Research methods: What, when, and why should you care?

There are a lot of misconceptions about what a brand really is. For most, a brand has more to do with its logo than anything else. And while a business’s logo plays a big role in branding, it is only a small part.  

Don’t get me wrong, we love logos. They are a crucial piece of any branding process and vital in properly representing any business or organization, but a logo alone is not a brand in and of itself.

And no, it’s not a company, product, service or personality either, regardless of how many celebrities or sports stars refer to themselves as one.

On the contrary, a brand is A PERSON’S EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH A COMPANY, PRODUCT, OR SERVICE.

The 2 most important words in that definition are “Emotional Connection.” That’s where the magic happens, and that’s where great brands are born.

And like any long-term relationship, consumer advocacy is built on emotional connections – and that is why we advertise in the first place. So, if you’re just looking for quick, transactional sales, (in addition to simply throwing money out the window) skipping the research and wingin’ it might work. But, if you’re looking to build a brand that stands the test of time, you might want to keep on reading. 

The following are a few examples of the types of research methods that can help you and your business better connect with your audience.

1: Keyword Research

When you have a problem, what’s the first thing you do? Odds are, you probably consult Dr. Google and try to find answers for whatever your problem may be. Whether you’re looking for “doctors near me” or “how to remodel my kitchen,” Google will give you thousands of answers to choose from. This is where our first research method comes into play. 

Unless your target audience doesn’t have internet access, odds are they probably consult Google for their problems too. By analyzing the search results of the keywords your target audience could be using, you can find out if you are creating a touchpoint with your audience – an opportunity to establish an emotional connection – or creating an obstacle that could lead them to your competition. If your business ranks high in the list of search results, then your website has great SEO (search engine optimization) and is helping connect you with those in need of your product or service.

When your website is filled with appropriate keywords that address your audience’s wants and needs, your website becomes a magnet, and your business becomes the answer to address those needs. Catering to your audience’s needs brings value, and that value helps form the emotional connection needed to build a brand that lasts. 

 2: Social Media Reports

Social media makes it easier than ever to connect with people across time and distance, leaving humanity more connected than ever before. As true as that is, social media is also a place where content is constantly being shared, liked, commented on, and shared again, making it easy to blend into the abyss of information. As a business, it can be especially tricky to know what content will make your audience stop and click instead of scroll and skip. This is where you can use social media reporting to analyze your stats, readjust, and create content that inspires action. 

By analyzing the stats of your own channels, you can examine how your platforms have evolved over time in an isolated manner. But, just like only hearing one side of an argument, this information doesn’t give you the full story. A more comprehensive method is to pull reports that compare your channel’s stats with those of your competitors. Who is averaging more likes? Who is averaging more comments? Why did you lose a bunch of followers on January 10th? Comparing all of this information side-by-side with charts, graphs, and fancy color-coding paints a clear picture of how you are performing on social media compared to the competition.

Why does this matter? Well, if you do your homework thoroughly, these findings will give you clues into what your target audience responds to, and what they could care less about. With this information in mind, you can recalibrate your social media strategies, and create more of the content that they care about, adding value to their lives and building an emotional connection. Because if you’re not adding value, you’re just adding noise. 

 3: Conversations

We know – there are definitely easier, faster, and more streamlined ways to conduct market research. However, none of those methods – even the ones previously mentioned – will give you nuanced answers to your questions like a good conversation. Why do we say “conversation” and not “interview?” An interview implies a one-sided line of questioning, while a conversation implies a dynamic back-and-forth exchange of questions and ideas. If you want to build an emotional connection with your audience, using the latter to gather comprehensive insights and nuanced perspectives from both internal and external audiences is the way to go. 

First, you have to consider any potential disconnects that may be happening at the source. Having internal conversations with your team members can tell you a lot about what keeps happy customers around, and what prevents new customers from ever knocking on the door. On the flip side, you have to consider the perceptions of your current and past customers. These external conversations will give you intel on what makes customers choose your business over the competition, or why they might have left you for the competition. All of these conversations will give you a better understanding of your business’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as your customers’ wants and needs. When you get the full story through conversations, you gain a thorough understanding of who your target audience really is. This understanding is key to adjusting your brand strategy and establishing emotional connections that lead to consumer advocacy. 

 4: Model the Masters 

You know the people you look up to when you’re trying to improve at something? These are what we like to call, masters. If you’re a small-town singer, Mariah Carey might be your master. If you’re an aspiring comedian (good luck), Jerry Seinfeld might be your master. If you’re a Jedi, Yoda might be your master. Unlike your direct competitors, masters are businesses in other markets that can provide a guide for what is already working in the marketplace. 

Conducting market research on what the masters are doing right will give you valuable information on adjusting your brand strategy. All elements of their business should be analyzed, including website, social media, public relations, and everything in between. The goal here is not to copy them, but rather to observe their strategies and draw inspiration from them. Are they making use of channels you’re not on? Are they providing more valuable content for their audiences? Is their creative more, creative? Just like a new comedian might re-watch Jerry Seinfeld’s standup over and over again (although, you don’t have to be an aspiring comedian to want to do this), making notes of how the masters in other markets connect with their audiences will give you guidance on how to connect with your own. 

So, if you’d rather take your chances wingin’ it, we won’t stop you. If you’re ready to find out how we use this research in our Razor Branding™ process, give us a call – because building brands that connect is kind of our thing.