Introduction
Why Annual Planning Often Gets Delayed—and What That Means for Research Needs
Annual planning season is notoriously packed with competing priorities. Between budgeting, performance reviews, product roadmapping, and leadership meetings, strategic planning often takes place in an environment of urgency and pressure. And while most teams intend to build a research-informed plan, market research and consumer insights support can be one of the first things to slip through the cracks.
Why does this happen?
Several common challenges contribute to annual planning delays – especially when it comes to research:
- Resource constraints: Teams may be understaffed or lack dedicated insights roles.
- Last-minute pivots: Strategy shifts, leadership changes, or market surprises can disrupt earlier timelines.
- Underestimating timelines: Teams often assume there’s more time to gather insights than there actually is.
- Dependence on traditional agencies: Standard research firm timelines can take weeks or months – making it hard to use them during crunch time.
What does it mean for your insights process?
When planning starts without fresh data, teams are left relying on outdated research or internal assumptions. This not only weakens decision-making – it also increases the likelihood of launching initiatives that don’t resonate with customers. Without the right inputs, even experienced leaders are left guessing.
Example (fictional):
A consumer goods company is gearing up for its 2025 product lineup but realizes in mid-November that it hasn’t tested its concepts with target consumers. By the time internal resources are freed up, it’s too late to conduct traditional research. As a result, products go to market based on internal feedback alone – and fail to meet expectations.
What to consider instead
If this sounds familiar, now is the time to reassess your research approach. Fast, flexible solutions like On Demand Talent can help you meet planning needs without starting from zero. These are seasoned insights professionals who can quickly support:
- Planning research and concept testing
- Competitive or category analysis
- Consumer segmentation or journey mapping
- Filling short-term gaps in your insights team
By addressing delays early, you can still embed quality research into your strategy – even if annual planning is already underway.
The Hidden Risks of Going Without Insights During Planning Season
When teams fall behind on annual planning, it’s tempting to skip steps – and market research is often seen as expendable. But planning without solid consumer insights can quietly introduce risks that undermine your strategy long after the plan is finalized.
Missed consumer signals
Customer expectations, behaviors, and preferences evolve quickly. If your strategic plan is built on assumptions from a year ago – or worse, from gut instincts – it may no longer reflect the reality of your market. Skipping research can mean missing crucial shifts in audience needs or market dynamics.
Reduced confidence in decision-making
Leaders need to feel confident that their strategies are rooted in evidence. Without fresh insights, decisions can become more reactionary or speculative. This can lead to fragmented execution, internal misalignment, and less buy-in from key stakeholders.
Wasted resources
When plans are built without data, there's a higher risk of allocating time and budget to initiatives that don't deliver. Launching a campaign or product without understanding your audience can result in poor engagement, missed revenue goals, and expensive course corrections midyear.
Example (fictional):
A home services company finalizes its annual marketing budget in early December, allocating most spend to digital ad channels used the year before. But without updated consumer insights, they fail to realize that their audience has shifted to using new platforms and formats. When their campaign underperforms early in Q1, they scramble to reallocate funds with no clear sense of what customers actually want.
Internal burnout and misalignment
Without involving insights professionals in planning, teams may end up working from different interpretations of customer needs. This can create confusion across product, marketing, and customer service – and stretch teams thin when they try to fix issues reactively.
How to reduce risk without overhauling your plan
The good news is, even late in the game, you can still bring valuable research into your planning season. Fast-track solutions like SIVO’s On Demand Talent allow you to hire temporary research support for planning season without long-term commitments or training burden.
Our network of fractional insights professionals can join your team within days – helping ensure your final plans are not only finished, but informed. Instead of skipping insights altogether, you can work alongside experienced researchers who understand your industry, goals, and timeline.
When planning season pressures mount, skipping consumer data can seem like a shortcut – but it often costs more in the long run. With the right support, it’s not too late to put insights back at the heart of your annual plan.
Why Waiting to Hire or Relying on Freelancers May Cost You More Time
When a team realizes they’re behind on annual planning, the instinct is often to scramble for a quick solution – post a job listing, call a freelancer, or hope internal teams can stretch to cover the gap. However, these short-term fixes can end up costing more time, resources, and momentum than expected.
Traditional Hiring Moves at a Slower Pace
Hiring a full-time consumer insights professional may seem like the smart solution for long-term support. But annual planning season is all about urgency and timing. The average time to fill a research role is often 40–60 days – not including onboarding and training. By the time a new hire is in place and fully up to speed, your planning cycle may already be complete.
Not to mention:
- Hiring managers need time to write and post job descriptions.
- HR must screen and interview candidates – a time-demanding process.
- New hires almost always need ramp-up time to learn your business.
For time-sensitive situations like planning research or delivering consumer insights support for strategic conversations, this timeline just doesn’t align.
Freelancers Aren’t Always Plug-and-Play
Freelancer platforms promise fast help, but not all independent consultants are created equal. You may need to interview multiple freelancers, vet their industry experience, and still face uncertainty around availability and deliverable standards. Projects requiring nuanced understanding of your market or category often suffer when relying on generalist freelancers without the functional depth your team needs.
In addition:
- Freelancers often juggle multiple clients with varying priorities.
- You may need to manage them closely to stay on schedule.
- They typically lack the strategic insight or background in marketing planning cycles specific to your space.
This can add more work to your team – exactly what you're trying to avoid.
Efficiency Comes From Fit, Not Just Speed
Whether you're behind on marketing planning and need insights or simply have limited staff for end of year research, it's not enough to find help fast. You need the right expertise, and someone who can immediately contribute without extensive onboarding or oversight. That’s where alternatives like SIVO’s On Demand Talent stand out – not only fast to deploy but also backed by experience and aligned to your research needs.
How On Demand Talent Can Fill Insights Gaps in Days, Not Months
If your insights team is stretched thin and time is tight, SIVO’s On Demand Talent offers a high-impact solution that delivers both speed and expertise. Rather than waiting weeks (or even months) to hire a full-time team member or vet multiple freelancers, On Demand Talent provides access to seasoned professionals who can step in and contribute right away.
Fast, Flexible, and Fully Capable
Our network of talent includes experts across a wide range of sectors and specializations – from temporary research support for planning season, to urgent deep-dives for strategic planning help. These professionals are not entry-level freelancers – they are experienced former client-side and agency-side insights leaders who understand how to deliver under tight timelines.
Use cases include:
- Filling temporary gaps on overstretched insights teams
- Leading category reviews or delivering foundational research for annual planning decks
- Designing and executing end-of-year qualitative and quantitative studies
- Running trend analyses or secondary data reports to support growth planning
Whether you need someone for a few weeks or a few months, On Demand Talent is ready to jump in. It's quick market research staffing without the paperwork, long interviews, or manager training sessions.
Speed Is Only Part of the Equation
What truly sets SIVO’s On Demand Talent apart is not only the rapid access but the quality and reliability of the professionals. Because each individual is carefully vetted, matched by our team, and experienced in high-stakes environments, they’re able to walk in (virtually or in person) and start producing results immediately.
In one fictional example, a CPG brand was four weeks behind on a critical product refresh and had no time to launch new planning research. Rather than miss the opportunity, the brand turned to SIVO to bring in an On Demand Talent professional – someone who had worked on similar portfolio reviews. Within days, the expert had gathered consumer feedback, summarized marketplace indicators, and synthesized actionable insights for the brand’s annual planning session. (This scenario is illustrative only.)
Support That’s Built Around Your Needs
Unlike relying on freelancer directories or navigating internal approvals for new headcount, SIVO’s On Demand Talent model is built for speed, flexibility, and accuracy. You define the scope and goals – we find the right match capable of delivering right away. It’s an immediate solution that helps you avoid over-reliance on generalists or long lead times from traditional agencies.
Getting Started Quickly: How to Access Support from SIVO On Demand Talent
If you’re feeling the pressure of delayed timelines and need market research support fast, SIVO’s On Demand Talent makes it simple to get started. From first contact to project kickoff, our process is designed to be efficient, straightforward, and responsive to your business realities.
Step 1: Share Your Immediate Needs
Reach out to our team with a quick overview of your challenge – whether it’s a vacant insights role, a specific project related to strategic planning help, or just the need for extra team support. We’ll ask a few questions to understand your goals, timing, and any tools or categories involved.
Step 2: Get Matched With the Right Expert
Once we understand your scope, we match you with one or more experienced professionals from our On Demand Talent network. Our team looks beyond roles to ensure alignment on category familiarity, business context, and personal working style – so you get someone who doesn’t just tick the boxes, but truly fits your team dynamics.
Step 3: Start Fast – in Days, Not Weeks
Depending on your urgency, talent can begin supporting you in as quickly as a few days – not the weeks or months often required for traditional hiring or new agency onboarding. Whether remote or on-site, the expert steps in ready to support your insights objectives from day one.
Here’s why it works so seamlessly:
- No training required – professionals come with years of relevant experience
- Minimal internal paperwork – no need for full-time hiring processes
- Talent is embedded quickly, adapting to your workflow and tools
This makes On Demand Talent not only a smart resource for temporary research talent, but also a dependable option for outsourced insights support for planning deadlines.
Use It When You Need It
Whether you want help now or know there’s planning pressure coming next quarter, our flexible model adjusts to your timeline. Some teams tap into On Demand Talent to augment capacity; others use it to bring in functional expertise on a project basis. We work with you to ensure scope, duration, and support level feel just right.
And since SIVO is a full-service insights organization, should your needs shift beyond temporary support – such as full study design or expanded research strategy – we’re here to help navigate that too.
Summary
Falling behind on annual planning happens – but staying behind doesn’t have to be the outcome. In this post, we explored common reasons why the planning process gets delayed and how a lack of timely insights can have ripple effects across your strategy. We examined the pitfalls of waiting to hire or relying on freelancers, and outlined how SIVO’s On Demand Talent offers a flexible, fast, and high-impact solution. Whether you need temporary research staffing, specialized consumer insights support, or simply extra help during planning season, On Demand Talent can keep your strategy on track without the delays of traditional hiring or project outsourcing.
Summary
Falling behind on annual planning happens – but staying behind doesn’t have to be the outcome. In this post, we explored common reasons why the planning process gets delayed and how a lack of timely insights can have ripple effects across your strategy. We examined the pitfalls of waiting to hire or relying on freelancers, and outlined how SIVO’s On Demand Talent offers a flexible, fast, and high-impact solution. Whether you need temporary research staffing, specialized consumer insights support, or simply extra help during planning season, On Demand Talent can keep your strategy on track without the delays of traditional hiring or project outsourcing.