MarketTools Blog

How can online market research help or hurt a new fad?

Probably one of the most unique and interesting fashion statements in the last decade comes from a small town in northeastern Mexico called Matehuala.  If you haven’t seen these bedazzled pointy-toed boots yet, the image posted here alone is worth 60 seconds of your day. There is something about these boots that absolutely fascinates me – yet just as quickly as they reached Yahoo News’ most popular stories, that same article explains that they are already being replaced by “high-heeled Ropers”.

For many business owners and entrepreneurs hoping to capitalize on flash fads, this is a common dilemma.  How much should you invest in mass-producing or retailing a new product like this?  Should you sit on the sidelines until you can be sure they will sell? Unless the recent press suddenly inspires people to take a leap of faith, there will likely be shelves full of similar boots in small stores waiting for someone brave enough to put these bad boys on.

This is where a little customer input – through online market research – can go a long way.  Asking your target audience a few well positioned questions could help you make more informed business decisions.  MarketTools' Essential Guide to Online Market Research points out that online surveys offer an element of real-time analysis, allowing researchers to view results as they come in. And, when done correctly, surveys can be used to do a type of concept testing that can also help you discover what small changes would have a greater appeal to a wider audience.

But don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe for one minute that all fashion, art, or other types of personal expression should be subjected to market research. And I don’t think that these types of sudden and wonderful creations should undergo rigorous testing. For instance, if the mysterious masked man cited as being responsible for starting the pointy-boots trend on a small dance floor in Matehuala had conducted online market research first, these amazing boots might have never seen the light of day. However, for those people seeking to invest significant amounts of their hard-earned money into the mass production of an idea, a little online research can go a long way.

^{Photo credit: Associated Press}