"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."
- Henry Ford

Sometimes, people don't actually know what they want or need until you show it to them. What they think they want is subjective opinion informed by their own perspective and that often turns out to be the wrong solution.

That is why research, although valuable, will never be a silver bullet for effective marketing and advertising. It's a tool in your arsenal, but it's not your only tool. You've also got creativity, entrepreneurialism and "gut instinct". Those have to play into your decision-making as well.

So run your research project. But then listen to your gut too. Think of the un-thought idea. Approach the problem differently. Your creativity will make all the difference.

Andrew VanderPloeg Guest Blogger, Consultant

Andrew served at Bark for over 20 years before recently taking over the role of Vice President of Marketing & Communications at ShareWord, one of our favorite organizations.