Our professor of business strategy used to
ridicule research. He would say, "BMW doesn't go around carrying
questionnaires, asking customers what want." Over the years, the
standard example has shifted from automobiles to mobiles (specifically
iPhone), but the argument has remained more or less the same.
But there's another point of view too. And it puts forward some very critical reasons why research is helpful.
1. Your customers live in all kinds of un-imaginable infrastructures
If
you are reading this on LinkedIn, it is very likely that people in your
city don't face problems with electricity and water supply. So, would
you be able to understand if your consumers live with 4 hours of daily
power-cuts, or get water for only a couple of hours a day? Would you be
able to truly appreciate all the tricks and jugaad employed every 'day
in the life of' your consumers?
2. You can't un-learn certain ways of life
For
the longest part of my life, I would use public transport and
auto-rickshaws for all travel, everywhere. But within a few months of
buying a bike, I would feel odd about using public transport. Suddenly,
travelling by auto-rickshaws felt ridiculously expensive. My outlook to
money changed after I started earning. These are changes that you can't undo to imagine life without them. Can you imagine people of your age not owning a smartphone?
3. Everyone has their own unique combination of attitudes, values, and morals
What
would you say about a mother who buys branded diapers for the son, and
locally made stuff for her daughter? Or about a hospital that charges
you 1.5% extra for paying through credit card?
Yes, perhaps the
professor was right about questionnaires. We don't need to use them in
every situation. But, research is a much larger, and wider field than
just questionnaires. And it offers many tools that enlighten the world
around us. Why stay in the dark!
