Research Cannot Serve Two Masters

If you'll pardon the Biblical paraphrase, here's why research cannot serve two masters.

Master #1:  Publicity for the firm in the form, for example, of high scores on customer satisfaction, to be bragged about in customer relations and PR efforts, newsletters, direct mail, blogs, corporate LinkedIn Profile, Facebook page, Twitter and other Social Media venues.

Master #2:  Honest market or customer feedback that’s useful for business decisions and competitive strategies because it’s valid, tough and unbiased.

The latter requires internal confidentiality and a demanding measurement regimen; the former shuns both like the plague. To design an appropriate research project for customer satisfaction, competitive brand allegiance, etc., I need to know which purpose is being served.

Of course, only one of the above purposes works for me, in any case.