Five Key Insights into Automating Your Research Process

Automation frees up research teams to focus on what they do best

During the recent Insights Platform Masterclass: How to Get Started With Research Automation, GetWizer’s SVP of Global Research, Shani Broner, detailed the changes in market research that are driving automation, what criteria we should use to help us decide what to focus on and if we should buy or build a solution. Here are five key takeaways from the presentation.  

1. MARKET RESEARCH HAS UNDERGONE A MASSIVE CHANGE

The pandemic and the associated lockdowns have caused consumer behavior to change and new habits to be formed. Brands need to understand the shifting motivations of consumers and respond to changes in their behavior faster than ever before. While this has made research more relevant than ever, slashed budgets and smaller research teams has seen demand switch to the gathering of quick and agile insights. This trend is driving a move towards automation, to deliver results more cost effectively and faster while providing insights on the rapidly evolving changes we are experiencing among consumers. 

2. DIY RESEARCH SOLUTIONS AND AGENCIES HAVE THEIR LIMITATIONS 

The restrictions imposed during COVID saw some brands turn to DIY solutions to help them maintain their research capabilities. But while such solutions can seem like an easy and simple alternative, they still require many manual processes. You can therefore end up still doing a lot of the heavy lifting, creating more work for research teams rather than less. But research agencies are also not always an ideal solution. They are struggling to cope with the need for faster time to insight and the lower budget requirements. Agencies tend to be too slow and too expensive to be an effective and efficient solution to meet the demands of post COVID research teams.

3. WHY IS AUTOMATION THE ANSWER?

Automation helps us to be faster, more efficient and cuts the costs involved in research. It takes on many of the repetitive, manual, ‘heavy lifting’ tasks involved in the research process, and helps drive value by enabling us to do more with less. Automation is also dramatically improving the way we share knowledge within organizations and between teams, both internally and externally. This shift to digital means research results are immediately sharable, improving our ability to communicate, share and deliver insights.

4. SO, HOW DO WE START? 

The ideal research processes to automate are often those that involve manual, repetitive tasks. Focusing on such low-hanging fruit can provide a quick way for automation to have an impact. This can often be achieved by buying a solution. However, some businesses will benefit from focusing on automating high-impact areas of their business. This will require a longer lead time, but can significantly boost value. Companies looking at this higher-value implementation often consider building a bespoke solution, but may also benefit from buying one. Each brand, however, needs to consider the potential implications of automation and where they can attain the greatest value.

5. THERE ARE MANY SUCCESS STORIES

One of the examples highlighted in the presentation was TV advertising agency Marketing Architects. During the pandemic it used a new automated solution built on the GetWizer hybrid consumer insights platform to run research studies in three days instead of the typical week it took them in the past. This not only helped them retain clients in a time when many brands either stopped advertising or severely cut back their budgets, but also helped them win new business. 

The trend towards automation across industries has shown the world of research that it should not be left behind. Automation frees up research teams to focus on what they do best and optimizes the value of research during a time that it is most needed.

FInd out how automation can help drive value in your research process today by requesting a GetWizer demo.