When Budget Shrinks, Gabor Granger Magically Becomes ‘Good Enough’

Ask a pricing researcher which method they recommend.

They might say conjoint or discrete choice. Ask again with a smaller budget?

Suddenly, Gabor Granger is “a solid option.”

This pivot doesn’t reflect the method’s strengths. It reflects the compliance instinct in the research industry — a habit of saying yes to whatever the client can afford, and defending it as sound strategy. Even though it is gamable as long is it is in budget, I guess.

Let’s be honest:

• If Gabor Granger was really strategic, it’d be Plan A.
• It wouldn’t need a budget excuse to enter the conversation.
• And we wouldn’t need to pretend that preference without context is “good enough” to guide price.

This isn’t a knock on cost-sensitive research. But when the method itself can’t handle tradeoffs, context, or competitive price pressure, calling it “good enough” is generous at best — and dangerous at worst.

Pricing decisions don’t get cheaper just because the research did.