If your research is relying solely on general population sample, you’re setting yourself up to lose. Sure, the general population sample has its place in the research toolkit as it can be useful for broad awareness studies or one-off concept checks. But as a foundation for understanding your customers, informing long-term strategy, or driving innovation? It falls short.
General population sample gives you a snapshot of one moment in time, from a group of people you likely know very little about and who may not even be your customers. If you rely on it too heavily, you may be making decisions based on the wrong audience entirely. So how do you ensure your insights are not just fast and scalable, but relevant?
You build your own high-quality sample. That means investing in a community of real customers who are ready to engage with you, not once, but again and again. People you can go to with a quick ask or a deep dive. People who want to help you make better decisions because they’re genuinely invested in your brand. This “always-on” access is the most reliable way to get contextual, longitudinal insights that actually reflect your customers’ needs, motivations, and expectations. You can still supplement with general population when the moment calls for it, but it should not be your default.
Warner Bros. Discovery is a great example of how this kind of community-led approach can transform the quality and impact of your research, and a testament to what’s possible when you commit to building long-term customer relationships. With over 25 years of experience helping organizations do just that, Alida has seen firsthand how powerful the right community can be.
How Warner Bros. Discovery Built a World-Class Research Sample
WBD is behind some of the most iconic entertainment properties in the world, Harry Potter, DC, Lord of the Rings, Barbie, and many more. With millions of passionate fans and a business that moves fast, the WBD team needed a way to stay connected to audience expectations at scale, without sacrificing depth or quality. Instead of relying on generic audiences, WBD built and invested in their own insight communities, starting with their A-List Community which has grown into a dynamic ecosystem of engaged, segmented members who represent real, multi-generational fans across franchises and platforms.
This highly engaged, always-available sample of real fans has allowed WBD to tap into to validate concepts, test new experiences, and gather in-the-moment feedback across digital and in-store touchpoints, with response rates of up to 90% in fandom-specific subcommunities.
So what makes this sample so powerful?
- Targeted recruitment: WBD doesn’t just wait for people to show up. They actively recruit at events like Comic Con, partner with college campuses, and tap into Gen Z through mobile integrations.
- Segmented sub-communities: With detailed profiles and fandom-based segmentation, the team can gather feedback from the right people at the right time.
- Engagement-first design: Their gamified Member Tier system creates a sense of reward, status, and investment—leading to higher response rates and deeper participation.
- Always-on interaction: Their Member Hub fosters ongoing dialogue, not just survey requests, building trust and boosting long-term retention.
- Scalable infrastructure: With streamlined intake processes and a centralized All Access panel, research can be shared across business units—maximizing reach while maintaining quality.
Don’t Let Poor Sample Quality Be the Reason Your Research Falls Flat
If you’re trying to make customer-centric decisions, poor sample quality is one of the easiest ways to sabotage your efforts. General population sample alone just won’t get you there. By investing in a real community of customers you can dramatically improve the quality, relevance, and timeliness of your insights. You can build trust, foster engagement, and scale your impact across teams and initiatives. And you’ll be making decisions with the people who matter most, not just the ones who happened to qualify for a survey that day.
If you're serious about unlocking research gains, it’s time to take a hard look at your sample strategy. Because better research will always start with the quality of your respondents.
