Abstract:

ESOMAR's primary mission for the past 70+ years has been to safeguard and promote the interests of the insights and data analytics profession. In recent times we have been paying a lot more attention to the constituency of 'end-clients' (brand-owners) or 'users and buyers' of market research and insights as it is these constituents who are the core drivers of the entire industry. As market research and insights departments are no longer the sole generators of the market and commercial data, many companies are seeking ways to cope with this change, this data explosion, and how to leverage it to contribute to business performance. This topic is equally important to end-clients as well as those business partners serving them. Against this background, ESOMAR has been involved with a variety of thought leadership projects showcasing the business relevance of insights, which first started in 2015 with our partnership with the Insights 2020 program (which provided clear evidence of the business benefits accruing from customer-centricity). Specifically, this work builds on the 2019 paper: 'How to demonstrate the value of investing in customer insight', based on 25 depth interviews with the head of corporate insights from a wide selection of global brand owners.