It's very important to scope research accurately so that you get what you need. In the first instance there was a hypothesis, and we hoped that the study would confirm the hypothesis and provide additional direction and insights. In the second instance we simply wanted to learn more about a customer base and their needs and interests. The first study was quantitative and national; the second qualitative and local.
In my remarks on Friday, I noted that the City Square team treated both projects, important to us but small in scope relative to what they usually do, with the same integrity and respect as they would have one of their really big studies. This, in addition to the fact that they are incredibly smart and deeply committed to doing things that matter, makes them great to work with. (Endorsement complete!)
And that counts for a lot. But what about outcomes?
One study concluded in the publication of a paper that described survey results, suggested next steps, and brought renewed attention to a critical nonprofit sector need.
The second revealed opportunities to engage individuals with meaningful content in the context of both study and entertainment, culminating in the creation of a unique lecture series that has been critically acclaimed for its subject matter, quality of participants, interaction with the audience, and the civility and respect with which opposing viewpoints are aired and discussed.
I will be writing a lot about market research, not only because it represents opportunity but because sometimes the results are surprising. In both cases described above, the results were edifying. We used them to instruct program design—and fund raising activity. In both cases, in addition to learning a great deal, we were able to take the content and create something tangible and useful. Of course, in both cases that was a stated goal.
