Co-Marketing Agreements
Part of Co-authored research and content
Defining a research question both partners can support
A joint research question should matter to the audience and be answerable with data the partners can lawfully and accurately use.
A joint research question should matter to the audience and be answerable with data the partners can lawfully and accurately use. “Prove our partnership improves outcomes” is a campaign objective, not a research question. A better question names the population, behaviour and period without assuming the answer.
Essential elements of a strong joint research question
- Audience relevance
- Matters to stakeholders and end users in Australia
- Data availability
- Lawfully accessible and accurate for both partners
- Clarity of scope
- Defines population, behaviour and timeframe
- Open-ended answer
- Allows for null or unexpected results without bias
Test the question against available evidence
List each partner's data source, coverage, collection method and gaps. A retailer's sales records and an agency's survey may describe different people. They can enrich one report, but a combined percentage would be misleading without a valid linkage or common denominator. If the project uses a survey, AAPOR advises asking whether a survey is the right method and making the objective specific before collecting responses.
Turn the broad topic into one primary question and a few subordinate questions. Define key terms before work begins: what counts as a customer, a purchase, a repeat visit or a completed action? Write down the period and geography. If both partners disagree about a definition, resolve it in the brief rather than after the charts are drawn.
Key steps to define a joint research question both partners can support
- List each partner's data sources, coverage, collection methods and gaps
- Ensure definitions of key terms (e.g. customer, purchase, repeat visit) are agreed upon
- Confirm the population, behaviour and time period are clearly defined
- Verify that survey methodology aligns with the research objective
- Turn broad topics into one primary and a few subordinate questions
Keep the answer open
Agree that an unexpected or null result can still be published accurately. Separate what the data can show from the commercial interpretation each partner may later offer. Record proposed analyses in advance where practical, and flag exploratory findings as exploratory.
The final question should pass a simple test: could someone outside both organisations understand how the answer was obtained and where it does not apply? If not, narrow the scope or improve the method before drafting a headline.
