FUTURE TALENT MEETS THE INDUSTRY

ESOMAR CONGRESS 2008

Name: Kimberly Sanderson
University: Georgian College, Canada
Title of course/programme: Research Analyst Post-Graduate Certificate
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How do you see the market research industry evolving and how can you contribute to it?

My answer is three-fold: Client/ Supplier changes, developments in national segment characteristics, and the battle for audience attention. First, client demands are higher which leads to the increasingly high demand for well-rounded supplier-side employees. Competitive suppliers will hire – and make the best use of - researchers who are able to analyze, summarize and present data with a style and conscientiousness perfectly suited to the clients’ needs and competitive environment.

Second, all market researchers and strategists need to be mindful of both the cultural ‘mosaic’ and the cultural ‘melting pot’ of the societies they research. Marshall McLuhan’s description of the “global village” is evermore true as incredible new technologies bring the world together – “since the inception of the telegraph and radio, the globe has contracted, spatially, into a single large village”. We’ve come a long way from the telegraph and radio, but the evolution of technology, shifting population demographics, and economic transitions are making our cultural segments both more accessible and more evasive. Segmentation will also increasingly be determined by more than the traditional ‘tombstone’ data; it will expand to be more sensitive to the character of the respondent (e.g. motivation, behaviour, life events/ stages). I see these evolutions being the keystones to connecting market research to marketing activities.

Third, the constant level of audio & visual stimulants flaunted to the population means that attracting respondent attention, keeping respondent attention, and withdrawing a response is an exponentially difficult challenge. Market researchers are already evolving to embrace methods that help them to grow with these changes. Traditional methodologies like focus groups or questionnaires can and are starting to be complemented by alternative methods such as ethnography, semiotic analysis and physiometrics.

My role in the future will be to learn, understand, expand, and execute. 1) Learn about and use companies that have evolved with the market. 2) Understand the issues facing traditional and post-modern research methodologies. 3) Keep up to date on changes to the industry and research strategies. 4) Apply what I learn, what I understand, and what I foresee so that I will be an asset to my company and the markets we serve.

What are in your opinion the necessary skills for market researchers in the present environment?

The most basic skills for market researchers to have are those of ANALYSIS and INSIGHT GENERATION. Researchers need to have the ability to work with and understand data, and then to take it a step further and make it meaningful by developing insights for the client as they apply to the clients’ industry. Market researchers also need to be adaptable: to using new sources of data, trying out new methods, and analysing and interpreting data.

After advancing beyond being just ‘backroom’ analysts, today’s market researchers also need to have the capability to act as a business consultant or professional. We are no longer statisticians or social scientists; we’re the link between the data and making the data mean something to our clients.

How do you see your career unfolding and what are your aspirations?

Presently I work with the Strategic Market Research team at RBC (Royal Bank of Canada). My exposure to industry leaders in research methodologies extends beyond traditional methodologies; our team often welcomes leading-edge research companies to demonstrate to us the techniques they use to provide high quality samples, data and analysis. As I learn more about the financial industry, internal information needs, market needs and trends, and corporate strategy, my goal is to integrate my experience, knowledge and research in these areas to lead/ keep my company in the top position in the market. I am also inspired by the environmental initiatives unfolding around the world and aspire to incorporate environmental conscientiousness into my business practises, research and consequent recommendations.


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