Will the profession be able to attract and retain qualified talent in the future? Until recently, a career in market research meant for many people a lifetimes employment. This is less true for research clients, but this was definitely the case at provider level. But increasingly, modern employees have several different professional careers during their active lives. One of the factors which contributes to this trend is the rising dominance of the Anglo-Saxon socio-economic competitive model. Change and short-term financial incentives have replaced the focus on continuity and loyalty. And this also has an impact on the market research sector. Not just with regard to recruiting and retaining new generations and the turnover of personnel but also with respect to remuneration. There is also the issue of whether market research is in any case an attractive area for a career. Would you recommend that your son or daughter choose this field?
Market researchers generally have their own ideas about what they do. For some its a question of solid data collection, for others it's more a matter of providing advice and interpretation based on aggregated information. In addition, there are those who say that they provide objective insights or intelligence. Then again, others place their contribution in the broader context of linking supply and demand in the market and they speak in terms of reducing uncertainty and improving decision-making'. This is usually accompanied by an explanation of how to combine information from various sources - and where necessary filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle. Predictions are then made about possible developments in the immediate future. After all, forecasting and providing foresight are increasingly emerging as key areas of attention. But are these interpretations of our contribution really satisfactory?
Every sector of our industry is now using advanced equipment or technology for computer assisted collection of information, for database storage, transmission or analyses for data mining purposes. Tools such as the familiar tachistoscope and camera have been supplemented by advanced meters, monitors, observation systems and other devices for applications such as scanning, neuro-marketing approaches and even for interpretation. The emphasis is usually on generating insight based on aggregated information but increasing use is also being made of real time research at the individual customised level, utilising geo-coding, RFID, CIS, CIPS and other passive information sources (Pring - RW July/August 2005). The underlying shifts in technology, from analogue to digital, from semiconductors to microprocessor, from single to multimedia... and the corresponding developments and breakthroughs in software, systems and networks will continue to drive change in the years to come. Of this there is no doubt. And this will generate further growth in the market research industry, accelerating change and transforming our sector. But what are the consequences of these developments? The requisite skills and competences to handle the new technologies are becoming even more important, indeed not everyone has the capacity to work with these new tools. There will also be a need to place a greater focus on ethics: privacy versus safety. In fact, consumer protection is already a hot issue. The time has come for us to start paying more attention to technological developments in research.
What would life be like without market research? Without social research and opinion research? Imagine that the profession, Was we know it today, had never been invented. What then? Industry annual turnover amounts to 21 billion dollars, around 650,000 people work in the industry worldwide, and many interviewers hold thousands of interviews each and every day. Without market research as we know it today, people would probably have found other ways to establish contacts between producers and consumers, government and citizens. But market research and opinion research, as a form of applied scientific research, is distinguished above all by its standards of performance and the house of quality. Market research does have an impact and is making a difference. Long-term, research is different as well. Following the initial focus on face-to-face interviews, we had postal research, telephone research and direct observation and registration. Now on-line research is coming to the fore, and on-line panels in particular are taking off. This type of data collection will drastically change the research landscape over the next few years -this is something on which insiders are agreed - bringing with it another wave of change. Once again the profession will be different. The question is: how different? We thought it would be a good idea in this issue, to examine from various points of view, what makes research so different and how market and opinion researchers are making that difference felt. What is so unique, so special about research? What is its added value? Society, business and marketing are in a complete state of flux. Whether this is a case of evolutionary development or revolutionary change, it is fascinating to take a moment and look at the constantly surprising challenges that we are encountering.
Research World is devoting a considerable section of this summers issue to market research in the lost continent. In what some people may denounce as an unforgivable concession to business convention, we have taken a pragmatic approach and have also included the Middle East in this special focus which looks at two regions that usually attract very limited coverage. In talking to researchers conducting research there, we have gained an upbeat picture of developments in Africa and the Middle East. Growth and change are words that they frequently used when discussing what is happening. This comes as a welcome change in contrast to the stories of poverty and hardship that are often told about these parts of the world. A more positive, but also critical viewpoint also fits with the growing trend in the debate about how to trigger growth and development in stagnated regions, especially Africa. After half a century of government run aid programmes that haven't done the trick, heads are turning toward the corporate sector to stimulate development in Africa. If business is the way to go, the role of market research will only become more important. Based on their proximity to consumers, market researchers should be the first to be able to tell businesses what African and Middle Eastern people want, or what their humanitarian needs are. Along with opportunity comes responsibility. As one of the researchers interviewed in this issue points out, multinationals in Africa are combining their profit-oriented investments with meaningful investments in the realm of social responsibility. Some of these companies are helping to build infrastructure, which will ultimately benefit their business.
It's good news that the industry is searching out ways to rejuvenate and improve itself. It is only with this attitude that the profession advances. The well-known toolkit - with group discussions, in-depth interviews and a variety of projective, association and completion techniques - has been supplemented with approaches from linguistics, neuroscience and cognitive psychology. And with the many tools developed through modern technology. All of this requires extra effort and care. Intensifying the interaction between the researcher and the respondent takes place against a backdrop with a contemporary decor. The emphasis is on the short term - everything must be faster. The focus is also on the outcome and the result, because with present-day decision-making (regarding new products, political issues or advertising campaigns) there are often greatly divergent interests involved. But does much of this often small-scale, explorative research also get underpinned, where need be, with quantitative results? We shouldnt forget that striving for renewal and improvement tests the boundaries of market research. And theres nothing wrong with that. But the need for representative samples, validation and reliability must not be overlooked. And we should continue to scrutinise the quality of analysis and interpretation. These are the issues that need more attention in the added value debate. Because the researcher is still the researcher. And the respondent is still the respondent.
There are numerous anecdotes demonstrating how inventors and entrepreneurs had no clear vision of how new products would be adopted or used. Because of the lack of growth in a lot of markets, efforts are being stepped up to identify successful new products in companies. To what extent can modern intelligence contribute? Traditionally MR plays a role in reducing uncertainty. Nobody will deny this. But can MR also properly predict and accurately pronounce upon the success of new concepts in the long term? It is claimed that state-of-the-art research generates insight as well as hindsight. But does modern MR also generate foresight? Foresight should not be confused with fantasy. Hamel and Prahalad claimed that foresight means seeing the future before it arrives. And they said that the challenge in competing for industry foresight is to create hindsight in advance. How do you develop foresight? According to them, the answer is to obtain deep insight into trends in lifestyles, technology, demographics, regulations and politics. They refer to the importance of imagination, deep and boundless curiosity and of creating cultures in which contrarians can play a role. If you look in the literature, you will find other suggestions. It is important that we escape from the myopia of internal tradition. Look for metaphors and analogies and learn from others. Put yourself in the shoes of your competitors. The profession, as no other, can obtain and present deep insight into lifestyles, demographics, technology and regulations and can play an active role in business creation and in supporting research in the different phases of development of an idea or product.
MR too has become increasingly international. The process of adapting the organisation, the concentration and the growth of international research has been client-driven. But just how well does the industry handle diversity in 2005? For several years now we have been taking snapshots of the MR situation in various countries. These country profiles provide us with evidence of a rich diversity with major differences determined by local circumstances. A very interesting typology could be drawn up for each development phase, based on, for example, sales turnover, ways of working, the presence of and compliance with quality standards and possibly other professional characteristics. Global vs local remains a difficult challenge to operating successfully in the different markets. But the concept of diversity is a key condition. Respect for differences in values is essential. The extent to which we succeed in developing this concept is also a question of skills and competences. Are MR managers who operate on an international basis really capable of implementing an inclusive, cross-cultural approach to products and services? In other words, are there actually enough true internationalists? It is time that learning to handle diversity was given a more prominent place in MR training programmes. Its true indeed that if a country is different, the market is also different. Once we clearly recognise this, we can decide what can be integrated and which values bring us together.
Particularly in recent times, the market research industry has also focused more attention on the teeth of self-regulation: control and compliance. ESOMAR has invested a considerable amount of energy in developing an approach on the international level. But interesting models have also been developed on the national level. In addition to the Market Research Society in the uk, the Rat der Deutschen Markt- und Sozialforschung (Council for German Market and Social Research) has developed its own took-kit for self regulation. The complaints procedure provides for a range of measures and sanctions. Leaders in the market research industry have repeatedly pointed out that the international harmonisation of ways of working is a priority. It is encouraging to note that a pilot project is now also being initiated with leading associations in the various continents to work together to develop national compliance processes that are based on the German model.
Is the respondent disappearing? For some years now, non-response has been a major cause of concern for market researchers. And those people who are still prepared to co-operate in research, i.e. the respondents, are being converted into participants and ambassadors. Traditional methods are apparently being traded in for bricolage, ethnography, semiotics, diaries, photographs, home videos, observation and large workshops with consumers or clients (so-called consumer shoe groups). Disciplines such as linguistics, neuroscience and cognitive psychology are being used to provide additional consumer insight. This is indeed fascinating but what are we actually doing by giving the respondent a different and sometimes broader role? What exactly is being measured and how reliable is the information? There is also a growing trend to contact respondents through remote control. A considerable amount of research is being conducted using online access panels especially when it comes to international research. This development offers quite a few opportunities but on the other hand, you no longer see or hear the respondent at all. Who is participating in this type of research? What can you do and what should you not do? Which tools can be used and which not? The total lack of physical contact has its advantages but there are also a number of obvious limitations.
Our mission will remain to keep on improving in our work and to continue to improve. Always better. Making the difference. That includes 2005 as well. We will continue to raise issues that help to shape the discussions about, and the reputation of market research. In this issue, opinion polling, a field that has a major impact on the reputation of our profession. And next month, the current problems surrounding panels and the influence of technology. We will also be reporting on the representation of market research to legislators. What happens? What are the results? The situation relating to quality standards and performance will be regularly discussed. And the search for talent and the problem of the missing skills and competences will again be covered. How can we attract new generations of market researchers? What do we need to do to shape training, teaching and coaching to conform with the requirements of today? We will also put the promotion of the added value of the industry back in the spotlight. Naturally we will also focus in 2005 on new developments and breakthroughs. For example, the structure of the industry, industry initiatives, collaboration by associations. And the application of more advanced techniques and methods and other processes. We intend to be inspired increasingly by the clients perspective. After all, ultimately, it is the demand side which determines the fortunes of our industry.