Re-branding of Roles in Marketing Research

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marketing research rolesResearch has changed drastically over the past few years from when I first started, so it’s no surprise why marketing research companies have evolved in how they do research and how they brand themselves. But whether we call ourselves data scientists, insights experts, or research specialists, what does this all mean?

According to the GRIT 2014 report, marketing research methods using mobile surveys, online communities, and social media analytics have increased exponentially from just a few years ago, and are now considered mainstream methods in research. This change in marketing research methods impacts our roles in this industry in 3 ways:

  1. “Big” Data Scientist– Is technically a fancy word for a marketing research analyst. Annie Pettit from Peanut Labs makes a good point that just because the volume of data increases doesn’t make the work different. However, we do have to adapt and use the most up-to-date tools and software to accommodate for big data. If your capabilities are not evolving neither will your insights and your clients will move on.
  2. Insights Expert– Marketing researchers have to wear the hat of the client, especially for B2B. The need to understand the client’s problems, backed by multiple data sources, and give actionable feedback. It’s not enough to provide insights from one source, one survey, one study. For example, results from a customer satisfaction may not give full insights if employee engagement is not being monitored as well. The insights expert connects the dots between studies to create new and meaningful customer knowledge.
  3. Storyteller– Gone are the days where every survey question have to be charted so that the client would understand the data. As researchers we have to condense the data to tell a cohesive story (even if that means leaving out half the survey questions in the report!) More information use to mean better reporting, the saying less is more is now the watchword for marketing researchers.

Not only has Infosurv evolved our roles, but also adapted to our client’s needs. Whether it’s using the latest advanced analytics techniques or infographic reporting decks our dedication to our clients never stops–with or without new titles.

Download our new brochure to see how we adapt to our client’s research needs

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Lenni Moore

Lenni Moore is the Director of Operations at Infosurv. She’s always been passionate about fostering strong professional relationships. It’s precisely these relationships that allow her to exceed her clients’ expectations because she knows exactly what they want and then leverages her experience to get it for them.