8 August, 2024

Predictive Market Research , Market research

How to Use Content Creators to Predict Trends and Conduct Innovation Research

Creator market research taps into the knowledge of content creators to gain valuable insights into consumer preferences, untapped needs, viable white spaces for product development, and future category trends.

Content creators are by far one of the most powerful forces shaping category trends and strategic innovation today. Not only are they uniquely immersed in their respective categories of interest, they also have a crystal-clear, real-time line of sight into the preferences and buying behaviors of their followers, as well as the power to directly influence those preferences and buying behaviors through their content.

As a result, they present a powerful resource for marketers looking for accurate, valuable insights into a particular category.

In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at how creator market research can deliver an unprecedented strategic advantage to brands and insights professionals looking for advanced foresight.

Creators are often left out of the market research stage gate process…

Traditional market research planning hardly ever targets creators in the early stages of strategic planning and product development. Why is this? Firstly, the best way to access their knowledge is through in-depth interviews (IDIs). Without the correct frameworks, technology, and capabilities in place, interviewing multiple creators for each research project is challenging and time-consuming without a single-source research partner like CRG Global.

Moreover, identifying and recruiting qualified participants can be difficult without an experienced partner. CRG has access to top content creators across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube as well as moderators that are skilled at bringing out the best in these individuals to yield actionable insights.

…But content creators hold a wealth of information

To understand where your category is heading, ask the ones who are taking it there. There’s arguably nobody better positioned to deliver key insights into the future of a particular category than a content creator working within that space. Not only are they entirely up-to-date with historical and current trends, but they often have insights into emerging trends that are still under the radar, before they hit the mainstream. After all, remaining ahead of the curve is critical to their success.

Additionally, content creators are in constant dialogue with followers, giving them an intimate perspective on the nuances of target consumer needs, wants, and preferences.

When interviewing multiple creators in a particular space, insights professionals are also able to see which trends different segments of creators are aligned on, and which they disagree on, delivering a much richer perspective on the future of the category.

Finally, consumers are heavily influenced by the creators they follow. Whatever those creators believe to be an incoming trend is relatively likely to become one as followers follow those recommendations.

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How content creators can be engaged using qualitative and quantitative predictive research

CRG’s broader suite of creator research solutions offer a 360° strategic planning and innovation framework that brings together industry creators, target consumers, AI and predictive intelligence in an integrated research methodology aimed at leveraging the valuable perspectives of all stakeholders. Below are examples of various predictive research applications.

Application 1: Trend Discovery and Prioritization

CRG recruits relevant creators and influencers in your category and conducts a series of in-depth interviews (IDIs). These moderated virtual sessions are designed to collect qualitative feedback on current and emerging category trends and consumer behaviors, probing creators for what trends or significant changes they see at the moment and in the future.

At a high level, the qualitative objective is what trends or significant changes creators see currently and in the future, within your category.

Application 2: Idea and Concept Development

CRG meets clients wherever they are in the ideation and concept development process. This may include seed ideas that need to be explored and validated, or it may involve a completely blank canvas early in the ideation phase.

Regardless of stage, CRG will execute a series of moderated, virtual IDIs among online creators that focus heavily on your category. These creators are carefully vetted to ensure they have a follower count that will stand out, provide an informed voice on the specific topic, and meet standard articulation levels.

The overall qualitative objective is to answer what gaps or unmet needs creators see currently, and in the future, within your category.

Application 3: Messaging and Creative Development

Test your early messaging and creative concepts with the most influential voices in your category to ensure you are on the proper communication path.

CRG’s moderator will lead the development of a discussion guide, introduce the creative concepts, and conduct the virtual IDIs.

The qualitative objective is to understand if the messaging and creative direction are enough to drive behavior. And, how the idea can be improved.

Application 4: Futurecasting prediction market

CRG specializes in predictive research approaches that quantify the sizing, timing, and impact of trends on consumer behavior, category growth, and choice drivers.

CRG will leverage the insights shared by the creators to validate and prioritize their likely impact on consumers using HUUNU®, CRG’s agile predictive intelligence research solution.

CRG’s predictive intelligence methodology will identify white space for product development and innovation, as well as the most impactful trends for future investment.

How CRG used creator research to identify future anti-aging skincare trends

CRG was asked to identify the future of the anti-aging skincare space. To do so, the CRG team leveraged desk research and generative AI to source nine hypothesized anti-aging skincare trends. With this information in hand, CRG then conducted IDIs with five carefully vetted anti-aging skincare creators, each with a significant number of followers across multiple platforms and critical knowledge of the anti-aging skincare space.

Through this process, CRG collected qualitative data on which of those nine industry trends the creators thought were growing, in the process identifying 11 new potential anti-aging skincare trends to add to our radar.

CRG then recruited a group of 924 consumers aged 18-74 to evaluate the 20 combined trends using the HUUNU® prediction market research platform. The result was a list of 8 key predictions that represented trends upon which both consumers and creators were aligned, indicating a high likelihood of accuracy.

Ready to engage with creators in your space?

CRG’s unique strategic planning and innovation framework allows you to leverage the most important voices in your category – the creators responsible for shaping trends and consumer behavior.

Using a combination of GenAI, qualitative in-depth interviews, and the industry-leading HUUNU® prediction market research platform, CRG is able to deliver deep insights into the emerging trends and future buying behaviors that will shape your category, visibilizing even the most under-the-radar trends and unmet consumer needs. This presents an unparalleled strategic advantage for brands looking to get ahead of shifts in consumer preferences and capitalize on trends as they break.

Find out more about how you can leverage creator market research by getting in touch with the CRG team today.

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FAQs

How do you identify and engage with creators in a particular industry or category for market research?

When engaging in creator market research, it’s critical to vet and select individuals who are relevant, influential, regularly share opinions on the subject being researched, and meet minimum articulation requirements. The creators and influencers you engage should have at least 10,000 followers and should be highly knowledgeable about the topic you’re researching.

How does CRG’s suite of creator solutions differ from traditional market research or trend analysis methods?

While traditional methodologies rely heavily on survey-based research, CRG’s suite of creator market research tools deliver a 360-degree solution, integrating GenAI, desk research, IDIs, and a prediction market platform to deliver deep, accurate insights, uncover niche ideas,, and reveal hidden emerging trends before they surface in the mainstream. The HUUNU platform is proven to deliver trend predictions with a 90% accuracy rate, three years out and beyond. This is achieved through the expert collection and analysis of extremely high-quality quantitative and qualitative data, and a research methodology inherently resistant to the kinds of biases that undermine the accuracy of traditional research methodologies.