The instability of the financial markets is creating a slow-down in consumer and business spending, prompting your company to reduce expenses—including your market research budget. That means what you have to spend needs to get the job done regardless. Even more, your research deliverables must ensure sustainable success in a tougher marketplace. IntelliClear is offering a few tips on how to optimize your research investments for 2009 and beyond:

1. Leverage Existing Research Data to Gain New Insights
Your company purchases syndicated data from the likes of IDC and Forrester, and has data from past proprietary research studies. Why not use this existing data to get what you need instead of conducting more studies? Synthesizing existing data from multiple sources is an economical way of identifying new connections and key points of relevance, delivering valuable perspectives. For example, one client gave IntelliClear dozens of research studies from multiple sources in hopes of understanding the data center space. Using a variety of analytical methods, IntelliClear turned thousands of pages of research data into a concise PowerPoint deliverable, providing fresh and overlooked go-to-market insights to help chart new business directives.

IntelliClear Data Synthesis Service Brochure - Click here to download.

2. Combine Qualitative & Quantitative in the Same Study
Should you use your precious research dollars for a qualitative study, or a quantitative study? You need the open-ended insights of a qualitative study, but your team demands hard numbers to back up the results. Try designing a qualitative study that includes an efficient quantitative component in parallel. For example, IntelliClear has been conducting one-on-one interviews and focus groups that integrate pre, in-session, and post group surveys for years. This unique methodology allows for the powerful triangulation of quantitative results against the qualitative findings, packaged in an integrated study that optimizes economics. This is especially valuable if combined with surgical recruiting, an approach that leads to deeper insights without sacrificing market representation.

3. Merge Go-To-Market Plans and Primary Research
Your team needs a go-to-market plan, but lacks the data, time, and money to get it done. Traditionally money is spent on conducting a study, followed by the development of a go-to-market plan. In tough economic times it makes sense to merge the primary research and go-to-market development into one consolidated effort, saving time and money. For example, IntelliClear has been involved in numerous projects where a go-to-market component has been included as part of the overall study. IntelliClear has done as little as an advisory role, and as much as holding workshops and developing the plan as a member of the strategic and tactical teams—ensuring maximum application of the research towards business success.

4. Identify the Early Signs of an Economic Rebound
The global economy is going to turn around—but will you see it coming before your competition does? A key to maximizing business value in research for 2009 will be identifying the early warning signs of an economic rebound in the research studies you conduct. This means formulating the key indicators for your business, identifying pulse points, and developing an economic model that closely simulates your market. For example, IntelliClear responded to a client request to simulate an emerging market in order to detect the key entry points and growth prospects on a worldwide scale. The result was an easy to use Excel-based global market model that pinpointed key business opportunities across a predictive time scale, allowing the client to react long before their competitors.