Engagement

One of the problems with market research is there are no definitive answers to the question "how do I sell more products?". The number of times I've done a research project knowing the client wants one answer, one silver bullet, something like "change the typeface to green and every business objective will be achieved".

Research is a tool, just like a lipstick brush or a measuring tape.

My dad had a saying "a poor workman blames his tools" which always bugs me when I'm using a really lousy tool. I think "dad, actually there are some tools that make it hard to do a good job" - if he were still alive I'd call him on that.

Research can be inspiring and should boost your confidence. All too often it's used when people are fearful and insecure and don't actually appreciate the process. Recipe for disaster.

I've been reading about the latest Starch research on degree of engagement with press ads.

"The study suggests that ads in high-engagement magazines perform no better than ads in magazines whose readers pay a lot less attention.

That contradicts not just conventional wisdom but the hopes of publishers whose books really grip their readers.

Publishers and media buyers said engagement is more complex than the study acknowledges, but its authors said magazines should welcome the implications.

"When the buzzword of engagement became so big, starting about two years ago, we said, 'Let's really look into this,"' said Philip W. Sawyer, senior VP, Starch Communications Research, which conducted the study -- and which, it should be noted, offers creative-testing services for print ads. "If a magazine wasn't tabbed as a high-engagement publication, it was being discriminated against. Starch has said all along that it's a creative issue. That was our hypothesis." "

You know what? Sometimes it's a creative issue, sometimes the issue is the message being expressed, sometimes it's none of those things. There's no formula but there is intuition plus knowledge.

All of this reminds of that song with the voice over that ends "but trust me on the sunscreen".