1. the magazine of the
Marketing Research
and Intelligence
Association
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
MY EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
MADE IN FRANCE
LOBOTOMIES AND SURVEYS:
WHAT’S THE RELATIONSHIP?
STAYING
AHEAD OF
THE CURVE
4. 4 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
COMMENTARY / COMMENTAIRE
Annie Pettit PhD, Chief Research Officer / Directrice de la recherche, Peanut Labs
Editor-in-Chief, Vue / Rédactrice en chef, Vue • Email: annie@peanutlabs.com • (416) 273-9395 • t @LoveStats
Please share your opinions about Vue articles and columns, or submit your cartoons and infographics to the Editor.
La rédactrice vous invite à lui faire parvenir directement vos commentaires, opinions, caricatures ou infographies.
Annie Pettit
EDITOR’S Vue
Welcome to 2015!
As always, Vue has lots of new things in store for
the year. We hope you like them!
First, we say goodbye to Fiona Isaacson who
was a wonderful Associate Editor and spent many
hours working on interviews and gathering content
for Chapter Chat. At the same time, we say hello
to Jeff Hecker and Paul Long who are our new
Associate Editors. The next time you’ve got some
great MRIA chapter or event photos, be sure to
send them to Jeff. And, Paul will be on the lookout
for the next great blog post and conference review.
We’re also welcoming a new crew of columnists
who plan to inspire you, teach you, and make you
squirm with disagreement. Simon Bonaventure
takes over the reins of La Belle Vue column sharing
thoughts about research from La Belle province
Québec. David Coletto takes on the controversial
topic of polling and politics in research with
his “Perspectives on Polling” column. Donya
Germaine takes a stand against second-rate
research in her column, “Good Enough is not
okay.” And of course, the Dr. Ruth column will
continue to answer all the standards questions you
send anonymously to Ruth Corbin.
Also, stay tuned for an occasional “From the
Classroom” section which will share news from
Canadian post-secondary marketing research
institutions. You might just find your next
new hire showing off a well-deserved award or
presenting at a conference.
Finally, in our midst, we have many great
Canadian bloggers who have been quietly and
passionately blogging about important research
topics. Stay tuned for “Best of the Blogs” where we
showcase a blog post you can’t afford to miss.
May the coming year bring you great vendors,
great clients, and fascinating research projects!
Bienvenue à 2015 !
Vue vous réserve beaucoup de nouveautés cette
année. Nous espérons qu’elles sauront vous plaire.
Nous annonçons d’abord le départ de Fiona
Isaacson, notre infatiguable adjointe à la rédaction et
la responsable de “Chapter Chat” et de nombreuses
entrevues. Du même coup, nous saluons l’arrivée de
deux nouveaux adjoints à la rédaction, Jeff Hecker
et Paul Long. Vous avez des photos d’activités ou
d’événements dans votre région? C’est à Jeff qu’il
faut les expédier. Pour sa part, Paul se fera un plaisir
de recevoir vos interventions, compte-rendus et
commentaires.
Vue accueille aussi une nouvelle équipe de
chroniqueurs cette année, des chroniqueurs qui
ne manqueront pas de vous informer, de vous
inspirer et, de temps à autre, de vous choquer.
Simon Bonaventure, un chercheur, prendra ainsi
les rênes de La Belle vue, une chronique qui
présente la perspective québécoise des choses,
cependant que David Coletto et sa chronique
“Perspectives on Polling” aborderont des questions
délicates reliées aux sondages et à l’influence de la
politique sur la recherche. Donya Germaine ragera
pour sa part contre la recherche de second ordre
(“Good Enough is not okay”) et Dr. Ruth (Ruth
Corbin) continuera de répondre discrètement à vos
questions « anonymes ».
Nous publierons aussi à l’occasion “From the
Classroom”, un coup d’oeil à ce qui se passe dans
les classes de recherche marketing dans les collèges
et universités du Canada. Peut-être y ferez-vous la
connaissance d’une prochaine employée qui reçoit
une récompense bien méritée ou qui présente un
mémoire.
Enfin, nous ferons de la place aux nombreux
excellents blogueurs de notre secteur qui abordent
avec passion et conviction des sujets importants
dans le monde de la recherche. “Best of Blogs” :
les blogues et interventions dont il faut absolument
prendre connaissance.
Cette année, je vous souhaite simplement que
fournisseurs fiables, superbes clients et projets de
recherche intéressants soient tous au rendez-vous.
5. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 5
Write us at events@mria-arim.ca
http://conference2015.mria-arim.ca/news/index.php
Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuilliez nous contacter au 416-642-9793 x8723
21 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 1102, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4T 1L9
Kristin Luck
Serial Entrepreneur
former President of
Decipher
Steve Levy
COO, Market Research
Canada East,
Ipsos
Paul Smith
Corporate Trainer
in Leadership
and Storytelling
Techniques
Lisa Ritchie
Senior Vice President,
Customer Knowledge
and Insights,
Scotiabank
Full conference passes begin
at $1,095 CAN and group
discounts apply for 5 or
more delegates from the
same company.
For Conference Information and to Register, visit http://conference2015.mria-arim.ca/news/index.php
Follow us on twitter at #mria15 and on our website, as we provide exciting updates on what
promises to be a unique, fascinating, stimulating and inspiring conference!
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Visit our website to learn more http://conference2015.mria-arim.ca/news/index.php
SPECIAL GUEST –
WORKSHOP LEADER
6. 6 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
COMMENTARY / COMMENTAIRE
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Kara Mitchelmore
CHANGES ARE COMING,
CHANGES ARE HERE
In 2014, I went cross country to meet with
members and hear what they had to say about the
organization. More importantly I was, perhaps
selfishly, looking for feedback on what needed to
change. I asked the question, “what do you want
from the organization” and I heard loud and clear
– advocacy and standards. Not only standards,
but the enforcement of standards, the “teeth”
that would make the industry stand up and take
notice of what MRIA members were required to
adhere to in order to belong to the membership.
So, by the end of the tour, I had my marching
orders from you, the membership. As a result,
the following initiatives have been undertaken to
fulfill these needs:
• MRIA standards and code of conduct were
completely revamped and refreshed. With the
prior standards being in place since 2006, there
were many changes required to incorporate the
ever changing market research industry. These
new standards are effective January 1, 2015,
I encourage members to review them at
http://mria-arim.ca/about-mria/standards/code-
of-conduct-for-members.
• MRIA’s complaint procedure has been
completely overhauled. In the past, the feedback
received was that the process was too long, too
convoluted, and fraught with errors. These issues
have been dealt with in the new process, resulting
in a more responsive, streamlined approach to
ensure that complaints are dealt with efficiently.
• MRIA continues to be a strong advocate for
the market research industry in Canada. With the
implementation of the new Canadian Anti-Spam
Legislation (CASL) in July 2014, we have been
L’HEURE DU CHANGEMENT
A SONNÉ
Je me suis déplacée un peu partout au pays en
2014, à l’écoute des membres et de leurs doléances.
Je leur ai demandé ce qui devait changer à
l’ARIM et ce qu’ils réclamaient de leur association
professionnelle. Leur réponse collective est on ne
peut plus claire : des normes et une représentation
efficace. Et pas seulement des normes mais aussi
une rigoureuse application de celles-ci, une
application avec du « mordant », qui obligerait
les membres à bien prendre connaissance de ces
normes auxquelles ils sont tenus de se conformer
afin de maintenir leur adhésion à l’ARIM. Les
initiatives qui suivent ont été prises à la lumière des
besoins exprimés par les membres.
• Les normes et le code de déontologie de l’ARIM
ont été complètement refondus et actualisés. Comme
le dernier exercice du genre remontait à 2006,
plusieurs changements ont été apportés qui tiennent
compte des changements dans le secteur de la
recherche marketing depuis cette année. Je conseille
aux membres de se familiariser avec ces nouvelles
normes qui ont pris effet le 1er
janvier 2015 et qui
sont disponibles à l’adresse url : http://mria-arim.ca/
about-mria/standards/code-of-conduct-for-members.
• Le processus de traitement des plaintes a lui aussi
été intégralement révisé. Les membres le trouvaient
trop lent et complexe, de même que sujet à de
nombreuses erreurs. Le nouveau processus, qui a
été rationalisé, sera non seulement plus réceptif
mais aussi plus efficace.
• L’ARIM continue d’être la championne du
secteur de la recherche marketing au Canada.
Depuis la prise d’effet de la Loi canadienne
anti-pourriel (LCAP), en juillet 2014, nous nous
occupons activement de ce dossier. Conseils aux
7. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 7
commentary
commentaire
at the forefront of the issue. from offering advice
to members, to holding webinars, to working
with the CRTC to ensure that the industry is not
adversely impacted has been a top priority. To
date, the organization has been able to show that
market research should be exempt from aspects
of CASL as our members are not soliciting
or marketing under the guise of research – a
considerable WIN for our members.
• A Compliance Officer is being recruited to join
the MRIA team. This role will entail conducting
Gold Seal certifications, monitoring industry
reporting, and auditing CMRPs for professional
development requirements.
I am confident that these changes are positive
steps which will increase the level of confidence
amongst members that the organization is taking
its role as enforcer of the standards seriously.
membres, webinaires, représentations auprès du
CRTC : nous avons vu et continuerons de voir à
ce que le secteur ne soit pas handicapé par cette
loi. Nous avons ainsi convaincu les autorités que
les activités de recherche marketing légitimes
de nos membres – franches de tout volet vente
ou marketing – ne doivent pas être soumises
aux dispositions de la LCAP. Il s’agit là d’une
VICTOIRE importante.
• L’ARIM recrute en ce moment un ou une chef
de la conformité. Cette personne sera responsable
de l’agrément Sceau d’or, du contrôle des rapports
de conformité des membres et, aux fins du
perfectionnement professionnel, à l’audit des
membres agréés PARM.
J’ai confiance que ces changements
contribueront à rehausser la confiance des
membres en leur association et que ces derniers
constaterons que nous prenons au sérieux notre
rôle de policier de la conformité aux normes.
Kara Mitchelmore, MBA, FCMA, Chief Executive Officer/Présidente-directrice générale
Marketing Research and Intelligence Association / L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing
Email: kmitchelmore@mria-arim.ca • (416) 642-9793 ext./poste 8724
8. 8 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
FEATURE
Fast forward to 2014. Over the past seven
years we’ve reported double-digit growth
annually. Last year alone, the company
delivered nearly 30 per cent year-over-year
revenue growth. We’ve been consistently
ranked for several years running in programs
such as the INC 5000 Fastest Growing
Companies, GRIT Top 50 Innovative
Firms and the LEAD411 Tech 200 List.
Throughout all this growth and numerous
accolades, we’ve overcome commoditization
on our core services business and successfully
launched our industry-leading survey
software and reporting platform Beacon. Our
employee satisfaction levels are at an all-time
high with less than one per cent turnover in
the last year. Between 2008 and 2014, our
brand awareness grew from less than 10 per
cent to nearly 70 per cent (yes, we track our
own brand awareness!). How did we do it?
In 2008, we underwent a strategic
rebranding. With a nearly singular focus on
product development since its inception in
2000, Decipher’s branding and messaging
had become dated. Formalized sales efforts
had failed. We needed to find new ways of
differentiating ourselves in a commoditized
marketplace and develop creative strategies
for cutting through the industry messaging
clutter. Even though we’re a research
firm ourselves, many of our clients and
competitors were surprised to learn that
we hired a brand strategy firm and an ad
agency to guide us through this process. We
all know the value of good research and,
for us, it came down to practising what we
preach in our own business. Consider the
time and resources you devote to branding
and marketing, as it can have a tangible
impact on success – particularly if you’re
Kristin Luck
By every standard measurement of business success,
Decipher has excelled over the last several years.
It wasn’t an easy road. My partners launched the firm
in San Francisco in 2000 during the height of the
“dot com” boom, only to nearly go under during the
crash a few years later when several of their large
technology clients went belly up. They didn’t give
up. After firing nearly all their staff, they relocated to
Fresno and rebooted the company. I was fortunate to
join the firm after (what I hope was) its darkest hour, but
not without significant challenges. When I came on in 2007,
there were some tough questions to answer. How do we differentiate ourselves
in a cluttered and commoditized marketplace? How do we inspire brands to
ultimately engage with us not as a vendor but as a trusted partner? How do
we innovate, and create a culture that cultivates and rewards innovation, while
consistently delivering against our core product offering?
SPECIAL STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE
9. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 9
SPECIAL FEATURE
strapped for business development resources, as we were at the
time. Even now, with a successful, growing global sales team,
our marketing strategy plays a key role in driving both lead
generation and our development strategy by integrating data
on what our customers are doing with knowledge about why
they’re doing it.
Today our branding and marketing efforts extend not just
externally but internally. We’ve worked very hard to create a
culture of innovation within Decipher and as I can testify, this
challenge isn’t unique to large firms – even small, privately-held
firms struggle to effectively (and efficiently) push new products
and services to clients. As a mid-size technology-driven research
firm that relies heavily on the development of innovative
research solutions and techniques, we spend an incredible
amount of time hashing out our innovation/development
approach.
I’m asked frequently what our “secret” is: how we achieve
such high levels of growth year after year while rolling out
quarterly (and sometimes monthly) functionality or product
releases. There’s no real secret. It all boils down to a singular
strategy we’ve adopted at Decipher: a focus on improving the
experience (whether that’s a respondent or client experience)
rather than solely focusing on the product, and it’s a consistent
effort that places importance, day to day, on basic concepts like
brand communication, employee empowerment, development
strategy, listening and measurement.
Putting these concepts in practice while still working in
the business is challenging, no doubt about it. Here’s what I
recommend for staying ahead of the curve:
• Determine your brand purpose. Brand purpose is
comprised of functional benefits, emotional benefits and
societal benefits. In addition to engaging customers and
inspiring employees, a powerful and clear brand purpose
improves alignment throughout the organization and ensures
consistent messaging across touch points (both internally and
externally). According to the Marketing2020 study, 56 per
cent of over-performing companies who have a clearly stated
brand purpose said that their organization’s revenue growth was
higher than their competitors.
• Encourage and reward creativity among your employees.
Create opportunities for them to engage in brainstorming and
give them time to develop new ideas and approaches to your
business issues. At Decipher, our U.S. offices are in Fresno,
California, and Bend, Oregon – not exactly major markets.
After years of building businesses in Los Angeles and hiring
(sometimes firing) experienced researchers, it was a little surreal
to dip into hiring from a pool of folks with literally no research
experience. It’s also been awesome. With no preconceived
notions about how research services and technology should
operate or look/feel, it has opened us up to innovative solutions
that would likely never have been brought to the table by
someone with years of industry experience (like myself). As
a company executive, I think of myself as a coach – not a
boss. My role is to enable the greater team and facilitate smart
thinking, rather than overpower it.
Hone your development strategy. Are you focused on
creating new products or creating new experiences (or are you
a little focused on both)? Once you have that nailed down,
consider your innovation implementation strategy. Generally,
you need to choose between being first to market or best in
market; you can rarely succeed at both. I’ve worked in firms
where the development strategy was to be first in market. Being
first in market has its advantages but it’s also expensive and
incredibly time consuming. Best in market allows you to sit
back and see what everyone else is doing, then develop a clever
niche with the hope of “slingshotting” yourself ahead of the
competition. So what’s your strategy?
• Be responsive. Listen to your clients’ pain points – the best
solutions are generally those that solve existing problems. Many
of our product upgrades and features are driven by feedback.
This translates into solutions that are perhaps a little less
glamorous, but more focused on functionality that is usable,
powerful and fulfills marketplace needs.
• Measure! We monitor brand awareness annually.
Marketing performance, client and employee satisfaction are
tracked monthly and these measures are closely integrated with
our KPIs.
• Finally, read, read, read! Few of us have an unlimited
amount of reading time, so be choosy. Although traditional
periodicals are great resources, there are also some amazing
websites like TechCrunch, Fast Company, Engadget and Daily
Tech that are critical for staying on top of new technology
developments. These developments can translate into viable,
innovative solutions for our own industry.
Business success doesn’t hinge on just one thing: a brand
promise, an innovative product, a creative development team.
It is the culture that is fostered at every level of the company,
from internal to external and everywhere in between. It’s not
the people you hire, it’s how you empower and support them.
It’s not a specific marketing campaign, it’s how your brand
speaks to and resonates with your target audience. Above all,
it’s a focus on creating a culture, both internally and externally,
that inspires and fosters meaningful communication, creativity
and trust.
Kristin Luck is a serial entrepreneur specializing in nontraditional
marketing and branding strategies, and is a regular contributor
to both commercial (Fast Company, Forbes) and academic press
(Research World, Journal of Brand Strategy). She’s consistently
ranked as a top sales marketing expert to follow on Twitter. Kristin
most recently served as a partner and president/CMO of Decipher.
She currently serves as a strategic growth hacking consultant for
companies preparing for funding or acquisition. Kristin can be
reached at kristin@kristinluck.com.
10. 10 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
My professional life is split nearly exactly into two clean parts.
On the one end, I travel extensively to various places around
the world – which we are calling here “the field” – to meet with
people and record aspects of their lives on camera. On the other,
I stay isolated in my office – or within walking distance from
it – for weeks, editing the material I have collected during my
travels. I am an ethnographic filmmaker.
I specialize in applied ethnography for marketing and design
research. I follow people, interview them in their day-to-day
contexts, and observe their behaviours to unearth insights about
their product or service experience or usage. For instance, I
observed six American families and the way they eat because the
Wendy’s restaurant chain wanted to gain a deeper understanding
of its clientele, their relationship to food in general, and to fast
food in particular, as well as to get some understanding of how
its customers chose between Wendy’s and its main competitors.
My personal projects focus mainly around people’s narratives
on an array of topics. The latest being a six-week, web-based
photo/video journal road trip from Detroit to New Orleans,
cataloguing people’s dinners along the way. (You can find out
more at thetasteoftheroad.com.)
To do work in these fields, I find myself engaging in
something I can only call a “seduction.” By this, I mean to be
a good ethnographer you must genuinely need the affection of
your participants. You must “desire their desire.”
It is well established that the success of ethnographic
fieldwork relies generally on the capacity to establish good
rapport and build meaningful relationships with research
participants.
Indeed, irrespective of its context, my work is always about
meeting with people I generally do not know beforehand, and
then filming them. The purpose is not so much to work so that
they do not notice my presence, but rather to achieve a level
of comfort such that they forget about the camera that comes
between us. I do this in various countries, and across diverse
social classes, genders and age groups.
Over two decades of work, techniques have changed, and
enhancing my technical skills is certainly a challenge. However,
although technical skills are required for good ethnographic
filmmaking, one needs another, deeper set of skills: the ability
to entice people to share their hopes and feelings. I learned this
idea from Jean Rouch, one of the founders of the cinéma verité
school of filmmaking, with whom I had the privilege to study
in Paris in the mid-1980s. When showing his own films to a
class at the Cinémathèque Française, he constantly mentioned
the friendships he had built, faithfully maintained, and relied
on with the people he had filmed or collaborated with. It was
intuitively evident from his persona that he was a charismatic
“people person.” His friends/collaborators were often invited to
class sessions. I have no recollection of him giving us advice on
“being a good friend” or even trying to discuss it theoretically,
yet this idea has stayed with me through my practice. One must
want to be with other people for them to be open with you.
The American anthropologist Charles Wagley speaks to the
juncture that is the subjective grey space of science, art and the
interpersonal variables that are unavoidably a part of the human-
centered and human-directed research that is fieldwork. He
writes: “In the security of our studies and in the classroom, we
FEATURE
Bruno Moynié
This article is adapted from my essay “Seduction in the Field: Meditations on Building
Rapport through the Ethnographic Camera Lens” from Handbook of Anthropology in
Business, Left Coast Press, 2014, edited by Rita M. Denny and Patricia L. Sunderland.
MY EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD
11. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 11
claim that anthropology is a social science … But, at its source,
in the midst of the people with whom the anthropologist lives
and works, field research involves the practice of an art in which
emotions, subjective attitudes and reactions, and undoubtedly
subconscious motivations participate”(Wagley: 1960:414–5).
Desiring their Desire: My “Ethnographic Mojo?”
This sounds like confessing that there is “artsy” skill to
one’s work, when everything is supposed to be part of a well-
established process. It may also sound somewhat shameful.
In fact, it could be said that my work is part of an extreme
qualitative approach where the unpredictable, subtle and
sometimes contradictory human animal doesn’t always bend
to rigorous processes. Nevertheless, I never hide the fact that
this artsy dimension is crucial in my work. What I am trying to
convey here is the emotional drive underlying the rapport that is
established between the observer and those being observed.
This is what I usually refer to as – and will call here with stern
humour – my “ethnographic mojo.” My ethnographic mojo
piques my participants’ interest. But for this to truly work, I have
to be interested in them too. My ethnographic mojo requires me
to “desire their desire.” As ethnographers, we must thirst for that
connection. We must make our participants want to talk to us,
but we must also want to engage with them!
A lot has been said on the sexual dimension of this desire, but
that is not per se what I am referring to (compare with Kulick
and Wilson, 1995). I do not deny the sexual dimension, but
instead I believe that it is part of something bigger: something of
the same nature but broader. I strongly believe that, as Dorinne
Kondo writes: “All too often standards of scientific objectivity in
ethnography have masked points of view that are merely distant
and unsympathetic”(Kondo 1986:84).
I am not the first to consider this “magical” connection
between ethnographer and participant. It is an emotional labour
that we sometimes fail at completing. Bronislaw Malinowski
considered “living with” participants to be one of the most
important skills an ethnographer can have (1922). It was only
after he died that we learned that Malinowski himself did
not consistently feel a deep desire to have a rapport with his
participants, and he found it almost impossible to want to be
with them all the time (1967). Other anthropologists also have
struggled to connect with their participants. Ethnographer Jean
Briggs (1970) stopped desiring the approval of her adopted
Inuit family… and found herself dumped outside the village for
months!
Desiring their desire is one of the hardest things we can do as
ethnographers. This is also true for commercial ethnographers.
One of our most important tasks is to show our clients what
their customers are doing, thinking and feeling. If we do not
have a desire for our participants, we cannot learn what really
moves them emotionally. It is acutely important for ethnographic
filmmaking, which requires participants to relax in front of a
camera (Agafonoff, 2006; see also Leibovitz 2008).
Desiring our participants’ desire may not be necessary to do
an excellent job; perhaps it is just a very personal way of doing
things. But I highly doubt it. I know that it directly correlates
to and affects the quality of my work. Without it, the results are
simply not the same.
References
Briggs, Jean L. 1970. Never in Anger: Portrait of An Eskimo Family.
Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.
Kondo, Dorrine. K. 1986. Dissolution and Reconstitution of Self:
Implications for Anthropological Epistemology. Cultural Anthropology
1(1):74–88.
Kulick, Don, and M. Wilson. 1995. Taboo: Sex, Identity and Erotic
Subjectivity in Anthropological Fieldwork. London: Routledge.
Leibovitz, A. 2008. Annie Leibovitz at Work. New York: Random House.
Malinowski, Bronislaw. 1922. “Introduction: The Subject, Method and
Scope of This Inquiry.” In Argonauts of the Western Pacific: An Account of
Native Enterprise and Adventure in the Archipelagoes of Melanesian New
Guinea, edited by B. Malinowski, 1–25. London: Routledge.
Stocking, George W. Jr. 1992. “The Ethnographer’s Magic: Fieldwork in
British Anthropology from Tylor to Malinowski.” In The Ethnographer’s
Magic and Other Essays in the History of Anthropology, edited by George
W. Stocking Jr., 12–59. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
Wagley, Charles. 1960. Champukwi of the Village of the Tapirs. New
York: Harper and Row.
Further Reading
Altork, K. 1995. “Walking the Fire Line: The Erotic Dimension of the
Fieldwork Experience.” In Taboo: Sex, Identity and Erotic Subjectivity in
Anthropological Fieldwork, edited by Don Kulick and Margaret Willson,
107–39. London: Routledge.
Berreman, G. D. 1972. Prologue: Behind Many Masks: Ethnography and
Impression Management. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California
Press.
Bowen, E. S. 1964. Return to Laughter: An Anthropological Novel.
Norwell, MA: Anchor Press.
McCracken, Grant. 1988. The Long Interview. London: Sage
Publications.
Newton, Esther. 2000. Margaret Mead Made Me Gay: Personal Essays,
Public Ideas. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Powdermaker, Hortense. 1967. Stranger and Friend: The Way of an
Anthropologist. London: Secker and Warburg.
Stoller, P and C. Olkes. 1989. The Tastes of Ethnographic Things: The
Senses in Anthropology. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Van Maanen, J. 1988. Tales of the Field: On Writing Ethnography.
Chicago, IL: University Of Chicago Press.
Wengle, J. L. 2011. Ethnographers In The Field. The Psychology of
Research. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press.
Whitehead T. L., and L. E. Conaway. 1986. Self, Sex, and Gender in
Cross-Cultural Fieldwork. Champaign: University of Illinois Press.
Bruno is the founder of Studio Bruno Moynié (StudioBrunoMoynie.
com). He can be reached at info@studiobrunomoynie.com.
FEATURE
12. 12 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
According to Christian Miquel, research director in CCCM
Paris, this all began right after World War II, when La Société
de Consommation (Consumer Society) was birthed to
analyze and make sense of the reasons underlying individual
motivations towards consumer products. Later, in the ‘60s,
the development of human sciences in France set the main
foundation for qualitative research à la française, using
psychoanalysis, ethnography and anthropology to study
consumers’ human behaviour. Eventually, the U.S. and Anglo-
Saxon countries started applying some qual research à la
française, in order to increase insights. So, what makes French
qual research special?
Particularities of “Madame French Quali”
The answer to that question seems to be easy: What makes
French qual research different is its psycho-sociological
tradition.
Elisabeth Martine-Cosnefroy, founder and president of
Equation MR, explains that the roots of French qual research
are a strong analytical culture, that is, the search for explicative
solutions. French researchers have a preference for long and
in-depth research methodologies in order to “reach the basic
psychological patterns, trespass the boundaries of superficial
responses, and analyze individual mechanisms as well as the
most unconscious reactions of the group.” For instance, French
focus groups are usually lengthier than in other countries, and
the discussion guides are usually quite extensive. This does
not mean that researchers from other countries do not have
analogous backgrounds, but somehow the French seem to go
deeper, strongly guided by the depths of philosophy.
Despite being known for her unique personality, Madame
French Quali still feels uneasy about adopting the shorter-
faster modus operandi of other companies. Since resistance to
consider their methodologies might affect her relationships
with international clients, the French researcher is required
to be flexible. French researchers even manage to make use of
innovative methodologies to succeed in their profession.
FEATURE
Laure Boisier
French society is well known for its singular characteristics and pride in its
national flag. Not surprisingly, the French way of doing qualitative research is
entirely “nationalized.”
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH MADE IN FRANCE
13. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 13
The Image of the French Researcher
According to Boisier, in France, marketing research
professionals are not well perceived. She feels that researchers
today are very often mistaken for marketing agents because
there’s very little awareness of their actual role. Therefore,
the public tends to believe researchers are attempting to sell a
product, when they are actually looking for ways to make it
better for the consumer. The problem of reputation and the
difficulty of discerning one job from the other due to lack
of accurate information may create lack of future interest in
joining the research profession.
Internationally, the image of French researchers seems to
be like a jazz show. As Anouc Allaert says, “It’s about deeply
understanding how people think. You need to find what song
[methodology] best suits the participant and work with him
on that. Qualitative research is not a science, but still demands
discipline and has to be conducted carefully. In the end, when
the results are presented, it’s with our soul, our human side,
with emotion but still very serious.”
In addition, the French approach seems to enrich the
findings and provide food for thought, even if it goes beyond
the initial briefing.
Challenges of Using Many Tools
With the multiplication of information sources and data-
collection methods, it becomes more difficult to manage the
large amount of information received, something that might
compromise the quality of the research. Thus, researchers need
to have tools not only to do macro analysis, but also to do
microanalysis in order to interpret the data, structure it, and
simplify it, so that it can be put to good use.
Thanks to technological advances, research today can
be done at a distance, without compromising the quality
of the results. Moreover, Martine-Cosnefroy observes that
“researchers prefer the proof in facts or observing live what they
are studying, and images and videos provide that to them.”
Consequently, it is possible to make real-time analysis and keep
up with the means of communication of the present generation
born into a world where communication depends 100 per cent
on technology. The fact that the research is done at a distance
means that researchers have to find more effective ways to
attract participants, which mostly means higher honoraria.
Qualitative research online may be as costly as offline and may
even take longer. In fact, there is often much more information
to process and analyze.
Also, some changes have occurred in the stages of research.
I’ve observed that, five years ago, we’d only do focus groups
for, let’s say two days, and that’d be it, whereas now we make
use of different tools to get more valuable feedback from the
consumer at different points of the research. For example,
sometimes we send participants diaries with exercises for them
to do before the focus group, or we give them a sample of
the product to be tested and analyzed at home. Then come
the focus groups, where respondents share their opinions
with others. This gives us the chance to watch them live and
read their body language, which helps us to understand their
reactions more clearly. We might also add individual interviews,
sometimes at the participant’s home, to watch them closely in
their own space. All this to explore the different facades of the
consumer, that is, the participant as consumer, as buyer, and as
ambassador (somebody who spreads the word about a product).
We became aware of the fact that the participant is much more
than just a consumer.
To Wrap Up
From the studies I have followed in France, I notice that the
French tend to use a more “romantic” vocabulary then English.
For example, the questions are more extensive. Many times I
had the impression that the questions were also quite repetitive.
French researchers strive for transparency and clearness, oddly
finding the word “exhausting” amusing when it comes to
discussion guides. French participants, as well, use many words
to explain their point of view and lose track of time fairly
easily. In general, for both French researchers and participants,
time management is less important than their need to express
themselves and to deepen their knowledge rather than adjust
the content to the time. This is quite different from time-
sensitive cultures such as in the U.S.
Although the French seem resistant to innovation,
technology doesn’t have a nationality. Therefore, there do not
appear to be boundaries in the adoption of new methodologies
as well as new tools to do research. After all, our main aim
is to conduct the investigation accurately and to make the
client informed and receptive to that information. However,
the larger pool of methodological choices does not necessarily
make the job easier and seems to affect the client-researcher
relationship. We all hope it will be for the best.
Laure Boisier is founder and research director at Lb Qualitative
Research, a company that specializes in qualitative research in
France and worldwide. She is a pioneer for online qualitative
research in France. She can be reached at l.boisier@lb-qr.com.
FEATURE
“For French researchers and participants, time management is less
important than their need to express themselves…this is quite different
from time-sensitive cultures such as in the U.S.”
14. 14 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Correct Placement for Blood Letting, Year 1517
Doctors were also trained in the fine art of arrow
removal. They used specially designed scientific
devices that entered the skin at the point of the
arrow, and moved the skin away from any parts
of the arrow that were pushing in the opposite
direction.
Stethoscope, Year 1816
And of course, lobotomies were medical procedures
that were very important for doctors to learn in
order to help their patients become more quiet and
easy to get along with.
Recently however, doctors have been jumping on
the innovative technology bandwagon, distracted by
third-party companies that build shiny metal devices
with fun little blinking, beeping buttons. Doctors
FEATURE
Annie Pettit
What is a doctor? You probably think you know but let me explain the
profession carefully so that we’re all on the same page.
For more than two thousand years, medical doctors were skilled bloodletters.
This remarkable technique of draining blood from a human body cured
diseases and prevented illnesses by allowing the body to regain its proper
balance of fluids. Using carefully researched diagrams, doctors knew exactly
which part of the body to let blood from in order to cure an ailment or prevent
a disease.
LOBOTOMIES AND SURVEYS:
WHAT’S THE RELATIONSHIP?
15. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 15
FEATURE
have also dropped their tried-and-true wooden stethoscopes for
stainless steel stethoscopes with volume controls. These innovative
toys are generally of more interest to doctors who don’t care about
reliable methods that have been validated over hundreds of years.
Perhaps these disruptive doctors see an interesting but limited
use in recording sounds directly into a computer that can then
instantly relay those sounds to a doctor in another part of the
country who specializes in a specific disease.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines are another
fancy gadget that disruptive doctors like to play with when they
aren’t busy. These machines make fun loud noises and take pretty
pictures of heads, arms and legs. Unfortunately, the machines are
quite expensive, and given their lack of extensive validation will
likely never gain traction with doctors who value tradition and
norms.
Virtual surgeries seem to be the newest fad, likely because
today’s doctors grew up playing video games. Specialists who
perform life-saving surgeries on people in other countries are
showing how fun it is to play with a new kind of game. They
likely don’t realize that centuries of doctors have never used such
tools and consequently there is truly no need for them.
So let’s think back to my initial question. What is a doctor? Is
it someone who uses an arrow-removing tool? Is it someone who
uses a beautifully stained and varnished wooden stethoscope? Is it
someone who uses an MRI, electroencephalography (EEG) or a
virtual surgical machine? No. Not at all.
Silliness aside, a doctor is someone who is trained and
qualified to help make people healthy, no matter if the tools of
the profession are made of wood, stone or precision-tooled metal.
The tools of the trade have changed drastically over the last two
thousand years, thankfully, and have helped those in medicine to
better work, but the true meaning of “doctor” has not changed at
all. Doctors help make people healthy.
So let’s try another one. What is a marketing researcher? Is
it someone who writes thirty-minute surveys with grids, scales,
red herring questions, and purchase-intent questions in order
to determine which demographic groups are more interested in
purchasing certain types of products? Certainly not. That would
exclude anyone who specializes in focus groups, moderating and
individual interviewing techniques to determine what people like
and dislike about products and services.
Is a marketing researcher someone who uses eye tracking
equipment, sticks electrodes onto people’s heads, builds large
communities of people, analyzes terabyte datasets of transactional
data, or makes fun computer games? No.
If such tools are being used to diagnose eye disorders and brain
diseases, or play first-person shooters games, then the people
using the tools are not marketing researchers. It is not, and never
has been, the tool that makes the marketing researcher.
Let’s step back and think about what truly makes someone
a marketing researcher. A quick visit to LinkedIn will help with
this. I searched out a number of people whose titles were nothing
like “marketing researcher” and whose tools included not a single
survey or focus group. Here are some of their listed tasks:
• Collect and analyze data on consumer demographics and
buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting
product demand
• Prepare reports of findings, illustrate data graphically, translate
complex findings into written text
• Help companies understand target audiences and convert
shoppers to buyers
• Improve marketing and brand management
• Help marketers generate consumer insights
• Identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand
Even though these people have job titles like “eye tracking
specialist,” “data scientist” and “business analyst,” the tasks sound
suspiciously much the same as the people we have traditionally
called marketing researchers; people who specialize in archaic
things like surveys and focus groups.
So what is a marketing researcher?
Marketing research is not a tool. It’s not a survey. It’s not eye-
tracking glasses. It’s not communities. Marketing research is a
state of mind, a process for analyzing, synthesizing, and storyizing
data that help us better understand consumer behaviour.
Marketing researchers reside in all kinds of companies. In
full-service marketing research firms, employees may specialize in
one or more components of the business, whether data collection,
survey writing, report preparation, eye-tracking analysis,
EEG interpretation, social listening or insight generation. In
companies that specialize in just one component of the marketing
research process, researchers may focus on data collection (be
it surveys or galvanic skin response) or report preparation. And
marketing researchers also reside within end-client companies.
Yes, CMRP researchers, highly skilled, highly trained, highly
qualified researchers who don’t need the assistance of a full-service
marketing research firm, are part of our community.
Traditional marketing researchers worry about the state of
our industry, the fact that outside companies and non-marketing
research are stealing our business and leading clients away.
May I suggest instead that the marketing research industry
is simply evolving as every industry evolves? Where 100 per
cent of marketing researchers used to specialize in just surveys,
focus groups or interviews, we must realize that 100 per cent of
marketing researchers now specialize in surveys, focus groups,
interviews, eye-tracking, EEGs, MRIs, co-creation, communities,
big data and fifty other non-traditional techniques. Their titles
may not say “marketing researcher” but their job descriptions sure
do. We aren’t losing our industry or our jobs. We are spreading
our wings and we need to realize that our definition of who and
what makes a marketing researcher is archaic.
As my buddy Leo Tolstoy once said, everyone thinks of
changing the world but no one thinks of changing themselves.
Well, maybe it’s time to change how you think about marketing
research. Change what you think about its tools. Change what
you think about who is a marketing researcher.
Annie Pettit is Chief Research Officer at Peanut Labs, a company
that specializes in self-serve sampling, surveys and polling. She believes
in uniting all researchers, whether they be qual, quant, neuro or some
strange thing that we haven’t recognized yet. She can be reached at
annie@peanutlabs.com and on Twitter @LoveStats.
16. 16 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
HOW HIPSTERS CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND MAINSTREAM MARKETING
Go further back into the cultish domain and we see the very
same tension in the history of tattooing. Originally, in Polynesian
or Japanese tribes, tattoos served as a rite of passage, symbols
of religious and spiritual devotion. They had a social purpose.
Nowadays, in Western society, tattoos are a claim to individuality.
In the postmodern world tattoos broadcast “How different and
unique am I? Just look at the inscrutable Chinese symbol on my
lower back.”
Brands also need to choose: what is my role? Is it to confer
social acceptance, or individuality? And there’s a trick: it’s hard to
win on both counts the way the hipsters do.
The past decades had been the golden era of Masstige
(downward brand extension bringing “prestige” to the masses).
Consumers sought social acceptance through “luxury” affordable
brands such as Sony or Ralph Lauren. The recipe was simple: you
buy the product and you flaunt it. No need for words – the brand
itself was evidence of your success. Buy this brand, be culturally
superior by aestheticizing and ethicizing the world.
Nowadays, consumers are increasingly developing their own
personal narratives. The brand’s role is to retool and help the
consumer affirm his individualism in order to exist more fully.
To this effect, we can distinguish three methods that help said
consumer affirm and express that precious uniqueness.
CUSTOMIZATION: Car manufacturers have just gotten
on board with this one. You, the consumer, can choose all
the options you want, and the brand will build a car to your
specifications. Or take the Guardian - The influential UK
newspaper printed up two different versions of the edition
announcing the birth of future King of England, Prince Baby
George: one for Monarchists, with Prince George front-and-
center; one for Republicans, minus any mention of the child.
Talk about customizing reality according to the audience’s
beliefs.
PERSONALIZATION: Tailoring the brand experience to
consumer preferences. Look at Amazon, which has made a
science of divining your preferences based on adaopting to an
array of information. But it’s not just New Marketing 101 for
the Corporate set. Arcade Fire, Montreal’s globally-hot indie
band, used the same premise for the video for We Used To
Wait. The song is about nostalgia/love for the teenage years.
Type in the postal code for the house you grew up in and
Google Street View whisks you to your teenage neighbourhood.
It makes the entire immersive experience truly personalized –
and moving.
CRAFTIZATION: Here, the brand invites the consumer to
bring his own skills and knowledge into the experience, making
it an extension of his self-expression. This one is typically
attached to domestic hobbies or – yes – crafts, like cooking,
interior design or gardening. Magazine and cookbooks are full
of examples of this. And yes, the hipsters are here as well, with
their (supposedly) prized small-batch craft beer. None of that
Budweiser for Mr. Moustachio.
So, no, Hipsters are not just annoying. They are a genuine
cultural example of the tension between the social and the
individual in marketing, and the shifts underway as brands retool.
But never mind, they’ll say – it’s all too cool for you.
With permission from the CROP blog. See more at:
http://www.crop.ca/en/blog
Two fundamentally opposite tensions tug at the core of human nature: the desire to belong to a
group, and the desire to express one’s individuality. Take “hipsters”, the urban style-scourge that
perfectly expresses this duality: they adhere to a super cool/secret/exclusive fashion code to
express their individuality, while all observing the exact same social codes and amassing the same
accessories (from fixed-gear bikes to vinyl records to skinny jeans to ye olde moustache wax).
Ah, the paradox: I’m so very, very different… like all of my friends!
Chosen by Annie Pettit
BESTOF THE
INDUSTRY NEWS
17. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 17
THE FIVE PATHWAYS
POST
GRADUATE
HOW’S THE VIEW FROM
YOUR CUBICLE?
This certification pathway
is designed to build
a solid foundation of
professional competence
by raising the bar for
new practitioners. In
addition to two years of
industry experience, we
are providing Mentor
support by leading CMRPs
(in person and online)
to enhance industry
knowledge and deepen
the candidates’ overall
understanding of MR
while preparing for the
CMRE exam. Mentors are
provided at no cost to the
incumbents and represent
some of our industry’s
thought leaders. This is
a unique and valuable
opportunity opportunity
to pursue your CMRP.
You will be learning
from the best and
getting a better view!
MRIA COURSES
PATHWAY
JUST LOVE TO LEARN?
You’ve graduated from
University and have
developed a distinct
taste for marketing
research. You miss the
thrill of learning and the
challenge of proving
your abilities. If your
eye is on the future,
then this path is for
you, as the traditional,
tried and true way to
obtaining certification,
and with a touch of
flexibility. It requires
completion of MRIA’s 12
Core Courses, combined
with experience and the
added help of a Mentor
which we provide at no
charge.
We’ve got the courses
so bring us your mind!
CHALLENGE THE
CMRE EXAM
GOT WHAT IT TAKES?
You’ve been around the
block and have seen
some dramatic changes
to marketing research
in your six years in the
biz. You’re good at what
you do; even your boss
says so. You live on the
edge and are not at all
interested in reading
volumes about research
methodology. We get
it. You can prove your
mettle by telling us about
your experience and
writing the CMRE exam.
Period.
We know you’ve got
what it takes!
EXPERIENCED
PRACTITIONER
SOME DAYS YOU CAN
TOUCH THE SKY!
You are the one that
comes to mind when
people talk about
experts in marketing
research. With more
than ten exciting years
in the market research
field, you are the ‘go to’
person when questions
arise on ethics or polling
or margins of error.
Task forces and boards
of directors seek your
participation and opinion.
Even other CMRPs will
vouch for your expertise
and would applaud your
continued success as a
CMRP. We can get you
there in a few short steps.
Get the recognition
you deserve!
CMRP EXECUTIVE
RETREAT
REALLY?
YOU’RE NOT A CMRP?
It’s called respect. Ask
any client who one of
the top thought leaders
in MR is, and your name
comes up. You are seen
at high level meetings,
in the media, and at
MRIA policy meetings.
Often called to speak at
events, your international
schedule is jam packed.
Google your name and
many pages appear…..
Any time spent feeding
your mind can only be
spent with the very best -
industry thought leaders,
innovators, movers and
shakers. Learning about
advances in leadership is
always welcome. Hearing
about innovations from
your peers can be
priceless.
CMRP – be known
for what you know!
Continuous learning is the new standard – let us help you expand your knowledge base and reach outside of your comfort zone.
Certification is a way to measure the competency of individuals within our industry, based on both a
certification evaluation and the practical application of marketing research competencies. Our well-
known Certified Marketing Research Professional (CMRP) designation helps to ensure professional
competence while enhancing the prestige of our profession by raising standards.
Path
Path
Path
Path
Path
1 2 3 4 5
We are pleased to offer The Five Pathways to obtaining your CMRP and there is bound to be one that is ideal for you:
Institute for Professional Development
http://mria-arim.ca/education/cmrp-certification/cmrp-overview
For more information, visit our website or write us as cmrp@mria-arim.ca
The next CMRE Prep Course will take place on September 30 - October 1, 2015.
On February 18 and 19, there were 14 CMRE writers in 3 locations. Will you be at the next sitting?
18. 18 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Try to reign in DIY if it is out of control
at your company
Andrea Ward (Mosaic) spoke on the challenge she faced joining
a company where the use of DIY survey tools is widespread
across the organization. Initially when she joined the company,
she told everyone that only she can write and execute surveys.
When she found this was not being followed, she decided
instead to approach research users and offer to help them with
their research needs. She found this much more productive.
Provide maximum impact
Amy Davies (Wrigley Canada) provided two keys to adding
value to your employer.
1) Resist being merely a research order taker, and instead find
out what the business need behind the request is and find out
how to best fulfill this need.
2) As best as possible, quantify the value of your contributions
to the organization to prove that the research department is
more than a cost center.
Video interview with Amy Davies
Millennials are different, and that
impacts your research
Isabelle Landreville (Sylvestre Marketing) spoke of the unique
characteristics of those in the millennial generation as well as
providing some myth-busting. From a research standpoint
though, the keys that Isabelle provided were: to be successful
research with millennials should be collaborative in nature
and not positioned as how they will help you, adapt research
to their lifestyle perhaps using nano mobile-surveys, and use
quick-study millennials to help moderate online groups.
Video interview with Isabelle Landreville
Canada and the US are not the same:
make sure your head office knows
Eva Tolkunow (Hallmark) told attendees that when working
for a U.S.-headquartered company, it is important to ensure
they are aware of the differences between the two countries to
minimize poor decision-making when dealing with Canada.
She pointed to Krispy Kreme’s failure in Canada as being
the results of not realizing factors such as Canada’s high per
capita number of coffee shops and different doughnut taste
preferences.
Eva’s suggestions on how to make sure you make your case to
your U.S. head office included foster a close relationship with
the head office research group, develop a strong relationship
with district managers and the Canadian leadership team, and
sell the usefulness of Canadian data.
For an expanded version of this article, you can view the blog
posting on the MRIA site at http://mria-arim.ca/publications/
mria-blogging/blog-posts/csrc14.
PRESENTATION SUMMARY: CSRC SOCIAL CONNECT
INDUSTRY NEWS
Paul Long, CMRP
There were far too many insights coming out of the Client-Side Researcher Council’s Social Connect held
on November 20th to include them all, but here are some memorable ones:
MRIA Disciplinary Procedure
In the July/August, 2012 issue of Vue, MRIA published a Censure Notice that a member had contravened MRIA’s
Code of Conduct and Good Practices. This sanction was based on the decision of a Complaint Panel convened
to consider this case. Although MRIA’s Disciplinary Procedures notes that members have the right to appeal a
decision of the Complaints Panel, the request for appeal for this specific case was denied. The Board of the MRIA
has concluded that, without exception, fairness must be done and seen to be done in all matters related to MRIA’s
Disciplinary Procedure. The Censure has been withdrawn as due process was denied. MRIA’s Board of Directors wish
to extend a sincere apology to Don Mills, FMRIA and CEO of Corporate Research Associates.
This Notice confirms that the Board by its action, expresses neither comment nor opinion on the merits of the
facts disputed by the parties; but only the undisputed fact that natural justice was denied the Member when the
opportunity to Appeal the Panel’s decision was not granted.
19. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 19
A QUALITATIVE EVENT YOU WON’T
WANT TO MISS!
MRIA • QRC • QRCA-Canada
are proud to present a Joint Conference
March 26 27, 2015 | Hotel Novotel Toronto
Please visit our Website for Conference Updates, Registration and
Sponsorship Opportunities. Visit http://qrc2015.mria-arim.ca/
INDUSTRY NEWS
Keynote Speaker – Hugh MacPhie
A leading Business strategist,
focus group Moderator and
Author of “Don’t Forget your
Cape! What Pre-schoolers
Teach Us About Leadership
and Life.”
Keynote Speaker – Laurie Tema-Lyn
Creative catalyst, market
researcher, strategist, coach
and Founder – Practical
Imagination Enterprises
Laurie is the author of
“Stir It Up! Recipes for
Robust Insights Red Hot
Ideas”, published by Paramount Market
Publishing. It has received wide acclaim
from market researchers and meeting
facilitators.
“Write Stuff”
Qualitative Reports Evaluated by a
Client Panel.
Mobile Research in Action:
For those who want to get involved,
there is the opportunity to participate in
a live mobile research project during the
Conference. Results will be reported at
the end of the day.
Roundtable Breakouts:
“Hot topic” roundtable discussions.
Applied Learning Workshops:
Learning Workshops conducted by
leading qualitative researchers will be
held on Thursday afternoon, followed by
a “Dine Around Evening” of networking.
20. 20 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Reg Baker, PhD, Marketing Research Institute
International
Frances M. Barlas, PhD, GfK Custom Research
Greg Dinsmore, CBC
Dan Foreman, ESOMAR
Leonard Murphy, Rockhopper Research,
BrandScan36, Gen2 Advisors
Stephen Popiel, VP of GFK Research Dynamics
Ray Poynter, author of “The Handbook of Mobile
Market Research”
Jon Puleston, Lightspeed GMI
Joel Rubinson, Rubinson Partners, Inc.
Corrine Sandler, Fresh Intelligence Research Corp.
Kristin Wozniak, CBC
Cesar Zea, MBA, Millward Brown Canada
INDUSTRY NEWS
Thank you to our Speakers
Thank you to our Sponsors
Thank you to our Exhibitors
http://netgain2015.mria-arim.ca/NEWS/index.php
GOLD
SILVER BRONZE
21. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 21
INDUSTRY NEWS
Academica Group
Advanis Inc.
Advitek Inc.
BBM Analytics
BBM Canada
Campaign Research
Canadian Viewpoint Inc.
Cido Research
Consumer Vision Ltd.
Corporate Research Associates
CRC Research
EKOS Research Associates Inc.
Elemental Data Collection Inc.
Environics Research Group Limited
Forum Research Inc.
Fresh Squeezed Ideas
GfK Canada
Greenwich Associates
Hay Research International
Head Count
Insightrix Research Inc.
Ipsos Reid
Leger, The Research Intelligence Group
Maritz Research Canada
Market Probe Canada
Market Pulse Inc.
MBA Recherche
MD Analytics Inc.
MQO Research
Nanos Research
Nielsen Consumer Insights
NRG Research Group
Opinion Search Inc.
PRA Inc.
Quorus Consulting Group Inc.
R.A. Malatest Associates Ltd.
Research Dimensions
Research House Inc.
Research Now
Research Strategy Group Inc.
SmartPoint Research Inc.
Tele-Surveys Plus / Télé-Sondages Plus
The Logit Group Inc.
TNS Canada (Canadian Facts)
Trend Research Inc.
Vision Critical
GOLD SEAL CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES
CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES
Bureau des Intervieweurs Professionnels Inc.
Dialogue Research Inc.
Goss Gilroy Inc.
Nexus Market Research Inc.
Qualitative Coordination Inc.
Quality Response Inc.
Trampoline Marketing
GOLD SEAL AGENCY - PENDING
Illumina Research Partners
MRIA’s Research Registration System (RRS) has long been a cornerstone self-regulatory mechanism for the marketing,
survey and public opinion research and market intelligence industry in Canada.
The following companies have registered research projects with the Research Registration System Up to December, 2014
Rules of Conduct and Good Practice
For Members of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (2007):
Section A (5)
Members must uphold the MRIA Charter of Respondent Rights.
Charter of Respondent Rights, Article 2
You can verify that the research you have been invited to participate in is legitimate in one of two ways. You can either obtain a registration
number and the MRIA’s toll-free telephone number for any research registered in the MRIA’s Research Registration System or you can obtain
the contact information of the research director who is conducting the study.
RESEARCH REGISTRATION SYSTEM
Since 1994, the RRS has allowed respondents to verify the legitimacy of a research project; helped legislators
and regulators differentiate between legitimate survey researchers and unscrupulous telemarketers,
phishers and scammers; and protected the industry from unnecessary and unwanted regulation.
http://mria-arim.ca/about-mria/research-registration/research-registration-overview
Combined with other self-regulatory initiatives such as our Code of Conduct
and Good Practice and our Charter of Respondent Rights, the RRS has paid
huge dividends in protecting the industry’s positive reputation and good
name with Canadians.
All Gold Seal and Corporate Research Agency members of the Association
are obligated to register all of their research projects with the RRS, and
Client-Side Corporate members are encouraged to require their agency
suppliers to do so. Starting in 2015, RRS fees are included in MRIA Corporate
Membership Fees.
MRIA’s Research Agency Council provides strategic, policy-level oversight of
the Research Registration System, and receives aggregate data-only on the
System’s performance.
Questions about the Research Registration System should be addressed to
Erica Klie, Manager, Member Support Services, at 1-888-602-6742 or
(416) 642-9793, ext. 8727 or eklie@mria-arim.ca.
22. 22 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
FROM THE CLASSROOM
INDUSTRY NEWS
On the social research side, Kevin Mahadeo was awarded a grant from the Ontario Human Capital Research and Innovation
Fund (OHCRIF) for his review project on initiatives and policies for the successful economic integration of recent
immigrants to the GTA. In February, two student teams competed in the Canadian Evaluation Society’s Student Case
Competition, and had a healthy placing. Contact Mary Takacs, Program Coordinator at Mary.Takacs@humber.ca
RAP students presented their Major Research Projects to two leading Toronto-based companies – Ipsos and Environics
Research Group – on November 7. Cindi Keenan’s research explored whether or not Cubeit – a moving and portable storage
company – was succeeding as a local start-up business. Her project was recognized with the Ipsos John Fryer Award for the
depth of her study. The trio of Kevin Harris, Angelica Argyropoulos and Jessica Barnett were recognized with the Environics
Award for their study with the Plug’N Drive EV Experience at the Georgian College Auto Show where the team evaluated
the promotion of electric vehicles to consumers and what prevents buyers from choosing an EV. Contact Dan Phillips,
Coordinator, at dan.phillips@georgiancollege.ca
MRIA National published the first “Student Perspectives” Blog, written by MRBI student Arundati Dandapani. Selina Zhang
was awarded the 2014 MRIA – MRBI Bursary for being a deserving student with high academic standing. Selina also received
the Jim Mathews Award for Intelligence Excellence, in an annual student competition, which included a trip to the Strategic
Competitive Intelligence Professionals Conference in Orlando. Asif Khan and Thais Saitohad had their project, Technology
Raises Ethical Challenges in Social Service Work and Education, featured in the 2014 education issue of Vue magazine.
Contact Nancy Johansen, MBA, CMRP, Program Coordinator at johansn@algonquincollege.com
HUMBER COLLEGE RAPP PROGRAM
HUMBER COLLEGE RAPP PROGRAM
GEORGIAN COLLEGE RAPP PROGRAM
ALGONQUIN COLLEGE MRBI PROGRAM
GEORGIAN COLLEGE RAPP PROGRAM
ALGONQUIN COLLEGE MRBI PROGRAM
23. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 23
INDUSTRY NEWS
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY
In accordance with federal privacy laws,
MRIA’s Qualitative Research Registry (QRR), or Registre de la recherche
qualitative (RRQ) in French, was created to provide an ongoing, user-
friendly vehicle for tracking those who do not want to be contacted or
should not be contacted for qualitative research studies.
Rules of Conduct and Good Practice for Members of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (2007),
Section C Rules Specific to the Conduct of Qualitative Research:
20. Recruiters should provide accurate data to the Qualitative Research Registry, where such exists, on a consistent
basis and check all respondents against the Registry.
21. Moderators buying recruiting services should give primary consideration to recruiting agencies which submit to
the Qualitative Research Registry, where such a service exists, on a regular and ongoing basis.
THE FOLLOWING CORPORATE MEMBERS HAVE SUBMITTED NAMES TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY
Research House Inc.
Quality Response Inc.
Opinion Search Inc.
I S Recruiting
Dawn Smith Field Management Service
Consumer Vision Ltd.
Barbara C. Campbell Recruiting Inc. (BCCR Inc.)
MBA Recherche
Trend Research Inc.
Barbara C. Campbell Recruiting Inc. (BCCR Inc.)
ONTARIO
QUEBEC
WEST
QRR is a comprehensive do not call list of those who have recently
participated in qualitative research studies, those who have asked not to be
contacted further, and those felt by recruiters and moderators to be best
served by not being contacted. These respondents are marked as “do not
call” in accordance with established MRIA Standards.
All field and full-service companies are encouraged to submit a list of
their qualitative respondents for entry into the QRR system each month,
including those who do not wish to be contacted.
Participating firms will receive monthly updates of respondents to be
screened from qualitative recruitment samples. QRR works effectively
to increase the quality and integrity of the qualitative research process,
by serving as a control to ensure respondents are not contacted more
frequently than is necessary.
However, the ability of the system to function effectively is directly related
to the co-operation received from firms who provide recruitment services.
If you are a full service research firm or field supplier that is currently
participating in the Qualitative Research Registry program – thank you very
much and keep up the good work!
If you are not currently participating, please get involved! If you are
interested in submitting to QRR, please visit the MRIA website at http://mria-
arim.ca/about-mria/qualitative-research-division/qualitative-research-registry
for further explanation and guidance on how to submit qualitative research
participants’ names, along with the required electronic forms.
Up to December, 2014
If you have any questions about or wish to submit to the QRR please send an e-mail to: qrr@mria-arim.ca
Information regarding the QRR can be found at http://mria-arim.ca/about-mria/qualitative-research-division/qualitative-research-registry
Starting in 2015, all QRR fees are included in MRIA’s Corporate Membership Fees.
To view the fee scale, visit http://mria-arim.ca/membership/join-mria/corporate-memberships/corporate-dues-fees
24. 24 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
The Toronto Chapter held its Holiday Party on December 11th.
QUEBEC CHAPTER
TORONTO CHAPTER
Souper-conférence des Fêtes
C’est le 9 décembre dernier que le chapitre du Québec a tenu
son traditionnel souper-conférence des fêtes.
La soirée s’est ouverte avec la conférence « S’inspirer pour 2015 »
résumant les principales tendances marketing et consommateurs
observées en 2014 et présentée par Pascal Routhier,
planificateur stratégique chez Cossette.
Les festivités se sont ensuite poursuivies devant les savoureux
plats du bistro Lannes Pacifique. Comme toujours, la soirée
aura été propice aux retrouvailles et aux échanges entre les gens
de la profession.
Holiday Conference Supper
Last December 9, the Quebec Chapter held its traditional Holiday
Conference Supper.
Pascal Routhier, strategic planner at Cossette, opened the
evening with a conference entitled “Be inspired for 2015”,
summarizing the key marketing and consumer trends observed
in 2014.
The festivities continued with people gathering around the tasty
dishes presented by Bistro Lannes Pacifique. As always, the
evening was conducive to renewing old acquaintances and
exchanging with members of the profession.
Pictured from left to right are Mark Reid and
Zachary Grashow
Pictured from left to right are Laureen Foster,
Mark Wood, and Susan Ince
Pictured from left to right are Anna Zamurujeva,
Chloe Lee
Pictured from left to right are Patricia Thomas, Ad
hoc Research; Nathalie St-Laurent, Ad hoc Research;
Sylvain Gauthier, CROP and Anne-Marie Fillion, A Propos
Marketing.
Pictured from left to right are Richard Saint-Pierre, Ad
hoc Research and François Gohier, Gohier Conseil
The invited speaker, Pascal
Routhier from Cossette
25. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 25
OTTAWA CHAPTER
Have any news or photos you want to share? Contact associate editor Jeff Hecker (jeff.hecker@athenabrand.com)
Members and guests are welcome at all MRIA events:
Check our online calendar at http://mria-arim.ca/events-awards/calendar for more information on all events and how to register. Members receive
emails directly with event updates, so please check your inboxes for instructions on how to register for all upcoming events!
MRIA Portal: https://www.mriaportal-arimportail.ca
Non members can sign up for free email, enewsletters and eVue at http://mria-arim.ca/contact-us/contact-staff
On November 27, 2014, the Ottawa Chapter of MRIA
held a special presentation on the results of the 2014
AmericasBarometer survey, presented by Dr. Keith Neuman of
the Environics Institute for Survey Research.
Pictured from left to right are Enoka Bainomugisha, Kavisha Patel, Brenda Sharpe,
Michel Durocher, Alec Lumsden, Lauren Perron, Krista Montgomery
Pictured from left to right are Anda Carabineanu, Sarah Roberton, Brigitte
Bouchard-Morris, Alex Theus, Keely Mimnagh
Pictured from left to right are Nat Stone, Keith Neuman
Keith NeumanRanda Bell
26. 26 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
BOOKREVIEWS
What are the chances that one of the most interesting
books on data analysis is written by a founder of a
dating site? What are the chances that it would also
help you understand the power of big data and its
potential for understanding consumer behaviour?
Let’s start with a quiz: Who is more critical of
looks? Are men more accepting of how women look
or are women more accepting of how men look? In
my informal survey of friends and acquaintances (both
men and women), the overwhelming view was that
women are less critical of men’s looks. It is also in line
with some academic research I had read in the past.
Except that it is not so. While men think that about
50% women have above average looks, women think
only one guy in six looks “above average”. How do we
know this? Through big data.
What consumers say and what they do are two
different things. We have known this all our lives but
we pretend it is not so and continue ask consumers
what their purchase intent (or whatever) is because
we have no reasonable alternative to asking direct
questions. This the basis of most, though not all,
marketing, social and academic research.
Books on big data tend to treat big data as
voluminous data that can be used for machine learning
(such as Amazon giving you book recommendations
or gmail identifying spam). They fail to demonstrate
convincingly what big data can do to our
understanding of human behavior that small data
cannot. Along comes Christian Rudder, cofounder of
the dating site OKCupid, with his book on big data
Dataclysm to show the power of big data. By analyzing
the actual behavior patterns exhibited by millions of
consumers we can understand them better than we
ever can by asking them. This is the power of big data
and Rudder makes big data come alive.
By demonstrating how big data can identify
behavior patterns that small data cannot, Rudder
demonstrates the power of big data and presents
findings that contradict current knowledge derived
from standard research procedures. You will read here
findings about race which you will not find anywhere
else. If you are skeptical of the current social and
psychological research, especially the ones that comes
out of the academe which is almost exclusively based
convenience sample of a limited section of the society
(WEIRD sample- White, Educated, Industrialized,
Rich and Democratic), Dataclysm will confirm that
your skepticism of academic research is well founded.
And that goes to marketing research as well.
Dataclysm is a surprisingly good book on data
analysis. Rudder not only understands statistics well
but can communicate it with elegance and clarity.
For example, his description of what variance is,
what it means and how it can lead to extraordinary
conclusions like ‘having a small flaw is better than
being perfect and so be yourself’ is so far removed
from the mechanical way in which statistics is taught
in schools and universities, you can’t but admire the
ease with which Rudder takes the reader from simple
data analysis to complex generalizations.
If you are tired of seeing attractive but silly graphs
that litter research presentations, research reports,
newspaper articles, journals and books, here you will
find graphs that are deceptively simple looking yet
communicate significant conclusions very effectively.
Rudder devotes a chapter to branding, and the
different words used by those with small twitter
followings versus larger twitter followings. Just in
case you didn’t know, you can buy the list of twitter
followers. Dataclysm points out what exactly in
happening to our privacy. You may not follow Rudder
in never posting your children’s pictures online, but
you may become more cautious about being careless
about your privacy.
The book is lively, well conceived, well written and
beautifully produced.
If you want to know the mechanics of big data
and how to analyze it, there are many, many books
you can read. But if you want to know what big data
are all about, why it is different from small data and
how it can transform our understanding of consumer
behavior, this book, as of this writing, has few peers.
Dr. Chuck Chakrapani is President of Leger Analytics. He
can be reached at chuck.chakrapani@gmail.com
A Review of
Dataclysm
Written by Christian Rudder
Published by Crown
Reviewed by Dr. Chuck Chakrapani
27. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 27
One of the characteristics of rapid technological
change is that it messes with categories. They can
merge or split, and often the need for new categories
emerges.
This couldn’t be more true than for online
qualitative research. Five years ago, online qual
might have been categorized either as synchronous
(real-time) or asynchronous (taking place over an
extended period). But today, those two categories
alone aren’t good enough, because platforms and
methods have evolved. Now, within “real-time”
and “extended”, you can find a variety of platforms
which differ in ways that are important, but which
haven’t really been fully mapped out.
This is the context for Jennifer Dale and Susan
Abbott’s new book, Qual-Online – The Essential
Guide: What every researcher needs to know about
conducting and moderating interviews via the web.
To begin, Dale and Abbott lay out an updated
framework for categorizing online qualitative
research approaches, so that methods like mobile
ethnography, real-time text chats, and insight
communities can be compared, contrasted, and
understood.
What then follows is truly a “guide” of the best
kind. Qual-Online goes into rich detail about every
phase of an online qualitative project. There are
chapters on platform selection, cost estimation,
recruiting, moderating, and analysis, with each
section featuring case studies, checklists, and
pointers that have obviously come from deep
experience. Dale and Abbott have done a very
good job at communicating a high-level framing
of the current state of online qual. But their book
also excels at identifying all the “devils in the
details” that one needs to be mindful of, whether
it’s the need to explicitly state assumptions when
quoting, or scheduling projects in such a way as to
accommodate bathroom breaks (the importance of
which cannot be overstated).
The book addresses the challenge of bringing
what I can only call “moderator-mojo” into the
digital world, with tips on how to establish strong
rapport with respondents who may be on the other
side of the world rather than across a focus-group
facility table. They point out that moderators can
support rapport by offering a video-introduction or
a telephone call prior to the field launch, but also by
developing their own “virtual smile” – a tone that
communicates your personality – and, of course,
your empathy – even in the digital environment.
Dale and Abbott include a section on ethical
considerations around online qualitative, where
issues of disclosure, consent, and anonymity can
work a bit differently.
Qual-Online is well written and accessible; it’s
succinct without being overly dense, and content
is nicely chunked for easy digestion. In my view,
it is the most comprehensive and current book on
online qualitative. (Ray Poynter’s publication – The
Handbook of Online and Social Media Research – is
about now about 5 years old.)
Qual-Online is an invaluable resource both
for new and experienced practitioners, as well as
for research buyers, who will be well served by
deepening their understanding of the alternative
approaches available, and their strengths and
weaknesses.
But the appearance of a book of this nature
also speaks to the dynamism of the qualitative
research community. It says that technology is being
embraced, and that good thinking has led to the
development of thoughtful methodologies – and
compelling results.
Highly recommended! Qual-Online retails
for $24.95 and is available through amazon.com, or
through the authors directly at
info@abbottresearch.com.
Jeff Hecker is a Principal at Athena BrandWisdom,
a qualitative market research and strategy firm, based
in Toronto. He also serves as Associate Editor at Vue
magazine.
A Review of
Qual-Online: The Essential Guide
Written by Jennifer Dale and Susan Abbott
Published by Paramount Market Publishing
Reviewed by Jeff Hecker
28. 28 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
MRIA BOARD ELECTIONS
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS:
MRIA NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In accordance with MRIA’s Bylaws, an election for six (6) At-Large Director positions on the Association’s twelve
(12) member National Board of Directors will take place by secret ballot, through regular or electronic mail, from
March 2 to April 15 2015. The 2015-17 Board of Directors will take office in conjunction with the Association’s Annual
General Meeting on Monday, May 25, 2015 in Toronto.
The deadline for submission of completed Nomination Forms and Candidate Statements is Friday, February 27,
2015 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Each of the six positions available for election/re-election is for a
two-year term, 2015-16 and 2016-17. If more than six nominations come forward, an election by electronic ballot will
be arranged.
AT-LARGE DIRECTOR
Eligibility: Any member-in-good-standing may be nominated.
Number To Be Elected: Six Directors.
Electors: All members-in-good-standing may vote for up to six (6) candidates.
Term of Office: Two Years, 2015-16 and 2016-17.
For complete information, please download the Election Package (PDF format), which includes the Board
Nomination Form, a Position Description, and other information about the election.
Cliquez ici pour de plus amples informations en français.
29. vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 29
‘Good Enough’ is not OK
Donya Germain, CMRP
Pearl Strategy and Innovation Design
Challenge 2015
At the beginning of 2014, I posted a
challenge, tweeted about it, displayed it
on Facebook and attempted to live by it
throughout the year. It is the foundation
for this column and is summarized in
my pinned tweet “#character #honesty
#integrity #positivity don’t sacrifice these
qualities in your #personal or #professional
lives”.
As we move through 2015 and are
busy striving to obtain the elusive work/
life balance, pay our bills and find
personal and professional fulfillment, let’s
not forget to apply this challenge both at
home and at work.
At work, the place to start for an
MRIA member is the Ten Core Principles
for marketing researchers.
With the public
Gather correct consent and apply
honesty in your disclosure. Consider
whether the public has more or less
confidence in the marketing research
and intelligence industry in 2015 and
determine what we are doing to build
or diminish it. Respect the publics’
right to privacy. Remember to abide by
our Canadian national and provincial
laws, but also make sure to know the
international laws when conducting
research globally.
With clients
Accuracy and honesty in your research
process and especially in interpretation
and reporting of research results are
paramount. Are you positively spinning
data to appease or retain your clients?
Remember to keep the information your
clients share with you confidential and
preserve their records.
With competition
You must demonstrate your own value
and not use the all too frequent sales
tool of disrespecting, criticizing or
disparaging other MRIA members or
professionals in the industry.
With yourself
Are you keeping up with the industry
and specifically the marketing research
Codes of Conduct from MRIA as well
as other organizations like Esomar?
Are you at least generally competent in
what you do but better yet, committed
to education and improvement in your
chosen field?
All of these points sound easy, basic
and we assume everyone adheres to
them. If you are doing it all already, then
congratulations and please challenge
yourself in some other way. But if you
are honest with yourself and you are not
happy with Good Enough for 2015, let’s
decide as individuals and as an industry to
expect better of ourselves, our company
and our suppliers and in turn deliver
better to our clients.
Perspectives on Polling
Herded Like a Flock of Sheep?
Are we afraid to be an outlier?
I’m thrilled to have this platform to
share my perspective on public opinion
polling, methodology and the future of
the industry in Canada. Let’s start this
conversation with a topic no one really
wants to talk about in our business:
herding.
No one likes to go out on a limb.
The tendency to conform and go with
the grain is part of human nature.
Taking a look at evidence presented by
Nate Silver, it seems that pollsters may
be no different.
Based on Silver’s analysis of publicly
released polls in the United States, poll
results have an uncanny tendency to
“herd” around a common result despite
the fact that probability and survey error
should produce more varied results.
This may explain why polls uniformly
overestimate support for one party
over another, as was clear in the recent
midterm elections in the United States.
If you have been on research teams
involved in public election polling like
I have for the past decade, you know
the mixed emotions that come with
preparing that final “prediction”. The
excitement of opening up the data set for
the first time. The intrigue of applying
your statistical weightings and running
the frequency to see the final results for
the first time. The anxiety that ultimately
consumes you moments before voting
closes and the real results, from those
who actually voted, start to come in.
It’s excruciating. Over the next 60
to 90 minutes you wait anxiously to see
whether your numbers match the early
returns. By the end of the evening, you
feel one of three emotions: relief that
your numbers were not off by much,
euphoria that you nailed it within a
percentage point, or sheer misery that
you and your colleagues blew it.
Rarely does a single polling firm
deviate that much from the pack.
Usually we all do a good job or we all
miss the mark. Think of Ontario 2011
and Alberta 2012 as recent examples.
Nate Silver’s analysis raised a lot of
eyebrows about the tendency for polls
to converge around a single predicted
outcome as Election Day nears. I
recommend you read the post and
judge the evidence for yourself. But the
pressure on the research firm to make
“the most accurate” call is almost as
strong as the pressure to not be alone in
making a bad forecast. So the incentive
to herd is there.
How do we as an industry combat
this? Transparency.
It’s time that Canadian polling firms
follow the practice of our peers in the
UK and the United States and start
our own Transparency Initiative. And
transparency involves what we teach in
introductory research methods classes:
sharing our question wording, weighting
schemes, unweighted and weighted
counts, and highlighting any doubts
we have about our findings. We have
to take a hard look at ourselves and our
industry; If we’re not willing to stand
by our results and open them up to
scrutiny, maybe we need to question
whether they should be released publicly
at all.
David Coletto
Abacus Data
COLUMNISTS
30. 30 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
NOW IS THE TIME TO RENEW
Visit the MRIA Portal TODAY at www.mriaportal.ca to renew your membership for 2015.
For more information, contact MRIA at membership@mria-arim.ca
RENEW YOUR MRIA MEMBERSHIP TODAY TO DEVELOP YOUR CAREER
AND BUSINESS WHILE SUPPORTING YOUR INDUSTRY.
Here are some of the benefits you enjoy as an MRIA MEMBER:
FORGOT SOMETHING?
COULD IT BE RENEWING YOUR
MRIA MEMBERSHIP
FOR 2015?
• Professional Standings Credibility
• Exclusive Networking Opportunities
• Staying Informed
• Member Discounts
• Marketing of your Business
• Professional Recognition
• Powerful Advocacy
• Connect with other Members
• Relevant Professional Development
• Learning Opportunities ... and Fun!
31. 31 vue | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
2015 COURSE OFFERINGS
CORE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES
102 – ETHICAL ISSUES AND PRIVACY IN MARKETING RESEARCH
Introduces participants to the key ethical concerns that arise throughout the research
process.
202 – QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
Examines the types of questions that should be asked and the best way to ask them.
204 – QUALITATIVE MARKETING RESEARCH
Examines the latest theory and application of some of the most common qualitative
research methods.
301 – COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE, MYSTERY SHOPPING AND BENCHMARKING
Learn to conduct competitive intelligence to anticipate your competitor’s next moves,
interpret their strategies and assess their threat.
302 – MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Learn the purpose of market intelligence (MI), how to integrate MI disciples,
MI models, and building MI teams.
303 – MARKETING MANAGEMENT FOR RESEARCHERS
Provides students with a solid understanding of the marketing function in business
decisions.
401 – ONLINE RESEARCH, BEST PRACTICES AND INNOVATIONS
Examines various online methodologies while covering their applications, pros, and cons.
402 – ADVANCED ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES (2 days)
This introduction to multivariate analysis covers a range of techniques and explains their
uses.
403 – ADVANCED QUALITATIVE MARKETING RESEARCH
Provides an in–depth examination of qualitative techniques, methodologies, and analysis.
OTTAWA: May 8, 2015
Instructor: Rick Hobbs
TORONTO: March 11, 2015
Instructor: David Lithwick
TORONTO: March 5, 2015
Instructor: Jordan Levitin
OTTAWA: April 16, 2015
Instructor: Abhay Tiwari
TORONTO: February 26-27, 2015
Instructor: Chuck Chakrapani
CORE COURSES
Visit our web site, www.mria-arim.ca/education, for course details, registration deadlines and pricing.
Our in-class courses are available in simulcast for your convenience.
The next CMRE Prep Course is in Toronto on September 30 – October 1 2015 .
Core courses are available online, and please visit our web site for details.
If you are interested in taking any of our listed courses that are not yet scheduled please send an e-mail to
education@mria-arim.ca.
32. CATEGORICAL DATA ANALYSIS
An introduction to an array of methods and modeling techniques for categorical data analysis.
COMMUNICATING WITH HIGH IMPACT GRAPHS
Learn how to produce effective reports, presentations, and impactful, persuasive graphs.
CONJOINT ANALYSIS
An in–depth examination of conjoint analysis, its applications, and interpretation.
CREATING WINNING RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Learn how to craft a presentation that tells a story, engages, and impacts your audience.
CROWD SOURCING
Learn the basics of crowd sourcing and the marketing research crowd sourcing spectrum –
from ideas, to insights, to innovation.
MARKET SEGMENT RESEARCH
Covers the various methods used for market segmentation and evaluates the pros/cons of each.
MEASURING CUSTOMER STATISTICS: INTRODUCTION
Learn the ins and outs of properly measuring customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
MEASURING CUSTOMER STATISTICS: ADVANCED
Builds on the introduction by providing an in–depth analysis of the techniques used to
measure customer satisfaction
METRIC MADNESS
Learn about evaluating digital and social media datasets, what tracking tools to use, and
how to communicate these results.
MODERATOR TRAINING: BASIC (3 days)
Learn core moderating skills including preparing for a focus group, introducing and warming
up the group, questioning and listening skills, and dealing with difficult respondents.
MODERATORS TOOL BOX: ADVANCED
An intensive workshop where participants learn the intricacies of a variety of moderating
techniques such as when to (or not to) use them, how to use them, and how to analyze them.
SEMIOTICS: HOW SYMBOLS, PACKAGING AND ADVERTISING COMMUNICATE
Examines the fundamentals of semiotic analysis with workshops to allow participants to
see how the methodology works in the ‘real world’.
SPSS: INTRODUCTION
This workshop will quickly help you learn the basics of SPSS for analyzing the types of data
that results from most surveys.
SPSS: ADVANCED (2 days)
Work through more advanced analyses that are capable of providing significant insights
into consumer behaviour and motivation.
TORONTO: May 6-8, 2015
Instructor: Margaret Imai-Compton
TORONTO: March 12-13, 2015
Instructor: Margaret Imai-Compton
TORONTO: April 22, 2015
Instructor: Ken Deal
TORONTO: April 23-24, 2015
Instructor: Ken Deal
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES
