

Grey Matter

London N1