3 ‘Nobody can understand a community better than the community itself.’ Does this place a question mark over all marketing research?

Markets are becoming ever more competitive, with new brands competing for a share of consumers’ hearts and minds. Building a relationship with consumers is a challenge facing all organisations, but particularly so in the case of ‘emergent drinkers’ – those of legal drinking age up to 25. These consumers are highly experimental, and our only safe assumption is that their consumption habits will probably not follow on from those of preceding generations.
In 1997 Allied Domecq Spirits &
Wines (ADSW) recognised the danger of being distanced from this crucial group, particularly across geographical markets. We were not looking to understand a current user group per se, but rather to gain insight into the factors influencing brand adoption as these young drinkers mature.