Innovating with purpose: Lessons for market research from Disney, Goldman Sachs, and beyond

In a recent Research World article, “Innovating with purpose: What market research can learn from media and finance,” our co-founder and CEO Bob Fawson explores how sectors like media and finance have navigated digital transformation, and what market research can learn from their journeys.

Media: Disney’s streaming pivot
Bob talks about how Disney’s leap into streaming shows how resilience underpins innovation. Billions were invested in Disney+, and while the service has found success, the transition has tested margins, leadership, and legacy operations. He points out how, in mature industries, transformation rarely follows a straight line.

Finance: Goldman Sachs and fintech disruption
Turning to the finance industry as an example, Bob also talks about how Goldman Sachs’ forays into consumer banking illustrates both the promise and the pitfalls of innovation. These moves kept the firm competitive in a fintech-driven world but also exposed risks when innovation drifts from core strengths. In finance, as in market research, trust depends on rigor and quality.

Market research: balancing innovation with data quality
The market industry faces a similar crossroads. Technology is reshaping how we collect and use data, but speed and novelty cannot undermine trust. A recent Data Quality Co-op study revealed the scale of the challenge: two suppliers disclosed 28 sub-suppliers, while participant data exposed 112 distinct sources. Ninety-six percent of completes came from overlapping channels, underscoring the opacity of today’s sample ecosystem.

Principles for sustainable transformation
“Innovating with purpose: What market research can learn from media and finance” identifies three principles that span industries:

• Innovate, but validate: AI and new data sources are promising, but only if their inputs are high quality and outputs are trusted to guide decisions.

• Protect and evolve the core: Sampling, methodologies, and respondent trust remain essential—new tools should strengthen, not replace, them.

• Scale with purpose: Growth must align with client needs and quality standards; faster isn’t better if validity suffers.
  

Why it matters now
Just as Disney balanced legacy content with digital platforms and Goldman Sachs grounded innovation in financial rigor, market research must balance transformation with a commitment to accuracy and fraud prevention. Read more about it in Bob’s full Research World article here: https://researchworld.com/innovations/innovating-with-purpose-what-market-research-can-learn-from-media-and-finance