Every day, countless projects are developed to understand people and brands. Achieving this goal involves a range of resources and having very clear, specific objectives. Many people’s work depends on knowing how to gather a set of data and information provided by market stakeholders. Once the fieldwork is complete, it’s up to the researchers to review and analyze the results to create a set of documents that summarize the conclusions.
However, it would be of little use to cover each and every stage of a research project if you can’t tell a coherent, practical story that everyone can understand based on the project’s results. This is where storytelling comes in. This skill isn’t about basing a final report on science fiction or replicating fairy tale tropes in the corporate world. For this reason, this week we’ve listed four conditions that a document summarizing the results of a study should meet without failing miserably.
Specific Objectives. A good narrative fulfills the goal of communicating and highlighting a series of ideas or lessons. Returning to the work done in Market Research, we can use the relationship between general and specific objectives as a guide to define the structure of the document that will attest to the work carried out by an entire team of people both in the field and in the office. This point includes world-building, which encompasses, among other aspects, the methodology used in the study and the characteristics of the consumers who participated in our project.
Graphics. Often, when reading a storybook, one may face the challenge of reading without breaks or visual aids to understand aspects of the story that only an image can support. In a story, we would refer to drawings or illustrations; in market research reports, we refer to graphs. Choosing the right graphs requires skill to avoid confusing the reader of our narrative. Likewise, one must have judgment and experience to know how many graphs are sufficient and avoid the extremes of using none at all or including a graph in every chapter.
Sequence. Perhaps nowadays it’s become commonplace for stories to be told out of chronological order. A textbook example would be the Star Wars saga. The phenomenon began with the central conflict: chapters IV, V, and VI. Then came chapters I, II, and III… And the rest are conveniently ignored. Unless your story is a game-changer in market research, it’s best to follow the rule of having an introduction, a main body, and a resolution that ties everything together.
Form. Continuing with the entertainment metaphors, we know there’s a world of difference between telling a story in the cheapest way possible, hoping the substance will captivate the audience, and those stories that incorporate elements like music, premium finishes, and character design to stand out from the crowd. A good story can be accompanied by clean, attractive editorial design that reflects attention to detail.
For some, crafting a compelling narrative in the final stages of a research project can be challenging. However, thanks to years of experience and feedback from colleagues and clients, you can develop the ability to transform each research project, conducted with people and brands, into effective and valuable stories. If you have any doubts, always trust the providers in our sector to deliver a final report that speaks for itself.
At Acertiva, we have over two decades of experience in the Market Research segment. We have a team of analysts and strategic partners who enable us to strengthen your company in LATAM. We also understand that taking the first step in a study can be daunting. That’s why we offer a free fifteen-minute consultation to answer your questions. This can be the first step in making your next success story a reality.
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