Abstract:

For years, the value of research has come under scrutiny because we have tended to place significant value on the mechanics of what we do, as if somehow, by seeking to justify and explain research's purity and rigour, we are able to hike up its value. But in an increasingly commoditised market this way of narrowly defending research’s worth is in fact just that defensive and narrow. Let’s instead look to a broader definition that epitomises imagination, expansion and commercial application. This paper provides evidence of how this can be achieved; demonstrating the material value of research in how it is exposed, lived and used. And most importantly how research can be instantly and instinctively understood and applied to the past, present and future of a client's organisation including examples from Nokia, HSBC, GSK, Pepsico, AstraZeneca, Unilever, Pfizer and other companies.