This past summer, I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with two extraordinary individuals in today’s market research profession; Kara Mitchelmore, CEO at the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association of Canada and Finn Raben, Director General of ESOMAR. I thought it would be interesting to share with my fellow stateside researchers just a few of the issues these two leaders are facing as our industry continues to rapidly change and evolve.
Q. What is the one thing that differentiates Market Research in Canada/Europe from the United States?
Finn: Well, firstly, Size!! The US is the single largest MR market in the world, and the growth that it recorded in 2013 is the equivalent value of the total Canadian MR market!
The other element which differentiates us from the US market is our attitude towards Privacy, and the enforcement of regulations relating to it. In the US, Privacy is (primarily) regulated by the FTC, as a kind of consumer right, whereas in Europe it is viewed and regulated as a fundamental human right, and so it is much more likely to be enshrined in law.
Kara: Yes, I would agree. The benefit of the FTC approach is that breaches and fines can be more quickly implemented, but the downside is that it will always be based more on interpretation, rather than on a prescriptive law. There is currently a debate going on in the Canadian Government regarding privacy, which could see a shift in how privacy will be regulated in the future.
That said, the closer alignment between Canada and Europe on these matters, means that there is less misunderstanding of the requirements of the different countries in Europe, and allows us to facilitate our members global operations in a very streamlined way.
Q: In your opinion, why should anyone join an Association these days?
Kara: This is a great question – and one which we (both) struggle with daily!
Being a part of an association essentially offers members a way to distinguish themselves from others –through the multiple networking opportunities to meet your peers, the professional development opportunities to build your expertise and knowledge, and the adherence to recognized international standards. We need members and the industry at large to understand the importance in belonging to and working with Association members as it shows a commitment to quality and high standards.
Finn: Indeed! Bearing in mind that membership is a voluntary choice – and thus the adherence to standards (and the associated disciplinary systems in case of a breach) is also voluntary – is a clear signal to peers on both the supplier and buyer side that you are willing to invest more in your business (and the industry) to provide high quality work. From an ESOMAR perspective, we also try to connect international researchers, facilitate a global exchange of best practices, and with partners such as the MRIA in Canada and others elsewhere, provide a resource for formulating guidelines (be they on emerging methodologies or nascent legislation) that aid clients and agencies alike.
Q: What is the biggest challenge to your association today?
Finn: In a catchphrase: “Future-proofing”….those who are current members, or who have had prior experience or exposure to what we do, know our value – but does the next generation? And are we “fit for purpose” for that next generation? This is true of both client-side and agency-side, and often times, our (extensive) “bite” is considerably less well known than our “bark” – yet it is this very “bite” which demonstrates to our members our association’s wish to enforce the standards we all sign up to, as well as our efforts to ensure those standards are current and topical.
Kara: That’s true – Remaining relevant to the industry is key, so that buyers of research recognize and require (insist?!) that their supplier MR professionals have membership, in order to qualify to respond to RFP’s. Membership for them should be an added “value” – an added insurance, if you like – that their supplier company operates to the highest standards, and has willingly invested in his/herself and their company, to demonstrate a true USP.
- Do you have any questions for Kara or Finn regarding their organizations?
- Any thought on global market research or the future of our profession?
I look forward to reading your comments!
This entry was posted on Monday, October 20th, 2014 at 9:08 am and is filed under Guest Bloggers, Interviews.
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Barry Watson says:
When someone is starting out in marketing research and looking to join an association, what should they look for to give them confidence that the association is in tune with the needs of young professionals?
Finn Raben says:
Great question, Barry!
I would suggest that the things to check out are….
(1) does the association have a “new starter” programme, to help newcomers understand our profession? (this could be anything from an entirely separate chapter for the ‘next generation’, or simply a mentor programme for newcomers?);
(2) can the association provide guidance – either as formal training or as informal mentoring, across both the established as well as emerging methodologies, which will help to build their professional standing, and of course….
(3) Is there a “newcomer” (reduced!!) fee structure?!
Happy to discuss further at any time !!
Kara Mitchelmore says:
Interesting Question thanks Barry. I would say the following are important areas for any newcomers to the association world.
1) Look to see if there are any young leaders groups. This shows not only interest in the profession as a career choice for new entrants but also a great avenue for networking and getting more information on what it means to be a researcher at a more junior to mid level.
2) Free membership for students, discounted membership for new practitioners. This allows new members a chance to take advantage of being in the Association “family” while taking into account the likely financial constraints that exist when one is starting out.
3) Networking events – new entrants should look to their local area to see if there are events where they can network, take courses, etc… Many associations have vibrant chapters in different regions that help to ensure that members feel included and engaged.
Kara
Michelle Elster says:
Wonderful insights. Thanks for sharing.
Reg Baker says:
I had an email exchange with a colleague the other day in which he said, “The associations have given up and don’t care about quality any more.” I suspect that Kara and Finn might disagree with that and, if so, what are the associations doing to ensure that the next generation of researchers understands the concept of research quality and how to practice it?
Finn Raben says:
Another great question Reg!
Apologies too for the delay in responding, but time zones kicked in!!
You’re right – we do disagree – but that’s not to say that your colleague may not have a very good point – I’d welcome some more context.
That said…in the past 12 months, we have….
(a) rejected or expelled more members than in the previous 3 years; we do “bite” if we feel that conduct is unbecoming..!! We hope this sets examples to follow…
(b) actively initiated links with 5 different universities to “spread” the market research “Word” – particularly with regard to the basics (such as sampling, appropriate methodologies, etc)
(c) updated introductory literature, workshops and guidelines designed specifically at next generation researchers, including a debate around the “elasticity of rigour” (or quality!)
(d) provided newer researchers with a forum (Fringe Factory) to discuss and debate their thoughts on quality (along with a host of other issues).
So, we’re trying to do our share…but I always welcome input on how we could do more, and I would especially like to know a little more about your colleagues concerns, and more specifically, why this is being raised as an association shortcoming? Do please let me know!
Kara Mitchelmore says:
Quality and value are things that we strive for constantly in our Associations, but I agree with Finn, we are always looking for ways to create even more value for membership. This can be difficult when we are attempting to satisfy a wide array of different stakeholders, but we are working diligently toward the goal. Some of the areas in which we have made dramatic changes at MRIA this year include:
1) Complete revamp of standards to more closely align with our global partners
2) A change to our corporate fee structure to ensure that our quality registries are the responsibility of all members of the association
3) An overhaul of our complaints process to allow for quicker resolution
4) Initial stages of overhauling our core educational courses to remain relevant and ensure that graduates from our CMRP are highly trained and qualified
5) A greater presence in the post secondary forum, working with schools to ensure that students are aware of the standards of the Canadian Market Research community. Free memberships to all students to increase this exposure to the standards.
6) A more vocal advocate for the profession, working with the government on CASL and privacy legislation to ensure that both the public is protected and the membership is properly represented.
Always open to suggestions for continuous improvement, I welcome any additional feedback or insights into how we can assure our membership that quality is vitally important to the Association.
Kara
Reg Baker says:
Finn — the context was reporting on a discussion amongst a group of academically-oriented practitioners.
Chris Bonney says:
Good job, Ed!