Social Marketing Research

To continue on the trend of labeling everything “social” by just shifting some attention to human interaction (not that some issues don’t deserve it), we need to reconsider the use of the traditional marketing research. The old set of rules for marketing research are still being taught in business schools worldwide; and although they do hold a purpose of opening a “marketer-to-be”s mind, it needs to be complemented by another type of marketing research that focuses (most of its attention) to the social interaction that happen between markets.

“No man is an Island…” is a famous quote by Johne Donne, and has ever since been applied to many religious issues. It very well serves my point here. No person may be studied in an individual-centered manner, where external input is ignored. We don’t live our lives separated from society, we are being constantly influenced by external “individuals”, who in reality belong to a larger group that exerts even stronger pressure to any other individual. A bit confusing at first, but a very simple truth in reality.

We all belong to groups; either based on beliefs, likes, dislikes, emotions, brands, among other reasons. The new era researcher must be able to understand firsthand the way the groups surrounding the issue (or brand) he/she is trying to research, behave. In the human sciences world, there is a science who’s main purpose is this: to understand the way groups and society works. Sociology! No, not Scientology. Sociology..

My larger point here is, by having dedicated market researchers that are willing to truly immerse themselves in the contextual culture their brand is living on, and by applying a more holistic approach to the research they conduct (borrowing from marketing, ethnology, sociology, psychology, statistics, consumer behavior, etc.), brand managers and marketing departments will have richer information to make smarter decisions. Marketing research will probably never die, but it will definitely need transformations along the way to better suit todays ’social’ world.