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A Problem Defined Is A Problem
Half Solved

A White Paper By B2B International Market Research
By Paul Hague, Nick Hague and Carol-Ann Morgan
How Ideas For Market Research Arise
The idea of market research arises within the mind of a
manager, who has developed an idea or has come across a
problem that needs a solution. Purely based on his or her
judgement, it may (or may not) be determined that this “new
idea or problem” is a candidate for market research.

Once the idea is formed, it may undergo a period of gestation,
as shown in Figure 1 below. During this period, the idea or
problem is further developed and may even be bounced
around through the other professionals, who help scope and
define the research.

We believe that in order for someone to think of market
research as a solution, first he or she must have some prior
understanding about the capabilities of market research;
without this knowledge it is not fully understandable what can
be done through research and therefore it is less likely to
come to mind as a solution.

It may be weeks or even months before the idea or problem is
presented to a market research agency. Often, by the time the
idea reaches the agency, there is greater urgency to find out
the information, pressing agencies to work quickly. As a
result, time may impact the research solution simply because
there is less time, limiting what can be done in a given period.

Nonetheless, we suggest that the person who generates this
idea for research is a manager; as managers are often
responsible for making decisions and market research is
designed to reduce risk in decision making.

2

Figure 1: The Gestation Period For A Market Research Idea
The Market Research Brief – A Statement
Of The Problem
As a general rule, a market research study is
only as good as the brief.

When developing a brief, the sponsor should include answers to the
following questions in order to scope the issues effectively for the
researcher:

The brief is an oral or written statement from the research
sponsor, which provides detail on the objectives and
background of the research, enabling the researcher to design
an appropriate program for the study.
No matter whether the research is carried out by a vendor or
in-house, the brief is very important as it influences the
methodology the researcher will choose for the study. The
more thorough the brief the better, particularly for an outside
vendor, who in comparison to an in-house researcher has less
access to resources within the sponsor’s organization.

The research brief should be a dialogue and even the most thorough
brief covering all the issues we have listed will generate some
additional questions from the researchers.

3
The Market Research Proposal – The
Return Of The Brief
The researcher, after receiving the brief, will write a proposal
to the sponsor which will indicate an understanding of the
requirements, the objectives, research method, timing, and
pricing of the research. The proposal acts as a contract,
considering that the research program will be of significant
financial value.

Armed with the brief, the researcher now knows what the
client is looking for and must balance four factors in arriving at
an appropriate design.

At this proposal stage, a questionnaire has not been designed
yet, and so not every aspect of the research study will be
determined during the submission of the proposal. Although
the proposal acts as a contract, there must be flexibility on
some aspects of the research; as the research progresses
and information is revealed, it may be necessary to change
the objectives. It is likely that the methodology will remain the
same, as this aspect of the study is the determinant of price.

The research brief should be a dialogue and even the most
thorough brief covering all the issues we have listed will
generate some additional questions from the researchers.

4
The Market Research Proposal –
Information & Accuracy
Information: Within the proposal, the researcher must
clearly provide some order to the decision outcomes, research
objectives, and specific questions that may be asked to
participants.

Accuracy: How accurate does it need to be?
Of course, most research sponsors would answer “very
accurate”, or as “accurate as possible”, but the greater the
accuracy the greater the cost (typically the cost is significantly
greater). However, a research program does not always
require a high level of accuracy to meet the objectives.
Such as in the examples below, accuracy becomes more
important based on the data being measured:

Additionally, the researcher must describe what information
will be included in the project and what will be left out; this will
indicate the objectives the researcher expects to reach in the
study. As the researcher is considering these objectives, this
will impact on the considerations he or she may have when
deciding on the choice of method.
At this stage, it is best for the research sponsor to consider
the outcomes, objectives, and questions, and which
methodology would work best according to these levels of the
study.
5

Therefore, the required accuracy must be linked to how the
resulting data will be used – the nature of the decisions which
the research will guide.
The Market Research Proposal – Budget &
Timetable
Budget: What budget should be made available for the

Timetable: Two factors determine the research timetable:

research project?
•
The researcher, driven by methodology, would argue
whatever budget is required to meet the research objectives,
get the desired information, and finance the method needed to
produce data at a defined accuracy level.
In reality, there are other factors of consideration, such as the
availability of funds and the affordability of the research.
However, if the decision includes capital expenditure, for
example $30 million, then a research budget of $60,000 was
spent in comparison to $30 million. Likewise, if the investment
has low cost implications there is less reason for investing in
research.
Another justification includes the series of future decisions the
research will contribute to, so considering the long-term payback should determine the budget.

6

Deadline – This is driven by external factors, including
the sponsor’s requirements and time frames.

•

Length of time required to carry out research activities –
This is determined by resources, and experience with the
methods in use in order to provide realistic estimates on
how long each stage of the research program will take.

An example of a typical research timetable is shown below:
What To Expect In A Proposal
•

The proposal must bring clarity, add to the understanding and make an authoritative claim for the recommended research
method.

•

The quality of the proposal will impact whether an agency wins the project; grammatical and spelling errors may reflect
negatively on to the agency’s working standards and cause the sponsor to disregard the proposal.
A proposal on average is 10 pages in length and typically includes…

•

In this section, the researcher provides an introduction to the research subject, background leading up
to the research, and an understanding of the sponsor’s objectives.

•

In this section, the researcher will provide an overall statement about the objective of the research,
followed by a more detailed outline of the many research objectives the study constitutes.

•

This is the most important section of the proposal; if the researcher approaches the methodology in the
wrong way, the objectives of the research may not be reached.

Method

•

The researcher will provide an overview of the research approach, including types of method (e.g.
qualitative vs. quantitative), types of interviews (e.g. telephone vs. online), quotas for certain groups of
respondents (e.g. country, company size, etc.)

Timing & Costs

•

Here the researcher lays out the timetable for the research and the costing

An Introduction

Objectives

7
Key Takeaways
When developing a brief, the sponsor should include answers
to the following questions in order to scope the issues
effectively for the researcher:

The researcher must prepare a proposal that takes into
account four important factors: the information required; the
accuracy of the information required; budget; and the research
timetable. Keeping these four factors in mind, a proposal is
written that covers:
•

An understanding of the problem

•

Objectives (overall and in more detail)

•

The method to produce to the desired objectives

•

The timetable

•

The researcher’s credentials

•

The cost of the research

Quality of the proposal matters, and may impact the agency’s
ability to win the project.

8
Thank you for reading our White Paper on Scoping Market Research Projects.
To access further white papers and publications by B2B International, please visit:
http://www.b2binternational.com/publications/
Keep up-to-date with industry developments and news by following our blog:
http://www.b2binternational.com/b2b-blog/
Find out what’s going on at B2B International by following us on Twitter:
@B2B_Insight

9
MANCHESTER

LONDON

NEW YORK

B2B International
Bramhall House, 14 Ack Lane East,
Bramhall, Stockport, Manchester SK7 2BY
Tel:
Fax:
E-mail:
Website:

+44 (0)161 440 6000
+44 (0)161 440 6006
info@b2binternational.com
www.b2binternational.com

CHICAGO

BRUSSELS

BEIJING

SHANGHAI

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A Problem Defined Is A Problem Half Solved - A Guide To Scoping Projects

  • 1. A Problem Defined Is A Problem Half Solved A White Paper By B2B International Market Research By Paul Hague, Nick Hague and Carol-Ann Morgan
  • 2. How Ideas For Market Research Arise The idea of market research arises within the mind of a manager, who has developed an idea or has come across a problem that needs a solution. Purely based on his or her judgement, it may (or may not) be determined that this “new idea or problem” is a candidate for market research. Once the idea is formed, it may undergo a period of gestation, as shown in Figure 1 below. During this period, the idea or problem is further developed and may even be bounced around through the other professionals, who help scope and define the research. We believe that in order for someone to think of market research as a solution, first he or she must have some prior understanding about the capabilities of market research; without this knowledge it is not fully understandable what can be done through research and therefore it is less likely to come to mind as a solution. It may be weeks or even months before the idea or problem is presented to a market research agency. Often, by the time the idea reaches the agency, there is greater urgency to find out the information, pressing agencies to work quickly. As a result, time may impact the research solution simply because there is less time, limiting what can be done in a given period. Nonetheless, we suggest that the person who generates this idea for research is a manager; as managers are often responsible for making decisions and market research is designed to reduce risk in decision making. 2 Figure 1: The Gestation Period For A Market Research Idea
  • 3. The Market Research Brief – A Statement Of The Problem As a general rule, a market research study is only as good as the brief. When developing a brief, the sponsor should include answers to the following questions in order to scope the issues effectively for the researcher: The brief is an oral or written statement from the research sponsor, which provides detail on the objectives and background of the research, enabling the researcher to design an appropriate program for the study. No matter whether the research is carried out by a vendor or in-house, the brief is very important as it influences the methodology the researcher will choose for the study. The more thorough the brief the better, particularly for an outside vendor, who in comparison to an in-house researcher has less access to resources within the sponsor’s organization. The research brief should be a dialogue and even the most thorough brief covering all the issues we have listed will generate some additional questions from the researchers. 3
  • 4. The Market Research Proposal – The Return Of The Brief The researcher, after receiving the brief, will write a proposal to the sponsor which will indicate an understanding of the requirements, the objectives, research method, timing, and pricing of the research. The proposal acts as a contract, considering that the research program will be of significant financial value. Armed with the brief, the researcher now knows what the client is looking for and must balance four factors in arriving at an appropriate design. At this proposal stage, a questionnaire has not been designed yet, and so not every aspect of the research study will be determined during the submission of the proposal. Although the proposal acts as a contract, there must be flexibility on some aspects of the research; as the research progresses and information is revealed, it may be necessary to change the objectives. It is likely that the methodology will remain the same, as this aspect of the study is the determinant of price. The research brief should be a dialogue and even the most thorough brief covering all the issues we have listed will generate some additional questions from the researchers. 4
  • 5. The Market Research Proposal – Information & Accuracy Information: Within the proposal, the researcher must clearly provide some order to the decision outcomes, research objectives, and specific questions that may be asked to participants. Accuracy: How accurate does it need to be? Of course, most research sponsors would answer “very accurate”, or as “accurate as possible”, but the greater the accuracy the greater the cost (typically the cost is significantly greater). However, a research program does not always require a high level of accuracy to meet the objectives. Such as in the examples below, accuracy becomes more important based on the data being measured: Additionally, the researcher must describe what information will be included in the project and what will be left out; this will indicate the objectives the researcher expects to reach in the study. As the researcher is considering these objectives, this will impact on the considerations he or she may have when deciding on the choice of method. At this stage, it is best for the research sponsor to consider the outcomes, objectives, and questions, and which methodology would work best according to these levels of the study. 5 Therefore, the required accuracy must be linked to how the resulting data will be used – the nature of the decisions which the research will guide.
  • 6. The Market Research Proposal – Budget & Timetable Budget: What budget should be made available for the Timetable: Two factors determine the research timetable: research project? • The researcher, driven by methodology, would argue whatever budget is required to meet the research objectives, get the desired information, and finance the method needed to produce data at a defined accuracy level. In reality, there are other factors of consideration, such as the availability of funds and the affordability of the research. However, if the decision includes capital expenditure, for example $30 million, then a research budget of $60,000 was spent in comparison to $30 million. Likewise, if the investment has low cost implications there is less reason for investing in research. Another justification includes the series of future decisions the research will contribute to, so considering the long-term payback should determine the budget. 6 Deadline – This is driven by external factors, including the sponsor’s requirements and time frames. • Length of time required to carry out research activities – This is determined by resources, and experience with the methods in use in order to provide realistic estimates on how long each stage of the research program will take. An example of a typical research timetable is shown below:
  • 7. What To Expect In A Proposal • The proposal must bring clarity, add to the understanding and make an authoritative claim for the recommended research method. • The quality of the proposal will impact whether an agency wins the project; grammatical and spelling errors may reflect negatively on to the agency’s working standards and cause the sponsor to disregard the proposal. A proposal on average is 10 pages in length and typically includes… • In this section, the researcher provides an introduction to the research subject, background leading up to the research, and an understanding of the sponsor’s objectives. • In this section, the researcher will provide an overall statement about the objective of the research, followed by a more detailed outline of the many research objectives the study constitutes. • This is the most important section of the proposal; if the researcher approaches the methodology in the wrong way, the objectives of the research may not be reached. Method • The researcher will provide an overview of the research approach, including types of method (e.g. qualitative vs. quantitative), types of interviews (e.g. telephone vs. online), quotas for certain groups of respondents (e.g. country, company size, etc.) Timing & Costs • Here the researcher lays out the timetable for the research and the costing An Introduction Objectives 7
  • 8. Key Takeaways When developing a brief, the sponsor should include answers to the following questions in order to scope the issues effectively for the researcher: The researcher must prepare a proposal that takes into account four important factors: the information required; the accuracy of the information required; budget; and the research timetable. Keeping these four factors in mind, a proposal is written that covers: • An understanding of the problem • Objectives (overall and in more detail) • The method to produce to the desired objectives • The timetable • The researcher’s credentials • The cost of the research Quality of the proposal matters, and may impact the agency’s ability to win the project. 8
  • 9. Thank you for reading our White Paper on Scoping Market Research Projects. To access further white papers and publications by B2B International, please visit: http://www.b2binternational.com/publications/ Keep up-to-date with industry developments and news by following our blog: http://www.b2binternational.com/b2b-blog/ Find out what’s going on at B2B International by following us on Twitter: @B2B_Insight 9
  • 10. MANCHESTER LONDON NEW YORK B2B International Bramhall House, 14 Ack Lane East, Bramhall, Stockport, Manchester SK7 2BY Tel: Fax: E-mail: Website: +44 (0)161 440 6000 +44 (0)161 440 6006 info@b2binternational.com www.b2binternational.com CHICAGO BRUSSELS BEIJING SHANGHAI