The Budget Myth: Why You don’t need more money for better research. You need sharper research design.

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"If only we had a bigger budget..."

It’s one of the most common refrains we hear from insight teams, brand leads and marketers. But it’s rarely the real blocker.


Our own data from commissioners and deliverers of research backs this up: even as research budgets grow from $10k to $500k, perceived effectiveness barely moves - from 30% to 41%.  

Only when budgets exceed $1M does effectiveness meaningfully jump, and even then, fewer than half rate their work as highly effective.

In other words, most teams aren’t limited by money, they’re limited by clarity. If objectives are fuzzy, audiences aren’t well-defined, or outputs don’t connect to decisions, bigger budgets won’t help. They just create bigger studies with the same problems.

We’ve seen six-figure trackers that produce zero change. And we’ve seen lean, cleverly designed studies unlock business-defining insight.

So, the challenge isn’t that “we need more money.” It’s that “we need to be sharper with what we have.”

How to Do More With the Budget You Have

1. Smaller, sharper samples

Bigger isn’t always better. Too often, teams default to large samples when what they really need is precision. Target the right 150 instead of a generic 1,500. You’ll learn more, faster.
 

2. Iterative sprints over big reveals

Blowout studies that take six months to deliver usually land too late to matter. Split your budget into shorter sprints. Learn something, adapt, and reinvest. Momentum trumps one-off impact.
 

3. Multipurpose design

Design studies to serve more than one audience. A segmentation project that doubles as a media guide. A brand tracker that informs creative briefs. When each piece of research serves multiple teams, ROI multiplies.
 

4. Reuse and recontact

Don’t treat research as disposable. Build re-contactable panels. Keep evolving the same dataset so you can compare over time. Continuity is cheaper (and often more powerful) than always starting from scratch.
 

5. Build a case, not just a cost

If you want to unlock budget, frame research as an enabler of growth or risk reduction. Show how the cost of not knowing could mean wasted campaigns, mispriced products, or failed launches. Money flows more easily when leaders see the upside of getting it right.

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