vue MRIA
the magazine of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association
M AY 2 0 1 1
2011NATIONAL
CONFERENCE
DELTA GRAND OKANAGAN RESORT, KELOWNA
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accurate at time of printing April 20, 2011
WELCOME TO THE 2011 MRIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE WWW.MRIA-ARIM.CA/CONFERENCE2011
It was in May 2004 that we attended our first Canadian marketing research conference. We arrived at the PMRS Conference in Toronto one week after submitting our family immigration binder to the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria. This marked an important phase of ‘Project Canada’; it was the start of a networking and assimilation process in the country we would soon call our own. We finally arrived in April 2008. Offered the opportunity to Chair and organize the MRIA 2011 National Conference in Kelowna, we were proud to accept the challenge to put together a winning conference in our home city. Fourteen months of long days, with the support of a committed team of volunteers, and we’re ready to launch. It’s a time of rapid change and uncertainty in our industry. New technologies, social networks and opportunities spring up every day of the week. The challenges are substantial and the future, unknown. Our program features a dynamic group of keynotes, panellists, moderators, session speakers and delegates; to debate what’s hot and what’s not; how the industry could and should move forward; and what role each of us will play, to make it happen. We look forward to welcoming you to Kelowna to enjoy a stimulating couple of days of listening, learning, debating and challenging, in one of Canada’s most appealing destinations, ever!
C’est au mois de mai 2004 que nous avons assisté à notre première conférence canadienne sur la recherche marketing. Nous sommes arrivés à la Conférence de l’APRM à Toronto une semaine après avoir soumis le dossier d’immigration pour notre famille au Hautcommissariat du Canada à Pretoria. Il s’agissait d’un tournant important du « Projet Canada » et le début de notre processus de réseautage et d’assimilation dans le pays qui deviendrait bientôt le nôtre. Nous sommes finalement arrivés en avril 2008. Lorsqu’on nous a offert de présider et d’organiser la Conférence nationale 2011 de l’ARIM à Kelowna, c’est avec fierté que nous avons accepté le défi de mettre sur pied une conférence gagnante dans notre ville. Grâce à quatorze mois de longues journées de travail et à l’appui d’une équipe de bénévoles dévoués, nous voilà prêts au lancement. Notre industrie traverse une période de changement rapide et d’incertitude. De nouvelles technologies, des réseaux sociaux et des possibilités émergent tous les jours de la semaine. Les défis sont substantiels et l’avenir, inconnu. Notre programme comporte un groupe de conférenciers, panélistes, modérateurs, présentateurs aux séances et délégués dynamiques – pour analyser quels sont les enjeux chauds ou non et pour discuter de quelle façon notre industrie pourrait ou devrait aller de l’avant, et du rôle chacun d’entre nous jouera pour le réaliser. Nous avons hâte de vous accueillir à Kelowna et de profiter des quelques jours stimulants d’écoute, de formation, de discussions et de remise en question dans une des destinations les plus attirantes du Canada!
Tony Hoft, Conference Chair Jeanette Hoft, Communications and Marketing
Tony Hoft, président de la Conférence Jeanette Hoft, Communications et marketing
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Call John Wulff at 1-866-845-6448 ext 248 and he’ll be thrilled to listen. www.logitgroup.com
MAY 2011
vue VUE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE MARKETING RESEARCH AND INTELLIGENCE ASSOCIATION TEN TIMES A YEAR
COMMENTARY 6 8 10
Editor’s Vue President’s Letter Message from the Executive Director
FEATURES 14
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24
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INTERVIEW WITH NAT LAUZON A popular Montreal radio host talks about the success of her blog, about blog strategies and metrics, about social media, and about their potential to benefit the community. by David Hamburg FOREWARNED IS, WELL ... FOREWARNED: THE DEMISE OF THE CANADIAN CENSUS The federal government’s decision to make the long-form census voluntary may have serious consequences, potentially compromising the basis for decision-making at every level across the country. by Judy Rogers YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU: USING MOBILE DEVICES FOR MARKET RESEARCH With so many people using smartphones and with such a variety of mobile research applications, you should at least consider mobile phone-based methodology for your next project. by Lauren Isaacson BABY BOOMERS STILL RULE A new book written by MRIA fellow Michael Adams together with Amy Langstaff takes a fresh look at baby boomers. by Marc Zwelling
INDUSTRY NEWS 36 40
People & Companies in the News Research Registration System (RRS)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 42
Education Courses
COLUMNISTS 44
INNOVATION ACCELERATOR by Margaret Imai-Compton
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B2B REPORTER by Ruth Lukaweski
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CI CORNER by David Lithwick and Enrico Codogno
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QUALITAS by Kelly Adams
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STANDARDS by Donald Williams
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EDUCATION by Jeannette Bellerose
NATIONAL CONFERENCE MRIA 2011 National Conference News Items: 2, 3, 13, 22, 28, 35, 47
ADDRESS The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing 2600 Skymark Avenue, Bldg. 4, Unit 104 Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5B2 Tel: (905) 602-6854 Toll Free: 1-888-602-MRIA (6742) Fax: (905) 602-6855 Email: vue@mria-arim.ca Website: www.mria-arim.ca PRODUCTION: LAYOUT/DESIGN LS Graphics Tel: (905) 743-0402, Toll Free: 1-800-400-8253 Fax: (905) 728-3931 Email: info@lsgraphics.com CONTACTS CHAIR, PUBLICATIONS Stephen Popiel, PhD, CMRP Senior Vice-President, Synovate Motoresearch Tel: (416) 964-6262 stephen.popiel@synovate.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Hamburg, Hamburg Consulting (514) 748-1827 david.hamburg@sympatico.ca MANAGING EDITOR Anne Marie Gabriel, MRIA amgabriel@mria-arim.ca ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kevin Hare kevin.hare@rci.rogers.com Claire Bazley cbazley@indigo.ca COPY EDITOR Siegfried Betterman 2011 ADVERTISING RATES Frequent advertisers receive discounts. Details can be found by going to: www.mria-arim.ca/advertising/vue.asp Please email vue@mria-arim.ca to book your ad. The deadline for notice of advertising is the first of the previous month. All advertising material must be at the MRIA office on the 5th of the month. Original articles and Letters to the Editor are welcome. Materials will be reviewed by the Vue Editorial Team. If accepted for publication, they may be edited for length or clarity and placed in the electronic archives on the MRIA website. The opinions and conclusions expressed in Vue are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association. Publishing Date: May, 2011 © 2011. All rights reserved. Copyright rests with the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association or the author. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association or the author. All requests for permission for reproduction must be submitted to MRIA at publications@mria-arim.ca. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing 2600 Skymark Avenue, Bldg 4, Unit 104, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5B2 Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40033932 ISSN 1488-7320
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Editor’s Vue David Hamburg
I can’t think of a better time for Vue to reach out to MRIA members than now, during our national conference. Our magazine is changing with the times by adding a digital publication, and we have also been updating its look. Member participation, of course, is crucial to the success of the magazine, and we welcome all submissions and ideas with great enthusiasm. I’m pleased to report that this kind of involvement has been on the rise, and I hope it will grow. Over the past year and a half, we’ve been sourcing content not only from outside our association but also from outside the country. The thought process behind this approach has been to seek out compelling stories that might give our members some new ideas on evolving research practices, that examine how companies are using market research, and that show how members can leverage social media to grow their own businesses. In any case, your feedback on any of these topics is highly valued. About this issue: We have an eclectic mix of features, including an interview with Nat Lauzon, a host on Montreal’s Virgin Radio who has recently created one of the hottest blogs in town, the Montreal Dog Blog. Nat shares with us some practical tips on the road to blog success. As we all know, mobile communications are revolutionizing our lives in virtually every respect. Lauren Isaacson’s timely piece on using mobile devices for market research examines this phenomenon. Changes to the Canadian census have stirred up quite a controversy. Judy Rogers’ article on this topic does an excellent job of explaining why the controversy exists. Marc Zwelling’s thoughtful review of an insightful book on baby boomers, written by MRIA fellow Michael Adams together with Amy Langstaff, will convince you to add it to your must reads for 2011. To those attending the national conference – enjoy. Catch you all next month.
Je ne peux penser à un moment plus propice pour Vue de se rapprocher des membres de l’ARIM qu’en cette période de notre conférence nationale. Notre magazine s’est transformé avec le temps en ajoutant une version numérique, et nous procédons également à la mise à jour de son image. La participation des membres est évidemment cruciale au succès du magazine, et nous accueillons avec enthousiasme toutes les soumissions et idées. J’ai le plaisir de signaler que ce genre de participation est à la hausse et j’espère que la tendance se poursuivra. Au cours de la dernière année et demie, nous avons puisé du contenu non seulement à l’extérieur de notre association, mais à l’extérieur du pays également. Le processus de pensée de cette approche vise à dénicher des histoires fascinantes qui pourraient susciter de nouvelles idées chez nos membres sur les pratiques de recherche émergentes, à examiner comment les entreprises utilisent la recherche marketing et à montrer comment les membres peuvent utiliser les médias sociaux comme levier pour accroître leurs affaires. De toute façon, vos réactions sur tous ces sujets sont grandement appréciées. Quant à ce numéro : vous y trouverez un mélange éclectique de sujets, dont une entrevue avec Nat Lauzon, un animateur de Virgin Radio à Montréal qui a créé récemment un des blogues les plus chauds de la ville, le Montreal Dog Blog. Nat partage avec nous des conseils pratiques sur la façon de créer un blogue réussi. Comme nous le savons tous, les communications sans fil sont en train de transformer nos vies dans pratiquement tous ses aspect. L’article opportun de Lauren Isaacson examine le phénomène des appareils sans fil dans le domaine de la recherche marketing. Les changements apportés au recensement canadien ont créé toute une controverse. L’article de Judy Rogers sur ce sujet explique admirablement les causes de cette controverse. La critique réfléchie de Marc Zwelling sur le livre traitant des baby-boomers par Michael Adams, un associé de l’ARIM, et Amy Langstaff, vous convaincra d’ajouter ce livre à votre liste de choses à lire sans faute en 2011. À ceux et celles qui participeront à la conférence – profitez-en bien. Et, à tous, au mois prochain.
David
David
David Hamburg, Market Research Consultant, Hamburg Consulting Editor-in-Chief, Vue / Rédacteur en chef, Vue Email: david.hamburg@sympatico.ca • (514) 748-1827 • david_hamburg
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CO M M E N TARY / COMMENTAIRE
Letter from the President Kimberlee Niziol Jonas
I’m eagerly looking forward to our 2011 national conference in Kelowna, as well as the superb program content and the social and business development opportunities that the organizing committee has put together under the theme of “Ripe with Innovation.” While that theme is locationappropriate for B.C.’s Okanagan region, it also encourages us as an industry to challenge the status quo, to look forward and embrace the future, and to adopt a strategic perspective in tackling the challenges and opportunities we face. Each year, our national conference provides the marketing research and intelligence community with an opportunity to come together and discuss matters related to the social and statistical science craft–side of our industry as well as the business and economics–related issues we face, both formally and informally. And over the years, our conference has always been designed with a strategic perspective in mind, taking its programming cue from the association’s strategic plan. MRIA’s current strategic plan, 2008–11, is up for renewal this year, and the development of a new three-year plan is a priority I’ve embraced for my presidential year. As our industry and working environment evolve, it is an opportune time for MRIA to develop a new strategic plan, as it compels us to consider the influence of emerging technologies on how we as research professionals communicate, and how we gather and interpret data. As we go through the critically important exercise of strategic plan renewal this year, we will once again be calling upon you, our members, to provide input and give us insight into what you’re thinking in terms of the preferred future and strategy for MRIA. We are specifically interested in what you believe are the trends and issues that will impact upon MRIA and its members and, therefore, need to be addressed over the next few years. If you have not already done so, please be sure to complete the online Member Survey for Strategic Plan Input, which will be in the field this month. Your input is vitally important to the association’s leaders and will be considered in our strategic plan deliberations. 8
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J’ai très hâte de participer à notre Conférence nationale 2011à Kelowna et de profiter du superbe programme et des possibilités de développements sociaux et commerciaux que le comité organisateur a mis en place sous le thème « Mûrs pour l’innovation ». Ce thème est non seulement approprié à la région de l’Okanagan en C.-B., il nous incite de plus, en tant qu’industrie, à remettre en question le statu quo, à se tourner vers l’avenir et à adopter une perspective stratégique en abordant les défis et les possibilités qui nous attendent. Chaque année, notre conférence nationale offre à la collectivité de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing la possibilité de se rencontrer et de discuter de manière officielle et non officielle des questions portant sur la science statistique et le corps de métiers de notre industrie, de même que sur les questions commerciales et économiques auxquelles nous faisons face. Au fil des ans, notre conférence a toujours été conçue à partir d’une perspective stratégique, en alignant sa programmation sur le plan stratégique de l’association. Le plan stratégique 2008–11 actuel de l’ARIM doit être renouvelé cette année et l’élaboration d’un nouveau plan triennal est une priorité que j’ai adoptée pour mon année de présidence. Étant donné que l’environnement de notre travail et de notre industrie est en évolution, le temps est propice pour que l’ARIM élabore un nouveau plan stratégique, puisqu’il nous forcera à évaluer l’influence des nouvelles technologies sur notre façon de communiquer en tant que professionnels de la recherche, et de recueillir et d’interpréter les données. À mesure que nous procéderons cette année à l’exercice de renouvellement du plan stratégique d’une importance critique, nous ferons de nouveau appel à vous, nos membres, pour obtenir vos commentaires et perspectives sur l’avenir et la stratégie que vous favorisez pour l’ARIM. Nous nous intéressons particulièrement aux tendances et aux enjeux qui, selon vous, auront un impact sur l’ARIM et ses membres et que nous devons donc aborder au cours des années à venir. Si vous ne l’avez pas déjà fait, veuillez répondre au sondage en ligne destiné à obtenir les commentaires des membres sur le plan stratégique qui circulera ce mois-ci. Vos commentaires sont d’une importance capitale pour les dirigeants de
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In that connection, I want to mention strategic adaptations that our association is currently making to be better able to deliver “advancement of the practice” insights to members: Reorientation. The Research & Development Committee is being reoriented (and renamed) into a less formal and less structured, but more fluid group that will be focused on key methodology-based issues that arise from emerging technologies or other forms of research innovation. A smaller number of regular members on the committee will be augmented by fluid, ad hoc task force groups of additional members with special expertise, who’ll be recruited for standards development and related work on particular emerging issues. New committee. When emergent research methodologies that are Internet-based have become well-established and part of the mainstream, responsibility for their further advancement will be transferred to the new Online Research Committee, which has been created to actively support and advocate for online research in its various forms. As we look forward with excitement and anticipation to the 2011 national conference later this month, and the wowing experience I know will be delivered, I want to convey sincere thanks and appreciation to our talented and dedicated conference committee and staff, who are providing the opportunity for us to gather, learn, grow and network together.
Kimberlee Niziol Jonas Market Research Manager GlaxoSmithKline kimberlee.a.nizioljonas@gsk.com (905) 814-3500
l’association et ils seront pris en considération dans les délibérations entourant notre plan stratégique. Dans cette perspective, je tiens à mentionner les adaptations stratégiques que notre association effectue à l’heure actuelle pour pouvoir mieux communiquer aux membres des conseils sur « l’avancement de la pratique » : Réorientation. Le Comité de recherche et de développement sera réorganisé (avec un nouveau nom) en une structure moins officielle et rigide, afin de devenir un groupe plus flexible, axé sur les questions méthodologiques que soulèvent les nouvelles technologies ou d’autres formes d’innovation en recherche. Il sera composé d’un moins grand nombre de membres réguliers auxquels s’ajouteront des groupes de travail ad hoc adaptables offrant une expertise spéciale, recrutés pour l’élaboration des normes et pour le travail relatif à de nouveaux enjeux précis. Nouveau comité. Lorsque les nouvelles méthodologies de recherche sur Internet seront bien ancrées et deviendront usuelles, la responsabilité de leur évolution future sera transférée au nouveau Comité de la recherche en ligne qui a été créé pour appuyer activement et préconiser les diverses formes de recherche en ligne. Pendant que nous avons tous hâte de participer à la Conférence nationale 2011 vers la fin du mois et de profiter de l’expérience emballante que je sais que nous offrirons, je tiens à exprimer notre appréciation et nos remerciements au comité et personnel talentueux et dévoués de la conférence qui nous offrent la possibilité de nous réunir, d’apprendre, de faire du réseautage et de grandir ensemble.
Kimberlee Niziol Jonas Directrice de la recherche marketing GlaxoSmithKline kimberlee.a.nizioljonas@gsk.com (905) 814-3500
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Message from the Executive Director Brendan Wycks
Looking Forward to an Outstanding MRIA National Conference in Kelowna
Une conférence nationale de l’ARIM à Kelowna qui s’annonce exceptionnelle
This year’s MRIA national conference, in Kelowna, B.C., promises to be an outstanding learning, networking, socializing, and business development experience. Kelowna is increasingly a destination location for conferences in Canada. Situated in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, now famous for its viticulture and world-class VQA wines, the city and the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort – our conference venue – are surrounded by foothill mountains and sit upon the shores of picturesque Lake Okanagan. Conference Chair Tony Hoft, president of CRA West, and his organizing committee have put together a very attractive program that provides relevant content and opportunities for members from all sectors of the industry. While the entire program is impressive – including strong concurrent sessions on a broad range of leading-edge quantitative, qualitative, and social media research topics, making it very difficult to choose among them – here are some of my personal favourites from the lineup:
La conférence nationale de l’ARIM cette année à Kelowna en C.-B. se promet d’être une expérience de formation, de réseautage, de rencontres sociales et de développement d’affaires exceptionnelle. Kelowna est en train de devenir la destination de conférences au Canada. Située au cœur de la vallée de l’Okanagan devenue fameuse pour sa viniculture et ses vins VQA, la ville et le Delta Grand Okanagan Resort – l’emplacement de notre conférence – sont entourés des contreforts des Rocheuses et longent les rives du pittoresque lac Okanagan. Le président de la conférence Tony Hoft, président de CRA West, et son comité organisateur ont conçu un programme captivant qui offre aux membres de tous les secteurs de l’industrie des possibilités et du contenu pertinents. Tout en reconnaissant que tout le programme est impressionnant – y compris les solides séances simultanées sur un vaste éventail de sujets de recherche de pointe quantitative, qualitative et par médias sociaux parmi lesquels choisir – voici certains de mes préférés :
Opening keynote speaker, John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games since day one of the bid phase, will speak on “The Vision That Changed a Nation.” John will explain how early marketing research contributed to the vision and strategy behind what the International Olympic Committee has recognized as the most successful winter games ever. Keynote speaker Kees de Jong, CEO of Survey Sampling International (SSI), will give a talk entitled “Panels Are People?” Kees will offer his vision of how our industry should deal with this sine qua non resource of panel respondents, and will share solutions for keeping people interested in participating in research on their own terms, now and for the future. Kees cofounded Research Voice, an interactive site dedicated to improving the respondent experience, and co-created the ESOMAR codes and guidelines on access panels. 10
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Le conférencier de la séance d’ouverture John Furlong, chef de la direction des jeux olympiques et paralympiques d’hiver de 2010 dès la première journée de la phase des soumissions, nous parlera de « la vision qui a changé une nation ». John expliquera comment la recherche marketing effectuée tôt a contribué à la vision et à la stratégie sous-tendant ce que le Comité olympique international a reconnu comme les jeux d’hiver les plus réussis de l’histoire. Le conférencier Kees de Jong, chef de la direction de Survey Sampling International (SSI), qui demande « les panels sont des personnes? » Il présentera sa vision de la façon dont notre industrie devrait approcher cette ressource sine qua non que sont les panels de répondants, et il nous fera part de solutions pour réussir à intéresser les gens à participer à la recherche selon leurs propres termes, maintenant et à l’avenir. Kees est le cofondateur de Research Voice, un site interactif dédié à l’amélioration de l’expérience des répondants, et le co-créateur des codes et des lignes directrices sur les panels d’accès de l’ESOMAR. Le conférencier Ari Popper, président de BrainJuicer North America, parlera des « plus récentes innovations en recherche
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Keynote speaker Ari Popper, president of BrainJuicer North America, will speak on “The Latest Innovations in ‘We’search,” which uses mass-anthropology, mass-prediction, massenthnography, and co-creation to generate greater accuracy and insight, thereby surmounting traditional “me” research’s inherent limitation: I am an unreliable witness to my own motivations and a poor predictor of my own behaviour. At BrainJuicer, Ari has successfully brought some of the most innovative and gamechanging research solutions from around the world to the North American market. A superb plenary panel will see experts from Canada, the U.S. and Europe debate a front-burner issue for our industry: “Privacy and Ethics in the Age of Social Media and Digital Everything.” Sharing their thinking on social media research, online tracking, digital fingerprinting, mobile research, and the future of privacy, the panellists on this not-to-be-missed session are David Stark, vice-president and compliance & privacy officer for GfK North America, and MRIA’s past-president; Brian Bowman, MRIA’s legal counsel; and Patrick Glaser, director of Government Relations with the Marketing Research Association. Finn Raben, director general of ESOMAR, will moderate the session and share his own perspective. A provocative plenary panel on “The Survey Respondent: Headed for Extinction?” will feature insights and prognostications from Janine Keogh of Kraft Foods, Norman Baillie-David of TNS Canadian Facts, and Rasheeda Qureshi of Research Now. Moderator Shane Skillen of Hotspex will also share his own perspective. A riveting and forward-looking closing panel debating “Trends and Challenges: The New Face of Marketing Research and Intelligence,” moderated by Bernie Malinoff of element54, will tease out experience, passion, politics and chutzpah from Tom Anderson, CEO of Anderson Analytics, USA; Gary Bennewies, president and country manager of Ipsos Canada; Kristin Luck, president of Decipher Inc., USA; and Don Mills, president and CEO of Corporate Research Associates, Canada.
‘We’ » qui utilisent l’anthropologie de masse, la prédiction de masse, l’ethnographie de masse et la co-création pour générer une exactitude et une compréhension plus étendues, surmontant ainsi la limite inhérente au « moi » traditionnel de la recherche : je suis un témoin peu fiable de mes propres motivations et un prédicteur médiocre de mon propre comportement. Chez BrainJuicer, Ari a appliqué avec succès au marché nord-américain des solutions de recherche parmi les plus novatrices et transformatrices de jeux provenant d’un peu partout dans le monde. Un excellent panel de plénière réunira des experts canadiens, américains et européens pour discuter un enjeu prioritaire de notre industrie : « la protection des renseignements personnels et l’éthique à l’ère des médias sociaux et du tout numérique ». Les membres du panel partageront ce qu’ils pensent de l’utilisation des médias sociaux à des fins de recherche, du suivi en ligne, de l’empreinte numérique, de la recherche par appareils mobiles et de l’avenir de la protection des renseignements personnels. Les panélistes de cette séance à ne pas manquer sont David Stark, vice-président et agent responsable de l’application des normes et de la protection des renseignements personnels chez GfK North America et président sortant de l’ARIM, Brian Bowman, le conseiller juridique de l’ARIM, et Patrick Glaser, directeur des relations gouvernementales de la Marketing Research Association. Finn Raben, le directeur général de l’ESOMAR, sera le modérateur de la séance et partagera ses propres perspectives. Un panel de plénière provocateur sur « les répondants aux sondages : en voie d’extinction? » présentera les perspectives et les pronostics de Janine Keogh de Kraft Foods, de Norman Baillie-David de TNS Canadian Facts, et de Rasheeda Qureshi de Research Now. Le modérateur Shane Skillen de Hotspex partagera aussi ses propres perspectives. Un panel de clôture fascinant et avant-gardiste discutera des « tendances et défis : le nouveau visage de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing » et sera modéré par Bernie Malinoff d’element54, qui saura dégager l’expérience, la passion, les politiques et l’aplomb de Tom Anderson, chef de la direction d’Anderson Analytics (US), de Gary Bennewies, président et gestionnaire national d’Ipsos Canada, de Kristin Luck, présidente de Decipher Inc. (US), et de Don Mills, président et chef de la direction de Corporate Research Associates (Canada). vue May 2011
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On the social side, as well, the 2011 conference promises an experience to rival all previous industry festivities:
Les événements sociaux de la conférence de 2011 devraient également être des expériences rivalisant avec toutes les réceptions antérieures de l’industrie :
• Preceding the opening night reception on Sunday, May 29, we’ve brought back the ever-popular Speed Networking from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. This event presents the opportunity to meet new business prospects and industry colleagues who have interests in common with you, in brief one-on-one, getacquainted chats at short, timed intervals. Sign up quickly for Speed Networking, as space is limited to ninety participants and is usually oversubscribed. Based on your registration profile, you’ll be pre-matched with several compatible “dates” for the session.
• Le dimanche 29 mai, avant la réception d’ouverture en soirée, nous remettons à l’horaire le très populaire réseautage éclair de 17 h à 18 h. Cet événement offre l’occasion de rencontrer des clients éventuels et des collègues de l’industrie qui partagent vos intérêts, au cours de brèves conversations en tête à tête pour se connaître, à intervalles courts et minutés. Dépêchez-vous de vous inscrire au réseautage éclair, parce que les places sont limitées à 90 participants et que l’événement est généralement sursouscrit. Selon le profit de votre inscription, on vous organisera plusieurs « rendez-vous » compatibles au cours de la séance.
• Monday evening, May 30, features the “Sizzling Hot” Gala and Research Awards Dinner, which promises a white-hot evening of fun, entertainment, and celebration of excellence in our industry.
• Le lundi soir 30 mai, la Soirée de gala et de remise des prix « flamboyante » se promet d’être une soirée électrisante de plaisir, de divertissements et de célébration de l’excellence au sein de notre industrie.
• A spectacular off-site closing party on Tuesday evening, May 31, will be held at the nearby Laurel Packing House. With the theme French, Funky and Fruity, this party will feature splendid Okanagan wine, incredible food, entertainment, music and dancing.
• Le mardi soir 31 mai, une fête de clôture spectaculaire hors site se déroulera au Laurel Packing House à proximité. Misant sur le thème Français, funky et fruité, cette réception mettra en vedette les superbes vins et la nourriture incroyable de l’Okanagan, de même que des spectacles, de la musique et de la danse.
Check out our website for full details about the conference program and registration options, as well as the tradeshow exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities that remain available.
Consultez notre site Web pour obtenir tous les détails du programme de la conférence, les options d’inscription, et les possibilités s’offrant encore à ceux qui désirent exposer ou être un commanditaire dans le cadre du salon professionnel.
With all of this in store for us, the 2011 conference is the notto-be-missed venue for MRIA members who want to achieve learning, profile-raising, marketing, and business development objectives this year. The conference represents great value as a one-stop opportunity to accomplish multiple objectives and make efficient use of time.
Avec tout ce qui nous y attend, la conférence de 2011 est un événement à ne pas manquer pour les membres de l’ARIM dont l’objectif est d’avoir accès à de la formation, d’améliorer leur profil, de faire du marketing et de développer des affaires cette année. La conférence représente une grande valeur de guichet unique de possibilités permettant d’atteindre de multiples objectifs en utilisant efficacement son temps.
See you in Kelowna from May 29 to 31.
Au plaisir de vous voir à Kelowna du 29 au 31 mai.
Brendan Wycks, BA, MBA, CAE Executive Director Marketing Research and Intelligence Association bwycks@mria-arim.ca (905) 602-6854 ext. 8724
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Brendan Wycks, BA, MBA, CAE Directeur général L’ Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing bwycks@mria-arim.ca (905) 602-6854 poste 8724
KELOWNA MAGIC ..... Through the lens of photographer George Dimitrov
For more information visit: Tourism Kelowna www.tourismkelowna.com
S P EC IAL F E AT U R E
Interview with Nat Lauzon
Popular Montreal radio host Nat Lauzon talks about the success of her much-visited Montreal Dog Blog. She also talks about social media and their potential to benefit the community, as well as the details of blog strategies, measurements and platforms. David Hamburg
S P EC IAL F E AT U R E
Nat Lauzon, you’ve got quite a blog going with your Montreal Dog Blog [www.montrealdogblog.com]. I posted a question on it one day and got eight responses within the hour. Why is your blog so busy?
My guess is that it’s because the blog is about dogs and, since people really love their pets, they become deeply engaged. Pets are like their babies so, if you put out a question, a lot of people will want to respond to it and express their opinions. It really is the topic that feeds all the interest. I may have my own daily show on the radio, but I am by no means a professional blogger. Of course, I have been using social media for a long time and started blogging about seven or eight years ago, just out of interest. I had an idea to start up a dog blog towards the end of last summer. We launched in September, and it has since taken on a life of its own, something that we are very happy about.
Facebook “friends,” so this tells me they have heard of us through different means – which is excellent. Did you have a strategy in mind when you started your blog, or did it evolve organically?
The seed idea began with my involvement with local dog rescue organizations; I wanted to create a platform for them to promote their efforts. I also wanted a one-stop info centre for Montreal dog owners. But there really wasn’t a defined strategy when I started. No doubt, the blog could be bigger and better; we try to improve it constantly through trial and error. For example, we believe that we can maintain a regular readership by delivering solid, fresh content, with lots of local stories. Now we’re dabbling in giveaways, which has caught the attention of some pet companies that have supplied me
I never got this blog going to benefit my radio career. Actually, I’d like to see the reverse happening, using my career to leverage good causes. That’s the way it should be. When you say “we”, I get the impression that this is more than just a personal project.
Right, it’s sort of a community project. I’ve got about eight to ten bloggers writing on a regular basis. No one is getting paid; they’re working from the heart. Each blogger has a forte. For example, I have someone who blogs about rescue issues, and I have a certified trainer, a local vet, a groomer – everyone has their own niche. The heart and soul of it is the content. Do you think the blog would have taken off as fast as it did if you were not a local radio personality?
For a long time, I have been talking on the air about animals and have aspired to becoming a trusted voice for people on the topic of animals and rescue work. Facebook has certainly helped; a lot of my listeners follow me there. We actually cross-promote all the articles on both the Dog Blog and my Facebook page. I guess that having a couple thousand listeners following me on Facebook helped launch the blog. How does this link between Facebook and your blog work?
I look at our Facebook group as an extension of the Dog Blog. We post different articles on the FB group that we don’t post on the blog itself – especially if they are not necessarily Montreal-related or they come from an outside source. We always like to keep the content fresh and interesting. But each place has its own identity – Facebook group versus the blog itself – they are not duplicates. About 75 per cent of the FB group traffic are not even my own
with products to give away. We’re not really monetizing as a priority right now, so we have the luxury of experimenting with different ideas. What are your benchmarks for the success of your blog?
I like to use Google Analytics to check the growth of our traffic, and we have been growing for the last four months. So that’s one benchmark. But as long as the blog can create a community for people, it’s all good. I’d also love to create a space for dog rescue shelters. Raising money for the various causes is another benchmark of success. It’s ultimately about personal fulfillment for me. Sounds like you’re using social media to serve your altruistic calling.
Absolutely. I never got this blog going with the intention of using it to somehow benefit my radio career. Actually, I’d like to see the reverse happening, that is, using my career to leverage good causes. That’s the way it should be. Which is kind of what the Internet was all about when it got started. There was a sense of using it to benefit communities without any ulterior motives. It was about doing good.
Exactly! For me, it’s still about helping communities. It’s about improving pet welfare, and if we can monetize the site, then great: we can give back to the community. We’re definitely not at that stage yet, but hopefully that will come. Nat, let’s get back to Google Analytics. Tell us how you use it and how it helps you.
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S P EC IAL F E AT U R E
Lately, it’s been helping me develop the advertising piece of the blog. We’re able to send all this relevant information off to prospective advertisers and that, in turn, helps us because of the traffic generated to our site. We’re happy to share this data. It’s also interesting to monitor keywords – what words and phrases people are using to navigate to our site. For example, when there is something like that terrible slaughter of sled dogs in B.C. – or any news item that has a similar emotional impact – more traffic flows to our site. How did you learn how to use Google Analytics? I took the course and was bowled over by all the features and complexities of the program.
I actually picked it up myself, through trial and error. Right now, I use just the basics, but I want to learn more and am
networks. If you have a business and you’re not able to do it yourself, hire someone to do it. Do you think that Facebook is more powerful than blogging? It seems to be where everything is happening now, and more relevant than Google.
I must admit that Facebook is a bit of an addiction. I’m on it all the time. In fact, radio people are encouraged to use it extensively. Facebook is such an incredible place to crosspromote yourself. Do you use any of the other social media sites?
We’ve embedded one of our blogger’s Twitter accounts in our blog, and we get some traffic there. That said, I’m not yet convinced that Twitter is really relevant for what we’re
Don’t be afraid of social media. Everyone, and their grandma, is on Facebook. It’s so easy and user-friendly. Just dive in and do it; see what comes back to you. educating myself on it all the time. Of course, my webmaster helps me out with a lot of it. I check it out every day; it’s fascinating. How has Google Analytics helped you refine your blog?
We see which content brings us the most hits. I then send out an email to my bloggers, listing the top five content hits as a guide. It gives us an idea of the type of content that people want to see. In fact, it’s the only kind of market research we use for now. On what platform are you running your blog?
WordPress. Which is becoming extremely popular. Why?
It’s just so easy to use and has so many great functions. I’m constantly learning about new widgets; I just love using it.
doing. I think it’s more suited for celebrities who want to broadcast to their fans and followers. I just don’t know what we could do on Twitter that we don’t do already on Facebook. I agree with you about Twitter. I think that, if you’re not a celebrity with true followers, then Twitter is essentially a spam machine.
Seems like it. Chatting into the ether. As we wrap up our interview, Nat, do you have any parting thoughts about social media that we didn’t already cover?
Yes: Don’t be afraid of it. Everyone, and their grandma, is on Facebook. You don’t have to have any prior knowledge of social media to use it; it’s so easy and user-friendly. Just dive in and do it; see what comes back to you.
You’ve learned a lot about social media over the years. What advice would you give people if they wanted to leverage social media for their business?
Thanks a lot for the interview, Nat. In the meantime, I’ll stay tuned to you, during the day, on your radio show on Virgin, and continue to follow your Montreal Dog Blog.
The blogging part of it has to be an extension of your product. If you have nothing to say in your blog, then why are you even doing it? I started mine, not just because I like to write, but because I wanted it to be an extension of myself when I’m not on the air. It’s more of a personable connection; my audience can see what I’m doing in my personal life. My message to people is to get on the social
Nat Lauzon is pulling in the numbers and the accolades as host of her midday program, The Nat Show, on Montreal’s Virgin Radio 96. She is the former host of shows on Mix 99.0 and Mix 96, and former co-host of the award-winning Andre and Nat in the Morning. You can contact Nat at natlauzonvoice@gmail.com
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F E AT U R E
Forewarned Is, Well ... Forewarned:
The Demise of the Canadian Census The recent decision by the federal government to make the long-form census voluntary may have serious consequences. Studies by Statistics Canada suggest that increased bias is likely to compromise the basis for decision-making at every level across the country.
Judy Rogers
Many studies rely on Statistics Canada data for geo-mapping market segments, weighting and modelling to adjust samples or respondent pools in order to decrease bias. Historically, these processes have been based on bulletproof baseline data – the Census of Canada. The recent government decision to make the long-form census voluntary, in effect rendering it not a census at all, will reduce the availability of the necessary bulletproof information. Once the census is replaced with the National Household Survey, or NHS – the name Statistics Canada has given to the census replacement – research organizations will no longer have variables beyond those of age, gender, household size, and language on which to test the representativeness of their samples and make necessary adjustments (see the box on page 21 for a summary of the 2011 short-form content). The need for reliable tools with which to assess how closely a set of respondents represents the population under study, and with which to make adjustments as required, is greater than ever, as reliance on self-selecting Internet panels increases, and as public cooperation with data collection based on systematic probability samples declines. Just when we need more variables that accurately describe the colour and texture of the population fabric, we will have less.
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Some impacts of the transition from a census to the NHS are painfully evident in two tidy Statistics Canada studies. Referred to as Test 1 and Test 2, each represents a different approach to simulating the impact of moving from a mandatory to a voluntary long form. Test 1: Rate of Change – 2001 to 2006, Actual versus Simulated
This simulation was predicated on the assumption that early returners might differ from those who delayed completing the long form. Methodologists assumed that the first 74 per cent of responders to the mandatory 2006 census would most closely resemble respondents to the 2006 long form, had it been voluntary. “We operated on the assumption that responses received in May 2006 (74% of the total 2B [long-form] questionnaires received) are similar to what would have been received if the 2B questionnaire had been voluntary – that is, those who delayed sending back their responses or only did so after follow-up would not respond if not required to do so” (Statistics Canada, Potential Impact of Voluntary Survey on Selected Variables, June 21, 2010; available at www.scribd.com/doc/37157825/ Statistics-Canada-study-on-impact-of-voluntary-survey). Statistics Canada analysed and reported change over time between the 2001 census results and the actual versus the
F E AT U R E
simulated 2006 results. The examples cited below reveal some substantive changes in the size of the shift over time and/or its direction (from increase to decrease or vice versa). Example 1: Immigration to Canada. According to actual census findings at the national level, residents who had immigrated to Canada in the previous five years had increased fractionally between 2001 and 2006 (+0.15%). Recent immigrants would have declined by 2 per cent had the survey been voluntary (simulation). Example 2: Renters. The number of renters in Canada had declined by 3.1 per cent between 2001 and 2006 (actual) but would have declined by 8.1 per cent according to the simulation. The report included information for Canada and the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA). Differences are evident when actual and simulated data are compared at the national and municipal levels (see Table 1).
In the published report, information is provided for three geographic areas: the Toronto CMA, the Winnipeg CMA, and the Bathurst, New Brunswick, census agglomeration (CA). In the report, Statistics Canada acknowledges that information from the NHS will not be comparable to previous census data and alerts the reader to issues associated with sampling error and the even greater concerns associated with non-sampling error or bias: “It is believed that the most significant source of nonsampling error for the National Household Survey will be non-response bias. All surveys are subject to non-response bias, even a Census with a 98% response rate. The risk of non-response bias quickly increases as the response rate declines. This is because, in general, non-respondents tend to have characteristics that are different than those of the respondents and thus the results are not representative of the true population. Given that the National Household
Table 1: Test 1 Simulation, Based on ‘Early Responders’ to the 2006 Census Rate of Change, 2001 to 2006 Canada (%) Actual Simulated Recent immigrants † Renters Landed immigrants
0.15 –3.1
–2.0 –8.1
Toronto CMA (%) Actual Simulated –1.1
–1.2
Not available
Not available
1.4
0.5
2.1
1.1
–7.4
–8.6
–7.5
–8.9
5.3
6.5
4.7
6.3
–1.4
–2.4
–0.5
0.3
1.2
2.5
–0.9
0.6
Education • High school or less • 1+ university degree(s) Annual income • Under $1,000/without income • $40,000 and over † Recent immigrants: immigrated within past five years
Test 2: Rate of Change – 2006 Actual versus 2006 Simulated
A very different approach to estimating the impacts of a voluntary survey was adopted in the second test (Statistics Canada, National Household Survey: Data Quality, November 20, 2010; available at www.statcan.gc.ca/surveyenquete/household-menages/nhs-enm-eng.htm). This test compares results from the actual 2006 census to a simulated 2006 study, using the following assumptions: • distribution of the long-form survey to 30 per cent of the population, instead of the 20 per cent rate used in the actual census (this is the distribution rate for the 2011 NHS) • response rate estimated at 50 per cent for the NHS, instead of the 94 per cent achieved in the actual census • effective response rate at 16 per cent for the NHS, instead of the 19 per cent achieved in the actual census (taking into account the increase in distribution and estimated decline in response rate).
Survey is anticipated to achieve a response rate of only 50% there is a substantial risk of non-response bias.” [Emphasis added] (Statistics Canada, National Household Survey: Data Quality, November 20, 2010; available at www.statcan.gc.ca/survey-enquete/household-menages/ nhs-enm-eng.htm) Apparently, Statistics Canada plans to employ various mitigation strategies in an effort to offset sampling and nonsampling error in the NHS. Specifics of these strategies have yet to be provided, and their ultimate efficacy has yet to be determined. A brief review of Test 2 findings suggests that the NHS can be expected to over-represent some segments and under-represent others at national and municipal levels. It over-represents better-educated, white-collar, comparatively affluent Canadians; and it under-represents Canadians with lower incomes, those working as labourers, and those with less formal education.
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The findings also suggest that the smaller a population group is (e.g., visible minorities or people without Canadian citizenship in Bathurst, N.B.), the more distorted the estimates might be. Clearly, there is some instability in these data. It is counter-intuitive that visible minorities would fall by 43 per cent, while those without Canadian citizenship would increase by 30 per cent. These findings are consistent with those of Test 1.
uncertainty as to whether and to what extent a change in a variable reflects real change or an artefact arising from the change in methodology from the mandatory long-form census to the voluntary National Household Survey.” (Statistics Canada, National Household Survey: Data Quality, November 20, 2010) To bemoan the fact that the disproportionalities (biases) evident in the two simulations were predicted by the
Table 2: Test 2 Simulation, Based on the Actual1 2006 Census vs. 30% Distribution & 50% Response Rate2
Toronto Total income in 2005 (of population 15+ years) Under $1,000/without Income $50,000 and over
–4.4
Total population 25 to 64 years by highest certificate, diploma or degree High school or less University certificate, diploma or degree, bachelor and above Total labour force 15+ years by industry • Construction • Public administration
Estimated Bias (%)3 Winnipeg
Bathurst, N.B.
–4.5
–5.2
5.1
3.4
6.2
–3.8 4.2
–2.3 2.5
–3.7 3.8
–9.4
–9.1
1.3
7.5
2.7
4.8
Total labour force 15+ years by occupation • Management occupations • Business, finance and administration occupations • Trades, transport and equipment operators, and related occupations
–0.1 4.0 –7.6
–1.9 4.0 –5.0
–14.8 0.6 –4.2
Total visible minority population Citizenship other than Canadian
–2.0 –5.6
–3.5 –4.7
–43.3 30.0
1. 20% distribution, 94% response rate 2. See Statistics Canada, National Household Survey: Data Quality, October 20, 2010); available at www.statcan.gc.ca/survey-enquete/household-menages/nhs-enm-eng.htm 3. Toronto CMA. Estimated total population: 5,061,815; number of census respondents (long form): 974,435; estimated number of NHS respondents: 728,340. Winnipeg CMA. Estimated total population: 681,815; number of census respondents (long form): 132,155; estimated number of NHS respondents: 96,735. Bathurst CA. Estimated total population: 30,750; number of census respondents (long form): 5,910; estimated number of NHS respondents: 4,280.
Collectively, the two tests suggest that the NHS is likely to produce a distorted picture of who we are as a nation. There will appear to be fewer immigrants, fewer renters, fewer visible minorities, fewer low-income earners, fewer labourers, and correspondingly more people in the more affluent and educated tiers of Canadian society. Of course, simulations are not reality. When results of the NHS are in, they may differ substantively from these simulated estimates. Unfortunately, there will be no accurate way to determine how close or far away NHS estimates are from reality. As Statistics Canada cautions, a change as substantive as the one being enacted will result in a break in the statistical series: “Any significant change in the methods of a survey can affect the comparability of data over time. There is a real risk that this will be the case for the National Household Survey. There will always and inevitably be an element of 20
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research community is, at this point, unproductive. It is, however, productive to consider the impacts on adjusting the inherent biases in sampled populations, whether they are based on random probability techniques or on convenience samples such as Internet panels. Without a clear picture of how many Canadian residents are new immigrants; how many are rich or poor; how many are working as construction labourers, as professors, or as entrepreneurs; how many have no more than a high school diploma or at least one university degree – without these basic facts about the population, opportunities for adjustment diminish. In essence, there are fewer tools in the tool box. The absence of a reliable picture of who Canadians are – at a time when population growth is being fuelled by immigration instead of reproduction increases – magnifies the challenges facing the research community.
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The basis for decision-making is compromised for pollsters advising political parties, government departments, and the Bank of Canada – and for planners attempting to provide tourism, recreation, health-care, education, housing and transportation services to the public. Retailers, packaged goods manufacturers, financial institutions, and media will also suffer from the problems inherent in the NHS. Why? Because all forms of quantitative survey research are adjusted to offset sampling and non-sampling error, and have relied on a clear, reliable picture of who Canadians are.
Conclusions & Next Steps
Statistics Canada should be complimented for undertaking the tests described briefly herein, and for making clear the differences between a census and the NHS. As a national statistical agency, the organization can be no more comfortable than others in the research community with the government’s decision. Their methodologists, like the rest of us, will have to wait and see what value there is in the NHS. This is an instance in which forewarned is not forearmed, because no one can predict the extent of the bias
The basis for decision-making is compromised – for everyone from pollsters to bankers and manufacturers. Contents of 2011 Short-Form Census: A Summary†
• Number of people who usually live at this address as of May 10, 2011 • Is anyone … a farm operator who produces at least one agricultural product intended for sale? - Does this farm operator make the day-to-day management decisions related to the farm? • Name, sex, date of birth, and age of each person in the household • Marital status/whether living with a common-law partner • Relationship to person 1 - Opposite-sex husband or wife of person 1 - Opposite-sex common-law partner of person 1 - Same-sex married spouse of person 1 - Same-sex common-law partner of person 1 - Son or daughter of person 1 only - Son-in-law or daughter-in-law of person 1 - Grandchild of person 1 - Father or mother of person 1 - Father-in-law or mother-in-law of person 1 - Brother or sister of person 1 - Foster child - Roommate, lodger or boarder - Other: specify • Can this person speak English or French well enough to conduct a conversation? • What language does this person speak most often at home? • Does this person speak any other languages on a regular basis at home? • What is the language that this person first learned at home in childhood and still understands? † Canada Gazette. “Orders in Council: Statistics Canada, 2011 Census of Population (P.C. 2010-1077, August 12, 2010).” Canada Gazette, 2010 (August 21): 144(34); available at www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2010/ 2010-08-21/html/order-decret-eng.html
inherent in the NHS study design. Even after results are published, it will be impossible to know with certainty which shifts and changes are real and which result from the new methodology. What is to be done? Options seem limited but could include the following: • Assume that the NHS is the best option we have and utilize it as if it were a census, although Statistics Canada’s simulations suggest that adjustments based on the NHS might result in considerable distortion. • Obtain and review the methodology for mitigating strategies or the modelling that Statistics Canada plans to apply to the NHS. Once reviewed, make decisions about the ultimate utility of NHS data for adjustment purposes. • Find alternative sources of data for adjustment, although none springs to mind. • Continue to lobby the government to reverse its decision about a mandatory long-form questionnaire for the next census. How the research community and its many clients compensate for, adjust to and, with any luck, overcome the challenges posed by an NHS remain to be seen. At this juncture, forewarned is as good as it gets.
A research practitioner for over thirty years, Judy Rogers is president of Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd., which she founded in 1994. Her focus is on tourism, recreation and culture, primarily consulting on research methodology and design. Judy works with large tourism surveys conducted by Statistics Canada and other research suppliers, customizing these large data sets to meet the needs of small- and mediumsized tourism operators.
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CONFERENCE SPEAKERS Keynotes John Furlong, O.C., O.B.C. Ari Popper Kees de Jong
CEO, Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games President, BrainJuicer速 North America CEO, Survey Sampling International
Panels Brian Bowman
Business Lawyer, MRIA Legal Counsel
David W. Stark
Compliance and Privacy Officer, GfK Research Dynamics
Patrick Glaser
Director of Research Standards, Marketing Research Association (MRA)
Moderated by Finn Raben
Director General, ESOMAR
Janine Keogh
Vice President, Consumer Insight & Strategy, Kraft Canada
Kristin Luck
President, Decipher
Norman Baillie-David
Vice President, TNS Canada
Rasheeda Qureshi
Vice President, Client Development, Research Now
Moderated by Shane Skillen
Founder & CEO, Hotspex
Don Mills
President & CEO, Corporate Research Associates
Tom Anderson
CEO, Anderson Analytics
Gary Bennewies
President & CEO, Ipsos Canada
Angus E. Reid
Chief Executive Officer, Vision Critical
Moderated by Bernie Malinoff
President, element54
Sessions Adam Froman Ali Rana Alli Marshall Annie Pettit Barry Davis, CMRP Cam Davis, CMRP Christian Bourque, CMRP Gord Hotchkiss Jean-Pierre Lacroix Jesse Caesar Joseph Chen Kent Waugh Maura Hanley Michael Rodenburgh Olga Churkina Rick Hobbs, CMRP Robin Brown Scott Cho Scott Swigart Sean Campbell Sean Conry Suzanne Tyson Zach Vetter
CEO, Delvinia Senior Vice President, Head Scientist Emerging Media Lab Dynamic Logic & Millward Brown President, Strix Insights Chief Research Officer, Conversition Strategies Associate Vice President, Leger Marketing Past President, Professional Marketing Research Society Vice President, Research & Senior Partner, Leger Marketing Senior Vice President, Mediative Co-founder, Shikatani Lacroix Research Director, Firefly Millward Brown Consumer & Market Insight Manager, Unilever Canada Manager of Customer Intelligence, British Columbia Automobile Association President, BigReach Learning Vice President, Product Development, Ipsos Reid Research Director, Fresh Intelligence Research Corp. Vice President, Research, Leger Marketing Senior Vice President, Consumer Insights, Environics Vice President, Consumer and Technology Research Practice, Leger Marketing Co-owner, Cascade Insights Co-owner, Cascade Insights Vice President, Business Development, Techneos Systems Inc. President, Studentawards Inc. Vice President, Research Operations OnResearch Inc.
WWW.MRIA-ARIM.CA/CONFERENCE2011/SPEAKERS
Opinionology
formerly
You Can Take It with You: Using Mobile Devices for Market Research Given the number of people who own and regularly use smartphones, and the variety of mobile research applications available, you should at least consider a mobile phone–based methodology for your next project. But you need to be aware of the options and their limitations first.
Lauren Isaacson
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F E AT U R E
Mobile Internet access is spreading quickly. The world is adopting mobile Internet technology faster than it took on desktop Internet, but the exponential nature of the uptake did not start until the introduction of one particular device. The desire to have the web wherever we went has always been there; we were just waiting for the right device to take us from a ghettoed, partial and unintuitive mobile web experience to one that was more like our desktop experience. The iPhone and the competitors that soon followed gave us that experience, and we ran with it. There were 526 million smartphones in use in 2010, and their owners are very active. According to a trend report by Cisco, global mobile Internet traffic grew 260 per cent in 2010; and this is not the first time we have seen nearly triple growth rates for the mobile web: it is the third year in a row. Cisco expects to see current numbers increase another 2.6-fold between now and 2015. North America is expected to contribute 15.7 per cent of this mobile Internet traffic growth, while 26.3 per cent will come from Western Europe and 29.3 per cent from the Asia-Pacific region (Cisco, “Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2010–2015,” February 1, 2011; available at www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ collateral/ns341/ns525/ns537/ns705/ns827/white_paper_ c11-520862.html). Need more proof that the future of the Internet is in the palm of your hand? In the fourth quarter of 2010, we saw smartphone sales outpace traditional personal computer sales for the first time ever. Most analysts did not think this would happen before 2012, but everyone believes that this trend will only continue and the gap between mobile and PC sales grow greater with time. The ubiquity of smartphones and the mobile Internet is even changing many behaviours that we take for granted, from content consumption and creation to communication. While it may be no surprise that phone calls are being replaced with email, text messages, and social network interactions, email is not faring well either. The Internet marketing research company comScore reported that emailing went down 59 per cent among 12- to 17-year-olds and down 18 per cent for people between the ages of 25 and 34 (comScore, “The 2010 U.S. Digital Year in Review,” February 7, 2011; available at www.comscore.com/Press_Events/ Presentations_Whitepapers/2011/2010_US_Digital_Year_in_ Review). Text messages, instant messaging, social media, and other mobile communication paths are taking the place of email. This is not to say that people are communicating less; they are just finding different ways to do it. Given the game-changing nature of smartphone technology, it is only natural that we should start to think about what mobile devices can do to help us better understand consumers.
Should You Go Mobile?
With smartphones and the mobile Internet gaining on desktop usage and affecting how we live our lives, how is market research influenced? Should we be involving mobile in our current research practices? What are the pros and cons of using smartphones for gathering qualitative and quantitative insights? When deciding between mobile and desktop web research methods, you should first appreciate what unique properties mobile brings to the table and whether they would benefit the objectives of your study. Katie Owen, a researcher from Ipsos Understanding Unlimited, put it best: “Mobile [phones] allow for a unique view to capture the broader context, including environments, influences, and decision-drivers. The result is actionable insights that can only come from gathering information at the point of experience” (taken from a Techneos sales presentation). If you can envision a study taking advantage of the personal, location-aware, and constantly present nature of the mobile web, then it may be worth the effort to experiment with this new research channel. While all of this seems great, there are definite drawbacks. For example, not everyone owns a smartphone, let alone an iPhone. Seventy-three per cent of the U.S. population own smartphones. About one-third of that 73 per cent are BlackBerry owners; about another third are Android users; about 25 per cent are iPhone owners; and the rest of the market is occupied by Microsoft, Palm, and Nokia owners (comScore, “The 2010 U.S. Digital Year in Review”). Can the software you use work across all of these platforms, or can you afford to recruit respondents that use only Android or Apple phones, ignoring a third of the available market? What if your target consumers are more likely to be BlackBerry users? What about international studies? In some countries, data rates are extremely cost-prohibitive. Your incentive may not be enough to cover the participation costs in places like Brazil, where texting and multimedia messaging can be very expensive and WiFi is harder to come by than in North America. The age of your target consumers is another issue. Kids under the age of ten years old generally make poor mobile phone–based research participants. They are unlikely to be familiar with the communication functions of a smartphone, and getting them to participate on their own is difficult. Because mobile has its pluses and minuses, it should never be approached as the only potential methodology. When considering mobile, it is wise to show it as one option among others. Present these options to stakeholders. Provide relevant examples and case studies that demonstrate how each platform would work and what results can be
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expected. Then compare costs and weigh the benefits of each option. If mobile comes out on top as the best and most cost-effective way to obtain your research objectives, then that is all you need for a green light. Before You Start
Just as you would for any other study, you want to make sure you get people who will make good participants. One potential screener question to ask participants is how long they have had a smartphone. People who have had a smartphone for over two years are generally more comfortable and familiar with their Internet-enabled mobile phones. Depending on the type of study that you intend to perform, it is also worth noting what model smartphone participants own, what kind of data plan they have, and whether their phone is connected to WiFi in the area where most of the study will take place. Knowing which smartphone model they have will tell you the capability of the phone, for example, whether it has GPS. If you require participants to check in at certain locations or tell you
from you throughout the study. Sometimes you just want to encourage further engagement, or you may want to probe further on certain responses. This additional contact should not be unexpected or appear intrusive, and letting participants know about it ahead of time avoids potential misunderstandings. Before you deploy your research study, be sure to pretest the system. Ask a few colleagues or stakeholders to play the role of respondents, and see if there are any kinks or technical speed bumps that need to be addressed before you officially start the study. This can be a great role for clients to play, because they get to see first-hand how the system works. Sometimes it can be insightful for everyone to see the study from a participant’s point of view. There are three prominent methods to choose from in the use of mobile phones: SMS/texting Q&A sessions, surveys, and mobile diaries. SMS
Short message service, or SMS, also known as texting, is the lowest common denominator when it comes to using
By getting respondents to share their decision-making processes as they happen, moderators can then prepare better discussion guides or probe further. where they are, GPS may be an important requirement. Knowing participants’ phone model is also relevant because various mobile research platforms work only on certain phones. Some may work on Apple or Android phones but not Blackberry, or vice versa. It is also good to know ahead of time what kind of data plan participants have. Do they have a plan with unlimited texting? This may affect their ability to send and receive text messages. Do they have enough bandwidth on their monthly data plan to participate in a study that requires them to take photos or video and send them back in real time? This consideration would definitely be a factor in a mobile diary study. What about WiFi access? If you want to know about participants’ domestic habits and their phones are connected to WiFi at home, the kind of data plan they have will be a moot point, because they will not have to use their mobile network to send in their responses. Once you have enough participants for your study, make sure they fully understand what they have signed up to do. First off, have a privacy policy already in place and make sure that your participants know about it. Second, develop a schedule detailing what you expect from your participants and when. Also let them know that they will be hearing
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mobile devices in qualitative research. Everyone with a mobile phone can send and receive text messages. It does not matter whether the message comes from a smartphone or a feature phone. SMS-based qualitative research is a great way to get reactions to situations as they happen, rather than having the participants recall their feelings and actions at another place and time. Sure, the questions and answers have to come in bursts of no more than 160 characters, but you would be surprised at how much can be communicated in a text message. Ask any teenager. SMS-based research can be used either on its own or as part of a broader research project. Some moderators choose to use SMS as a way to augment a more traditional qualitative study that utilizes online or offline focus groups. By getting respondents to share their decision-making processes as they happen, moderators can then prepare better discussion guides or probe further in a setting that allows for more back-and-forth, and for broader answers. Companies like 20/20 Research, Research Now, and many others offer computer applications that let moderators send and receive text messages to a large number of participants, and then allows for one-to-one texting when further questioning is necessary. They also assist with the
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analysis process, through various sorting and tabulation options. While this may sound basic, SMS research applications can be key in leveraging the smartphone’s ability to capture emotions, reactions and decisions as they occur. Surveys
There is very little advantage to conducting a survey using only mobile phones, unless you want to capitalize on mobile’s ability to record data in the moment of action. But that does not mean that this channel should be ignored. When commissioning an online survey, it is safe to assume that a significant and growing portion of your target audience will attempt to answer the survey by mobile phone. Think about it: Many online survey invitations are sent using email. According to comScore, over 70 million people in the U.S. alone checked their email using a mobile device, a 40 per cent increase over the previous year. If respondents chose to take your survey using a mobile phone or a tablet, would it work, or would it just frustrate them into not completing the survey? Next time you conduct a survey, ask the company about its mobile capabilities. If you don’t get a good answer, then you may want to look elsewhere. Right now, surveys conducted on mobile phones have a higher completion rate than those taken online. “Mobile surveys are indeed seeing astounding response rates when fielded appropriately,” says Sean Conry of Techneos, a mobile research application vendor. “There are a few theories about why this is so. The novelty of the method may indeed play a factor. However, many of the researchers we speak with also believe there are convenience and preference factors at play. As a consumer, you can now voice your opinion or earn rewards in what was previously ‘dead time’ – in line at the coffee shop, on your commute or, to employers’ chagrin, in a boring meeting at work. Also, there is clear evidence showing that people are spending increasing amounts of time on their mobile device – it’s becoming a preferred method of communication” (from an interview with Sean Conry of Techneos). While we can be enthusiastic about the higher response and completion rates that we see in mobile surveys, we also need to act with caution. The same symptoms of survey fatigue that we see in online surveys will certainly occur in mobile surveys as time progresses and the novelty wanes. Mobile Diaries
When mobile qualitative research application companies pitch their services, they all emphasize the ability of respondents to show rather than tell in real time. This is very powerful. Research participants can take a picture,
write a message or a caption, record a video of whatever they are doing or feeling at that moment, and send it to the moderator immediately. Some researchers use mobile journal applications to record how participants go through a given task. This can work really well for product testing and customer experience research. People can go through the task in their natural environment, at home or at their local shopping centre, and record their actions and reactions without a stranger hovering over them analysing their every move. Mobile diaries also take away some of the potential for the groupthink that may occur in a focus group setting. When it is just the mobile device and themselves, respondents are less likely to think about impressing other people and more likely to concentrate on what really matters to them. There is also a level of validation not available in traditional diary-based research. Some applications have a GPS component that tells the moderator the general area where a photo was taken or a message was written. This way, if respondents tell you that they decided to go for lunch at a downtown deli, you can see that they were indeed downtown at the time. Techneos, Qualvu, Revelation, and many other companies offer qualitative research applications that work across multiple devices. Some of these applications are even currently available for download from app stores. Download one and take it for a test drive before you consider it for your next project. While mobile research is still in its infancy, there are a surprising number of competitors out there. Posting a question to a market research discussion group or conducting a cursory Internet search will reveal a wide variety of resources that will work for a given project. Given how many people own and regularly use their smartphones, and the wide variety of mobile research applications available, a mobile phone–based methodology should at least be considered for your next project. Let your respondents start showing you what they are trying to tell you.
Lauren Isaacson, MBA, is a freelance market researcher and strategist living in Vancouver, B.C. She has advised clients, including Microsoft, Nissan/Infiniti and Safeway on digital and consumer trends, as well as brand strategies. You can contact Lauren through her website at www.curioconsulting.net, where you can read more about her thoughts on research and mobile technology.
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AND WELCOME TO OUR CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS The Vision That Changed A Nation
The Latest Innovations in ‘We’search
Panels are people?
John Furlong, OC, OBC
Ari Popper
Kees de Jong
CEO, Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games
President, BrainJuicer® North America
CEO, Survey Sampling International
How did the early market research contribute to the vision and strategy behind the Games? Using Games analogies, the presentation will convey the importance of developing a meaningful vision, innovative thinking and values based leadership.
‘Me’ research insists researchers must only ask me about me; my hopes, beliefs, what I would buy/ not buy. The problem is we are unreliable witnesses to our own motivations; we don’t know why we do what we do and are poor predictors of our own behaviour.
Many said it was a vision too far, urging him to set the goals at a more attainable level. Furlong refused and through an exhaustive ten year journey went on to deliver, what have now been recognised by the IOC as, the most successful Winter Games ever. John Furlong, has been described as a Sports Hero, Nation Builder and the Ultimate Crisis Manager. Known for his masterful storytelling and innovative leadership style, he continues to inspire, regaling audiences with the many remarkable and fascinating untold stories behind the Games. The first CEO in Olympic history to have led from day one of the bid phase all the way through, the many trials and tribulations of hosting the Games, to the closing ceremonies, he was relentless in his pursuit to deliver a Games that would touch the hearts and minds of every Canadian. Always a passionate ambassador for Canada, Furlong was honoured earlier this year to be awarded The Officer of The Order of Canada and Member of the Order of British Columbia, for his exceptional leadership of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which changed our nation, galvanized Canadians from coast to coast to coast and showcased Canada to the world. A father of five and grandfather of 11, Furlong is now an influential figure globally and through his role as the volunteer Chairman of the highly successful Own The Podium program, he continues to be a powerful advocate for amateur sport. His new book, Patriot Hearts – Inside the Olympics That Changed a Country, was launched on February 12, 2011, the one year anniversary of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.
However, we are exceptionally good at noticing and copying what others are doing. Learn about BrainJuicer’s ‘We’ research, that uses massanthropology, mass-prediction, mass-ethnography and co-creation for greater accuracy and insight. Ari is a highly experienced and respected marketing consultant who has worked closely with some of the world’s greatest brands. Ari has been a trusted advisor for CEOs and CMOs world-wide including Robert Redford and his Sundance brand. Armed with a graduate degree in Psychology, Ari began his career as a Marketing Analyst at The Limited Inc, and then moved to the agency side in 1999 to join Millward Brown. An expert on branding, marketing communications and new product innovation, Ari has been leading BrainJuicer North America since 2006 where he has helped to reinvent the market research industry by successfully bringing to the US market some of the most innovative and game changing research solutions available. Ari is a frequent speaker at conferences and industry events and has been on industry panels at the American Marketing Association, Advertising Research Foundation, CASRO and the Institute for International Research, and was the Chairman of the ESOMAR Innovate conference in Copenhagen in 2008. He enjoys watching and playing soccer and spending time in the California sunshine with his wife, daughter and three pets.
Since Kees de Jong’s ‘Panels are People’ speech at the first Panel Conference in 2005 things have changed. Or not? Does the industry value the respondent as a critical partner or merely as an object, to be milked for data at our disposal? In his presentation Kees will elaborate on his vision on how we should deal with our industry’s main source. He will touch upon quality discussions, survey engagement, technological solutions, industry politics and reciprocity. He will share his vision on solutions to keep people interested to participate in research on their terms, for now and in the future. Kees de Jong is Chief Executive Officer of Survey Sampling International (SSI). Named CEO in 2009, Mr. de Jong has led SSI in expanding its global position as the premier provider of online and offline sampling solutions. Prior to his current role, Kees was SSI’s Director of Globalization. Before taking on his global position, he served as Managing Director, Europe. Kees began his relationship with SSI in 2005 when the company acquired Bloomerce Access panels. He founded Bloomerce in 2001, building it into Europe’s first community-based online panel company. Other businesses he cofounded include BBI Group Holding Company, GDCC Call Center, Blauw Research and Admilot Consultancy Services. Kees co-founded Research Voice, an interactive site dedicated to improving the respondent experience. He also was Chairman of ESOMAR's first panel research conference and co-created the ESOMAR Codes and Guidelines on access panels. Kees studied Business Administration at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He also attended the MIT (USA) Executive Program Masters Classes in Entrepreneurship.
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Baby Boomers Still Rule A new book by MRIA fellow Michael Adams and co-author Amy Langstaff takes a fresh look at baby boomers – who they are, how they think, and what their priorities are as they enter the second half of their adult lives.
Marc Zwelling, CMRP
Because demographics are destiny, the new book by MRIA fellow Michael Adams and co-author Amy Langstaff, Stayin’ Alive: How Canadian Baby Boomers Will Work, Play, and Find Meaning in the Second Half of Their Adult Lives (Viking Canada, 2010, $34.00), is a search engine to the future. Adams is the founder and chair of the Environics Research Group, and Stayin’ Alive relies on the Environics expertise in sorting Canadians by their lifestyles and values. For Adams, the baby boomers are the millions born between 1946 and 1965. (Some demographers narrow the boomer years to 1951–66; in every one of those years more Canadian babies were born than in any year before or after this period.) Because there are so many of them, all through their lives boomers have competed for space – first in 30
vue May 2011
crowded schoolrooms, then in overcrowded lecture halls, next in a congested job market, and then in a tight housing market. Finally as they retire, boomers find their pension funds struggling to keep investment returns high enough to meet the demand. Because one in three eligible voters is a boomer, the influence of this generation is enormous. Boomer problems inevitably become Canada’s issues. Now that the first boomers have started retiring, it shouldn’t surprise us that health care is the most important issue in the country, according to all the polls. Why are boomers so different from their parents (and often from their bosses)?
F E AT U R E
Their parents were the radio generation, boomers the first television generation. TV changed Canada, bringing New York and Hollywood values into boomers’ rec rooms and bedrooms. Boomers, Adams writes, unlike their parents, have “a sense of optimism that technology is being put to more positive, responsible, and equitable uses.” Boomers also were the first generation raised by moms who worked outside the home, and the first generation brought up in families where divorce was commonplace. Their parents typically made it to secondary school or dropped out. Boomers were the first post-secondary generation. Boomers were Canada’s first urban generation; earlier Canadians had grown up in small towns and on farms. Boomers swept away traditional society with their liveand-let-live attitudes toward alcohol, common-law relationships, recreational drugs, sex, abortion, gays and immigration. Canada’s economy expanded rapidly when boomers were young. To them, real growth of 5 or 6 per cent a year was the norm, not the exception. Boomers, says Adams, are “greener in their values” and behaviours than “younger, more materialistic, and statusanxious Canadians.” Boomers aren’t all alike, and Adams sorts them into four groups: Disengaged Darwinists. Numbering 4.4 million, this group comprises the silent plurality – at 48 per cent of boomers, the largest slice of this big generation. They are the highly rational boomers. Adams writes that this segment feels “most people will take advantage of you if you let them – from government to big business, to phony refugee claimants and supposedly needy people looking for a handout.” These millions of cynics are the most likely to be undecided in federal politics (in Quebec, they support nationalist candidates). Their strongest values are fatalism, hyper-rationality, risk aversion, and ethnic intolerance. They support our troops. Union members bulk up the Disengaged Darwinists. Autonomous Rebels. To the left of the Disengaged Darwinists, this group makes up 19 per cent of the boomers. This outspoken 1.7-million-member tribe loves the idea that Canada is a microcosm of the world. Its strongest values are the rejection of authority, a desire to participate, equality of the sexes, relationships with youth on an equal basis, the pursuit of happiness, and deferment of duty. They are the most likely boomers to be divorced. Connected Enthusiasts. This 21 per cent of boomers experiments with everything, and they delight in their families for “emotional connection and deep exchange.”
This 1.9-million-member tribe is the most religious group of boomers. Its members score lowest on the value of fatalism, “reasoning that you build your own destiny in life – and you make your own fun.” They place a high value on personal creativity and ethical consumerism. Anxious Communitarians. This 12 per cent of boomers (1.1 million strong) are deferential people who “want to be taken care of by an authoritative figure.” They are the most inclined of the four boomer tribes to feel overwhelmed. They are worried, feel disempowered, and “sense that life is beyond their control.” The central focus of their lives is “a sense of family responsibility,” and “they feel a little lost when there’s no one around to make demands of them.” Anxious Communitarians fear technology and “long for a simpler time.” Their highest values are concern for their appearance, the need for status recognition, and a fear of crime and violence – explaining why a 37 per cent plurality of Anxious Communitarians support the federal Conservatives, 24 per cent the Liberals. Another Conservative Party sanctuary is among Disengaged Darwinists, where 32 per cent vote for the Harper Conservatives. At the other end of the spectrum, the Autonomous Rebels and Connected Enthusiasts tend to congregate “disproportionately in Liberal and NDP territory” – federally, 28 per cent would vote Liberal, 25 per cent NDP. What does the demographic tide mean for market researchers and their clients? Read Stayin’ Alive as a GPS to Canada’s marketing landscape for the next twenty years. Obsessed with controlling their health, boomers will keep health care at the top of the to-do list for politicians and employers. The boomers have viewed Canada as “a multicultural utopia,” says Adams. But he cautions that the aging boomer generation may soon discard its commitment to multiculturalism as the focus shifts to the immediate needs of health care and pensions. Stayin’ Alive forecasts that when the boomers have died off, Canada’s values will have shifted again. Though baby boomers were the first generation to grow up in a welfare state, post-boomers (born 1965–1993) are actually more pro-government than the boomers. Adams notes that postboomers “vastly outscore baby boomers” in their inclination to believe that society “is better off when government steps in to solve its problems.”
Marc Zwelling, CMRP, is the founder of the Toronto-based market research firm The Vector Poll. He can be reached at polls@vectorresearch.com or (416) 733-2320. vue May 2011
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Gold Seal Certification is a world class mark of distinction. It is earned by Research Agencies through a comprehensive self-assessment, follow-up interview, and sample evidence examination process — conducted by an independent, third party Reviewer from a major Canadian CA firm – which attests to their being consistently in compliance with MRIA’s rigorous professional standards. For clients, Gold Seal-Certified status means a trusted choice – that they can choose a research supplier with confidence, one that has earned MRIA’s seal of approval and must continually re-earn that distinction by passing a Certification Review once every two years.
GOLD SEAL–CERTIFIED CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES The Research Agencies listed below have earned the right to display MRIA’s Gold Seal–Certified logomark. MRIA congratulates and salutes them.
For MRIA, Gold Seal Certification is a key self-regulatory program that is the envy of other marketing research industry Associations in the United States and around the world.
GOLD SEAL–CERTIFIED CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES Academica Group ACCE International Acrobat Research Ltd. Advanis Inc. Advitek Inc. BBM Analytics BBM Canada Blue Ocean Contact Centers BrandSpark International Campaign Research Canadian Viewpoint Inc. COMPAS Inc. Consumer Contact Consumer Vision Ltd. Corbin Partners Inc. Corporate Research Associates CRC Research CROP Inc. Delvinia Data Collection EKOS Research Associates Inc. Elemental Data Collection Inc. Environics Research Group Limited Focal Research Consultants Ltd. Forum Research Inc. Foundation Research Group Inc.
Fresh Squeezed Ideas GfK Research Dynamics Harris/Decima Inc. Hay Research International Head Research Inc. Health Connexions Hotspex Inc. Ifop North America Insightrix Research Inc. Insignia Marketing Research Inc. Ipsos ASI Ipsos Camelford Graham Ipsos Descarie Ipsos Reid Corporation Ipsos Reid Public Affairs J.D. Power and Associates Kermode Business Services Inc. Lang Research Inc. Leger Marketing Maritz Research Canada Market Probe Canada MarketQuest-Omnifacts Research Matrix Research Limited MBA Recherche McWhirter & Associates
MD Analytics Inc. Millward Brown MPI Research Mustel Research Group Ltd. Nanos Research NRG Research Group Opinion Search Inc. Phase 5 Consulting Group Inc. Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. POLLARA PRA Inc. Pricing Solutions Ltd. R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. Radix Market Research Research & Incite Consultants Research Dimensions Research House Inc. Research Now Research Strategy Group Inc. Resinnova Research Inc. Shop'n Chek Canada Synovate Healthcare Synovate Ltd. Synovate Motoresearch Tann Research Services Inc.
Tele-Surveys Plus / Télé-Sondages Plus The Logit Group Inc. The Verde Group Thinkwell Research TNS Canadian Facts Toluna Trend Research Inc.
GOLD SEAL CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES – CERTIFICATION PENDING The following Corporate Research Agency members are in the process of completing their first Gold Seal Certification Review:
concerto research inc. Quorus Consulting Group Inc.
The Gold Seal Certification process is open to all MRIA Corporate Research Agency Members that have been in continuous operation in Canada for at least two years, regardless of firm size, structure or number of employees. For more information on MRIA Corporate Memberships or our Certified Marketing Research Professional (CMRP) designation for individual practitioners, visit www.mria-arim.ca.
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DATA COLLECTION AT IT’S BEST State-of-the-art CATI call centre Online surveys Elite B2B interviewing team Multilingual interviewing capabilities Remote monitoring capabilities Mail and data entry services Data tabulation and analysis
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VUE MAGAZINE
TIMELESS PAPERLESS
VIRTUALLY 2011 MEDIA KIT AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT
WWW.MRIA-ARIM.CA/ADVERTISING/PDF/VUE-ADGUIDEENG.PDF
With Vue magazine now available both in print and online versions, you have more options and greater flexibility to read those articles that matter most to your business and to your career. View a sample at www.mria-arim.ca/VUEonline/ Mar2011/Mar2011Flip00.html There is no added cost for MRIA members to opt out of the print version and receive the online version - simply go to MRIA Portal, under Membership. www.mriaportal-arimportail.ca
CONFERENCE PANELLISTS Panel 1
“Hot issues – privacy and ethics in the age of social media and digital everything” Brian Bowman Business Lawyer MRIA Legal Counsel
Patrick Glaser Director of Research Standards Marketing Research Association (MRA)
David Stark Compliance and Privacy Officer GfK Research Dynamics
Moderated by Finn Raben Director General ESOMAR
Panel 2
“The survey respondent – headed for extinction?” Janine Keogh Vice President, Consumer Insight & Strategy Kraft Canada
Norman BaillieDavid Vice President TNS Canada
Kristin Luck President Decipher
Rasheeda Qureshi Vice President, Client Development Research Now
Moderated by Shane Skillen Founder and CEO Hotspex
Panel 3
“Trends and challenges – the new Face of Marketing Research and Intelligence” Don Mills President & CEO Corporate Research Associates
Tom Anderson CEO Anderson Analytics
Gary Bennewies President & CEO Ipsos Canada
Angus E. Reid Chief Executive Officer Vision Critical
Moderated by Bernie Malinoff President element54
I N D U ST RY N E W S
PEOPLE AND COMPANIES
• The Vue editorial team reserves the right to select and edit your submission for appearance in Vue.
IN THE NEWS
• Interested in sponsoring “People and Companies in the News”? Contact amgabriel@mria-arim.ca
Abacus Data Becomes Sun News' Pollster Abacus Data was launched in July 2010 by the owners of Summa Strategies Canada, and since then, we have quickly established ourselves as a trusted new voice on Canadian public opinion. David Coletto, CEO, announced that Sun News, Canada’s newest all-news cable network, has asked Abacus Data to be part of their national programming. On April 18th, when Sun News broadcasts its first show, David will be joining the Sun News team as its pollster while remaining as CEO at Abacus Data. As the pollster for Sun News, David will provide research-based insight and analysis on politics, business and other news. He will appear regularly on Daily Brief hosted by David Akin and Mercedes Stephenson, and Sun News’ morning show, The Roundtable. www.abacusdata.ca 2011 TTRA Conference The Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA), founded in 1970, is a non-profit professional organization committed to improving the quality, value, effectiveness and use of travel and tourism research and marketing information. The 2011 Conference takes place June 19-21, 2011 in London, Ontario, Canada and provides opportunities to participate in a unique network that brings together the academic and practitioner sectors of our industry in an informal, friendly fashion that promotes business networks – the kind of relationships that provide a number of valuable and longlasting opportunities. www.ttra.com Vision Critical Launches Bundled Survey Solution for Medium-Sized Businesses Global research and technology firm Vision Critical® reveals its latest innovation, providing small– to medium-sized businesses with a packaged survey bundle that features simple authoring, access to quality sample and ongoing support services. On occasions when basic online survey software is not enough to find the answers to support mission-critical business decisions, small- and medium-sized businesses can now rely on the professional Firefly Surveys interface to provide them with validated responses faster than ever before. www.visioncritical.com New Global Research on Health Care Satisfaction, Rising Costs–and Who’s to Blame The rising cost of health care coverage remains a critical concern around the world. New global research by Survey Sampling International (SSI) reveals which countries are (and aren't) satisfied with their health care coverage, as well as who has the greatest concerns about health care affordability – and where consumers are placing the blame for ballooning expenses. The attached press release shares the results of this new study. www.surveysampling.com 36
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• To read more news online, or to submit your “People and Companies in the News”, simply fill out our online form at mria-arim.ca/PEOPLE/People.asp.
• MRIA is neither responsible for the accuracy of this information nor liable for any false information.
Vision Critical Reaches Milestone with 500th Community Panel Global research and technology firm Vision Critical® has reached a unique milestone by installing its 500th online community panel on the Sparq platform. One third of the world's 100 biggest global brands have relied on Sparq to engage with customers, test ideas, assess ads, poll public opinion and make better business decisions. Vision Critical also hosts an annual Panel Summit, where the leading minds in panel management come together to share insight and collaboration. www.visioncritical.com ESOMAR Launches 2011 Young Researcher of the Year Competition ESOMAR, the world association for market research, is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual ESOMAR Young Researcher of the Year Award, which aims to showcase new and innovative market research from young talent to address some of today’s most pressing and challenging global issues. The award, which was initially launched in 2009, is part of ESOMAR’s Developing Talent initiative which is designed to enhance the skills, knowhow and expertise of future market research professionals. www.esomar.org Introducing GMI Ad Tracker: A New Solution That Measures the Overall Exposure and Effectiveness of Online Advertising Campaigns GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.), a leading provider of technology-enabled solutions for global market research, announces world-wide availability of GMI Ad Tracker, a fully integrated solution for clients to evaluate reach and effectiveness of online advertising campaigns including behavioral and attitudinal data. GMI Ad Tracker brings together three complementary and high-quality datasets to provide an integrated view of consumer action and perspective. www.gmi-mr.com Research Now Appoints Martin Filz and James Burge Research Now announces appointments to lead Client Development in the United Kingdom and Asia Pacific – Martin Filz named Managing Director, UK and Senior Vice President, New Proposition Development and James Burge named Managing Director, APAC. www.researchnow.com Online Video Makes Ad Pitches Picture-Perfect As critically acclaimed as it is, “Mad Men” hasn’t done much for the reputation of advertising agencies. On the popular program, getting a client’s business often means having a relative in high places, and creative success is directly proportional to how much scotch you can get in a glass. Qualvu, a Denver-based qualitative research company, says that its online asynchronous video research services have
I N D U ST RY N E W S
found an eager market with ad agencies because the company is able to connect advertisers with consumers anywhere in the world, on short notice, and to have the consumers react to a concept, describe an experience, talk about product likes or dislikes, react to a commercial or any number of other activities that are critical in developing effective advertising. www.qualvu.com Research Now Announces Several Promotions within Its Client Development and Corporate Communications Teams Jason Sheppard has been promoted from Vice President of Sales Operations in the Americas to Senior Vice President of Global Sales Operations at Research Now. Jami Pulley has been promoted from Vice President of Sales for the U.S. Southern Region to Vice President of Client Development, U.S. Southeast & Latin America. Chris Wallace has been promoted from Director of Client Development to Vice President of Client Development, where he will continue to support client development in the Americas. Ashley Harlan has been promoted from Director of Corporate Communications to Vice President of Corporate Communications, overseeing all global internal and external communications for the company in her new role. www.researchnow.com Research Industry Index Shows Possible Improvements for Suppliers in 2011 Glastonbury, CT, March 15, 2011 – The Research Industry Index (RII) – the Marketing Research Association’s leading indicator of business activity in the U.S. marketing research industry – continues to build on the improvement seen in the first three quarters of 2010, with a fourth quarter score of 100. This is the fourth quarter in a row in which the index was at or near 100, with scores for 2010 being 98, 98, 101 and 100 for each respective quarter. www.mra-net.org MD Analytics welcomes three new team members: Daniel Turner (Account Director), Maggie Yu (Data Specialist) and Tony Kuo (Junior Data Analyst). Prior to joining MD Analytics, Daniel worked for six years as a Senior Research Manager at Ipsos Health during which time he acquired a rich expertise in the field of health care and pharmaceutical marketing research. Maggie also brings several years of experience in marketing research, as well as advanced statistical knowledge acquired through past employment with the BC Cancer Agency and Stats Canada. While Tony is new to our industry, his passion for marketing research and high energy caught our attention. We believe he will be a strong contributor to our team. We look forward to helping him grow into his career. www.mdanalytics.ca The Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto and one of the fastest growing areas in Canada, has recently released an important report on how the aging workforce will affect the Region and how employers could overcome the challenges associated with the situation. Matrix Research Limited, a survey research organization located in York Region, was commissioned to conduct interviews with three
audiences: employers, older workers (baby boomers) and young people who are in or will be entering the workforce in the near future. The results of these surveys, conducted under the supervision of Vera Korinek, Executive Vice President at Matrix Research, were utilized by the Region to develop a guide to “provide employers with a unique perspective of the aging workforce's impact” while also suggesting “possible actions that can be taken by employers to resolve issues.” www.investinyork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ BB-Report-WEB-Feb711.pdf Kinesis Survey Technologies LLC (Kinesis), the industry leader for future-proof market research software solutions, today announced the addition of a new Diary Campaign feature to its premier panel management solution, Kinesis Panel™. The new functionality is included in the latest release of Kinesis Panel and enables detailed management and analysis of market research diary projects. Users are able to set panellist participation metrics including the minimum/maximum number of survey completes for a given time period, as well as track target quotas, participation by respondent, and participation over time. www.kinesissurvey.com
MARK YOUR CALENDARS QRCA Symposium on Excellence in QR May 12, 2011 – Chicago, IL AAPOR 66th Annual Conference May 12-15, 2011 – Phoenix, AZ 2011 MRIA National Conference May 29-31, 2011 – Kelowna, BC 2011 Excellence in Research Awards Gala Dinner May 30, 2011 – Kelowna, BC CASRO Technology Conference June 2-3, 2011 – New York City, NY MRA Annual Conference June 6-8, 2011 – Washington, DC The 42nd Annual TTRA International Conference June 19-21, 2011 – London, ON ESOMAR - Congress 2011 IMPACT September 18-21, 2011 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands QRCA 2011 Annual Conference October 12-14, 2011 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV ESOMAR - 3D Digital Dimensions 2011 October 26-28, 2011 – The Venetian, Miami, FL
Interested in sponsoring “People and Companies in the News” in 2011? Contact amgabriel@mria-arim.ca
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CHAKRAP CHAKRAPANI AP PANI A ON ANALYTICS O NA NALY YTICS
! " # $ % & $ '(! )*''! + & , - $ . / $0 0 $ , ! $ # $ + - $ - $ ! 1 2 , 2 , 3 $ , $ + & , $ , 4 !
+ 5 6+ 7 , 8'9 :'; *<<*= 0 $ ! > & $ '(! )*'' 5 3 ! ?
Millions of panelists...
...only one you. Across the world, we give you access to over 6 million panelists.
But right now, when you’re talking to us about sample and data collection we only think about one person. You. We put our clients at the heart of everything we do, treating every project as a priority, ensuring you get the answers you want. Maybe that’s why 95% of the world’s top research companies use us. So while we’re talking to millions of panelists about their buying behavior, their preferences and their motivations, there’s one person whose opinion matters most. Yes, you.
www.researchnow.com
consumer • B2B • healthcare • social media
I N D U ST RY N E W S
RRS
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.
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 DURING NOVEMBER 2010:
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.
GOLD SEAL CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES
RRS
All Gold Seal and Basic 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. 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 Sylvie Corbeil-Peloquin, Manager, Member Services, at 1-888-602-6742 or 905-602-6854, ext. 8726 or scorbeil@mria-arim.ca or, in her absence, Executive Director Brendan Wycks at ext. 8724 or bwycks@mria-arim.ca.
Rules of Conduct and Good Practice For Members of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (2007):
BASIC CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES
Advanis Inc. Abacus Data BBM Analytics Arcus Group Campaign Research concerto research inc. Consumer Contact ERIN Research Consumer Vision Ltd. Gryphon Reputation Management Corporate Research Associates Ideaspace Research Delvinia Data Collection Illumina Research Partners Forum Research Inc. Info Ressource Harris/Decima Inc. Justason Market Intelligence Insightrix Research Inc. Mindset Consumer Research Inc. Ipsos Reid Corporation Network Research Field Services Inc. Leger Marketing Nexus Market Research Inc. Maritz Research Canada Quality Response Inc. Market Probe Canada Research Professionals MarketQuest-Omnifacts Research Tann Research Services Inc. MBA Recherche MD Analytics Inc. INDIVIDUAL MEMBER MPI Research ORGANIZATIONS NRG Research Group Burak Jacobson Research Partners Inc. Opinion Search Inc. R.I.S. Christie Phase 5 Consulting Group Inc. POLLARA PRA Inc. R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. Research Dimensions Research House Inc. Research Strategy Group Inc. Synovate Ltd. Tele-Surveys Plus / Télé-Sondages Plus TNS Canadian Facts Trend Research Inc.
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.
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mria-arim.ca/RRS
A Personalized Approach to Data Collection
It’s an exciting time for us at National Response. We’re celebrating our 10th anniversary and have just re-launched our website!
To celebrate, we are offering new clients a 15% discount for the month of May!
Visit us at nationalresponse.ca or call us at (416) 422-2204 to arrange for a FREE initial consultation and learn why some of Canada’s most sophisticated buyers of research rely on our unique personalized approach to data collection… • 50 Station Call Centre (at Yonge and Eglinton in Toronto) • Online Surveys • Express2Web (telephone recruit-to-web) • Field Consulting • Executive Interviewing
*National Response is a division of Hay Research, a Gold Seal Member
P RO F E SS I O NAL D E VE LO P M E N T
2011 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
MRIA Institute for
Professional Development
CANADA’S LEADING PROVIDER OF MARKETING RESEARCH EDUCATION FOR PROFESSIONALS
COURSE TITLE
CITY
CMRE Prep Workshop
FINAL REGISTRATION
COURSE DATE
OTTAWA KELOWNA
May 11 May 14
May 25-26 May 28-29
Market Segmentation Research
MCP 20
VANCOUVER
May 13
May 27
When Worlds Collide: Market Research Meets Competitive Intelligence – Live Webinar!
MCP 10
ONLINE
June 10
June 15 and 22, 12:00-2:00 PM
COURSE TITLE
CITY
Selling Marketing Research: Sharpen Your Business Development Skills CMRE Prep Workshop
MCP 20
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
COURSE DATE
KELOWNA
May 4
June 1
TORONTO
May 12
June 9-10
MCP = Maintenance of Certification Program
Advance Your Career Through Online Education Complete these Core courses at the time convenient for you, without having to leave your desk! • • • • •
101-Introduction to Marketing Research 102-Ethical Issues and Privacy in Marketing Research 201-Marketing Research Design: An Applied Course 202-Questionnaire Design 204-Qualitative Marketing Research
“I know it, so don’t want to take the course” – Now you can prove it! Pass an online challenge test for any of these Core courses and earn credit towards your CMRP designation. Register today at the MRIA Portal!
For more details or to register online at the MRIA Portal, visit our website at www.mria-arim.ca
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P RO F E SS I O NAL D E VE LO P M E N T
GET YOUR CMRP Designation! The CMRP (Certified Marketing Research Professional) designation signifies a high level of knowledge and capability in marketing research theory and practice, and adherence to rigorous ethical standards set out in MRIA’s Code of Conduct and Good Practice.
By achieving a CMRP designation you: • Confirm your broad competency and mastery of theoretical and practical knowledge required to maximize value to your organization and clients; • Better position yourself for career advancement and greater earning power; • Demonstrate your commitment to continued professional development and to upholding the highest level of professional ethical standards.
The CMRP can be obtained by writing the Comprehensive Marketing Research Exam (CMRE). The next CMRE will be held on June 30, 2011. Application deadline is June 2, 2011. Apply now!
There are two ways to qualify to write the CMRE: • You have completed MRIA’s Institute for Professional Development program of twelve core courses (or equivalent courses from another academic institution) and have at least two years of professional marketing research experience; or • You select to “Challenge” the CMRE, if you have at least eight years of marketing research experience, are confident you meet the knowledge requirements set out by the Competency Requirements document and have successfully completed the Core course “102-Ethical Issues and Privacy in Marketing Research.”
CMRE Prep Workshop: Prepare for the Exam! A Prep Workshop is available for those who want to brush up on material and on exam techniques, to prepare for the CMRE. This two-day CMRE Prep Workshop will be offered on May 25-26 in Ottawa, on May 28-29 in Kelowna, and on June 9-10 in Toronto. The enrollment to this unique Workshop is limited to 15 registrants per workshop, so don’t delay and reserve your seat TODAY. All CMRE applicants will also be sent a very detailed, comprehensive CMRE Study Guide to assist exam writers in preparing for the CMRE. The Guide is sent automatically once registration has been completed and is FREE OF CHARGE. The Study Guide is also available FREE OF CHARGE to MRIA members in good standing who are considering writing the CMRE exam in the future on a request only basis. Send your request to: education@mria-arim.ca
MRIA Institute for
Professional Development
For more information on the CMRE, please visit: www.mria-arim.ca/EDUCATION/CMRE.asp or contact us at education@mria-arim.ca
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CO L U M N IST S THE INNOVATION ACCELERATOR The Two Ends of Creativity Margaret Imai-Compton, CMRP Imai-Compton Consulting
“The human body has two ends on it: one to create with and one to sit on. Sometimes people get their ends reversed. When this happens they need a kick in the seat of the pants.” – Roger von Oech, Creative Think consulting company And of course, that’s the name of von Oech’s landmark book, A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, which was first published in 1986. Twenty-five years later, his book is still being celebrated as relevant and hardhitting. We need to ask ourselves, “To what extent are we kicking ourselves (metaphorically speaking) to live creatively?” Depending on your experience and the environment in which you thrive, you may be doing a lot of kicking, and living an extremely creative life. But the reality is that most of us are pretty comfortable in our “thinking and doing” patterns, so why would we actively seek out a boot in the bum? Because studies have shown that creative people consistently score higher on measurements of self-fulfillment, confidence, esteem and – yes, here it comes – overall happiness. Von Oech’s formula for living a creative life is pretty straightforward. He suggests choosing projects and activities that stretch us, that force us to explore, to manipulate, to evaluate, and to act in bold and challenging ways. Ultimately, who wins? You win, because you will be the product of a creative process. And according to the studies, you’ll be pretty happy while you’re at it!
B2B REPORTER Is B2B Marketing Dead, Obsolete, or Just Plain Old Irrelevant? Ruth Lukaweski
agency GyroHSR, gave a speech that garnered a tremendous amount of attention from the worldwide B2B marketing community. In that speech, he said, “I really very much believe that a paradigm has shifted, that B-to-B marketing is not only obsolete, but it may well be very much dead. ... We no longer contact places of businesses; we contact individual people. I think it is fundamentally changing the idea of B-to-B marketing.” These thoughts are driven by the success of mobile technology (e.g., iPads and smartphones) which, according to Rick, has blurred the lines between place of business and place of residence, “causing the barriers between work and personal life to fall down and collapse.” The character of work life is changing. This fact has huge implications for marketing and communications: marketing communications have become more complicated; people have more choices (among features and capabilities of communications media); people are more decentralized; they are less focused and more distracted. There is the old “sizzle versus steak” issue. It is thought that the merging of the consumer and B2B worlds will personalize B2B marketing communications, and there will be more recognition of the “emotional” side of business marketing. There are more challenges ahead for business marketing, but the essence of business marketing and research has not changed: It is up to researchers to provide unique insight into what motivates business purchase decisions. Business communications may become more focused on reaching individuals, but that fact does not change the endgame – business decisions will not suddenly focus on personal gains and benefits.
CI CORNER David Lithwick & Enrico Codogno Market Alert & Customer Foresight Group
RML Research
In Berlin last month, Rick Segal, the worldwide president of the marketing 44
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Dear CI Corner: I work in the cellular mobility business and have been asked to carry out a business-to-business mystery
shop with our corporate clients. Can you provide a few tips to help me get started? Dear CI Professional: Here are a few tips to help get you going. Do the shop yourself as a pretest before finalizing instructions and going in field. This will help you better understand what challenges the shoppers themselves will face, and it will help to make the instructions and survey clearer to read and simpler to follow. Be transparent with your clients. Email them the shopper instructions, scenarios, survey, metrics, and report outline before going in field. This gets them involved and gives them the opportunity to make changes beforehand. Avoid adding too many customer scenarios, given the small sample size. For example, it is best to stay with shoppers from mid-size companies rather than using small business and corporate shoppers as well. Always debrief all of the shoppers after their shops, instead of just reading their surveys. The debriefing must be done by phone, not email. And push the shoppers for their opinions and suggestions. Do not limit your shop to one touchpoint only. For example, if you are assessing sales delivery, include feedback on calling for an appointment, on signing up online, and on being followed up by the account manager (for example receiving an email recapping the meeting you had or getting a thank you call) in addition to the meeting itself.
QUALITAS Embracing Your Inner Qual Kelly Adams Ipsos Camelford Graham
Spring is here and a researcher’s fancy lightly turns to … the MRIA conference, of course. Rumour has it that there will be qual ribbons again. Remember last year’s “I ♥ Qual” ribbons? They were a hot commodity. And no wonder, because who out there, honestly looking deep inside, doesn’t love qual? We all do, whether or not we admit it.
CO LU M N I ST S
We all love knowing the context; we all love being told the story. We beg for details: where they were, what happened next, where this is going, why it matters so much for the people involved. All these things help us understand the facts better, putting them into perspective for us. This is exactly what qualitative research is designed to do. Its role is not to establish the “quantitas” of something (the how many or how much of it), but the “qualitas” (the what of it, the nature of it). Quantitative research measures; qualitative research classifies: the two in conjunction are a mighty powerful insight-generating combination. Some do question the value of qualitative research. It is sometimes considered soft learning – “all very interesting, but what do we do with it?” This kind of questioning generally occurs when qualitative is asked to stand in for quantitative – people wanting it to decide something for them. Remember, research doesn’t make decisions: people make decisions. All that qualitative research – like a good qualitative researcher – aims to do is give those people fuller information to help them make their decisions. So I encourage all – if qual has slipped under your radar – to take a moment to reconsider it, to think about how knowing the story gives you truer insight into the facts. At the conference in Kelowna (you are going to the conference, aren’t you?) take a moment to embrace your inner qual. It can’t hurt, and it certainly can help.
USA: NeuroStandards Collaboration Project. The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) is working on standards related to neuromarketing research. This initiative, aptly called the NeuroStandards Collaboration Project, provides an independent review of current neuromarketing methodologies. In mid-March, the ARF released an update on the progress of this initiative. Australia: Revised Online Privacy Guidelines. On April 7, 2011, the Australian senate released its report entitled “The Adequacy of Protections for the Privacy of Australians Online.” This report includes recommendations for the adoption of new online privacy laws. These laws would require a revision in current online privacy, information and advertising practices. A key element of the senate’s recommendations is the creation of a “do not track” model. In addition, the recommendations cover offshore data transfers, mandatory data retention protocols, and the expansion of the role of the Australian Privacy Commission.
European Union: The “Right to Be Forgotten” Rule. In March of this year, the European Union announced that social networking sites and search engines could face court action if they fail to obey new EU data privacy rules. Under these new rules, social networking websites and search engines must allow users to delete their personal information under the “right to be forgotten” rule. Use of Smart Tags and RFID. In the first week of April 2011, the European STANDARDS Commission entered into an agreement with the European Network and Changing Standards Information Security Agency (ENISA) and Donald Williams privacy/data protection regulators in NADbank Europe. The agreement would establish data protection guidelines for smart tags Canada: Proposed Revised Qualitative (radio frequency identification devices, or Research Standards. The world of qualitative RFIDs) for European companies. research has changed significantly over the past five years, and MRIA is responding to these changes with revisions to the existing EDUCATION qualitative research standards. Over the next CMRE Explained few weeks, these proposed changes will be Jeannette Bellerose, PhD, CMRP submitted to members for comments and Arcturus Solutions feedback. Once these proposed guidelines As you are reading this, some MRIA are finalized, an updated MRIA code of members are preparing to write the conduct will be distributed.
association’s Comprehensive Marketing Research Exam (CMRE) at the end of June. Members who successfully pass this proctored exam are awarded the designation of Certified Marketing Research Professional (CMRP). The CMRE is designed to test marketing researchers’ broad-based knowledge and capability in marketing research and intelligence theory and practice, as well as their adherence to the rigorous ethical standards set out in MRIA’s Code of Conduct and Good Practice. The exam has two parts: Part A involves the preparation of a research proposal in response to a specific case study. Part B includes 20 to 25 singleand multi-subject short essay–type questions. Candidates have three and a half hours to write each part; the passing mark for each is 65 per cent. Candidates who fail the CMRE must successfully rewrite both sections at a later date if they wish to obtain the CMRP designation – unless they have received a mark of 80 per cent or higher on one of the two sections (in such instances, they will be allowed to rewrite only the failed section). There are many myths circulating about the CMRE, and these will be the subject of future columns. Suffice it to say here that, like MRIA and the industry, the CMRE is constantly evolving. The most important ingredient for success is experience in the marketing research and intelligence industry. The other key to success is preparation. If you’re planning on writing the CMRE, stay true to your path and don’t listen to ill-informed fearmongers. On behalf of the industry as a whole, and of marketing research buyers in particular, I thank you for contributing to the pursuit of excellence and high ethical standards in marketing research and intelligence. vue May 2011
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The 2011 Research Buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide
Now in Production!
RBG is a comprehensive directory, listing people, companies and organizations that provide marketing research services and products in Canada.
!
This Directory is the only one of its kind in all of Canada. The Research Buyer's Guide is updated annually and published in book format as well as searchable on the MRIA website. One copy is available free of charge to all MRIA members.
To purchase listings and full page advertisements in the 2011 edition of the Research Buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide, visit www.mria-arim.ca/PUBLICATIONS/RBGOrder.asp
MRIA 2011 National Conference Organizing Committee Chair Tony Hoft, CMRP President, CRA West Redthirteen Communications Communications and Marketing Jeanette Hoft, CMRP, APR VP, CRA West Redthirteen Communications Sponsorships Ian Large VP Alberta, Leger Marketing Mary De Bonis, CMRP VP Marketing, Ipsos Canada Tradeshow Anastasia Arabia Partner, Trend Research
Let the good times roll! Thanks for joining us in Kelowna! Hope to see you again!
Denise Nowicki Partner, Trend Research Program Support Cam Davis, CMRP Researcher, Opportunity Insight MRIA Registrations Erica Klie MRIA Communications Anne Marie Gabriel MRIA Post-Conference Education Program Julia Savitch Event Managers Lesley Spiegel and Sarah Wuertz Synergy Events Web Design and Graphics Michael Maske and Louise Maske LS Graphics
Visit us at www.mria-arim.ca/Conference2011
B2B is our Business. Take advantage of over 20 years of data collection experience. • • • •
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