Market research sometimes doesn’t add up to a hill of beans. After all, consumers are notoriously finicky; what they report and what they do are often very different. Sometimes things are just trendy, no matter what the research says. Other times, something seems like a big hit, but nobody seems to care. It’s a craps shoot.

This next infographic from Ceo.com helps us understand the dynamic balance that needs to occur between looking at the numbers and going with your intuition. This graphic is packed with some incredible examples of how going with your get reaction can sometimes be the best guide you have.

Often, the biggest trends are started by people who were willing to explore avenues others left uncharted. After all, if someone else already had the idea, wouldn’t it have shown up in the research? Take a look and see what you think. Is it about intuition, or careful research and planning?