MRSNZ magazine - Q4-2013

InterVIEWMAGAZINE OF THE MARKET RESEARCH SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND | Q4 2013MAGAZINE OF THE MARKET RESEARCH SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND | Q4 2013

InterVIEW

METAMORPHOSIS

Coming Jan 2014: Out with the old and in with the new.

P14

PHOTO: PANITHAN FAKSEEMUANG /123RF

2

Bugger me. What a year. I know we normally get to December and

say such things, but this year has really been something quite special. Like you, I have a job which fills my days, quite literally, with the most invigorating work I can imagine. I truly love being a researcher. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: being a researcher gives me the opportunity to experience New Zealanders from all corners of the country and the model. It also offers me the chance to work strategically and if I’m really lucky, make a difference to the clients I work with — and as a result, give something back to the Kiwis I rely on for the quality data we use to create the stories and recommendations we deliver. I digress.

As much as my day job has provided me with a great year, the industry body I’m fortunate to represent has also had an amazing year. We have rallied the industry and created debate, we’ve come together over a common cause, and although we haven’t always agreed, the mandate for change has been passed. As such, this is the last newsletter under the MRSNZ banner.

Next year, we will be a new body, one that represents the industry and profession. A body that will broaden its view and attempt to truly reflect our ever changing industry. A new era beckons; we shall toast the past and look forward to exciting times ahead. The transitional board is taking shape and the strategic plan is becoming clearer, but as we work, we know that our every move will be monitored and judged.

I welcome that scrutiny because I care. I want us to get it right. More importantly, I want every decision that is made – every action and everything we do – to be better than it was before.

We must raise the bar on what has happened before us in the same way clients and stakeholders expect more. The industry and profession expect the new body to deliver more than the previous two bodies. In some situations, that may be a tough ask because there have been some great achievements over the half century since MRSNZ, and subsequently AMRO, have been in existence.

That’s the exciting part.

Have a great break! I know you deserve it and let’s get ready to make 2014 a memorable one.

It has been a pleasure to serve you and I appreciate the chance you gave me and the committee to try and make a difference. Thank you, I hope the committee and I have lived up to your expectations.

Spence

wordfromtheprezPublisher:

Market Research Society of New Zealand

The dedicated team which produced this newsletter

includes: Sue CardwellKarin CurranRobyn MooreRitesh BisoiClaire Lloyd

Images are copyright to their owners and should not

be copied without permission.Copyright (c) Stock.XCHNG Photos, 123RF Stock Photos,

MRSNZ.

InterVIEW is published four times a year by an enthusiastic sub-committee of the MRSNZ

committee. The views expressed are not those of the MRSNZ.

We welcome your input and your requests for advertising space.

Visit us:www.mrsnz.org.nz

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Discuss with us:www.linkedin.com/groups/ MRSNZ-Network-3971139

Layout and design of this issue: Francine Chen

Quarter 4 2013 | InterVIEW

Spencer Willis

Quarter 4 2013 | InterVIEW 3

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Quarter 4 2013 | InterVIEW

!“People make objects and

objects make people.”

“The Research Association is a new

name that clearly articulates who we

are, what we do and is distinct from any

firms’ names.”

“People are willing to share even when

they are in the middle of a major sporting

moment.”

“We’re dealing with the same

issues as our global counterparts.”

spoileralert

Once I got past the awe-inspiring

entrance, everything just went like

clockwork.

6 InterVIEW | Quarter 4 2013

contentspage

news and views thoughts on qrca

news ac nielsen celebrates 90 years

feature what things might say about us

news regeneration: starting afresh

feature a vendor’s 10 days in auckland

save the date upcoming events

who's who 60 seconds with karin curran

movers and shakers hellos and goodbyes

summer school give your proposal feedback

innovations a new game plan

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14

24

8

40

34

45

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46

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feature: mrsnz conference 30

7Quarter 4 2013 | InterVIEW


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Nielsen turnsAt the age of 26, Arthur C Nielsen founded AC Nielsen on 24 Aug 1923. The company we recognise now had a very different focus in the beginning.

Art Nielsen, Sr did not foresee measuring media audiences or consumer goods when he founded his company. He trained as engineer and his work, much like at his old company, involved measuring the performance of industrial machines. Nielsen Field Surveys were conducted by “competent, specially-trained Engineer-investigators” to provide industrial clients with economic and engineering analysis of their products in the plants of their customers. The surveys themselves were extremely comprehensive – eventually they would cover more than 300 clients and 500 products – but they were difficult to produce and harder to sell. Profits were not made and the firm was on perilous ground.

After nearly five years of conducting industrial performance surveys, Nielsen was commissioned by General Electric and DuPont

to institute interview-style surveys with customers

and prospects. The surveys were well-received and Nielsen began to add consumer goods research to their burgeoning portfolio of industrial products.

The business we recognise today

was born during the depression of 1929-33 when, recognising how firms were struggling in hard times with more challenging marketing problems and tightening budgets, AC Nielsen

developed a retail drug index. The development of an Audimeter in the late ’30s expanded the business to include radio audience measurement and, hence, the reach and effectiveness of advertising. This was later adapted for TV audiences and is still one of the cornerstones of Nielsen’s business.

The NZ office opened in Wellington in 1953 and a small client service arm in Auckland shortly after. Auckland became the head office in NZ in 1985.

Since those humble beginnings, Nielsen has become a leading global information and measurement company that provides clients with a comprehensive understanding of consumers. Today, Nielsen has a presence in about 100 countries.

Happy 90th anniversary, Nielsen! ◆

Here’s a look at this global market research firm’s history

and journey to success


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Time Line1923: AC Nielsen Company founded.1933: Nielsen Retail Index Service launched in the US.1936: The Audimeter, a device for measuring radio audiences, acquired.1939: First international AC Nielsen business opened in Britain. Canada follows in

1944 and by 1964 the company operates in 14 countries.1942: After years of R&D and fine tuning, a commercial service measuring radio audiences is launched.1950: TV audience measurement is launched using a device based on the Audimeter. Over time, the

Nielsen Ratings become a household name in the US.1954: Launch of Test Marketing Services.1999: Nielsen Media Research acquired by VNU.2001: VNU also acquires AC Nielsen.2006: VNU was acquired by a consortium of six private equity firms.2007: VNU becomes The Nielsen Company.2011: Listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Art Nielsen, Sr

PHOTOS: NIELSEN.COM


Tools, challenges and cuddly toysAfter years of having the QRCA conference on my wish list, I finally got to cross it off in October. It was as good, if not better, than I had hoped. It definitely did not hurt that it was held in sunny San Diego at a lovely hotel with fantastic food (and margaritas!).

Anyone who has been to the QRCA conference talks about the sharing and open environment. I found this to be true. From my experience of New Zealand conferences and speakers, this open environment was refreshing. I find that in NZ, we are often sizing up the competition and wary of giving our best tips away. This is likely testament to our industry being smaller, whereas researchers in the United States can afford to be more open with other consultants as they are unlikely to be direct competitors. This open environment means I’ve come away with tools and techniques from researchers with over 30 years’ experience – true gurus in the industry.

It was reassuring to see how similar our two markets are. Of course, there are huge differences (scale, for one) but I found that all qual consultants from across the globe are facing the same challenges as we are in NZ, namely – ‘the death of the focus group’, ‘threat of big data,’ and ‘DIY research’.

On the last day, we had the key note speaker talk about the state of the qualitative market research industry. Key

Thoughts on the QRCA conference

>> continued P12

note speakers are always one to look forward to, and this one didn’t disappoint. His talk was reminiscent of a self-help seminar you see in US media, with fist-punching from the audience, cheerleaders in the front row and cuddly toys for winning answers (okay, I exaggerate!). While his style may not have been my cup of tea, his talk was definitely motivating. He gave everyone in the audience the wakeup call we need to push qual further and increase its relevance in this rapidly evolving industry.

Jen Curren, Glasshouse Consulting

“ Anyone who has been to the

QRCA conference talks about the

sharing and open environment. I found

this to be true.

views


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views

Same same — just differentComing from our small part of the world, it’s natural to be asking ourselves if we’re up with the play globally. I came away from the QRCA conference confident that at the very least, we’re dealing with the same issues as our global counterparts.

Like in NZ, the focus of qualitative in the US is on evolving our art to remain relevant. Many themes at QRCA were similar to those evident at the recent MRSNZ conference, including keeping our approach fresh, valuing (our limited pool of) participants; managing and utilising social media and optimising the use of mobile technology in the toolkit.

Key Takeout: Merril for President! (oops, an in-joke, and no disrespect to Obama, but I’m with Jen — the keynote speaker was slick!) Okay, real key takeout: I’m going to do a few things differently as a result of the conference, including spending time

setting the scene for fieldwork; managing ‘the backroom’ more carefully; and spending more time dialling into social media. ◆

Janette Williams, Delve Research & Strategy

Janette Williams

Potentiate Australia has appointed Barry Ooi as Managing Director for its new office in Malaysia.

“This is our second overseas office in addition to the one we have in Japan,” says Henry Cheang, Founder and CEO of Potentiate Pty Ltd. Potentiate is a data intelligence and technology company that has a strong foundation in market research, analytical software and sample provision.

Barry will be responsible for setting up its MSC status office in Malaysia and creating a strong presence across Asia. He has 20 years of experience in business development, marketing and international research, including a 14-year tenure with The Nielsen Company covering its retail measurement, brand equity and consumer research services.

He is also the CEO of Conversation Zone Sdn Bhd, a marketing research services company he founded. Conversation Zone will be integrated as a subsidiary of Potentiate Australia.

Says Henry Cheang: “We’ve been looking to expand into Asia and with Barry’s extensive experience and knowledge of the market, he’s an ideal

Potentiate appoints head for new office in Malaysia

“ We have some very exciting products

and services to bring to our clients. It is

actionable research with a difference; powered through technology.

person to lead our team as we set up our regional presence in Kuala Lumpur. He

has excellent management and leadership experience combined

with an entrepreneurial flair, so I’m confident that we will have a very successful venture into Malaysia and its surrounding countries”.

Barry says his immediate priority will be to ensure the

success of its MSC status application and build a strong team in its KL

office. “We have some very exciting products and services to bring to our clients. It is actionable research with a difference; powered through technology.” ◆

news


Development of the One Industry Body has continued apace since the overwhelmingly positive referenda at MRSNZ and AMRO late in May. You will recall that the motion was for a new single organisation to replace MRSNZ and AMRO NZ and to assume all of the responsibilities of those two organisations.

The One Industry Working Group brainstormed a number of new brand names which were then submitted to the solicitor handling the incorporation of the new body.

• A sub-group locked themselves in a room and created a new constitution, pulling together the best bits from the constitutions of the existing bodies and a few other industry organisations. The new constitution provides a sound basis for the Board, Committee and Members to run the new organisation and deal with any issues that may arise.

• The accountants and auditors of both organisations have been briefed and they will conduct audits of both organisations’ accounts in January 2014, effectively closing off the two organisations and allowing the transfer of existing funds, assets, et cetera, into the new body.

• A contingent from the OIWG met the solicitor in October to officially adopt the constitution and appoint the new Board per the original proposal document. The new Board comprises: Rob Clark / Nielsen Co. (Chair) Spencer Willis / Colmar Brunton

(Deputy Chair) Karin Curran / Curran Research

Associates Maria Tyrrell / Focus Research Winifred Henderson / Prime Research

• The Research Association was incorporated on 7 Nov 2013.

• A draft plan has been written summarising the Board priorities for 2014.

So what’s been happening since then?

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RE:GENERATIONRE:GENERATION


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By way of a reminder, the initial Board is designed as a “Transitional Board” – it will guide the organisation through the transition from two bodies to one and

set things in place for the elected Board which will

arise from the elections late 2014. The Transitional Board will be supported by the Committee, who will continue to assume responsibility for much of the great work done by the MRSNZ. There will be new opportunities to be involved

in the key action areas identified in the proposal document such as advocacy, self-regulation, professional development, industry networking, membership development and communications. The Board will also be supported by the contributions of part-time staff Claire Lloyd, Janine Bliss and Rob Bree.

The constitution allows for two additional Board members and during 2014 the Transitional Board will investigate bringing two more members on who are not from traditional research firms but most likely from the client side.

RE:GENERATIONRE:GENERATION

>> continued P16



news

Brand new nameThe Research Association is a new name that clearly articulates who we are, what we do and is distinct from any firms’ names. The URL researchassociation.org.nz was also available.

“We considered broadening the name to include other sectors but ultimately decided that it’s what we do with the name, how we as an industry attach meaning to the word

“research”, and what we do and say that will make it an attractive proposition to clients, suppliers, academics, statisticians, stretegiests and others over and above our traditional member base,” says Rob Clark, Chair.

What happens next?We’re working through the legal aspects of the transition with the goal of going live on 1 Jan 2014. You should start to see some activity from the second half of January as all assets and responsibilities are transferred over.

What about subscription fees?We will continue to collect the MRSNZ subscription and AMRO levy in 2014. The new levy system will kick in on 1 Jan 2015 as per the May Proposal Document. So for budgeting purposes, budget as you would in 2013.

What about the website and other forms of communication?It’s all going to require quite an overhaul and will no doubt keep a group of enthusiasts busy for a few months. It is important that we move quickly to embrace our new identity and we will do that as soon as we possibly can.

How can I get involved?Most of the good work will continue to be done by volunteers with support from the Board and the part-time staff. There are a number of activities planned. To get involved, contact either the Board or the


news

current Committee Members who will be transitioning to the new Association.

What are the benefits of the new Association?2014 is going to be a transitional year in which we begin to evolve into a more effective industry association. We’ve no doubt there will be challenges as we learn new ways of doing things. We’ll also start to set ourselves more ambitious targets, such as:

• Attracting a broader base of members especially clients, government researchers, academics and consultants.• Building a searchable database that enables the public, clients and government to clearly tell the difference between The Research Association members and non-members who

therefore are not holding themselves to an industry code of practice.

• Providing ongoing professional development opportunities for members which employers and members commit

to supporting.• More regular visibility for the industry in the business and mainstream media.

• Co-operate more fully with our colleagues in other industry groups to ensure our members have opportunities for greater exposure to the marketing, advertising and

public relations fraternities.• More opportunities for members to network within the broader research community.• More opportunities for members to get involved, both energetic and enthusiastic newcomers to the industry and those with many years’ experience to share. ◆

“The Research Association is a new name that clearly articulates who we are, what we do and is distinct

from any firms' names.

The association’s new logo.

thegrand

thingsscheme of

We spend more of our time and money on possessing ‘things’ than ever before, so the assumption is that we’ve become more superficial and materialistic. But anthropologist Daniel Miller has discovered that the things we live with say a lot about us — who we are and how we relate.

Miller picked a random street in London and persuaded 100 people and households to open their homes. He selected 30 portraits in The Comfort of Things to paint a bigger picture of urban life.

In this article, I’ve chosen three less usual ‘things’ that help us think differently about ‘things’. Things can be events, objects, products, brands, relationships, social practices, people or places.

by jesvier kaur, qzone | [email protected]


People make objects and objects make people.

Haidy Geismar, Anthropologist

>> continued P20

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PHOTO: XALANX/123RF


Tattoos and piercingsThere are lots of different reasons why people choose to tattoo and pierce. Miller’s conversation with Charlotte (in her twenties) shows tattoos and piercing can be a form of attaching and separating oneself through things. Each of Charlotte’s tattoos and piercings represents a specific memory. She has tattoos on her arms, back, and neck and was at the time on the way to having her legs tattooed completely. They mark key relationships in her life. Her first tattoo symbolised her relationship to her twin and her second tattoo to a lover. She also has piercings on her ears, nose, and belly that mark key events in her life from age 11 to 15 to 17. Later piercings marked moving out of home, becoming part of a new community, starting a new job, and the list goes on.

Charlotte uses her piercings to manage and control her memories, attaching and detaching objects from her body as people move in and out of her life. She removed a series of bottom earrings as a way of clearing older memories that she wanted to leave behind. Miller says we think of memory as something inside of our heads that we control from within. Memories tend to “bubble to the surface”, making them harder for us to control. Charlotte controls and categorises memories by treating them as a “thing” she can hold onto or let go of as she chooses.

However, tattoos can’t be controlled as easily as piercings. Charlotte carefully thinks through how she wants a tattoo to look — they’re not random or impulsive. She only selects and represents relationships associated with happy memories. When she looks at her tattoos, she’s reminded of who she is, what she’s done, and who she’s connected with. There is, I think, immense learning and possibility in what we understand as ‘things’ in

people’s lives, the meaning of those ‘things’ and the role/s brands could play in helping shape meaning.

Laptops as archivesMalcolm (in his 30s) lives between Australia and the UK. He sublets a property in London that’s shared among friends. His possessions are in boxes distributed across various places in Australia and the UK. So the house he lives in isn’t really home in the traditional sense.

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“Is your laptop the central thing

in your life?


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The closest place to a real home is his laptop. Malcolm’s life is organised through folders of emails, photographs, music and a blog. Miller describes Malcolm’s laptop as the place “he leaves himself and finds himself, creates order, tidies up, furnishes, dusts and returns to for comfort”. Malcolm’s email address acts as his permanent address. Friends or family go to his email address rather than mobile phone to track him down.

Malcolm has a “kind of living archive” on

his laptop. Organising himself in this way goes back to his Aboriginal ancestry. Malcolm’s mother was Aboriginal and her siblings were removed from their parents. Before she died, she recovered information on her siblings and Malcolm has archived his mother’s lineage on his laptop. Copies are stored in both an Australian state archive system and with relatives to preserve information for futures

>> continued P22

InterVIEW | Quarter 4 201322

descendants. His mother’s “things” (material possessions) were destroyed upon her death — this is common in Aboriginal life. Malcolm seems to have taken on that legacy too, by rejecting and giving away material possessions. He’s not attached to “things”.

Digital media has made it possible for Malcolm to easily store things and shed things at the same time. He keeps everything digitally and gives away possessions — objects like CDs are discarded and replaced with downloads. As he says, “CD covers — woosh yeah out they go, it’s just more crap to carry around”. Yet, the laptop isn’t an ideal solution. Malcolm worries that the digital formats he uses may become obsolete, potentially losing everything he’s so carefully categorised and stored.

Happy mealsPeople can bond with the most unlikely things. Once a week for six years, Marina took her three kids to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal. It was a chance to have a break from home and work chores with a convenient and reliable meal; half an hour of play with free toys produced in series that the kids could collect. The free toys matched movies the kids watched. Marina says the toys “are incredibly well made, such beautiful things and they’re free...” Her training in science means she appreciates the quality of the toys that are “mass-produced to an exceptionally high standard”. The bonus is plastic is difficult to damage, doesn’t deteriorate and is perfect for collecting.

Marina has collected the whole series for Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and Snoopy. She collects two of each toy, storing the second toy, believing they’ll become valuable in the future as collectors’ items. She loves watching her kids play with the toys and says: “If you have objects it triggers so much more, it

triggers the moment that you bought the object ... it triggers the visual ... and I think a lot of children do remember things visually.” She appreciates McDonald’s facilities and raves about their baby changing facilities, the reliability of their food, and the way you can sit and play. Marina points out her middle-class friends wouldn’t be seen in McDonald’s.

The toys gotten via Happy Meals have become a way for them to bond as a family. They have encouraged the kids to develop their imagination, learn how to collect, and along the way has created positive family memories. It’s interesting that brand can play such a central role in establishing family rituals and childhood memories.

Ethnographic insightMiller utilises ethnography in his book The Comfort of Things to make sense of people’s lives: their behaviour, relationships, lifestyles and connection with things. Ethnography has its roots in anthropology where ‘field trips’ are conducted over months or even years to study the customs, habits, beliefs and behaviour of other cultures. Spending such a long time with people is, of course, impossible in market research because of constraints of time, money and practicality. So ‘field trips’ are usually a brief snapshot limited to in-home, in-work, or out-and-about discussions.

We could learn much more through research by finding out how things operate in the home, how the family interacts, how the family eats, et cetera. Or observing how people use a product or service multiple times so they let their guard down and feel comfortable doing what they usually do. Ritual, as Miller shows, can reveal a lot. People don’t always tell us the obvious. Often, they’re unaware of what they do. Without multiple visits, it’s easy for researchers to miss out on

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things people don’t tell us or miss out on things we don’t see.

People use symbols to express who they are and what they’re about (as we’ve seen through Miller’s portraits). And a culture starts to shape around those symbols — young men and cars is a familiar one. It’s often not until we’re in people’s environments that we discover what

those symbols are and what value they have. As

Miller points out, people’s things are not random —

they’ve been accumulated to express who they are and provide comfort to their day-to-day life. If we can get closer to the inside of people’s lives, it will give us deeper insight into the meaning and value products, services and brands have in their lives. ◆


The toys via Happy Meals have

become a way to bond as a family.

PHOTO: KRYPTOBARRIOS/123RF

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whirlwind days10in auckland city

my

Canadian Shamsu Bhaidani of Focus Forums in Calgary, Canada, writes about his experience being in Auckland for the MRSNZ Conference as a vendor, and also as a tourist

PHOTO: BLONDEPARTY/123RF


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It is a warm September day in Calgary (western Canada, not that well-

known), 26°C, just perfect. On my way to the airport, I am very excited to make the 20-hour trip to Auckland — Middle Earth, mini-Canada, this exotic foreign land where everyone from home wants to go to and never come back from. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

So I get on my way from Calgary to Los Angeles and then to Auckland. Twelve hours, shoulder to shoulder with a US Marine who was built like a tank, how bad could it be? Well, let’s just say I made it ... somehow. Now it was time for my mission — meet some wonderful friends, meet clients, make new friends and clients, explore Auckland and most importantly bring my

A-game to the MRSNZ 2013 conference! My driver, who is also one of my dear

friends, braved coming to the airport at 5am to pick me up. We stepped out of the airport into a torrential Auckland welcome. I was assured that was typical for spring and that we’d get nice weather, too. I got a quick tour and then it was off to Starbucks to get some fuel for the day. The rest of Thursday was a blur — I remember driving on the wrong side of the road, getting a massage from the biggest guy they had available at Sylvia Park (I may have cried a bit) and then dropping off some conference goodies at Catherine’s house, where I got roped into putting together conference swizzle-sticks. For someone with hardly any sleep in 48 hours, I think I did okay; I just can’t remember.

>> continued P26

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Up bright and early on Friday, Sept 13, I made my way to the venue – the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Note to conference organisers around the world: this is what every conference venue should be like! Once I got past the awe-inspiring entrance, everything just went like clockwork. The conference team gave me all I needed to get set up – heck, I was even assigned a student volunteer/host who made sure I was looked after and who checked on me a few times throughout the day. I was ready for the masses!

The opening key-note setup promised to be a day of fantastic presentations and workshops. I was particularly appreciative that I was allowed to attend any of the sessions even though I was attending as a vendor. This is not very common to several industry events I attend – so thank you, MRSNZ! Since I had to man my trade booth most of the time, I was unable to attend all the sessions I wanted to, but I quite enjoyed

the few I did – Sessions 1 to 4.Another thing I appreciated was that

the conference attendees made an effort to come to the trade show area to say hello, ask about what we did and strike up conversations about work, life and Canada.

The day flew by very quickly and it was soon time for the acknowledgements and awards. Between Curran Research Associates and FocusForums, we provided four Google Nexus 7 tablets to some deserving winners. My favourite was Ananda Sutjijoso, who made a wonderful presentation about the impact and influence of technology in our lives today, as did her other four peers. It’s great to see the future of NZ research in capable hands!

Now it was time to party and oh man, you Kiwis really know how to party! The drinks event followed by dinner was simply top-notch, the dinnertime quiz competition


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“was quite entertaining and no conference should end without the attendees getting down on the dance floor and showing some moves. MRSNZ, you did not disappoint!

On the next five days in Auckland, I took every opportunity to explore this little slice of paradise you enjoy every day. I walked around near the universities, Queen Street and took the harbour cruise. I experienced an interesting drive culminating into jaw-dropping views from the Waitakeres. On a wonderful tour of the North Shore, I enjoyed view from the highest hill on Devonport, followed by a great dinner – thank you, Jane

McKellar! But none of this would have been possible without the support and unlimited time from my friend Karin Curran. She was my driver, tour guide and encouraged me to visit and enjoy a bit of NZ. Thank you!

Alas, it was time to go home and I was ready after 10 days away from the wife and kids. I got some gift-shopping done and bought some chocolates (pineapple lumps, specifically) and booze from duty free. I found myself asking – when is the next MRSNZ conference again? ◆

PHOTO: SIDS1/FLICKR

Once I got past the awe-inspiring entrance, everything just went like clockwork.



What worked?GS: I really enjoyed catching up with old friends. Everyone really seemed to get along, and this is important for a small industry such as ours. The choices were great, and the format worked well! What didn’t work?GS: The networking opportunity for newcomers. Perhaps a speed dating approach would have done the trick. Something that would have been of particular interest — “how clients select suppliers”. Best surprise of the conference?GS: The venue was pleasant. Did you learn something that you will use?GS: Gamification and Leigha’s talk; Galina’s client-side presentation — we needed more of these; Duncan always lifts his game... Makes me leave wanting to

“upskill” myself!

We talk to Grant Storry – Sonar Insight and Discovery, and Imogen Bosworth, Global Client Manager – Infotools,

to find out their thoughts on this year’s conference.

Q&AQ&AQ&A

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Other thoughts and comments.GS: Everyone should support conferences. Sometimes we forget to celebrate. So many people hate their jobs. As market researchers we get to do cool things and forget this in our day-to-day.

What worked?IB: Extremely well organised. Great choice of venue.

What didn’t work?IB: Although the hosts were very good at letting you know what speaker and topic were occurring next, there was no mention of the actual topic. Same in the info packs. I wanted more than a catchy title, in order to make an informed response on what speakers to hear.

Best surprise of the conference?IB: The band who played during dinner. And the dancing!

conference2013


Which paper(s) should we arrange repeat screenings of?IB: My favourites were Real People Real Stories – Potentiate; Blood Brothers on the Mean Streets of Twitter – Duncan Stuart; and Fizzy Visuals – Infotools.

What would you most like to tell the organisers?IB: Well done for preparing such a well organised, informative and entertaining programme. I greatly enjoyed the day. ◆

“ Sometimes we forget to celebrate. So many people hate their jobs. As market researchers we get to do cool things and

forget this in our day-to-day.

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What was your favourite moment?IB: Listening to Duncan Stuart speak about social media and web identities.

Which paper will you be sharing with friends and colleagues?IB: The Potentiate presentation. I come from a background implementing Customer Experience Management programmes, so their paper will naturally feed conversations on this topic.

Grant Storry


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Duncan Stuart“It is interesting how Market Research Conferences manage to capture so well the Zeitgeist of our profession. The humour, the subject matter and the themes this year all managed to be future-focused and, dare I say it, not at all concerned with methodology, case studies or the mechanics of what we do. A stranger would be forgiven for thinking that as a profession, we’re on the brink of throwing away the old models of what it means to be a market researcher. I felt quite

MRSNZ Conference: Presenters’ notesexcited that the vision appears to be more anthropological, (going deeper), while our skills also lean heavier toward story-telling (stories being the best single way to convey huge, complex data).

In many ways, I wanted more from each paper including my own. I wanted to hear more about the implications of what each paper addressed. Not just, “here’s a trend...” but “what this will really mean”.

I blame the TEDtalks format. In public speaking, my long-standing battle between


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MRSNZ Conference: Presenters’ notesmy innate enthusiasm versus the clock is something of a running gag, and so it proved at the conference when I ran 27 minutes instead of 18 minutes as prescribed. I’m glad the Big Hook didn’t appear and thanks to the chair for their grace. But for me, the whole TEDtalks format of 18 minutes is horrible. It is the third time I’ve spoken under the Tedtalk format (I came in bang on time on the other two – perhaps my clients had louder clocks), yet I remain as convinced as ever that it dumbs down proceedings.

This time, I had too much material for 18 minutes and even so, I’d edited out a huge swathe of additional insights.

In my first ever career as a script editor and writer for television, I discovered that a commercial half-hour drama (24 minutes) can never deliver the wallop of a good one hour (48-minute) teleplay with all of its twists, turns and character developments. The TEDtalks franchise seems to believe

>> continued P32


that we have an 18-minute attention span, and that simply leaves inadequate room to develop an idea, introduce a new concept, provide examples, flesh out some complications, resolve these issues and outline the so-what. Twenty minutes is optimum, they say. Tell that to the makers of Breaking Bad. At the conference, I felt every paper had the potential to go deeper and push harder and resolve unanswered questions. There were great topics constrained by the Tedtalk belief system. Am I alone in feeling that way?

Dianne DickinsonThe MRSNZ Conference is always a great opportunity for us to get together. It is a time to mix and mingle while learning about some of the great thinking that goes on

feature

in our industry. This year was no exception, but I think everyone felt a special buzz in the air this time around. The 2013 event marked the last conference under the

current industry body structure, and this was combined with a day

packed to the brim with inviting topics.

With shorter, snappier sessions, the day passed in a whirlwind of thought-provoking,

discussion-prompting events ensuring that there was always

something interesting to talk about at the breaks! For me, having the

opportunity to present was a delight in itself, while winning the People’s Choice Award was the icing on the cake.

Well done to the organisers for a day that ran like clockwork, and special thanks to everyone who enjoyed my presentation enough to cast their vote in my direction. ◆

Duncan Stuart

Dianne Dickinson

PHOTOS: MRSNZ

Quarter 4 2013 | InterVIEW 33

the DateSave

[WHEN] [WHAT] [WHERE] [HOW] [COST]

TBC — watch your inbox

Early 2014

5 to 7 March 2014

TBC — a weekday in Feb 2014

Award winners presentationHear a pick of the award winners from the Auckland conference.

MRSNZ Professional Development seriesDevelop those skills as a researcher — stretch your brain, update your learning.

Wellington (venue to be confirmed)

mrsnz.org.nz

mrsnz.org.nz

mrsnz.org.nz

NMSBA —

Neuro-

marketing

Science &

Business

Association

TBC

TBC

TBC

Enquire

MRSNZ Quiz NightCome as a team or we’ll place you in one! Show your peers how damn smart you are. Clients, this is your opportunity to show the Agencies who’s the boss!

Horse and Trap, Auckland

New York

TBC

Neuromarketing World ForumThe Neuromarketing Science and Business Association will hold its annual world forum in New York.


[WHEN] [WHAT] [WHERE] [HOW] [COST]

8 to 10 June 2014

15 to 17 Oct 2014

13 to 15 June 2014

MRIA Annual ConferenceThe Marketing Research and Intelligence Association will hold its annual conference, themed 'Dig Deep and Discover'.

QRCA Annual ConferenceThe Qualitative Research Consultants Association will hold its annual conference at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Saskatoon, SA, Canada

MRIA —

Marketing

Research

and

Intelligence

Association

QRCA —

Qualitative

Research

Consultants

Association:

qrca.org

servsig.org

Enquire

Enquire

300 euros

and up

AMA SERVSIG 2014 — International Service Research ConferenceThe mission of SERVSIG is to be the best full-service system for keeping in touch with the people, events, and knowledge of services marketing and management.

Thessaloniki,

Greece

TBC

30 April to 2 May 2014

qrca.org or

aqr.org.uk

EnquireBudapest, Hungary

AQR/QRCA 7th Worldwide Qualitative Conference“River Deep — Mountain High” Exploring the depths and challenges of qualitative research in a changing world.





Ipsos news We welcome two recent new starters to Ipsos with Jehan Perera joining as a Researcher from Victoria University and Sara Beccari joining us from Coca Cola in Australia.

Recent promotions are Laura Dowdall-Masters and Steven Gaston who have both been promoted to Research Manager. Ria Woo in DP has also been promoted to Analyst Level 2.

And we bid a fond farewell to Alan Yang, Debs Donaldson and Pip Gilbert and wish them well in their future pursuits.

Nielsen news Over the last few months there have been some new faces at Nielsen ... Sirianne Koo joins the Readership Operations Team, Warren Fernandes joins the HR team (after previous roles for Nielsen in Pakistan and then UAE), Carly Holloway and Sam Baker join the TAM DA team, and Elaine Hargreaves the Auckland Admin team.

We are also delighted to announce that Carin Hercock is our new

Executive Director, Consumer Insights. As a strategic marketer, Carin has a unique combination of analytical, insights and leadership skills developed across a broad range of leading media and FMCG organisations, including APN, Cerebos Gregg’s and Tip Top. She brings a wealth of experience to the Nielsen business, most recently as General Manager Business & New Product Development for APN.

We bid a sad farewell to Dalveen Singh who is moving to Australia to take up an exciting opportunity with our Sydney team. Claire Shewan is leaving to invest more time into her own business — a sustainable clothing brand, Jonathan Sim is leaving to go client-side at Goodman Fielder, and Nathalie Villain is heading across the ditch with Nielsen to the Australian TAM team as their Panel Call Centre Team Leader.

On the promotions front, congrats to Bonita Yuen who has been promoted to Senior Client Service Executive, Loreigne Tan

who has been promoted to Client Service Manager, and Beena Patel who has been promoted to Senior Manager. Bashar Basheer has also moved from the Media Team to Retailer Services Team and gets a well-deserved promotion to Manager.

Also please join us in congratulating Avie Leang and her husband Dennis on the arrival of their daughter Aoife Harper Lorenzo, Kashif Ahmed Quadri and his wife Maliha Jabeen on the arrival of their son Zohaib Ahmed Quadri, and Justin Sweetlove and his wife Natalie on the arrival of their daughter Jasmine Jean Sweetlove.

Finally, Nielsen celebrated reaching of 90 years old around the world in August!

Research Now newsElizabeth May has been appointed Vice President of Client Development, responsible for leading Research Now’s client development teams in both Australia and NZ. Elizabeth, originally based in Europe, has recently relocated from Auckland to Research Now’s Sydney office to

Movers

AND

Shakers


Movers

AND

Shakers

assume her new role. Elizabeth has just under 20 years of leadership experience in the market research industry, serving as International Client Director for TNS, EMEA Manager at Nielsen BASES, and Group Director of Global Clients at Info Tools, prior to joining Research Now in August 2013.

Laura Mallon, after spending five years at Market Pulse International as an Operations Team Leader, Field Manager Australia as well as the last two years there as an International Account Manager, has made the move to the small but dynamic NZ Client Development team at Research Now. Laura has brought some interesting experience to the Research Now team with her knowledge of all things

mystery shopping and now market research, as well as her Australian accent!

Colmar Brunton newsColmar Brunton has welcomed several new people to the team over October and November. Aiden Regan our new Account Director for the Auckland Qual team, Jason Everest joins us as the new Business Development & Sales Manager for Consumer Link. There has also been a number of new comers to the Quant team Debs Donaldson is our new Senior Account Manager, we also have two new client executives Terence Priggen and Hamish

Marchant. And finally, welcome to Michelle Glass, our Data Services Manager.

We have also had a number of promotions recently. Penelope Lim has been promoted to Client Executive, Quant as well as Katie Turner and Charlotte Brock who have been promoted to Senior Client Executives, Quant.

Sadly we also say goodbye to Elena Coubray, Senior Client Executive, Rania Guirguis, Senior Client Executive, Quant and Sophie Kindleysides, Project Manager, Sensory

Congratulations to Rachel Pita who recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy and to Jerren Naidoo on his recent engagement. ◆


innovations

Whilst we didn’t quite bring the America’s Cup home (this time), New Zealanders remain hopeful that the team will pose a strong challenge next time round. The same forgiveness can’t quite be said for sponsors of large sporting events who are increasingly pushed to justify this significant spend. What’s more, they need quick, in-depth research to facilitate advertising and media spend decisions ahead of the competition. The days of spending half the research budget on long, cumbersome tracking studies which might yield some interesting findings weeks after the event are long gone.

This is not the only change we’re

MOBILE RESEARCH GOES TO THE GAMEIs it the battle of the states or battle of the brands?

By

encountering. The past decade has seen substantial changes in how we interact within society. Recent studies suggest that Kiwi smartphone ownership is now at 60%, having almost doubled in just 12 months (TNS, 2013). This rapid advance in technology has also dramatically shifted the interaction consumers expect from brands and, in turn, has implications for how we approach research.

Along with Luma Research, we’ve found this challenge to be a gateway to opportunity. Luma has listened to the concerns of their clients and is re-inventing advertising research to meet the needs of business managers in


innovations

this new environment. Research Now has led the way in mobile research technology by building and perfecting a best-in-class mobile platform, enabling researchers and advertisers to better tap into the mobile audience.

We wanted to see what mobile could offer in the sporting sponsorship world. And where better to play than the State of Origin, where the stakes are not only high for the Maroons and the Blues but for sponsors as well. In particular we aimed to explore:

• Could you interview fans ‘in-the-moment’?

• What could mobile add to traditional research?

• How would response rates vary across each game?

• How willing would they be to upload photos/videos?

• Could we use mobile technology to improve the respondents’ experience and hence engagement?

• Could mobile provide us with a way to get closer to the audience?

• Could we replace questions with observations?

Many questions to be answered and in a time-pressured situation.

>> continued P42

PHOTO: NEXUSPLEXUS/123RF


innovations

kickoff

results1. Respondent engagement 2. Fast response time

Participation rates and respondent engagement was consistently high, both in terms of repeat responses and media uploads.

38% 34%

69% 76%

uploaded a photo in

Game 1

uploaded a photo in Game 2

of Game 1 participated in Game 2 survey

of Game 1 participated in Game 3 survey

Given that these were fans who were watching the game they love, this level of participation was astonishing, as was the variety of photos received (top right).

Across the three games, an average of over 60% completion was seen by the end of the first half; much faster than what we would expect of traditional online surveys.

19%

19%

62%1st half

2nd half

post game

Source for all graphics: State of Origin 2013, Mobile Research Goes to the Game, Research Now & Luma Research 2013

Together, we undertook a five-part study, utilising a traditional pre- and post- online survey and a short mobile survey during each game to track any changes in brand feelings and perceptions.

We recruited N=431 respondents who were considering watching or attending the State of Origin series.

The core sponsors were chosen: Holden, AAMI, XXXX, GIO, VB and Jeep.


3. Depth of response

To investigate, we looked at whether “brand love” for the sponsors differed at the game via immediate mobile feedback or if it was consistent with traditional pre-post shifts. Could mobile get us closer to the audience?

Pre-Series Post-Series

Holden VB GIO XXXX JeepAAMI

Mea

n sc

ore

5.25

7.00

3.50

1.75

0.00Team NSW Team QLD

Pre-game

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

innovations

One could have been excused for thinking that sponsorship does little for the brands, but this is not the whole story. For instance, our ‘QLD’ supporters loved XXXX so much more than those from ‘NSW’ during Games 2 and 3, notably when they were winning.

Overall sponsor association was influenced by the stadium itself. Across all the games, VB, XXXX and Holden had the strongest ratings, however, VB and XXXX both increased substantially for Game 2, held at Brisbane’s Suncorp stadium.

Game 1Game 2Game 3Average

60

40

20

0VB XXXX Holden AAMI GIO

>> continued P44

innovations

InterVIEW | Quarter 4 201344

4. A picture is worth 1000 words (or at least five survey questions)

We investigated whether traditional questions could be replaced with image analysis, specifically, common

“feelings” questions. We know the limitations of these questions as people often cannot express how they feel or their answers reflect only a considered and rational response. Video uploads added another layer to the findings.

The depth and diversity of the clips was incredible. One theme was finding a sponsor who promoted healthy eating. Many felt that alcohol sponsors would be better balanced

or replaced with something that linked to sport and health, be it healthy food, exercise services or sports brands. Even those drinking a beer shared this same sentiment!

While there are so many more things we can find out, we hope this inspires you with the doors mobile can open. With sufficient groundwork on the technological capabilities and now high smartphone penetration, mobile data collection offers a relevant and convenient means of participation for respondents.

Furthermore, the affinity people feel with their mobile device demonstrates a clear opportunity for more detailed feedback and involvement in survey responses. People are willing to share even when they are in the middle of a major sporting moment.

By daring to combine this with the advertising research process, brands and businesses can benefit from a faster, better and cheaper way of harnessing the perceptions and motivations of their audiences. Everyone’s a winner (apart from the Blues, that is!) ◆

the final whistle

“ People are willing to

share even when they are in the

middle of a major sporting

moment.

PHOTO: XCFOTO/123RF


Chilled out weekend brunch? Meet me at: Rickshaw Eddy’s, where there are comfortable seats, beer, and the staff know what I like to eat!

I get stressed out by: Humans. All of ’em, including me.

To relax, I: Wallow in gadget porn or look for typos and grammatical errors on the internet.

InterVIEW is coming to dinner. I’m cooking: Something that includes potatoes. Maybe pasta. Actually, you wouldn’t want to come to dinner — let’s go out instead to a nice Thai, Japanese or Korean place.

The music I’m listening to now is: A compilation of Bush, Slipknot and Abney Park.

Last good book / article / podcast: The Third Bullet by Stephen Hunter. I had no idea it was about the JFK assassination and he convinced me with his version. Which I have to admit is the only version I’ve ever read in any detail, so I might have been an easy sell.

When I win the jackpot, you’ll find me: Wondering who the hell bought me a ticket. And if they’ll want it back!

My worst job: Official feline excretion spotter and cleaner (1976 – present).

The life lesson I wish I had learnt sooner rather than later: “The” life lesson? As if there’s just one?!? Okay — that being right isn’t the most important thing in life. And just to lighten the hell up. (Yeah, I’m still working on these...) ◆

60 seconds with Karin Curran

Karin found out in 1994 that she could get paid to ask one group of people nosy questions and then tell another group of people what they should do — a dream job for a buttinsky know-it-all. She enjoys her B2B and pharmaceutical niche as it lets her mostly skip evening and weekend fieldwork is a perfect fit with her skills and interests.

who'swhoinMRSNZ


Market Research Summer School PROPOSAL FOR YOUR INPUT

Summer School with Ruth Clarke, tutor for the MRS UK, is coming to New Zealand early in 2014.This is a top quality programme which has run for years in the UK and is being adapted to the local market. It’s designed to benefit research practitioners and research users who already have a sound grasp of research methods and techniques but want to take their understanding to a more strategic level.

Is it the perfect course for you and your organisation? We’d like to hear your thoughts, and whether you’ll be interested in supporting the programme.

GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK NOW & QUALIFY FOR DISCOUNTED TICKETS!

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? Click here to check out the who, what and how of the

Summer School programme.

Tell us when we should run the programme and how we can

make it work for you and your organisation. Click here to go to the feedback form.

Thanks in advance for your input into this exciting programme.

MRSNZ magazine - Q4-2013

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