Organizations invest a lot of time and money in conducting market research. Objectives are outlined, questionnaires are developed, and data are collected, processed, and analyzed. However, when it comes time to presenting insights, research reports often fall short. Poor reporting can cast doubt on the entire process and diminish executive confidence in the insights gathered. While there is no single “best” way to prepare a report, there are pitfalls to avoid and principles to follow.

Earlier we had made you aware of the pitfalls of “no story“, “information overload“, “not user friendly“, and how you can avoid these mistakes. Presented below is the fourth common mistake researchers make in reporting insights – and how you can avoid it.

Fourth Common Mistake: “Not Visually Engaging”.

Many reports fail to take advantage of the functionality of PowerPoint and aren’t visually engaging. If your audience isn’t engaged, your message may not get through.

Solution: Utilize the full array of tools at your disposal (colors, fonts, images, shapes, logos, etc.) to make slides – whether they contain text, tables, and/or charts – as easy as possible to read and understand, and to make sure the main point of each slide is obvious. Involving a graphic artist is often a good idea. However, don’t go overboard; you don’t want to end up with a report that’s all sizzle and no steak.

Example: Graphs, like those in the “Before” slide below, which look dull do not engage viewers. In comparison, graphs like those in the “After” slide command attention and draw the viewer.

Gold Research Inc. has extensive experience in journey mapping, path-to-purchase research, deploying customer intercepts and mobile surveys for concept testing, marketing testing, satisfaction research, shopper insights, and mystery shopping. We can also act as an extension of your research team in helping with data processing, analysis, report development, and survey programming. Contact us at 1-800-549-7170 or send us an email for a free 30-minute consultation on this topic.