Market Research Is Dead. Luckily, UX Research Is Here Instead.

“The trouble with market research is that people don’t think what they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.”

That’s a quote from Alchemy by Rory Sutherland .

One of my favourite books in recent years.

It’s all about using “irrational” solutions to solve problems and create value beyond logic.

An absolute must-read.

Anyways, stop rambling, Kieran.

Back to my point.

This quote has always resonated with me.

Because it captures the essence of marketing.

Great marketing is not about tapping into your audience’s conscious brain.

(For the exact reason Rory Sutherland explains:

“...people don’t think what they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.”)

Rather, great marketing is all about tapping into your audience’s subconscious urges.

And therein lies the problem with market research.

Surveys, focus groups, customer interviews.

In these heavily contrived contexts, people will edit, omit, and even outright fabricate their responses.

Either based on:

1. What they think you want to hear.
2. What they wish to portray about themselves.

In turn, marketing strategies informed by market research are built on flawed foundations.

That's a lot of strategies.

So, how do you gain genuine, unfiltered insight into your audience?

UX (user experience) research.

An Introduction to UX Research

UX research is the process of understanding user behaviours, needs, and motivations through observation techniques. 

It’s a process that must inform all design decisions when it comes to your website or app.

Why?

Before you can design a tailored experience that will satisfy your target audience, you need to understand their unique pain points.

This relies on data, not assumptions.

Here are a few ways you can gather this data:

• Usability Testing: Observing users as they complete tasks on a product to identify usability issues and areas for improvement. E.g. session recording tools – like Hotjar | by Contentsquare or Mouseflow – to screen record users that land on your website. 
• Heatmap Analysis: Utilising heatmaps to visually represent where users click, scroll, and hover on a webpage, highlighting areas of high engagement and potential points of confusion.
• A/B Testing: Comparing two (or more) versions of a webpage to see which one performs better in terms of user engagement or conversion rates.

What do these methods all have in common?

They remove bias.

You’re observing natural behaviour, not unnatural scenarios.

UX research, therefore, is a window into the collective subconscious of your audience.

Into how they actually feel.

A Thought Experiment

Using the example of A/B testing, hopefully I’ll hammer this point home. 

In market research, A/B testing might involve asking a group of consumers their preferences between two product concepts or marketing messages.

This approach relies heavily on self-reported data.

Participants will be expected to articulate their preferences and predict their behaviours based on hypothetical scenarios.

The limitations here are obvious.

They may be influenced by social desirability bias, wanting to give the "right" answer. 

E.g. participants might say they prefer a more text-heavy page because they think they should want more information before making a decision.

Or, they simply might not understand their own preferences until they're in a real decision-making situation.

On the other hand, UX research applies A/B testing by directly observing how users interact with the two different versions.

Instead of asking users which version they prefer, UX researchers measure actual behaviour.

The wants, needs, and expectations of your audience become quantifiable actions e.g. 

• Conversion rates
• Click-through rates
• Time spent on page

This observational method bypasses the discrepancies between what users say and what they do. 

Key Takeaway

Consumer decisions are shaped by subconscious processes and emotional responses.

Things that are out of our control. 

If purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by subconscious reactions – rather than conscious deliberation – this leaves businesses with a conundrum:

How do they tap into the subconscious urges of their target audience?

Replacing market research with UX research is a start.

Don’t ask.

Observe.

Enjoyed this newsletter?

Luckily for you guys, my goal is to help businesses uncover the psychological principles that underpin marketing success. Here are a few other newsletters that will be of value...

• The Boomerang Effect
• The Paradox of Choice
• Real-time Marketing

If anything has piqued your interest in this one, comment! Don’t be shy!

Alternatively, if you’d rather discuss anything 1-on-1, feel free to reach out to me directly on LinkedIn or book a 30-minute consultation.