A Growth State of Mind

If there was any question as to whether conferences are back in full swing, Quirk’s New York 2022 answered a resounding “YES.” Rooms were packed; people stood in the back and spilled into the doorway. Every facet of the industry was present with brands, agencies, res-tech, and higher education. The overflowing amount of content led to pages worth of notes and inspiration. While I could not clone myself and attend every session, below are some key takeaways:

HUMAN-CENTRIC INSIGHTS

• Going from “so what” to the” now what” session, a panel of seasoned insights veterans from Colgate, PepsiCo and Reckitt discussed the topic of inclusive research. They noted how representation matters and research is no exception. Research professionals must seek intentional design, work collaboratively with suppliers, and motivate team members to ensure representation. Reaching valuable underrepresented groups, is worth the time and money.
• Tina Nathanson (Quest Diagnostics) and Susan Fader (Fader Focus) took the talk away from tech and reminded us that our “respondents” are human first. Their interviews with health care professionals uncovered deep details that could only be extracted via authentic communication. When conducting in-depth interviews, get the professionals in the “right frame of mind” by unarming them. Tap into their self-perception and treat the interview as a conversation, not an interrogation. Participants are people with emotions; as Estee Lauder and Andrew Livermore (Curion) demonstrated, and feelings are essential in product/choice development.  Jaclyn Williams and Abby Thorsgaard of TikTok elaborated on this during their presentation by quantifying the long–term impact brands can make. Using neurocognitive techniques, Tik-Tok proved to the brands that their platform solicited longer-time positive associations than other avenues.

ENGAGE, INNOVATE & GROW WITH CONFIDENCE

• During Insight community, evolved: How Samsung is engaging Gen Z, experts discussed this growing consumer segment, and why reaching them is complicated. Gen Z engages with content differently. E-mail is dead, and open text communication is thriving. When opting Gen Z into research, e-mail may not be the best vehicle. Leveraging chat platforms, we can overcome the death of e-mail and embrace conversational text. Plus, a GIF sometimes says it all.
• Caron Merrill (CVS health), championed tech platforms, for teams that require fast and reliable insights for message testing. Real-time insights, dashboards, visualizations, and API integrations are benefits these platforms offer. Cindy Chastain of Mastercard reminded suppliers how our insights are the gas that provides fuel for companies that prioritize innovation. Using an AI UX platform, Mastercard provides product teams and engineers access to insights that help them prioritize.
• Katie Petri (Tillamook) gave a creamy talk on executing a trend framework and immersing your company in it. Trends unlock opportunities and context for the future but are often confused with fads and are hard to make actionable. Researchers can use the guidelines to create trend insights with direct calls-to-action and inspiration.

THE FUTURE OF MRX

• Stephan Kraus (MRII) spoke about industry trends and the future of insights, looking at the evolution of research from polling to big data to insights. Currently, most bridge insights with foresight. With needs expanding from data collection, synthesis, and prediction, researchers are called upon to broaden their skills. A wide range of degrees, certificates, articles, and podcasts are available for those looking to stay ahead in the field.
• Clint Jenkin (Vanguard), provided comic relief, offering a unique perspective on inter-office personas we meet and how to deal with them. At the end of the talk, the audience gained resolutions to deal with difficult personalities including finding common ground, considering their circumstances, asking about their fears, and maximizing the relationship over ego. A.J. Sturges of the Chicago Blackhawks prompted us to reflect on our transactional relationships with our team and to be conscious of our language and the rapport we build.

These are just some highlights that provided a new perspective on the industry I have new sticky notes, quotes, and bookmarked articles at my workstation. As much as I love networking with my peers, I value the amount of knowledge I brought back with me to CMB. Please reach out if you’d like to discuss any of these insights, or the ones left unwritten!