Engaging with Experts for Thought Leadership and Strategic Planning

Market and industry overviews, customer behavior, and future predictions are perhaps the top three topics when it comes to market research. Looking beyond these areas, goals include establishing thought leadership and strategic planning. However, it can be difficult to find much (or perhaps any) data or information that are readily available and at hand. If you have access to rich and aligned "good" data, perhaps running a machine learning algorithm would be an answer, but in reality, the world is far more fuzzy and messy.

To deal with such research objectives, we propose a simple way forward - "ask the experts." This is especially useful when the scope is narrowed down, such as when the topic is a niche market or a rare customer segment. It is also helpful when you need to take a deep dive into forecasting people's lives in the near future.

While this ask-the-expert method seems simple, the definitions of "experts" vary depending on the circumstances. It can be thought leaders, key opinion leaders, stakeholders, and industry experts who have deep knowledge have their own perspectives on the issues in question. Above all, we must be able to reach them. In addition, the choice of each such interviewee largely affects the results, in contrast to quantitative methods. Thus, the screening of profiles and the creation of a rich candidate list are the key factors to success.

Nikkei Research has been consulting on important issues by successfully running projects in which we approach the right people and interview them, followed with our thorough analysis. The following are some examples of projects we have carried out.

• Technologies and human life in 2050
• > Interviewed:
• • - Robotics engineer
  • - Video content creator
  • - University professor
  • - Journalists
• The pharmaceutical landscape
• > Interviewed:
• • - Healthcare professionals
  • - Key opinion leaders
  • - Academics
  • - Policymakers
  • - Journalists
  • - Consumers
• Biotechnology and life-science market overview
• > Interviewed:
• • - Corporate researchers
  • - Entrepreneur
  • - Academic researchers

All these projects have certain things in common. Whether forecasting the future or providing an understanding of the current status, companies need to decide and plan their strategies ahead of time. They must demonstrate their resilience and their thought leadership, as well as show that they have begun necessary changes to make their presence known in this hectic world.

Continue reading from below for more details on our case studies.

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