Which research should guide our brand decisions?

Start with a genuine question about the business, its audience or its market, rather than an assumption you want confirmed. Use research to test the brief as well as to answer it: asking broad and precise questions helps establish the challenge before language or design decisions begin.

Interviews, workshops, quantitative surveys and direct engagement each have a place when the question calls for them. Choose methods for what you need to learn, and listen for findings beyond the answers you expected. Real stakeholder conversations and data at scale can reveal things a dashboard alone will not.

A 2025 study by the World Federation of Advertisers, covering companies across 25 countries with performance classified through respondents' self-reports, found that 43% of top-performing marketers prioritise consumer and market insights, compared with 24% of struggling performers.

Match the depth of investigation to the brand decision, rather than assuming every project needs the same programme. A focused challenge may be clarified through searching stakeholder discussions and desk research, turning an initial brief into a more substantial statement of the problem. The aim is to establish direction and the insights that will guide creative work.

Entering an unfamiliar market calls for more than a hunch that an existing offer will transfer. Market analysis, competitive audits, social listening, persona development and customer journey mapping may be needed to shape a credible narrative. Use the uncertainty around the market, audience and buying journey to determine how far to investigate. The result should be a strategic foundation that gives designers, writers and developers a clear basis for their decisions.