To Crowdsource Or Not? That Is the Question.

Research is critical in marketing strategies. Marketing research is the unsung hero of the marketing world that tends to be overlooked or forgotten as concepts turn into execution and execution turns into engagement, conversation, or criticism.

Sometimes, the cost alone of carrying out a valid study can blow a budget. Also, as timelines are reduced in order for brands to get consumer attention, taking the time to procure participants, conduct the study, and analyze the results extend beyond or well into the go-to-market plan. Or it may be that the findings are out of date due to the time lapse between executing the study and reporting the results.

Crowdsourced research can help cover that gap by providing timely, comprehensive results to aid marketing strategies at large. While traditional research is scientific, proven, and almost always reliable, there is still room in many marketers’ plans for crowdsourced research. It can be an opportune complement to traditional efforts because it allows some degree of control, collaboration, and continuity to flow between consumers and those brands that would like to learn from them.

For brand marketers, researchers, agencies, media companies, and academia, crowdsourced research offers insights and opinions faster and cheaper. It comes from the collective voices of consumers and is usually made up of some form of digital collaboration between a brand and its community.

Traditional research is one-way; the brand or organization has the control and uses rigid, scientific methods. While crowdsourced research started with wikis and private communities, it has come a long way. Nowadays, monitoring tools, social networks, video chats, and advanced mobile devices make crowdsourced research easier, faster, and cheaper to carry out.

Some advantages of crowdsourced research are:

• Teamwork. Crowdsourced research enables brands to collaborate with customers to improve on existing products or services, test concepts or ads, come up with new ideas, and continue the conversation over a longer period.

• Cost-effectiveness. Crowdsourced research can be done at a fraction of the cost of conventional research.

• Fast turnaround. The time it takes to collect, execute, and evaluate is shorter due to a purely digital platform.

• Flexibility. As trends and shifts emerge, researchers can modify their strategy easily.

• Marketing and marketing research. Although frowned upon in traditional research, there is some form of marketing integrated in crowdsourced research as consumers share their insights, stories, and ideas about the brands they support.

• Speed. Since crowdsourced research travels at the speed of digital, consumer behavior can be analyzed and insight for new technologies and trends can be observed in real time.