What is continuous research?
As the world changes, so do your customers. Enter continuous research.
In simple market research terms, continuous research is the name given to the process of regularly conducting research to collect, analyze, and interpret data from survey responses.
Those insights allow organizations to build business strategies, develop research-enabled solutions, publish credible research, and more.
As businesses across industries find themselves having to adapt in real-time to an ever-changing world, continuous market research can play an increasingly important role in driving innovation, adaptation, and informed decision-making.
While a one-off piece of research will still provide you with insights, in the eyes of Ben Hogg, Managing Director of the Cint Exchange, taking a continuous approach might well be the better option.
The power of dependability
“Let’s be honest: in the business world, “continuous research” doesn’t exactly scream excitement. While “AI-powered digital twins” or “data democratisation” may be turning heads on the dancefloor, regular, repeated data collection from your customers is the solid, dependable type,” says Ben Hogg.
“Less the enigmatic Ferris Bueller, but more Star Trek’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The kind of approach that might not get you bought a drink at the bar, but wins hands down when your CEO suddenly wants to know what Gen Z thinks about your product launch right now.”
It is, Hogg says, “the research practice you’d bring home to meet your parents. And in today’s economic climate — which any quarterly tracker would struggle to keep up with — continuous research is your soul-mate.”
Continuous research as an effective tool in an ever-changing world
Treating research as an ongoing process — rather than as a one-and-done solution — helps businesses roll with the punches during moments of generalised uncertainty and instability.
At Cint, we’re proud to operate the world’s largest online research marketplace. The Cint Exchange allows our customers to pinpoint their target demographics with precision and manage their budget effectively, getting them the insights they need faster and smarter.
“The traditional project-based research model has its time and place,” Hogg says. “But relying solely on one-off studies is like checking the weather once a year and being surprised when it rains in October.”
Hogg also invokes recent economic upheaval as a means of understanding the importance of commissioning continuous research.
“Imagine doing a single wave consumer confidence study on the day that Trump’s global tariffs were announced? Or, as we saw a few days later, delayed.”
The benefits of continuous research
Perceptions are not static things, and very few of us live in a state of total remove from the realities of a topsy-turvy economic and political world. With that in mind, consistently surveying your customers makes sense.
From Hogg’s perspective, with continuous research, you get:
“Real-time insight (to paraphrase Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t run continuous research, you could miss it.”)”
“Trend tracking that actually makes sense, instead of wild guesses based on last quarter’s sentiments.”
“Smarter decisions, faster — no need to wait three weeks for a data point when you’ve got it on tap.”
“Fewer “Oh no” moments in board meetings.”
Sounds appealing, right?
The Cint approach to continuous research
“At Cint, we’re not just fans of continuous research — we built a whole ecosystem around it,” Hogg says.
Thanks to the Cint Exchange, we’re empowering brands, researchers, academics, or anyone with a question to connect with a network of over 800 integrated suppliers representing millions of engaged respondents in 130+ countries, all of whom are ready to offer insights.
“At Cint, we’re not just fans of continuous research — we built a whole ecosystem around it, The Cint Exchange is like the bustling metropolis of global respondents, ready to serve up the insights you need, when you need them.”
Ben Hogg
Managing Director of the Cint Exchange, Cint
“The Cint Exchange is like the bustling metropolis of global respondents, ready to serve up the insights you need, when you need them,” says Hogg.
Our marketplace is automated, so there’s no more waiting for someone to get back to you with a quote, or to launch a project for you. It’s also scalable, so whether you’re after 50 responses in one market or 5,000 in 50, the Cint Exchange has you covered. If that wasn’t enough, with just a few clicks of a mouse you can get that survey back into the field a week later.
“With the Exchange, we connect our customers with real people, in real time, for the right price across the world,” says Hogg. “Think of it as the insight equivalent of having a personal fashion advisor on speed dial, constantly updating you on the latest trends.”
