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The Snapshot Survey Quick Affordable Marketing Research for Every Organization

Written by: Andy Marken

Article Overview: Book Review The Snapshot Survey Quick, Affordable Marketing Research for Every Organization Lloyd Corder, PhD; Kaplan Publishing, 30 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606, 800.621.9621, www.kaplanpublishing.com; February 2006, ISBN 141950696X, 288 pages, $22.95

The Snapshot Survey Quick Affordable Marketing Research for Every Organization

Everyone takes surveys. Whoever makes a statement about human behavior has engaged in a survey of some sort -- Andrew Greeley


Most organizations private, public or nonprofit don’t conduct product or service surveys and research because it is too expensive, too time consuming and too difficult to develop and manage an effort that is meaningful. Until we had the opportunity to read The Snapshot Survey we agreed with most clients that industry experience and product/service trials were the best approach in our instant-on society.

While Dr. Corder’s book provides some outstanding reasons for developing and carrying out what we would call quick-and-dirty research, we also realize that often consumers don’t know or don’t understand what they want or need. In addition, they often don’t know why they will buy a new product or service that is a dramatic shift to what they have or do now.

For example:
- Few people said they wanted to be telephone operators yet today everyone makes his or her own phone call
- People scoffed at the idea of being computer operators but today it is the most natural thing in the world.
- Consumers didn’t know they wanted:
+ Stereo instead of mono
+ CDs instead of LPs or cassettes
+ Stereo TV or HDTV
+ DVD instead of VHS
+ Digital or MP3 Audio
+ Digital instead of Analog Photos, Film


Even saying the above, we still believe that some level of research is needed before moving ahead with the development and roll-out of a product or service today. The cost of the wrong product, wrong features, wrong capabilities, wrong pricing and wrong competitive positioning can be expensive and crippling.

The most common reason for moving ahead with a new product or new service is because “they are doing it” or “they need/want it.”

Simply because they are making a mistake doesn’t mean your organization should follow suit.

While they may want/need it you never know how many of them want it, with what features/capabilities and at what price.

The Snapshot Survey gives you the tools you need to present the research project to management, how to construct and carry out the project and how to interpret the information and feedback for management. Corder walks you through every step of the process for the development of the survey proposal to analyzing and summarizing the results. He also helps the reader through the most difficult portion of the project developing the questions so the results aren’t skewed toward a preconceived conclusion.

Everyone understands the importance of keeping existing customers and winning new ones is vital for any organization. Corder lays out the tricks of the trade he has gained over his 20 years of market research practice, making it almost impossible for management not to agree with an on-going program of snapshot surveys to test new product concepts, product acceptance and future product/service requirements.

If you have never done a customer survey or immersed yourself in market research activities, Corder’s book is an excellent short course that can get you moving in the right direction. If you have conducted or managed a number of research projects, the book gives you a behind-the-scenes look at a faster and often more reliable approach to getting information management needs.

Corder provides excellent assistance to the reader in getting over the first and most important hurdle…getting management to agree to undertaking the snapshot survey.

Once you have management agreement, you’ll want to keep the book close at hand. He presents a number of real-life examples you can follow and tailor to your own requirements, regardless of your organization or requirements. Each chapter contains examples of the complete range of survey types competitive, customer satisfaction, brand assessment, message evaluation and employee surveys. He provides helpful hints on how to continually improve your survey proposals, measure the project’s ROI (return on investment) and even how to get media coverage on your survey results.

In addition you’ll want to keep it close because you’ll be referring to it constantly on the first few research projects as you:
- develop the survey
- conduct the survey (online, in person or mail-in)
- determine you have a reliable and predictable sample to develop conclusions and results
- develop and present your results for management so the right action can be taken
- even how to use the research in developing your communications positioning and messages


With the cost of developing and launching a new product and/or service rising so rapidly, The Snapshot Survey just might be the cheapest investment you make in your organization’s success and future. Or you can simply listen to “them” and do what “they” are doing and hope you’re on the right path.


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