Market Research Departments Struggle for Strategic Relevance

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Heidi Lo and Brad Bortner of Forrester have written a new independent report, "Role Insights: Market Researchers Struggle For Strategic Relevance":

Forrester surveyed 40 market researchers from business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies with annual revenues of more than $1 billion and annual market research budgets ranging from $30,000 to $8 million.... Results from Forrester's Q2 2008 Global Market Research Organizing For Influence Online Survey show that many market researchers have not been able to position their market research groups as strategic partners within their organizations. Market research leaders report finding themselves sidelined because they are often viewed more as service bureaus focused on tactical, not strategic, questions and research. To pull out of this rut and get on the road to strategic relevance, it is imperative that market research groups create processes to prove value, enhance their own operational efficiency, and improve alignment with their internal clients. 

Table of Contents

• Most Market Research Groups Are Not Strategic Partners Yet 
• Challenges In Funding And Operations Are Key Obstacles 
• Many Market Research Groups Are Lean Extensions Of Marketing - Minus The Budget 
• Recommendations 
• Get Organized To Start Attaining Strategic Relevance 

Forrester has prepared a sobering assessment of the state of market research within corporations. Given the strategic importance of customer research, it is surprising how project oriented most departments are. Yet MR departments are only addressing major projects-the minor projects are being addressed by line staff across the organization. Missing from Forrester's analysis is a discussion of the disintermediation of market researchers due to the widespread use of survey software, and the power of enterprise feedback management to help. Check out my post Rethinking the Role of the Market Research Department for more on this possible path for internal MR.

What do you see as the way forward for structuring market research within organizations?