FUTURE TALENT MEETS THE INDUSTRY

ESOMAR CONGRESS 2010

Rodoula Psylla Name: Rodoula Psylla
Nationality: Greek
University: Piraeus University, Athens, Greece
Title of course/programme: MSc in Business Administration
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How do you see the market research industry evolving and how can you contribute to it?

Market research plays a crucial role in the business world and influences key decisions varying from new product development to recruitment policies. Accurate and well done research is of great value because it brings effective results combined with the speed modern businesses require. This combination gives a company necessary competitive advantages.

The level of market research that is realized recently in private companies as well as in public sector campaigns has increased. The desire for more information in decision making has become essential and the need for better insight into what drives consumers is considered of central meaning.

How I contribute: I build on the existing frameworks of the market research and try to deepen meanings and motivations to best suit the business. My previous experience in qualitative research is essential in unfolding and understanding people’s behaviors and motivations. Also, crucial to my contributions is my ability to predict future attitudes based on historical behavior patterns.

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

Apart from quantitative and specific technical skills market researchers need:

  • Creativity. Research is based on innovation and develops new, creative ways to understand and approach topics related to the market.
  • Communication skills and flexibility: market research benefits not only the enterprises conducting it, but also the consumers at which it is directed. However, any misuse or malpractice of market research can harm customers and even negatively impact their attitudes if they feel exploited, or their personal information violated. Therefore market research professionals should take care to transfer data in the most appropriate and respectful ways for consumers and businesses.
  • Team orientation and high analytical skills. Market researchers usually work on a research team with statisticians, motivational research specialists who design survey questions, interviewers, IT specialists and a variety of other professionals relative to the topics. The information received needs to be analyzed thoughtfully and collaboratively by the entire team, and interpreted properly so that it will be most useful to those who requested for the research.

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

Market research does not take place only in big enterprises but it plays a crucial role in small and middle size companies as well. When market research is done well, middle size companies benefit and therefore succeed and turn into big companies by using the research to increase their productivity and raise their profitability. I want to be part of that process. Nowadays, competitiveness in the global business world requires that a company is able to give consumers what they want and need. I want to contribute to this professional effort by helping a company gain more accurate knowledge about its customers, serving both the company and the consumer. The field of market research in business model is challenging and never static, allowing me to continually learn something new about how consumers face the market under varying circumstances such as life style, stage of life, social, economic and other environmental conditions, or what drives their decision-making process. I have the skills to contribute to a company’s ability to provide consumers with needed and desired products in an ever changing market by conducting high level, quality market research.

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