Agile market research (and why it’s here to stay)

Agile market research. Bet you haven’t heard that one in a while. THE buzzword before AI came along, it hasn’t gone anywhere and in fact can be even swifter now that AI and automation are shaving off inefficiencies.

The shiny, caffeine-fueled world of agile market research deserves another chapter. A lot has changed in recent years and only agencies swiftly adopting new strategies and technologies into their agile market research processes can stand the test of time.

What is agile market research?

First things first, let’s strip away the jargon. An agile approach is all about being adaptable, quick on your feet, and ready to change your direction based on real-time feedback. Imagine you’re in a kitchen whipping up a new dish. You taste, you adjust, you add a pinch of salt, you kick up the spice, and eventually, you serve up something spectacular. That’s the agile methodology research—testing, learning, and improving fast. Let’s be real, you’re likely already doing this.

Gone are the days of sitting through lengthy projects that take months to deliver insights. Agile means working in small bursts, collecting insights, and iterating as you go. This means you can gather feedback, analyze it, and implement changes in real-time, keeping you in sync with your customers’ ever-evolving needs.

Why is agile market research important today?

Because the world’s moving at lightning speed, and your insights need to keep up. Consumer tastes, preferences, and even entire behaviors change in the blink of an eye (the term ‘micro trends‘ isn’t trending for no reason!). In 2024, adaptability is king. Clients expect lightning-fast, personalized results to help them understand their target customer’s needs, desires, behaviours in this moment. Waiting around for an annual report isn’t going to cut it anymore.

Right now, some of the hottest trends influencing agile research can be found in generative AI tools, which are helping brands to draft surveys quick-sharp and make sense of open-ended feedback. And thanks to advancements in behavioral science, you can lap up gold-plated insights into not just what people say they do, but what they actually do. More brands are also adopting agile to test micro-campaigns on platforms like TikTok or Instagram—seeing what sticks before throwing big bucks behind a concept.

Tech, agile and AI

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; picking the right tech is make or break for AI quality and a lot of the methodologies you can reliably work with. With automated research platforms at your disposal, queries covered by traditional market research can be answered accurately, and without costly delays.

Speed is no longer a threat to decent research design: researchers aren’t facing a choice between time and quality; and this is only going to improve as AI takes over laborious tasks and speeds up each stage of the research process. The rapid road from design to insights, paved by automation and AI goes hand in hand with Agile. Analyzing data almost instantly or updating visualizations as the research process develops leaves space for iteration and seriously informed decision making.

Agile research in action

Let’s make it a bit more concrete. Here’s what agile approaches for market research projects look like in action:

1. Sprint surveys: instead of putting together one big, cumbersome survey, agile research uses smaller, bite-sized surveys over shorter periods. Picture this: you run a two-week campaign to test a new ad—rather than waiting months for results, you get quick hits of data that help you to adjust before it’s too late.
2. Continuous feedback loops: agile is an iterative process. Just like having someone poke their finger into your half-baked cake and tell you it’s ‘not quite ready yet’, agile research relies on continuous input from real people. It’s not about one major data drop; it’s a conversation; an ongoing back-and-forth that helps you nail it.
3. MVP approach (Minimum Viable Product): let’s say you’re developing a new snack. Instead of rolling out 50 flavors nationwide, you pick three, test them with a small group, tweak the recipe, and then go big. Agile research minimizes the risk of major flops while maximizing the chances for success. Ta-da!

Examples of agile market research done right

Who’s crushing it when it comes to agile market research methodology? So glad you asked!

LEGO

Yeah, those colorful bricks you probably stepped on a few times in your life. LEGO has mastered agile research by co-creating with their fanbase. They’ve got an online community where members give feedback on new sets and suggest ideas. It’s like agile innovation at playtime—listening, responding, and keeping those little builders (and their parents) delighted.

Monzo

This UK-based digital bank has tapped into agile research by using social media and community engagement to rapidly test new features. Got an idea for a banking app update? Throw it out to the Monzo community, collect feedback, and iterate. It’s why they’re leading in customer satisfaction: they actually listen, in real-time.

Spotify

Spotify loves a good test. Agile market research is the engine behind their playlists, UI updates, and feature rollouts. Whether it’s testing how people react to a new design or experimenting with AI DJ features (spoiler alert: it’s pretty cool), they’re constantly refining the experience by listening to their users.

The benefits of agile market research

So, why bother going agile?

• Speed: the obvious one. You’re getting relevant insights as things happen. No more waiting around
• Customer-centricity: agile research keeps you closer to your audience. Instead of speaking at them, you’re talking with them—a surefire way to ensure you’re on the right track
• Flexibility: because you’re learning in real-time, you’re not chained to a singular approach. Something’s not working? Tweak it. Test something else. No fuss
• Cost-effectiveness: nobody likes a flop, especially a costly one. Agile research helps to prevent major failures by catching small missteps early on

How Forsta can help

Ready to get your agile on? We have everything you need to make your market research projects an instant hit. Our market research platform is designed to get you real-time insights faster than you can say “iterative improvement.”

• Run agile surveys: get instant feedback with agile, bite-sized surveys that help you to iterate quickly and effectively. No more waiting around for months; instead, get the actionable insights you need, as and when you need them
• Track audience sentiment: our tools let you continuously monitor how your audience feels, providing you with a constant pulse check that keeps you on track (and ahead of the competition)
• Integrated feedback loop: our platform makes it easy to create an ongoing conversation with your audience. Gather feedback, tweak your approach, and watch as your results improve—all in real time
• Qualitative & quantitative mastery: combine qualitative insights with robust quantitative data to get a 360-degree view of what your audience wants, thinks, and feels

In short? We make sure you’re not just keeping up, but staying ahead, understanding your audience, and delivering exactly what they need, when they need it.

Is agile market research right for you?

If you’re sitting there wondering if agile research is for you, the answer is (most likely) yes. If you’re in an industry where customer preferences change quickly, or if you’re trying to innovate and avoid expensive flops, agile is the way to go. And you don’t need to be a massive brand to get started. Agile research is scalable (that’s part of the joy).

Start small, see what works, and go from there. 

Ready to get started? Request a demo to discover how Forsta’s market research survey software can make your market research magical.