An idea has been proposed that consumer insight research is actually the death knell for innovation. Those who feel this to be the case often cite Steve Jobs or Henry Ford. Both of these visionaries felt that the customer could not possibly articulate what they needed and that their beliefs were not a good indicator of what would sell in the market. Although this focus is decidedly consumer-oriented I am sure my colleagues in B2B market research have come across similar sentiment in their organizations. How could this be the case given the strides market research has made at getting closer to the consumer?

In regard to Ford, his thought was that if he asked customers what they wanted they would have indicated a faster horse would meet their needs. Jobs, in a similar vein, felt that his team at Apple knew it was their business to create the next big thing, and they were best positioned to do so. The voice of the customer would only cloud their ability to create innovative products.

As a market researcher I take these concerns to heart. I also understand that research does have a place in conveying the unmet needs of the marketplace. It is in these gaps that qualitative and quantitative market research can be used to illuminate what consumers believe is missing. Therein lays the keys that product development teams and upper management can use to fund and create products and services that will meet and exceed consumer expectations.

As market researchers we can help provide this insight by asking our research participants to think outside the box, and not just rate what they know, but to express feelings about what is missing from their experience. An example would be to ask customers, and prospects, what can be done differently. In other words, have them share their thoughts about what an ideal situation would look like. Once we have a picture of an ideal state we can share this with our internal clients and ask them to design market offerings that will exceed expectations.