Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the current state of our economy is rife with uncertainty. Well, don’t actually stop, please keep reading! Decision-makers in all walks of life are changing their minds, their value sets, and their stance on how many eggs it takes to make an omelet (I’m looking at you, inflation), before organizations have time to keep up. During this craziness, the knee-jerk reaction is to trim any peripherals, like market research, and focus solely on doing what has to be done to keep the lights on. I would contest that this is precisely when organizations must consider how investing in research now could mean more later. This is where SMARI earns its keep.
Measure Data Twice, Cut Once
You’re curious, and so are we! With your organizational best interest in mind, we uncover the “why,” “how,” and “what if”. Don’t miss the mark with an upcoming campaign, idea, go-to-market, or strategy. As an extension of your team, we make your budget go the extra mile you didn’t know you needed to travel.
ROI in Plain Sight
A return on investment in research likely won’t show up as a line item on a spreadsheet, but it will show up in spades everywhere. Three quick examples from the SMARI side and how we help avoid expensive mistakes, boost campaign performance, and improve product-market fit.
- Avoid Expensive Mistakes: SMARI can help catch any flaws or missteps early, when changes are still cheap. We helped a retail brand avoid a multi-million dollar rebrand after focus groups revealed their loyal customers interpreted the new identity as “too cold and corporate.”
- Boost Campaign Performance: Early message/concept testing can boost ad conversion rates. Nielsen reports that campaigns backed by insights deliver up to 35% better ROI.
- Improve Product-Market Fit: User research translates into higher retention and lower customer churn. SMARI helped a SaaS company identify a critical UX barrier through interviews and increased the free trial to paid subscribers by 34%.
Not Just Numbers—But Mindset
Understanding that ROI on research translates to:
- Fewer failed organizational projects
- Better brand alignment
- Sharper targeting toward potential and existing customers
- Market whitespace
- Higher customer satisfaction
When Is Research Worth the Investment?
Simple, ask a few (types) of questions:
- Are we making an irreversible decision?
- Do we have conflicting opinions among internal stakeholders?
- Is the market unfamiliar or evolving quickly?
- Will failure come with high financial or reputational cost?
If you answered yes to any of these (or any of these types of questions), your next move should be to call SMARI so we can help you manage your risk with research.
The Last Word
Skipping research and the rich world of insights might save you money today, but could also cost you 10x more tomorrow. The real ROI of research isn’t just the insights—it’s the smarter, faster, and more confident decisions it enables. The next time someone asks, “Do we really need research for this?” the answer should be simple: only if you want to be sure.
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SMARI is an Indiana-based market research consultancy that was founded in 1983 with the idea of guiding change and inspiring confidence. We are proud to work with SMEs as well as a variety of Fortune 500 brands. We are powered by our core values: integrity, community, perseverance, trust, passion, curiosity, and innovation. SMARI’s expertise includes full project scopes, including instrument design, sampling & fielding services, reporting & analysis in Healthcare, CPG, Retail, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, Financial Services industries, and beyond. Much has changed in our 40+ years, but our tagline and overarching mission remain the same—to guide change and inspire confidence. Start a conversation with us at www.SMARI.com.
