What do the punters want?

I first became interested in research when I was working in Brussels back in the days when my hair had more brown than grey. At that time I was doing proprietary and multi-client studies in the chemicals business. It convinced me that there is nothing which has the power of a punter's opinion.

Of course a punter is just a data point and you need to handle some of the responses with care - that said, it is possible to get at real commercial truths at well below the level of a statistically valid survey. That has meant that I have retained an interest in the topic and I use it, and recommend that our clients use it whenever it looks as if there would be a benefit in asking what the market thinks.

Without research, Red Splash would be just 3 middle-aged blokes with a point of view. Our rich experience notwithstanding, we work better when we can supplement our opinions with information from the punters. With research, we are able to develop more powerful customer and market strategies which address or take advantage of what the market is telling us. Never be afraid to ask questions - it can be vital to the health of your business.

Tags

• Research