Abstract:

Consumers and their values have changed; the way in which brands need to interact with them has changed; and research has changed. Some of these changes were in the works prior to the recession, but what is clear is that the downturn provided a huge impetus to their acceleration. Social media, in particular, have changed the way in which consumers interact with each other and the brands they use. This has tremendous implications for research itself. If we think about it, the value set of CMOs, their companies and their research directors are all changing fundamentally. This will mean that not only the types of research but the very definition of research itself will start to change. In the end, it is all about understanding people and how they affect our business decisions. How we go about doing that is less important than the fact that we continue to be the pre-eminent people who can do it.