Azurite Consulting

🎃 Welcome back, brave souls, to our series of spine-chilling tales from the dark side of B2B market research. If you missed the first part, The Phantom Respondents, don’t worry—you can still catch up on the frightful story here https://lnkd.in/e4-se4sk. This week, we’re delving into another terrifying scenario... Part 2: The Curse of Franken-Research A Private Equity firm was evaluating an acquisition of a commercial pest control company in the southeastern U.S. The wasps, ants, spiders, and roaches weren't the scary part. The real nightmare lay in sourcing enough decision makers to validate the TAM and market size. To solve the problem, they turned to multiple expert networks and panel providers. Instead of clear, actionable insights, they created a market research monster. 🧟♀️ Unbeknownst to the firm, each provider fell short of their quota and turned to each other to try to fill the gaps. The result was a dangerous duplication of respondents, with the same individuals counted multiple times. 👀 Hoping to salvage the situation, the firm contracted with an AI-driven provider that promised to manage the remaining recruitment and eliminate duplications. That dream became a nightmare, when they realized their respondent pool was filled with participants whose experience was frightfully outdated or irrelevant. ⚡️ Legend has it, they're still trying to bring the data to life to this day—piecing together fragments of responses, hoping to stitch together a coherent picture. But like Frankenstein’s creation, the research was destined to remain incomplete... At Azurite, we don’t let your research turn into a monster. By recruiting every respondent from scratch, you avoid seeing double and steer clear of low-quality insights. Instead, you receive trustworthy, actionable data that drives real decisions. Stay tuned for more bone-chilling tales of research gone wrong! And if your current market research feels more like a horror story than a strategic asset, get in touch with our team.

🎃 In honor of spooky season, we’re cracking open our book of truly terrifying tales from the front lines of B2B market research. Each week until Halloween, we’ll share a chilling story that will make your blood run cold…and help you avoid the same fate. But don’t worry—while the tales are frightening, the lessons you’ll learn will help you steer clear of these haunting outcomes. So gather ‘round, and prepare yourself for the first story. Beware—the scariest part is how real these nightmares are... Part 1: The Phantom Respondents A private equity firm was deep in the throes of evaluating a cutting-edge healthcare tech company focused on automating medical billing and claims. With the deal timeline ticking down, they knew market intelligence was critical to validating this deal's investment thesis. They turned to their research provider, renowned for its “elite network” of industry experts. Little did they know, a nightmare was about to unfold. 🧟♂️ The firm began to notice strange patterns lurking in the responses. The data was too noisy, and the insights refused to jump off the page—leaving them in the shadows. 👻 Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that some of the so-called "experts" weren’t experts at all. A few respondents seemed to be recycled from past studies, and others had long since retired—leaving the data eerily hollow and misleading. 🪦 As time slipped away, the firm’s confidence in the research eroded. Faced with a decision deadline and unreliable data, they didn't have the conviction they needed to put forward a winning bid. No need to dig up any ghosts here! Azurite recruits respondents from scratch, ensuring that every participant is alive—er, active, qualified, and a decision-maker with current, relevant experience. Stay tuned for our next spine-chilling tale of market research gone awry! If you’re currently haunted by bad B2B research, reach out to our team. #scarystoriesofmarketresearch #b2bresearch #marketintelligence

There are times when market research becomes a hot topic in the news, and we’re approaching one of the biggest: election season. Typically, we focus on the data itself—what the numbers say. But a recent New York Times article highlighted a different, and in my opinion, more important story: the ongoing decline in the quality of online panel providers. Now, if you know me or Azurite, you might think I’m biased. However, what stood out to me in this New York Times piece, is that the insights in the article, supported by Pew Research Center, align strikingly with the conversations we have on an almost daily basis with our clients and potential clients. After all, Azurite has built our business around never relying on panels for our market research. Instead, we recruit every single respondent from scratch, for every study. We never use panels or expert networks for the same reasons outlined by the New York Times. There’s a lot here that applies to the market research industry broadly, but let’s narrow in on two key points that resonate with us and our clients—particularly those who have used online panels or expert networks in the past: -->1. “Online panel providers try to recruit panelists from a mix of websites and apps who—hopefully—can be cobbled together to yield something plausibly representative.” (New York Times) -->2. “People who sign up to get money or other rewards by taking surveys…introduces the risk that some will provide answers they believe are likely to please the poll’s sponsor.” (Pew Research Center) For businesses, this raises a critical question: if opt-in polling is deemed unreliable and low-quality for public opinion research, why should it underpin your business decisions? As the Times puts it, “It’s harder than ever to do high-quality research, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.” I couldn’t agree more. High-quality research requires more than just cobbling together respondents from panels. It’s about ensuring that the data reflects real insights from the right decision-makers, recruited intentionally—not through shortcuts. At Azurite, our focus is always on quality and precision, because in our view, no decision—whether strategic or operational—should rest on anything less than reliable intelligence. #marketresearch #data https://lnkd.in/eKU_cXk3

This spring, Azurite conducted a survey of top data management decision-makers who, despite working in diverse sectors, expressed similar concerns about their companies' readiness for AI innovation. It was no surprise that 60% of leaders believe AI will drive innovation. However, it was striking that only 23% felt their company had clear usage policies. In response to these findings, our Founder & Managing Director, Eli Diament, offered crucial advice on how companies and teams should approach AI. His key message? Before diving into the excitement of new technology, leaders should establish clear boundaries and policies. Read the guide below to learn how to effectively structure conversations around AI. #b2b #ai #marketresearch

Recent private equity acquisitions have spanned niche sectors such as pest control, electric vehicle infrastructure, healthcare HR software, and food service. In these specialized markets, making well-informed decisions depends on accurate, targeted insights. Whether you're assessing new markets or shaping portfolio strategy, you need data from decision-makers who are current and active in their roles. In these unique sectors, however, identifying and recruiting the right professionals can be challenging—and not every market research provider is equipped for this task. To deliver high-quality insights in niche markets, Azurite focuses on: ☑ Recruitment from scratch: Our proprietary methodology identifies decision-makers actively engaged in niche industries—ensuring reliable, relevant data. ☑Industry-specific understanding: We communicate in the language of the market, fostering credibility and trust with participants. ☑Dynamic cohort refinement: Through iterative adjustments, we refine participant quotas to deliver the highest quality, most impactful information. Whether your firm is exploring investments in niche markets or refining the 100-day strategy for a portfolio company, Azurite can provide the insights necessary to guide informed decisions at every stage. Get in touch with our team >> https://lnkd.in/eB-fc3xn

In the world of Private Equity, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the exit. Are you ready? As PitchBook reports, exit holding periods are finally shortening. But achieving a timely and profitable exit requires more than favorable market conditions. Successful firms are leveraging actionable market intelligence to drive their exits. Here are 5 ways market research can support valuations and help maintain target exit timing: ➡ Prove the value of your product or solution to potential buyers ➡ Provide reliable benchmarks of product or solution advantages ➡ Identify and size new & adjacent markets to increase TAM ➡ Validate investments in the product roadmap ➡ Support post-sale decision-making with proprietary data Azurite Consulting has helped leading PE investors accelerate portfolio growth and boost exit valuations. If you want to discuss how we can support your exit strategy, get in touch with our team >> https://lnkd.in/e6kBfdXH

🔍 Featured in PitchBook: Azurite’s latest insights on thriving in volatile markets. In a rapidly changing deal landscape, leveraging market intelligence is critical for identifying the right opportunities and maximizing portfolio value. This article offers practical strategies drawn from hundreds of studies to help you navigate uncertainty with confidence. Access the full article at the link in comments. 👇

In a recent study, Azurite gathered critical insights from a custom recruited sample of elementary school teachers with real-world classroom experience. Their perspectives reveal the complexity of AI’s future in education: 💡 74% believe that education and curriculums need to be fundamentally rethought to adapt to AI-driven changes. 🎓 53% think that AI will improve educational outcomes, while... 🛡 60% are concerned about how student data will be used by AI. With back-to-school season in full swing, it looks like discussions around AI and EdTech are still very much warranted. The initial hype may have momentarily waned since early 2024, leading to fewer investments and predictions that the bubble may have burst. Yet, based on the data, it would appear that future opportunities in EdTech remain strong and the sector still holds significant potential. As the industry evolves, understanding market dynamics becomes even more critical, and this depends on reliable data and insights. Want to dive deeper? For more exclusive insights from this study, connect with us to request the full report.

Nobody will remember: - Your salary - How “busy” you were - How many hours you worked People will remember: - How you saved the day by finding the exact respondents you promised to the team - How your insights jumped off the page because there was no noise in the data - How easy it was to make a critical decision once you had reliable insights

🎉 Let’s give a big Azurite welcome to Marcus Kang, our newest team member! We’re excited to have you with us, Marcus!