Over the past few months we have hired a number of staff who come to M/A/R/C with certain Research Association affiliations they would like to continue . It got me to think about what organizations are the best. I would imagine it depends on a few things:
- How long you have been in the industry
- What your job responsibilities are
- Whether you work for a client, supplier or a data collection company
These are just a few of the questions that need to be answered.
Below is a list of 47 associations. If your boss said you could join any three, which ones would they be and why?
- Advertising Research Foundation
- Alliance of International Market Research Institutes (AIMRI)
- American Association for Public Opinion Research
- American Association of Advertising Agencies
- American Economic Association
- American Marketing Association
- American Society for Quality
- American Statistical Association
- Asociación Española de Estudios de Mercado, Marketing y Opinión
- Association for Qualitative Research
- Association for Survey Computing
- British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association (BHBIA)
- British Market Research Association
- Canadian Advertising Research Foundation
- Canadian Association of Marketing Research Organizations (CAMRO)
- Council for Marketing and Opinion Research
- Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO)
- ESOMAR
- European Chemical Marketing and Strategy Association
- European Consortium for Online Research
- European Federation of Associations of Market Research Organizations
- European Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Organization (EphMRA)
- Institute for International Research
- Interactive Marketing Research Organization (IMRO)
- International Association of Service Evaluators (IASE)
- International Mystery Shopping Alliance
- Japan Marketing Research Association
- LIMRA International
- Market Research Society (MRS)
- Market Research Society of Australia (MRSA)
- Market Research Society of New Zealand
- Marketing Research Association
- Markt Onderzoek Associatie
- Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA)
- National Center for Professional Mystery Shoppers & Merchandisers
- National Network of State Polls
- Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence and Research Group (PBIRG)
- Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Group (PMRG)
- Population Association of America
- Population Reference Bureau
- Professional Marketing Research Society (PMRS)
- Puget Sound Research Forum
- Qualitative Research Consultants Association
- Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
- Travel and Tourism Research Association
- Usability Professionals’ Association
- World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR)
We are very curious to know what associations we may have left out.
I look forward to your choices and reasons why.
Christine Farber-Cook says:
I am a member of AMA, MRA and BMA (which you have left out). This is the Business Marketing Assocation. Thier corporate headquarters are in Chicago.
Harry Heller says:
Merrill:
I found this hard to answer because some of the organizations require corporate membership and others require individual membership.
As a past executive of organizations of both types, I can tell you that the differences are tremendous.
Individual membership organizations tend to lean toward “networking”, career education, and social events. As important as advancing the standards of the industry and gaining knowledge, are those of improving career opportunities through better skills and either advancing within or outside the organization. I used to wince whenever an emplyee whom I reimbursed to join an individual member organization left because (s)he was found by someone at a networking party who was looking for someone for another job.
Corporate member organizations have other goals. Education is to improve the skills of the company through the individuals working for it, or benchmark the company skills against other companies. Improving standards tends to be for the good of the industry. The company signs off on the standards and practices and a company pledge of high standards must be weighted higher because it represents the way they want to do business.
So if I am the head of a company doing marketing research I would want the company to belong to an industry group whose standards are respected (e.g., CASRO, ARF and perhaps an international equivalent.) For me personally (I’m no longer concerned about career advancement,) I would gravitate to a group of senior researchers who discuss issues and research approaches that keep me up-to-date or ahead of the curve (AMA, MRA, ESOMAR) or one of the several “rump” groups of researchers (based on invitation) meeting in nice places with intensive programs of discussions and practices.