Juan has worked in the market research field for more than 30 years, performing three different types of roles: 1) as a User, as Planning and Research Manager at Coca-Cola Colombia; 2) as a Supplier, as CEO at Market Team; and 3) as an Academic, as Professor at Universidad de Los Andes. He designed one of the first commercial execution measurement tools for the beverage industry.
From Insights Function to Go-To-Market Growth Driver
Market research has moved well beyond its historical and traditional role of describing consumer behavior, measuring brand health or only auditing points of sales. In many organizations, it is becoming a core input for strategic decision-making across the full Go-To-Market ecosystem by creating not only design but also execution insights and roadmaps. Instead of only answering questions such as who the customer is or what they think, research is now helping companies decide what to sell, where to compete, how to prioritize channels, how to price, and how to execute more effectively in different markets.
In our experience, organizations that understand this evolution use research as a key part of a decision system rather than just an insights reporting function. In a more holistic way, shopper and consumer understanding is combined with channel dynamics, competitive intelligence, execution data, and commercial performance metrics. This creates a more complete view of strengths and growth opportunities. For instance, brand equity data may be linked with point-of-sale execution, sales or assortment strategy to identify where demand exists but is not being captured. When research is embedded this way, it becomes a growth engine rather than a support area where information to create action plans is integrated and more easily deployed.
Aligning Insights with Execution
Data-driven market intelligence helps companies replace assumptions with evidence in areas where commercial decisions are often costly and difficult to reverse. In execution, it allows businesses to understand what is really happening across stores, channels, or customer touchpoints. This may include availability, visibility, pricing compliance, or promotional consistency. With better visibility, companies can not only assess how their execution strategy is actually being implemented but also respond faster and allocate resources where they create the greatest return in terms of revenue, profitability and market share. In pricing and assortment, market intelligence helps organizations understand demand and price sensitivity patterns, product roles, shopper behavior, and competitive alternatives that are not straightforward to identify or characterize. Instead of simply removing low-selling SKUs or reacting to competitor pricing, companies can make more strategic choices about portfolio structure, channel-specific assortment, and differentiated pricing models based on additional criteria such as sales potential from both cannibalization and better commercial execution. Across industries, the common benefit is usually sharper prioritization: knowing where to invest, what to simplify, and how to improve profitability without losing relevance in the market, breaking the profit vs market share old dilemma.
Turning Market Research into Measurable Commercial Impact
Research creates value when it is translated into decisions well beyond neatly crafted presentations. Organizations that generate measurable impact usually begin by framing research around business problems rather than information requests. Instead of only asking for more data without context, they ask which decisions need to be improved. Portfolio prioritization, pricing architecture, trade investment, innovation strategy, or customer retention are clear examples of business needs that require different types of both qualitative and quantitative information to reduce risk and encompass the organization’s way of working. This fundamentally changes the role of market research from observer to decision partner.
Execution discipline is equally important. Findings should be converted into clear actions, owners, timelines, pilots, and success metrics. For instance, a company may identify through research that a brand has strong awareness but weak conversion in modern trade. The practical next step is not necessarily another study, but rather a focused commercial plan involving assortment, shelf visibility, pricing, and follow-up measurement. Organizations that create joint conversations involving both insights and action plans tend to outperform those that keep research separate from execution.
Bridging the Gap between Insights and Go-To-Market Execution
We have seen in several organizations that fragmentation is the most common challenge. Insights often sit in one function, while sales, trade marketing, pricing, operations, and finance work with different priorities and timelines. As a result, companies may have strong research but weak execution. Another challenge is that insights are sometimes too broad or too academic, making them difficult for commercial teams to apply in real market conditions. Speed can also be an issue, especially when market dynamics change faster than reporting cycles. And, Insights being not involved in the decision-making conversations also leads to a disconnect between information needs and how decisions are actually made.
The strongest response is cross-functional integration. Insights teams need to work closer to commercial decision-makers and frame outputs around actions. Research should be linked to execution metrics, channel realities, and financial outcomes. Shorter test-and-learn cycles also help. Instead of waiting for perfect certainty, companies can pilot decisions in selected markets, learn quickly, and scale what works. This creates a more agile Go-To-Market model where insights actively shape execution.
Market Research in the Age of Technology
Technology is already changing market research from a periodic activity into a continuous intelligence capability. AI, automation, image recognition, advanced analytics, and integrated data platforms are making it possible to monitor consumer behavior, market conditions, and execution performance in near real time. This allows companies to move faster, identify opportunities earlier, and correct commercial issues before they become structural problems.
Looking ahead, we strongly believe research will become even faster, more predictive and more embedded in day-to-day management. Instead of only explaining what happened, it will increasingly recommend what to do next in much shorter periods of time. Companies will massively use technology to simulate pricing moves, optimize assortments, anticipate churn, detect execution gaps, and personalize channel strategies not as one-shot initiatives but rather as continuous capabilities to strengthen their competitive advantage. The organizations that grow faster will likely be those that treat research not as a department, but as an across-the-board operating capability that improves decisions for the whole business.
From Insights Function to Go-To-Market Growth Driver
Market research has moved well beyond its historical and traditional role of describing consumer behavior, measuring brand health or only auditing points of sales. In many organizations, it is becoming a core input for strategic decision-making across the full Go-To-Market ecosystem by creating not only design but also execution insights and roadmaps. Instead of only answering questions such as who the customer is or what they think, research is now helping companies decide what to sell, where to compete, how to prioritize channels, how to price, and how to execute more effectively in different markets.
In our experience, organizations that understand this evolution use research as a key part of a decision system rather than just an insights reporting function. In a more holistic way, shopper and consumer understanding is combined with channel dynamics, competitive intelligence, execution data, and commercial performance metrics. This creates a more complete view of strengths and growth opportunities. For instance, brand equity data may be linked with point-of-sale execution, sales or assortment strategy to identify where demand exists but is not being captured. When research is embedded this way, it becomes a growth engine rather than a support area where information to create action plans is integrated and more easily deployed.
Aligning Insights with Execution
Data-driven market intelligence helps companies replace assumptions with evidence in areas where commercial decisions are often costly and difficult to reverse. In execution, it allows businesses to understand what is really happening across stores, channels, or customer touchpoints. This may include availability, visibility, pricing compliance, or promotional consistency. With better visibility, companies can not only assess how their execution strategy is actually being implemented but also respond faster and allocate resources where they create the greatest return in terms of revenue, profitability and market share. In pricing and assortment, market intelligence helps organizations understand demand and price sensitivity patterns, product roles, shopper behavior, and competitive alternatives that are not straightforward to identify or characterize. Instead of simply removing low-selling SKUs or reacting to competitor pricing, companies can make more strategic choices about portfolio structure, channel-specific assortment, and differentiated pricing models based on additional criteria such as sales potential from both cannibalization and better commercial execution. Across industries, the common benefit is usually sharper prioritization: knowing where to invest, what to simplify, and how to improve profitability without losing relevance in the market, breaking the profit vs market share old dilemma.
Turning Market Research into Measurable Commercial Impact
Research creates value when it is translated into decisions well beyond neatly crafted presentations. Organizations that generate measurable impact usually begin by framing research around business problems rather than information requests. Instead of only asking for more data without context, they ask which decisions need to be improved. Portfolio prioritization, pricing architecture, trade investment, innovation strategy, or customer retention are clear examples of business needs that require different types of both qualitative and quantitative information to reduce risk and encompass the organization’s way of working. This fundamentally changes the role of market research from observer to decision partner.
-
Market research creates value when it moves beyond reporting and becomes a decision system that connects insights, execution, and measurable commercial impact. It is increasingly enabling organizations to learn faster, adapt with greater precision, and compete more effectively in real time.
Execution discipline is equally important. Findings should be converted into clear actions, owners, timelines, pilots, and success metrics. For instance, a company may identify through research that a brand has strong awareness but weak conversion in modern trade. The practical next step is not necessarily another study, but rather a focused commercial plan involving assortment, shelf visibility, pricing, and follow-up measurement. Organizations that create joint conversations involving both insights and action plans tend to outperform those that keep research separate from execution.
Bridging the Gap between Insights and Go-To-Market Execution
We have seen in several organizations that fragmentation is the most common challenge. Insights often sit in one function, while sales, trade marketing, pricing, operations, and finance work with different priorities and timelines. As a result, companies may have strong research but weak execution. Another challenge is that insights are sometimes too broad or too academic, making them difficult for commercial teams to apply in real market conditions. Speed can also be an issue, especially when market dynamics change faster than reporting cycles. And, Insights being not involved in the decision-making conversations also leads to a disconnect between information needs and how decisions are actually made.
The strongest response is cross-functional integration. Insights teams need to work closer to commercial decision-makers and frame outputs around actions. Research should be linked to execution metrics, channel realities, and financial outcomes. Shorter test-and-learn cycles also help. Instead of waiting for perfect certainty, companies can pilot decisions in selected markets, learn quickly, and scale what works. This creates a more agile Go-To-Market model where insights actively shape execution.
Market Research in the Age of Technology
Technology is already changing market research from a periodic activity into a continuous intelligence capability. AI, automation, image recognition, advanced analytics, and integrated data platforms are making it possible to monitor consumer behavior, market conditions, and execution performance in near real time. This allows companies to move faster, identify opportunities earlier, and correct commercial issues before they become structural problems.
Looking ahead, we strongly believe research will become even faster, more predictive and more embedded in day-to-day management. Instead of only explaining what happened, it will increasingly recommend what to do next in much shorter periods of time. Companies will massively use technology to simulate pricing moves, optimize assortments, anticipate churn, detect execution gaps, and personalize channel strategies not as one-shot initiatives but rather as continuous capabilities to strengthen their competitive advantage. The organizations that grow faster will likely be those that treat research not as a department, but as an across-the-board operating capability that improves decisions for the whole business.
