FUTURE TALENT MEETS THE INDUSTRY

ESOMAR CONGRESS 2010

Johanna Brunneder Name: Johanna Brunneder
Nationality: Austrian
University: HEC - University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Title of course/programme: MSc in Management
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How do you see the market research industry evolving and how can you contribute to it?

The market research industry is constantly developing in terms of facilities, methods and tools. This continual change is due to the fact that the market research industry is obliged to evolve as the markets and its customers do. Markets have become more complex than before and therefore the role of market research becomes increasingly important in order to understand the needs of customers. In today’s society, markets are especially characterized by information explosion through technological advances. The Internet, in particular, has created a global marketplace that is incredibly competitive; customers can easily compare different alternatives via 24/7 available channels on the Internet and can easily retrieve opinions through online forums and social networks.

The future of market research will still be primarily focused on the phenomena of social networking and the effect of communities. There is still much potential for innovation and a need for a better understanding of this phenomenon. Experience marketing is a word often used in market research that will definitely reveal new methods and new tools in order to better conduct market research in this area.

Concerning my contribution to this evolvement, I would like to further examine the trend of experience marketing in order to be able to find new ways to better understand the customer. As a student, I can gather the necessary skills from my courses; furthermore, I can put these skills into practice with institutions that have the expertise and knowledge in this field of research.

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

The quote “Don’t trust your gut” by Bonabeau (2003) shows the importance of analytical information as a basis for decision-making. It is often the problem in market research to justify findings, this quote therefore underlines that the necessary skills for a market researcher have a scientific, analytical and mathematical aspect. However analytical skills alone are not enough for this industry. Market research is a creative and very innovative industry, therefore market researchers have to have ‘gut’ instincts in order to translate raw data obtained through analytical research into information and knowledge. In my opinion, one should not totally forget about these feelings and creative mindsets for decision making. Since creative skills dominate the market research industry, not every decision can necessarily be based on analytical data. The best results could be gained using both skills together in order to gain full representative findings.

Additionally, market researchers have to have a sense of curiosity, the interest to better understand specific topics that animates them each time when working on projects. It is necessary in this industry to be flexible and to be able to “think out of the box” to see things critically and open-minded. Last but not least, communication skills represent an essential aspect of skills of market researchers. The ability to best communicate and best synthesize information obtained is a crucial part of a researcher’s work.

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

I have many aspirations for the years to come. For instants, I have to finish my studies by writing my Master Thesis which I will do in combination with a research project at the University of Geneva. After I have finished my studies, I would like to pursue a career in market research, therefore I would like to find a strong leading institution in an international environment that can constantly challenge me, give me freedom to explore new things, and also provides me with knowledge and information from their expertise.

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