Conversations for Research Rockstars
Business & Finance
About
Conversations about market research methods, analysis optimization, data quality, and anything else related to advancing the work, and careers, of Market Research & Customer Insights professionals. Topics cover a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Hosted by Kathryn Korostoff, a research pro and former college professor who has led market research teams and hands-on delivered 600+ primary research studies.
Episodes
- How to Avoid B2B Survey Challenges
This episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars discusses common challenges in designing B2B surveys and offers practical strategies for questionnaire design to help research teams avoid issues with data quality and respondent experie…
- Making Research Matter: Closing the Utilization Gap
This episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars discusses the challenge of research utilization, focusing on communication and visual storytelling as solutions. It covers narrative clarity, elements of effective research stories, and…
- Prompt Engineering for Researchers
This episode discusses prompt engineering for AI tools used in market research, UX, and CX. Host Kathryn Korostoff presents Prompt Chaining and Reflexion as methods to improve the quality of AI-generated surveys and discussion guides by ad…
- Better Rules Ahead for Qual and Quant Research? Regulatory Update with Howard Feinberg
Howard Fienberg, Senior VP Advocacy at the Insights Association, joins Kathryn Korostoff on Conversations for Research Rockstars to discuss two regulatory shifts that could affect how qualitative and quantitative research projects are cond…
- Too Many Questions, Too Little Time
This episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars discusses managing overloaded qualitative research discussion guides. It provides methods for handling client feedback and suggests interactive tools like online platforms and Zoom apps…
- Help! I Have to Write a Survey—How Do I Pick Answer Options?
In this Conversations for Research Rockstars episode, host Kathryn Korostoff tackles one of the trickiest challenges in survey design—choosing the best possible answer options for the questions we've so carefully crafted. Using clear, real…
- The Overlooked Disconnect That Derails IDI Projects
What happens when clients feel dissatisfied after the very first in-depth interview? Often, it's not about objectives or discussion guides—it's about mismatched expectations on style. In this conversation, Kathryn Korostoff unpacks the dif…
- The Researcher's Guide to Spotting Red Flags in Contracts
Contracts may not be the most exciting part of our work as researchers—but they can make or break a project. In this Research Rockstar Conversation, Kathryn Korostoff talks with Benjamin de Seingalt, Esq., Corporate Counsel and Director of…
- The Unsexy Blocker to AI Adoption Success
In this episode, Kathryn Korostoff, market research thought leader and founder of Research Rockstar, tackles an often-overlooked challenge in successful AI deployment: organizational structure. While AI promises efficiency and innovation i…
- Jobs to be Done as a Framework for Customer Insights
In this episode, we explore the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework, a model embraced by many companies, including leading CPG brands, financial services, tech companies, and more. Your host, Kathryn Korostoff, gives you a brief overview of w…
- What Really Drives Brand Connection? The Power of Authenticity.
Join host Kathryn Korostoff and special guest Dan Braker, President of Breakthrough Research, for a deep dive into the power of authenticity in shaping consumer decisions and brand loyalty. This episode explores the critical role authentic…
- From Basic to Bold: AI Adoption Scenarios for Market Research & Insights Professionals
What is your team's position on the continuum from basic to bold of AI so far? Is the status on the basic end, with AI used for personal productivity but not much else? Or is your team looking to leapfrog conventional methods with new AI-d…
- Avoiding Analysis Bias in Global Research Studies
Learn how to avoid analysis bias in global market research studies. Conducting global studies requires careful planning and data collection, but analyzing the results can be even more challenging. Human beings have inherent biases that can…
- Finding Authentic B2B Online Sample with Sharekh Shaikh
As professional market researchers, one of our biggest challenges is access to quality sample. We have all had the experience of having to toss out 10% or even 20% or more of research respondents because they were likely bots, fakes, or ot…
- Socializing Insights for Optimizing Impact with Kory Grushka
Newer researchers may not realize how much of the work in Market Research and Insights is in socializing the results. We don't just send a report out by email and nothing else... not unless we want the research to be ignored. Successful re…
- AI & The Future of Market Research with Jim Newswanger & Kathryn Korostoff
How will AI impact the work, and careers, of Market Research & Insights Professionals? Is it doom and gloom, a welcome revolutionary advancement, or does it lie somewhere in the middle? Enjoy this video of instructors Jim Newswanger and Ka…
- Recruiting Tactics for Ethnographic Research
When making methodology recommendations, many market researchers find ethnography desirable but intimidating. The biggest worry is often about recruiting: how do we find qualified people from the target population of interest and motivate…
- Are Your Market Research Data Visualizations Client Ready?
In the world of professional-quality market research, data visualizations are not just aesthetics; they are critical to research success. You don't need to be a graphic designer, but knowing how to ensure your data captivates and convinces…
- Top-Line Reporting: Create with Confidence
Qualitative research professionals often create top-line reports as a key deliverable. Sometimes the top-line is the only deliverable, and in other cases, it is a preliminary one (followed later by a more thorough, full report). Unfortunat…
- Beyond Surface-Level Insights: Practical Neuroscience Applications in Consumer Behavior Research
When confronted with superficial research participant responses, how can market researchers dig deeper? How do we design questionnaires so they uncover deeper insights without becoming lengthy? Using neuroscience-based understandings of hu…
- The Enduring Appeal of Slide-style Reports in Qualitative Research
Surprise! Contrary to popular belief, many clients LIKE slide-deck style reports. In this Conversations episode, Research Rockstar Lead Instructor Kathryn Korostoff shares two important reasons why many clients like slide-style reports, an…
- Using Market Research for Thought Leadership Programs (with Lilah Raynor)
Have you ever conducted market research in support of Thought Leadership (TL) programs? Thought Leadership programs are used by companies in many industries, especially in B2B, and can be used to establish or strengthen their visibility in…
- Handling Contradictory and Over-Rationalized Responses in IDIs
How do you handle over-rationalized and contradictory responses in research interviews? For the sake of high-quality qualitative data, we strive to recognize and resolve these issues, but doing so in a real-time conversation can be tricky.…
- Setting Useful Objectives
What makes a market research objective "good"? What makes it precise enough to guide a project such that, at the conclusion, the project will be likely to be perceived as successful? In this video, Research Rockstar Lead Instructor Kathryn…
- Insights Democratization with Guest Thor Olof Philogène
As a Market Research & Insights professional, you have likely heard the term "insights democratization." The phrase invokes a vision of organizations that have numerous data sources, and data-based findings, that are seamlessly shared with…
- How to Avoid 3 Newbie Mistakes in Multinational Survey Research
Planning your first multinational survey research project? Let's make sure you avoid 3 common newbie mistakes that can cost you money, time, and (frankly) credibility. These are three common, REAL WORLD mistakes-- let's help you to avoid t…
- Identifying Research Participant Emotions
As market researchers, we often have projects where we are gathering data about emotions. But identifying and describing emotions can be tricky. This Conversation will help researchers who have experienced the common challenge of how to ac…
- Data Quality Research For Survey Research
Want to feel more confident in your ability to optimize survey data quality? In this Conversation, Research Rockstar instructors Kathryn Korostoff and Julie Worwa share some of the key steps professional survey researchers take to optimize…
- (Part 4) What Did We Learn About Our Own Skill/Knowledge Needs In 2021?
Please enjoy this conversation with Kathryn Korostoff and Jeffrey Henning as they tackle the question, "What did we learn (about our own skill/knowledge needs) in 2021 that we should leverage as we plan for 2022?" As Market Research & Insi…
- (Part 3) How Will WFH Trends Impact Market Research & Insights Work in 2022?
The Work from Home (WFH) phenomenon has impacted Market Researchers from two very different angles: first as employees/workers ourselves, and second as research methodologists. In this episode, the discussion tackles both: What does ongoin…
- Planning for Survey Data Quality Improvements in 2022
Welcome to Part 2 of our 4-part series: Prepping Your Market Research & Insights Team for 2022. As Market Research & Insights professionals, what did we learn in 2021 that we should leverage as we plan for 2022? Part 2 of our series focuss…
- What market research methodology lessons did we learn in 2021 that should inform our 2022 plans?
Welcome to Part 1 of a 4-part series: Prepping Your Market Research & Insights Team for 2022. What did we learn in 2021 that we should leverage as we plan for 2022? Part 1 focusses on the question: "What did we learn in 2021 about research…
- Essential Market Research Tips: Documenting Your Sampling Plan
Professional survey researchers document their sampling plans to ensure a high-quality data collection process. If you want reliable survey data, you need to make careful decisions about sampling. In this Conversation, Lead Instructor Kath…
- Doing Survey Research: Should You Learn SPSS?
If you do survey research, should you learn SPSS? What if you have colleagues who normally do the data analysis for you, might it still be worthwhile for you, as a market research professional, to learn SPSS? The answer is, "it depends." H…
- How To Do Survey Research: The Process Flowchart
How to do professional-quality survey research? Learn the key steps in the process of planning and conducting survey research in 11 steps. Professional survey researchers know that each of these steps, in turn, actually consists of even mo…
- Navigating WFH Scenarios for Market Researchers with guest Maya Middlemiss
For Market Researchers being offered a long-term WFH option: should you? Many Market Research & Insights professionals are being offered the work from home or hybrid work from home/in office scenarios as long term options. What's the caree…
- Walking Isn't Running How to Amp Up Your Research Writing
For many people in the Market Research & Insights profession, the fun part of our projects is delivering the results in written reports. This is where we really get to shine: we get to show that our methodology has resulted in useful and u…
- Are Market Researchers Ready to "Talk Data" with Business Decision Makers?
Market Research & Insights professionals often need to support business clients on projects that may benefit from more than one methodology or data source. What do we need to know about the many data options available to help our clients m…
- Online Qualitative Research: Tips for Great Ideation
Online qualitative research is a hot methodology and can be very powerful. But it can also be challenging, especially for market research professionals working on ideation projects. In this conversation, Kathryn shares some tips for how to…
- Why Subgroup Analysis Matters: A Case Study for Survey Researchers
Surveys can be used to learn a lot about your target market's attitudes, behaviors and perceptions. But only if you analyze this market research data correctly. In this real-world example, we see an-all-too common error. Don't let this hap…
- Market Research eLearning Options with Special Guest Stephen Griffiths
Market Research eLearning Options with Special Guest Stephen Griffiths. Kathryn and Stephen discuss the many options for learning about market research and advancing professional skills, including both free and paid options. Please be sure…
- Curing the Ills of Online Sampling for Survey Research
Survey researchers often use online panel providers to fulfill their data collection needs. Need 500 working moms to take your survey on vacation planning? Need 2,000 luxury car owners to take your survey on brand perceptions? You might be…
- How to Improve NPS for Accuracy & Actionability with NPS expert Paul Abel PhD
Opinions on the accuracy of Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a customer loyalty measure vary widely. But like it or not, the reality is that a lot of organizations use NPS. It has become a standard key performance indicator (KPI) that many busi…
- 3 Simple Training Examples for Market Research & Insights Professionals
Are you looking to plan training for new market researchers? Or training to help a team develop professional-level survey research skills? Or qualitative research ones? How about a training plan that would advance use of new research metho…
- Market Research & Insights Team Planning: Strategic Issues for 2020
Getting your Market Research & Insights team ready for 2020? Inform your plans by considering the key strategic issues your clients face. In this Conversation, host Kathryn Korostoff shares her research on key challenges faced by marketing…
- Data Privacy 101 for Market Research & Insights Professionals
Question: How much do Market Research & Insights professionals need to know about data privacy? Answer: As much as most marketing-related professionals need to know these days, especially those who (like us) ever collect or store data. In…
- Career Planning for Senior Market Research & Insights Professionals
In this episode, Kathryn covers important considerations for senior-level market research & insights professionals who are planning the next phase of their career. If we want to advance and become a consultative advisor to c-suite executiv…
- Mixed-mode Surveys: When are 2 modes better than one?
Survey researchers know: mixed-mode data collection is gaining popularity in professional market research. And for good reason: it can address known survey data quality issues. Market researchers have several data collection options--even…
- Data Visualization Examples for Market Research & Insights Professionals
A key part of our success in the market research & insights profession is based on how well people comprehend and retain our results. And a huge aid to comprehension and retention is data visualization. That's why we teach a course on data…
- Critical Thinking Conversations
Critical thinking is a skill market research & insights professionals use to ensure our conclusions and recommendations are truly excellent. In short, critical thinking is the objective analysis and evaluation of a topic in order to develo…