The ROI of Curiosity: How Much Should
Businesses Spend on Marketing Research?
The Cost of Not Knowing
For many businesses, marketing research often gets framed as an expense, it's usually seen as the
first line item to be trimmed when budgets tighten. But in today’s massive marketplace,
especially when speaking to newer generations such as Gen Z, skipping research is like sailing
without a compass while the winds shift every second.
According to Deloitte’s What CMOs Should Know About Gen Z, this generation isn’t just
redefining consumer behavior, they’re rewriting the entire playbook. Nearly half of Gen Z (48%)
spends more time socializing online than in person, and 50% say they’re actively pressuring
businesses to take action on climate change. That’s not a just a passing trend; it’s a new standard
for relevance and presence.As a business, failing to understand these shifts doesn’t just waste the ad spend, it also possesses
a risk of irrelevance. When your messaging doesn’t resonate with your audience, your brand
doesn’t just miss a sale; it fades from the cultural conversation altogether switching the gear
towards a crash out. In a world where Gen Z uses TikTok (and now AI) instead of Google to
research products, your biggest competitor might not be another brand, it’s the algorithm that
didn’t find you relatable.
Key takeaway: Ignoring consumer research isn’t saving money, it’s deciding to be outdated.
Research as an Investment For Staying Relevant
Think of research not as a cost center but as an investment portfolio for brand longevity and
adaptability. The ROI of curiosity lies in precision, using insights to be strategic by spending
smarter, not louder.
Deloitte’s findings reveal that Gen Z builds trust not through transparency alone, but through
authentic, measurable impact, whether in sustainability, diversity, or digital ethics. As Deloitte’s
report suggests, Gen Z’s version of trust isn’t declared, it’s demonstrated. That’s why curiosity
and knowledge or data, not just campaigns, become the new currency of connection.
When businesses use research to uncover why Gen Z behaves the way they do or think the way
they think, not just what they buy, they shift from reactive marketing to proactive connection.
Instead of taking a guess at which platform deserves investment, the data analyzed reveals
insights that reveal the nuances. For example: Instagram for aspiration, TikTok for discovery,
Reddit for community and connection.
Just like venture capitalists diversify portfolios across high-potential startups, marketers who
invest in understanding cultural signals diversify their brand’s future relevance and adaptability.
Key takeaway: Market research multiplies value when treated as ongoing curiosity, not a single
hand-off report.
The Smart Money’s on Understanding
There’s a false paradox in marketing: creativity versus data.
In truth, creativity without data backed insight is just noise, while insight without creative
imagination is boring static.
The most recognized brands like Nike, Spotify, Patagonia, all use and find support in research as
fuel for innovation. They listen before they leap.
CMOs who understand this know that the ROI of curiosity compounds and usually pays off.
Each study, focus group, psychological or behavioral analysis sharpens the brand intuition.
It’s the difference between saying, “We think Gen Z will care about this,” and knowing,
“They already do and here’s how to show them we do too.”Key takeaway: Research doesn’t replace creativity, it refines it and gives it a higher weight.
Final Thought
In an era when consumers rewrite brand rules with every scroll, curiosity is your most
underfunded superpower. Research isn’t about spending more, it’s about spending wisely on
understanding what keeps your brand relevant tomorrow and perhaps throughout generations.
Or as I like to put it in the terms of our digital world:
“Every dollar you spend on understanding your audience buys you a little more time in their
hearts and a little more room in their feed.”