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ESOMAR Next
ESOMAR is committed to the development and advancement of talent within the market research industry and beyond. Providing all those involved the opportunity to increase their knowledge and further develop their careers in market research.
FUTURE TALENT MEETS THE INDUSTRY
ESOMAR Online Research & WM3 2010
Name: Sabrina GottschalkNationality: German
University: Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Title of course/programme: Msc. in Management and Marketing
How do you see the market research industry evolving and how can you contribute to it?
The role of market research in today’s business world is more important than ever. Firms face an increasingly dynamic, fast-paced and challenging environment. Insights from market research can enable them to better understand their customers and markets and in turn take better decisions, implement more effective solutions and stay ahead of competition.
Most importantly, I believe that the market research is heading towards an increasing focus on online research. The Internet has become a major aspect of consumers’ lives - for communicating with each other, e.g. on social networks or for interacting with companies, such as on firm-owned forums and blogs. This allows for a whole new range of approaches for market researchers. First of all, information can be collected in a quick and often convenient and cost-effective way. Secondly, new insights on consumer behaviour can be won, for instance from gathering data on consumer interaction in social communities. Thirdly, online research can be designed in a way which makes participation less time-consuming and more entertaining for the consumer, which may lead to increased response rates. Nevertheless, this new trend for online research also incorporates some challenges. Most importantly, companies must avoid the trap of drowning in too much data and experiencing information overload. This enhances the importance of market researchers to develop valid and reliable measurement tools for addressing highly specific research questions. Besides, many consumers, especially elderly ones, are still not using the Internet on a regular basis, which causes difficulties for generating representative insights.
In sum, I believe that the market research industry faces a dynamic and challenging future. Online market research in particular is still at an early stage and offers much more potential for future developments.
I believe that my studies have given me a solid foundation on market research, for example through courses in consumer behaviour, qualitative research or multivariate analysis. I have currently completed my master thesis on electronic word-of-mouth communication, in which I examined which underlying motives cause consumers to write online product reviews for others. In order to address my research question, I carried out a large scale quantitative online survey. I hope that my thesis could already deliver some new and valuable insights on this fascinating topic. After finishing my master’s degree, I plan to stay in the academic field and continue with a doctorate program. I hope that I will be able to contribute fresh, new ideas to market research which can be beneficial for academic purposes as well as for practitioners.
What are, in your opinion, the necessary skills for market researchers in the present environment?
For me, the most important skill a market researcher should possess is curiosity. There really must be a fascination to get to the bottom of things and an interest for understanding why things are the way they are and how different variables belong together. If this fundamental drive is missing, it will be hard to portray the level of discipline and persistence which is necessary for dealing with very fine-grained research questions. Of course, strategic thinking and analytical skills are also of importance.
On the other hand I believe that a market researcher should also be creative, open-minded and social. In the end, market research is always about people. It is for example crucial to always keep in mind who will use the data in the end and to present the findings in an understandable manner to all participants. Additionally, creative and out-of-the-box thinking is necessary for a market researcher in order to develop new, up-to-date research tools and deliver unconventional insights. An open-minded approach of going up to people and sharing one’s research views and findings is the best way to exchange ideas and keep one’s research on the cutting edge.
How do you see your career unfolding and what are your aspirations?
I see my career unfolding with an academic focus and hope to start as a research assistant in combination with a doctorate program at a university. I could imagine writing my dissertation in the field of online consumer behaviour and would definitely like to pursue a quantitative approach. I hope that my research can deliver new insights regarding how consumers behave in an online environment and that I can also publish some papers on this topic. Moreover, I would like to stay closely in touch with various companies and institutions from the market research field, possibly in terms of some kind of research cooperation, and I hope to build up a network with interesting people from all over the world.
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