VUE Magazine, November 2011

vue CURING

CLUSTER HEADACHES

WITH

LSD Dr. John H. Halpern Interview

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40033932

Every Voice Counts From There to Here: A Conversation with Ed Gibson Mystery Shopping: Challenges and Opportunities in Pharma

the magazine of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association

N OVE M B E R 2011

call

speakers and presentations for

important

dates

• November 25, 2011 Brief Outline

Owshegettinonb’ys? Yes, the MRIA Conference is heading to the Rock and preparations are well underway. We are particularly interested in (but not limited to) presentations that include:

• December 20, 2011

• New technologies (mobile research, automation, methodologies, etc.)

• Building insights with business-ready data • What’s next for qualitative research • The future of telephone research in a cellphone world • Perspectives on the use of social media in market research • Strengthening the “I” in MRIA • Anything that surprises and entertains us!

• February 1, 2012

1

Carol Wilson, CMRP, Chair, 2012 Program Committee Carol.Wilson@spielo.com 1 Owshegettinonb’ys [Ow-she-get-in-on-byes] Newfoundland & Labrador slang. A colloquial greeting framed as a rhetorical question regarding the current status of life, love and the universe in general.

Shortlist notification

• Week of January 23, 2012 Review by Program Committee Final acceptance notification

• March 1, 2012 Deadline for descriptions

• April 30, 2012 Deadline for all final materials For complete information, please download our Call for Speakers and Presentations Guidelines www.mria-arim.ca/Conference2012/ PRESENTATIONS/

NOVEMBER 2011

vue VUE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE MARKETING RESEARCH AND INTELLIGENCE ASSOCIATION TEN TIMES A YEAR

Cover: Dr. John H. Halpern In this month’s features: (L to R) Barbara McGrath, Dima Ostrikov, Ed Gibson, David Lithwick, Sylvia Helene Perras

FEATURES 12

DR. JOHN H. HALPERN INTERVIEW The chief medical officer of Entheogen Corp. talks about his investigations into hallucinogenic drugs and his discovery of an LSD derivative that may cure the agonizing affliction of cluster headaches.

by David Hamburg

16

EVERY VOICE COUNTS Health-care researchers at Ifop North America examine data quality in a number of studies with small quantitative samples of physicians, conducted for pharmaceutical clients ... with encouraging results.

by Barbara McGrath and Dima Ostrikov

20

FROM THERE TO HERE: A CONVERSATION WITH ED GIBSON The president of CRC Research talks about the evolving pharmaceutical industry, developments in market research, the impact of social media, and the highlights of his career.

by Anne Marie Gabriel

22

MYSTERY SHOPPING: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN PHARMA A mystery shop of pharmaceutical call centres requires attention to industry-specific considerations, but the outcomes may have benefits that reach far beyond the immediate focus of the shop.

by David Lithwick and Sylvia Helene Perras

COMMENTARY 6 8 10

Editor’s Vue President’s Letter Message from the Executive Director

INDUSTRY NEWS 25 28

Qualitative Research Registry (QRR) Research Registration System (RRS)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 29

MRIA’s Academic Awards Are Reaching Out

COLUMNISTS 31 31 32 32 32 33

RAC QUALITAS CSRC The Innovation Accelerator Standards The Court of Public Opinion

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Net Gain 6.0 January 25, 2012 St-Andrews, Toronto ERRATA In the October 2011 issue of Vue, p26, we printed an incorrect URL for the Uthink Online website, which should be www.uthinkonline.com. We regret the error and any inconvenience this may have caused.

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 Tel: (416) 271-8454 stephen.popiel@bell.net 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 claire.bazley@maritz.com 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: November, 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

CO M M E N TARY / COMMENTAIRE

Editor’s Vue David Hamburg

It just occurred to me that, in most parts of the country, November is more like pre-winter than fall. The days meld into darkness, the winter tires are installed. Groan ... the headaches of facing another winter. Fortunately, I never have cluster headaches, a neurological disease whose victims (0.1% of the population) suffer massive, extremely painful headaches that recur periodically – cause unknown. But now there is light at the end of the tunnel for those afflicted with this disease.

In this month’s feature interview, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John H. Halpern, one of the world’s pre-eminent specialists in substance abuse, discusses his discovery of a cure for cluster headaches – using a non-hallucinogenic variant of LSD. The story of how his field research among sufferers, shamans and indigenous peoples led him to this breakthrough is nothing less than fascinating.

Moving along with this month’s pharmaceutical theme is an article by Ifop North America’s Barbara McGrath and Dima Ostrikov: “Every Choice Counts: Issues of Data Quality in Small Quantitative Physician Samples.” This piece examines data quality in a number of studies that Ifop has conducted with small quantitative samples of physicians; and it comes up with some encouraging results.

This month’s Vue also welcomes back two familiar MRIA voices: ex-president Ed Gibson and frequent contributor David Lithwick (with co-writer Sylvia Helene Perras).

Ed Gibson takes a look back on his own distinguished career and also discusses some of the key points that differentiate the world of pharmaceutical research from research in other industries. The Lithwick-Perras piece, “Mystery Shopping: Challenges and Opportunities in Pharma,” provides us with a greater understanding of what makes the shopping of pharmaceutical call centres unique, and it offers some valuable tips on executing a call centre mystery shop.

Until next month, when winter sets in.

Il me vient tout juste à l’esprit qu’en novembre, une grande partie du pays, plutôt que d’être en automne, se prépare à l’hiver. Les journées se fondent en noirceur, les pneus d’hiver sont posés. Douleurs... du mal de tête à l’idée d’un autre hiver.

Heureusement, je ne souffre pas des maux de tête « suicidaires », le surnom de l’algie vasculaire de la face, une affection neurologique qui cause aux victimes (0,01 % de la population) des maux de tête massifs et extrêmement douloureux qui reviennent périodiquement – dont la cause est inconnue. Mais, il y a maintenant de la lumière au bout du tunnel pour ceux qui en sont affligés.

Dans l’interview de fond de ce mois-ci, le Dr John H. Halpern, psychiatre de Harvard et sommité mondiale en substances donnant lieu à des abus, discute de la découverte d’une guérison de l’algie vasculaire de la face – basée sur une variante non hallucinogène du LSD. L’histoire de la façon dont sa recherche sur le terrain auprès des victimes, des shamans et des Amérindiens l’a mené à cette percée n’est rien de moins que fascinante.

Par ailleurs, l’article de Barbara McGrath et Dima Ostikov d’Ifop North America intitulé Every Choice Counts: Issues of Data Quality in Small Quantitative Physician Samples se situe dans la foulée du thème pharmaceutique du mois. Ce texte examine la qualité des données de plusieurs études qu’Ifop a menées en utilisant de petits échantillons quantitatifs de médecins – et qui ont produit des résultats encourageants.

Ce mois-ci, Vue accueille aussi de nouveau deux voix bien connues de l’ARIM : l’ex-président Ed Gibson et le contributeur régulier David Lithwick (avec son coauteur Sylvia Helene Perras). Ed Gibson jette un regard sur sa propre carrière brillante et discute des points clés qui distinguent la recherche dans le monde pharmaceutique de celle dans d’autres industries.

L’article de Lithwick-Perras, Mystery Shopping Challenges and Opportunities in Pharma, nous fournit une meilleure compréhension de ce qui rend unique le magasinage dans des centres d’appels pharmaceutiques et offre quelques conseils précieux sur la façon de mener un magasinage mystère dans un centre d’appel.

Au mois prochain, quand l’hiver sera amorcé.

David Hamburg, Market Research Consultant, Hamburg Consulting Editor-in-Chief, Vue / Rédacteur en chef, Vue • Email: david.hamburg@sympatico.ca • (514) 748-1827 •

6

vue November 2011

david_hamburg

CO M M E N TARY / COMMENTAIRE

Letter from the President Kimberlee Niziol Jonas

Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to develop expertise in consumer packaged goods, financial services, and pharmaceutical marketing research. On the surface, these industries appear very different but, in reality, from the perspective of a marketing researcher, they are quite similar – similar in that there are questions that need to be answered, areas that need to be explored, and target consumers who need to be understood.

However, one of today’s challenges, regardless of the industry, is change. Change is constant. Industry customers are changing, in terms of what they want and how they want it, as is the industry environment itself. And understanding industry environments can be challenging – a challenge I’ve learned to embrace.

In the highly regulated Canadian pharmaceutical environment, the reality is that there is a shortage of family physicians. In fact, many Canadians do not have a family doctor. This situation is largely due to a changing model of health-care delivery by primary care physicians, as a result of their elevated demand for greater job satisfaction and work-life balance. As a result, family medical practice is evolving rapidly, driven by government policy and demographic changes.

In the pharmaceuticals business, as in the marketing research industry generally, success requires that industries understand their environments deeply, while operating in accordance with the industry’s particular ground rules.

As I began my term as MRIA president back in April, I made the following observation on the role and positioning of marketing research in the overall business community: We play in the same general arena in the business world as the biggest and most powerful providers of goods and services. It’s no surprise, then, that there have been challenges and fundamental shifts in many areas of our industry, including technology, which has influenced how we communicate and how we gather and interpret information.

8

vue November 2011

Au cours de ma carrière, j’ai eu l’occasion de développer une expertise en recherche marketing dans les domaines des biens de consommation emballés, des services financiers et de la pharmaceutique. À première vue, ces industries semblent très différentes mais, en réalité, du point de vue du praticien de la recherche marketing, elles sont sensiblement semblables – semblables par les questions qui se posent, les domaines à explorer et les consommateurs cibles à comprendre.

Cependant, maintenant, quelle que soit l’industrie, le changement est un défi. Le changement est constant. Les clients des industries changent quant à ce qu’ils veulent et comment ils le veulent, et quant à l’environnement même des industries. De plus, comprendre une industrie peut être un défi – un défi que j’ai appris à relever.

Dans l’environnement très règlementé de la pharmaceutique, la réalité est qu’il manque de médecins de famille. En fait, un grand nombre de Canadiens n’ont pas de médecin de famille. Cette situation découle en grande partie du modèle de prestations de soins de santé par les médecins de premier recours qui change parce qu’on recherche de plus en plus à améliorer la satisfaction de l’emploi et l’équilibre entre le travail et la vie privée. Il en découle que la pratique des médecins familiaux évolue rapidement, mue par les politiques gouvernementales et les changements démographiques.

Dans les entreprises pharmaceutiques, comme dans l’industrie de la recherche marketing en général, le succès dépend de la capacité d’une industrie de comprendre son environnement en profondeur, tout en fonctionnant conformément aux règles de base qui lui sont propres.

Lorsque j’ai commencé mon mandat de présidente de l’ARIM en avril, j’ai constaté les éléments suivants quant au rôle et au positionnement de la recherche marketing dans l’ensemble de la collectivité des affaires. Nous fonctionnons dans la même arène générale du monde des affaires que les plus grands et les plus puissants fournisseurs de biens et de services. Ce n’est donc pas étonnant qu’il y ait eu des défis et des modifications fondamentales dans plusieurs domaines de notre industrie, dont celui de la technologie qui influence la façon dont nous communiquons et dont nous recueillons et analysons les informations.

CO M M E N TARY / COMMENTAIRE

At the 2011 ESOMAR congress in Amsterdam this past September, keynote speaker Marc Lammers shared his experiential story and made it very relevant to marketing researchers. Marc was the head coach of the Netherlands’ gold medal–winning women’s field hockey team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. While I found his remarks truly inspiring, three things really stood out for me, and I want to share these with you.

The first is Marc’s assertion that it is important to know where you are in a crisis, but more specifically that “if you know where you are in a crisis, you also know what you have to do to get out of it.” He also noted that “a crisis is only a crisis if you say it is. Until that point, it is a limitless source of inspiration, energy and challenges.” Marc’s third notable statement was contained in the title of his talk, and of his book: “Winners have a plan; losers have an excuse – you don’t beat a crisis; you beat your competitors.”

You may wonder how and why I found Marc Lammers’ story to be relevant to my own career experience and life story.

I strongly believe that the marketing research industry provides a foundational understanding of its customers, uncovers key customer insights, and provides critical information and guidance for strategic decision-making as well as the ability to optimize business investments and manage business risk – in essence, understanding and managing the “crisis.” While I certainly agree with the ancient adage (going at least as far back as Heraclitus in the fifth century BCE) that change is constant, I also know that change management is the process for dealing with change effectively. I firmly believe that our association is up to the challenge. Our current strategic plan renewal process will help us to manage industry change by identifying where the organization needs to focus and apply resources, both financial and human, to fulfill its mission most effectively, and to have the greatest impact on the delivery of member benefits.

Au cours du congrès 2011 de l’ESOMAR à Amsterdam en septembre, le conférencier invité Marc Lammers nous a fait part de l’histoire de son expérience et l’a rendue très pertinente pour les praticiens de la recherche marketing. Marc était le principal entraîneur de l’équipe médaillée d’or féminine de hockey sur gazon des Pays-Bas aux Jeux Olympiques d’été 2008 à Beijing. J’ai trouvé ses remarques vraiment inspirantes, mais j’ai retenu en particulier trois points que je veux partager avec vous.

D’abord, Marc affirmait qu’il est important de savoir où on est dans une crise et, plus spécifiquement, « si l’on sait où on est dans une crise, on sait également ce qu’il faut faire pour s’en sortir. » Ensuite, il a noté « qu’une crise existe seulement si on dit qu’elle existe. Jusqu’à ce moment-là, il s’agit d’une source illimitée d’inspiration, d’énergie et de défis. » Enfin, le troisième point frappant dans la déclaration de Marc se trouve dans le titre de son discours et de son livre énonçant que les gagnants ont des plans, les perdants ont des excuses – on ne vainc pas une crise, on vainc ses compétiteurs.

Vous vous demandez peut-être comment et pourquoi j’ai trouvé l’histoire de Marc Lammers pertinente à ma propre expérience professionnelle et à l’histoire de ma vie.

Je crois fermement que l’industrie de la recherche marketing offre une compréhension fondamentale de ses clients, découvre les perspectives clés du client, et fournit des renseignements et des conseils critiques aux prises de décisions stratégiques et à la capacité d’optimiser les investissements des entreprises et de gérer les risques en affaires – essentiellement, comprendre et gérer la « crise ». Bien que je sois certainement d’accord avec le vieil adage (remontant au moins jusqu’à Héraclite au 5e siècle avant notre ère) voulant que le changement soit constant, je crois aussi que la gestion du changement est un processus qui sert à aborder le changement de manière efficace. Je crois fermement que notre association peut relever le défi. Le processus actuel de renouvellement de notre plan stratégique nous aidera à gérer le changement dans notre industrie en identifiant où l’organisation doit concentrer et appliquer ses ressources, financières et humaines, pour accomplir sa mission le plus efficacement possible et pour avoir le plus grand impact possible sur la prestation de bénéfices aux membres.

Kimberlee Niziol Jonas, Market Research Manager / Directrice de la recherche marketing, GlaxoSmithKline Email: kimberlee.a.nizioljonas@gsk.com • (905) 814-3500

vue November 2011

9

CO M M E N TARY / COMMENTAIRE

Message from the Executive Director Brendan Wycks

MRIA Secures Industry Exemption from Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation

L’ARIM obtient l’exemption de notre industrie de la loi canadienne antipourriel

The new Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) will come into force imminently, once recently released draft regulations are adopted by Parliament.

Thanks to MRIA’s government relations and advocacy efforts, CASL does not apply to Internet-based research that is conducted in accordance with the association’s Code of Conduct and Good Practice and, therefore, the legislation will not constrain members’ compliant business practices.

From its earliest stages, MRIA supported Bill C-28, the enabling legislation for CASL, as the law was crafted to prohibit phishing scams and online mugging. However, it was not initially clear whether the legislation would inadvertently ensnare legitimate, albeit unsolicited, survey research emails.

As a result of MRIA’s interventions, however, the director general at Industry Canada, who is responsible for Bill C-28, made it unequivocally clear that the new law would not apply to surveys and marketing research, and she committed to making clarifications in various communications materials and in government guidelines.

Stemming from MRIA’s meetings with Director General Janet DiFrancesco as well as other Industry Canada officials, and from our related written briefs, Industry Canada added an explicit statement in the FAQs posted on its website, affirming that CASL does not apply to marketing and survey research.

The department also arranged for clarifying statements by Government officials to be read in the House of Commons and, thereby, captured in the official Hansard record.

The online security company Websense recently ranked Canada sixth worldwide among countries as hosts for cybercrime, up from thirteenth place last year. So CASL is very much a desired and overdue piece of legislation, as Canada is the last of the G8 countries to bring in an antispam law.

CASL’s intent is to curtail spam by legislating that consent is required before certain commercial activities can be undertaken via electronic media such as email or texting. The legislation is rooted in the definitions of two key terms: commercial activity and commercial electronic message.

La Loi antipourriel du Canada (LAPC) entrera en vigueur aussitôt que l’ébauche des règlements récemment publiée aura été adoptée par le Parlement.

Grâce aux efforts en relations gouvernementales et en défense de nos intérêts que l’ARIM a poursuivis, la LAPC ne s’applique pas à la recherche par Internet effectuée conformément au Code de déontologie et règles de pratique de l’Association; ce qui signifie que la loi ne limitera pas les pratiques d’affaires des membres qui respectent le Code.

Dès le départ, l’ARIM a appuyé le projet de loi C-28 habilitant la loi antipourriel, étant donné qu’il a été élaboré pour interdire l’hameçonnage frauduleux et le mugging en ligne.

Cependant, on n’était pas certain au début si la loi engloberait par inadvertance les courriels légitimes, bien que non sollicités, de la recherche-sondage.

Suivant les interventions de l’ARIM, le directeur général d’Industrie Canada, responsable du projet de loi C-28, a indiqué sans équivoque que la nouvelle loi ne s’appliquerait pas aux recherches sondage et marketing, et elle s’est engagée à clarifier cette question dans les divers documents de communication et dans les lignes directrices du gouvernement. À la suite des réunions que l’ARIM a eues avec la directrice générale Janet DiFrancesco et d’autres représentants d’Industrie Canada, et des mémoires connexes que nous avons rédigés, Industrie Canada a ajouté une déclaration explicite dans la FAQ affichée dans son site Web qui affirme que la LAPC ne s’applique pas à la recherche marketing et sondage. Le ministère a également pris des dispositions pour que des déclarations de clarification par des représentants du gouvernement soient lues à la Chambre des communes et enregistrées par le fait même dans le Hansard, le journal officiel des débats.

L’entreprise de sécurité en ligne Websense a récemment classé le Canada au sixième rang des pays où des crimes cybernétiques sont commis, en hausse du treizième rang qu’il occupait l’an dernier. La loi antipourriel est donc très attendue, puisque le Canada est le dernier des pays du G8 à adopter une loi antipourriel.

Le but de la LAPC consiste à réduire les pourriels en exigeant d’obtenir un consentement avant d’entreprendre certaines activités commerciales par l’entremise de médias électroniques tels que les courriels ou les messages texte. La loi repose sur les définitions de deux termes clés : activité commerciale et message électronique commercial.

10

vue November 2011

CO M M E N TARY / COMMENTAIRE

Excerpt from Industry Canada’s online Q&A on Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation:

Extrait de la FAQ en ligne d’Industrie Canada sur la loi antipourriel :

Why is the government not exempting surveys and market research?

Those doing surveys and market research are not affected by the legislation as long as they are not trying to sell something, so the electronic message is not considered to be a commercial message.

The government is concerned that an explicit exemption for surveys and marketing research would easily be abused.

Pourquoi le gouvernement ne prévoit-il pas des exemptions pour les sondages et les études de marché?

Ceux qui mènent des sondages et des études de marché ne sont pas touchés par la Loi pourvu qu’ils ne tentent pas de vendre quelque chose; leurs messages électroniques ne sont pas considérés comme des messages commerciaux. Le gouvernement croit qu’une exception explicite visant les sondages et des études de marché pourrait aisément faire l’objet d’abus.

(www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/eng/gv00569.html#q6)

(www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/fra/gv00569.html#q14)

While marketing and survey research falls under the definition of commercial activity, email invitations to participate in legitimate online research conducted by reputable firms, such as MRIA members, along with related electronic messages sent to respondents by such firms, are not captured in the definition of a commercial electronic message.

Because our industry’s activities do not include any form of solicitation, there are no legal requirements for MRIA members to comply with CASL when it comes to sending unrequested email messages.

Consistent with MRIA’s standards, CASL prohibits malicious practices such as hacking and the installation of spyware or malware programs on another person’s computer system without consent. These provisions apply to MRIA members, as they do to all other parties.

The CRTC and Industry Canada both recently launched consultations on draft CASL regulations, which are intended to provide more clarity on how to interpret the legislation.

Together with the federal Competition Bureau, these departments are responsible for administering CASL. The regulations do not contain anything controversial for our industry, so MRIA did not take issue with any of their content. We did, however, submit a brief letter of support to Industry Canada, as doing so presented a strategic opportunity to put on the record the fact that CASL does not apply to legitimate Internet-based survey research.

The enforcement agencies will have powers to impose what are considered to be among the world’s most significant penalties for sending spam: up to $1 million for individuals and $10 million for businesses, including statutory damages of $200 for each single violation. CASL also includes a private right of action, inspired by the U.S. CAN-SPAM model.

Industry Canada officials are responsible for consumer and industry awareness of the new anti-spam framework, and have launched a project-specific website: www.fightspam.gc.ca.

They are aware of MRIA’s interest, as a stakeholder, in participating in awareness-generating initiatives through VoxPop surveys or other activities.

Bien que la recherche marketing et sondage relève de la définition d’activité commerciale, les invitations à participer à une recherche légitime en ligne provenant de sociétés ayant une bonne réputation, tels que les membres de l’ARIM, et contenant des message électroniques connexes envoyés à des répondants par de telles sociétés, ne sont pas touchés par la définition de message électronique commercial. Étant donné que notre industrie n’utilise aucune forme de sollicitation, les membres de l’ARIM ne sont pas tenus par la loi de se conformer à la LAPC en matière d’envoi de courriels non sollicités.

Tout comme les normes de l’ARIM, la LAPC interdit les pratiques malveillantes telles que le piratage et l’installation de logiciels espion ou malveillants sur le système informatique d’une autre personne sans son consentement. Ces dispositions s’appliquent aux membres de l’ARIM, comme à toutes les autres parties.

Le CRTC et Industrie Canada ont lancé récemment des consultations sur l’ébauche des règlements de la LAPC qui visent à établir davantage de clarté sur la façon d’interpréter la loi. En collaboration avec le Bureau de la concurrence du Canada, ces agences seront responsables de l’administration de la LAPC. Les règlements ne contiennent rien qui soit sujet à controverse pour notre industrie, et l’ARIM n’a donc pas remis en question quoi que ce soit dans ce contenu. Par contre, nous avons envoyé une courte lettre d’appui à Industrie Canada, parce que c’était une occasion stratégique de souligner officiellement que la LAPC ne s’applique pas à la recherche-sondage légitime par Internet.

Les organismes de mise en application ont le pouvoir d’imposer des pénalités considérées comme étant parmi les plus significatives au monde pour l’envoi de pourriel : jusqu’à un million de dollars pour des individus et 10 millions de dollars pour les entreprises, y compris un montant de 200 $ en dommages-intérêts légaux pour chaque violation. La LAPC comprend également un droit privé d'action inspiré du modèle CAN-SPAM américain.

Les représentants d’Industrie Canada sont responsables de sensibiliser les consommateurs et l’industrie au sujet du nouveau cadre antipourriel, et ils ont lancé un site Web distinct pour ce projet : www.fightspam.gc.ca. Ils sont conscients de l’intérêt que l’ARIM, en tant qu’intervenante, exprime dans ses initiatives de sensibilisation telles que les sondages VoxPop et d’autres activités.

Brendan Wycks, BA, MBA, CAE, Executive Director / Directeur général, Marketing Research and Intelligence Association / L’Association de la recherche et de l’intelligence marketing Email: bwycks@mria-arim.ca • (905) 602-6854 ext./poste 8724

vue November 2011

11

Dr. John H. Halpern

Interview The chief medical officer of Entheogen Corp. and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School talks about his investigations into the medical benefits of hallucinogenic drugs and his discovery of an LSD derivative with the potential to eradicate the agonizing affliction of cluster headaches.

David Hamburg

S P EC IAL F E AT U R E

John Halpern, can you tell us how you became interested in the area of hallucinogenic drugs and their use in remedial applications?

Actually, when I was in med school, I thought I’d go into surgery. But I also felt that I could connect closely to patients with mental illnesses, and it bothered me that there were not enough bright young doctors going into that field.

I felt there was a calling for me. I wanted to help people dealing with drug and alcohol abuse. This is how it all started. Then I began thinking that maybe some uses of psychedelic drugs had simply been overlooked as potential treatments for addictive disorders.

I did a sub-internship with Dr. Rick Strassman, who had approval to give subjects dimethyltryptamine, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound. By the time that I did my residency at Harvard, I knew I was on to something unique that had been overlooked. There weren’t any studies in this field. The use of peyote is a very potent and effective treatment used by Native Americans, and yet no one has ever done modern studies on that. So I worked hard to excel in my residency, won all types of awards, and had the opportunity to stay on with a research fellowship at McLean Hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard.

In fact, my fellowship with Harvard was for my work on Native Americans, on the health consequences of taking peyote as part of the religious practice of their church, the Native American Church. That work was published in 2005 in a major psychiatric journal, and it showed that these people were essentially healthy; there was no cognitive harm from the peyote. I wondered at how we reviled the use of that drug, while it was revered for ages by shamans for its healing powers. Is it really harmful for them when they take it in their sacramental space? And these types of natural drugs are used sacramentally by many other indigenous peoples around the world. Meanwhile I’ve never had a heroin addict tell me that using heroin had changed his or her life for the better. But many people who have used psychedelics have told me that they have learned something about themselves. Well, what is that? Maybe there are some medicines that can be captured from that?

So this has become the niche that I have carved out for myself while still practising general psychiatry. I have an academic appointment at Harvard and am the director of my own laboratory at McLean Hospital, where I study this niche. Maybe this work can ultimately help many more people than I could ever do practising clinical medicine.

Interesting work. Sounds like you’re part medical researcher, part anthropologist.

That’s true; I’ve actually lectured to anthropology undergrads. At times I feel like I’m a cultural wishbone,

getting pulled apart by two sets of obligations and responsibilities. Part of being a good psychiatrist is being very curious. Along the way, I’ve had to learn a lot about anthropology.

Consider this from a pharmaceutical perspective: I’ve spoken with many indigenous shamans from around the world – shamans who have reps from major pharma companies asking if they have plants that will cure cancer.

When a shaman tells them that they have to drink iowaska, the pharma prospector will say, “No that’s not good, because it’s a hallucinogen.” They totally miss it, because of their ethnocentrism. For the shaman, iowaska is a tool for identifying what they need to find, but pharma doesn’t want to know from it. So they have sent a message that they are not really trying to learn from these people who have very sophisticated understandings of the plant kingdom, and consequently they don’t get what they came for.

Understand that the indigenous medicine men are very bright people; they study their craft for many years. Just because they don’t have a written language doesn’t mean that they aren’t really sophisticated in their learning. Maybe the iowaska they drink gives them the vision of the plant that they must find to cure a particular ailment.

We want to have these black-and-white understandings of things: this drug is good, that one is bad. My job is to deepen our understandings about what these drugs do so that we can make better-informed and safer choices. If we don’t have an historical context (from shamans) in which to place these substances, we lump them all together as bad.

This simply is not true, though. Each drug has its own potential risks and benefits; it’s just that there is something about them that has been misunderstood. Maybe it’s due to how they were introduced to our society. But enough research has been done to show that hallucinogens have a medical benefit.

Tell us about your Entheogen Corp., the company you founded. How did you determine that a variation of LSD could cure massive headaches?

That’s an incredible story. Actually, the patients came to me with this finding. Massive headaches are awful; it’s been reported that it feels like having an ice pick jabbed into your eyeballs. It is searing and horribly painful. In fact, it’s the only form of headache that people will commit suicide to escape. It probably affects as many as one in a thousand people. Unfortunately, many of these headaches are misdiagnosed as migraines, and while the usual triptane medication prescribed in those cases can be effective on a single attack basis, they don’t stop the massive headaches from reoccurring. There are also lots of horrible side effects – for the heart – from those drugs. Interestingly, if you take vue November 2011

13

S P EC IAL F E AT U R E

enough of these triptanes, they induce hallucinogenic side effects.

So where’s the line between what’s legal and illegal, what’s appropriate and inappropriate? We shouldn’t determine, on the backs of our patients, what drugs are okay to take. We need to find a way to allow patients to have the drugs that are effective for them. Even thalidomide, which has horrible side effects, is once again legal, because it controls leprosy and heals stomach ulcers the way no other medication does.

So now there are controls set in place for thalidomide to prevent it from getting prescribed to pregnant women. The point is that we’ve learned how to manage the drug’s risks without preventing its benefits.

This brings us back to cluster headaches. There was a group of cluster headache sufferers who discovered at college that the only time they were pain-free was when they ingested LSD or psilocybin. They organized themselves and called their group the Cluster Busters. They sought out neurologists who were interested, but the neurologists didn’t want to get involved with a taboo drug like LSD. Then these people came to me, because of my medical experience studying drug abuse. The first thing that we did was publish, in the medical journal Neurology in 2006, a very large case study of cluster headache sufferers and their use of LSD and psilocybin to treat the attacks.

There was no way I was going to publish a study on a trial use of LSD when there is nothing in the literature on it’s possibly being helpful. I’m a doctor; I’m not trying to promote drug use, and this is about medicine. I started thinking that the treatment effects of LSD and psilocybin had nothing to do with its psychoactive properties. I discussed this situation with my colleague in Germany, Dr. Torsten Passie, who has a lab similar to my own at Hannover Medical School; together we had written the only peer reviewed paper on the pharmacology of LSD. There are a number of derivatives of LSD that are not psychoactive – in particular, 2-bromo-LSD, which had been given in huge doses to hundreds of people as a placebo in the ’50s and ’60s, but nobody had ever used it to treat cluster headaches, and it’s never been approved for anything or patented for anything. Anyhow, we were able to run some trials in Germany, which allows for this type of testing in certain cases termed “compassionate,” and the results were extremely positive. For example, we had one patient who went from forty attacks a week for three years to no attacks for over a year. All this from just three doses – on day 0, day 5, and day 10 – with no major side effects. We published the data on the first five patients, in September 2010 in the journal Cephalalgia, and recently published a poster abstract on two more patients, which was presented at the International Headache Congress in Germany.

14

vue November 2011

This discovery later got profiled on the National Geographic Channel’s Explorer series; it was called “Inside LSD.” I patented the drug, bromo-LSD, with Dr. Passie, and thought pharma would come by, because this could potentially be quite disruptive to the headache market, especially since it works so well for migraine. It could be a blockbuster. Yet despite all of the major attention we received, no one called. So, along with a financier friend of mine and Dr. Passie’s, we decided to do it ourselves, and so we formed Entheogen Corp. Our motto is “To create the divine within,” because I believe that something which can heal you has spiritual significance.

Meanwhile we are still in this really long phase where we are trying to raise funds to license the patent from the institutions that our affiliated hospitals own. It’s very hard to get everything you need in order to get FDA approval for drug development. That said, I’m happy to say that we are in final-stage negotiations with some venture capitalists who have notified us that they intend to give us a term sheet. If only the economy weren’t so tough these days and so many bio-tech companies had gone bust. People are afraid and just want to develop copycat applications. Of course, I understand that this is the nature of the entrepreneurial experience.

Still, I’m optimistic that we will be successful. We believe in our results. Understand that we may have discovered the most important treatment for this condition that we know of. Imagine if we can move on, after this, to working on a migraine treatment.

John, the story of how your mission and curiosity have led you on a journey to potentially eradicate a horrible affliction like cluster headaches is inspirational. I wish you well.

Not bad for a son whose father and uncle were the first brothers to graduate in the same class from the University of Toronto medical school.

A Canadian connection that makes us proud. Thanks for your time, John. It’s certainly been a thoughtprovoking experience.

Dr. John Halpern, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of Entheogen Corp., is assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Laboratory for Integrative Psychiatry, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, at McLean Hospital. He has direct clinical research experience administering controlled substances, including leading MDMA-assisted experimental psychotherapy sessions. Dr. Halpern and his work have been featured in leading publications such as Newsweek, National Geographic, Wired, Discover magazine, The New York Times, and numerous medical journals.

F E AT U R E

Every Voice

Counts Issues of Data Quality in Small Quantitative Physician Samples

Health-care researchers at Ifop North America examine data quality in a number of studies with small quantitative samples of physicians, conducted for pharmaceutical clients ... with encouraging results.

Barbara McGrath, PhD, and Dima Ostrikov

16

vue November 2011

In Canada, over 150,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year.

Standard treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Recently, pharmaceutical companies have invested large amounts in research on targeted therapies – therapies that target specific disease mechanisms – with the hope of better treatment outcomes and lower side-effect burden.

Another focus of clinical research is that of improved methods for drug delivery. Standard chemotherapy is hidden inside tiny particles that attach to cancer cells and release the drug precisely where it is needed.

When a new therapy is brought to market, efforts to promote it focus on the approximately 500 medical oncologists and haematologist-oncologists who treat cancer patients in Canada. Visiting physicians’ offices, pharmaceutical sales representatives deliver information about their drug.

F E AT U R E

Market research is warranted, to establish physicians’ recall of the messages delivered by sales representatives, and to understand the perceived benefits and drawbacks of the new therapies. Studies also assess where new therapies would fit into the current treatment algorithm, determine likelihood of usage, and estimate potential market size and market share.

In Canada, a quantitative study in this area typically has a total sample size of between thirty and fifty physicians, depending on the type of cancer on which the study is focused. The figures beg the question ...

How reliable is this data?

Do small samples represent the wider universe of cancer specialists with sufficient accuracy? Would results be similar if the study were replicated?

Two main concerns call the reliability of the data into question: First, Canadian specialist samples are non-probability samples. For most quantitative studies among physician specialists in Canada, a census approach is taken, sampling being done from a list of physician names. All physicians on the list are contacted, with the aim of obtaining as many completes as possible. Thus, there is no random selection process involved; all who want to participate are welcome.

Participation rates vary widely, from less than 1 in 15 at the lower end to 1 in 3–4 at the upper end, depending on the duration and interest of the study, and the honorarium offered to participants. Since samples are non-probability samples, technically, a margin of error cannot be stated and samples cannot be said to be representative of the study universe.

Second, even if the samples were probability samples, error margins would be large. In a study of 30 physicians out of a universe of 500, the margin of error associated with the data would be ±17 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level (if it were a probability sample). This means that when 50 per cent of physicians indicate high likelihood to prescribe a new therapy, chances are (19 times out of 20) that between 33 and 67 per cent of the total population are likely to prescribe it (see the graph below).

Error Margin Range for Sample of n = 30

Error margin upper end

67%

50%

Survey response Error margin lower end

33%

n = 30

Technically, this data should not be very reliable ... but actually, it is.

An analysis of quantitative studies with small samples of Canadian physician specialists indicates that study results are robust, and information obtained from these studies can be regarded as reliable.

We selected twelve studies that were conducted by our company, Ifop North America, over the past few years, among Canadian oncologists, haematologists and haematologist-oncologists. The largest study included fifty physicians, the smallest thirty physicians.

We picked five question types that are commonly used in our studies. For each study, we ran data for the full sample, for 75 per cent of the sample, and for 50 per cent of the sample. We compared results to see how great a difference there would be between the partial sample and the full sample. A great degree of variance would indicate that data are not very robust; a small degree of variance would indicate that data are solid. The results, together with an explanation of our methodology, appear in the sidebar below.

Analysis Results

Question type

Average difference† between full sample and 50% of sample

Average difference† between full sample and 75% of sample

Unaided product awareness

5%

3%

Total product awareness

3%

2%

Average share of prescribing by product

2%

1%

Average attribute importance rating (on 1–7 scale or 1–10 scale)

0.2

0.1

Average product performance rating on attributes (on 1–7 scale or 1–10 scale)

0.2

0.1

† Methodological notes: For percentage questions, between three and eight brands were included in the analysis for each study.

Analysis of awareness questions was based on the percentage of physicians mentioning each product. Analysis of prescribing questions was based on the average percentages of scripts for each product.

For attribute rating questions, between six and eighteen attributes were included in the analysis for each study. Analysis was based on average ratings. We did not compensate for differences between seven-point scales and ten-point scales, since variation between full sample and partial sample was minimal either way.

For each study, an average of the differences between full sample and partial sample was calculated across all brands/attributes. Absolute values of differences were used to ensure that positive and negative differences did not cancel each other out.

Then, an average of the average differences across all twelve studies was calculated.

vue November 2011

17

F E AT U R E

In this type of analysis, it is possible for average measures to smooth out and obscure the degree of variance in the data.

Therefore, it is helpful also to look at results for individual measures within individual studies.

The largest difference found in any individual measure in any one study was a 17 per cent difference between the full sample of n = 30 and the partial sample of n = 15. This is in line with the error margin one would expect in a sample of this size, had it been a probability sample. Commonly, however, the variation we found among individual measures in each study in recall, awareness and share of prescribing was much lower.

Among the 377 individual measures taken, 326 resulted in a difference, between partial and full sample, of 6 per cent or less. The largest difference, between partial and full sample, found in individual attribute ratings in any one study was 0.7 (on a seven-point scale); but for most individual measures, the difference ranged between 0.0 and 0.3.

In one survey, with less than twenty respondents in a highly specialized treatment area, one of the physicians happened to treat patients very differently from the rest of his colleagues. In addition, this physician, among all those in our sample, happened to see the greatest number of patients.

When we analysed the survey data, something seemed odd.

We were expecting a large majority of all patients to be on treatment for their condition. However, due to a peculiarity of his practice, this one physician gave treatment to only one-third of his patients. When we calculated the proportion of treated patients using volumetrics (a methodology based on patient numbers), the one unusual physician biased total results significantly.

Thus while, in most cases, results on a sample of fifteen give us a good idea of what results from a sample of thirty will look like, sometimes it is necessary to review each physician’s responses individually in order to identify outliers and correctly interpret the patterns in the data.

Why are the data reliable when they should not be?

Conclusions

Most likely, study results are as robust as they are because physicians tend to be a quite homogenous population. Their treatment approaches follow a complex set of established

As market researchers, we make study design decisions that impact the quality of the data we collect. There exist no hard and fast rules that determine precisely, in each case, what the

While the results of our analysis are encouraging, they should not be taken as licence to blindly trust the responses obtained from some twenty-odd physicians. guidelines. Many therapeutic areas have an agreed-upon standard of care to which physicians adhere. It is unusual for a physician to ignore practice guidelines and treat patients very differently from the way their colleagues do.

Product choice is mostly guided by evidence, based on clinical trials that establish the superiority of one drug over another. The individual physician’s taste or preference plays a less important role – unless the competing agents are perceived as very, very similar.

In addition, physicians who do deviate greatly from common, agreed-upon patterns of treatment, and experience treatment failure, may be faced with medical malpractice lawsuits. While these suits are not as great a threat in Canada as they are in the U.S., Canadian physicians do keep legal considerations in mind when making prescribing decisions.

This is reflected in the survey data.

Are there any exceptions?

best way is to approach a given research problem and how a given data set is to be best interpreted. This situation is not unique to our discipline.

In his widely read work, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig, commenting on the work of physicist and philosopher of science Jules Henri Poincaré, stipulates that an infinite number of possible solutions exist for any problem: “Mathematics, he said, isn’t merely a question of applying rules .... The true work of the inventor consists in choosing among these combinations [solutions to a given problem] so as to eliminate the useless ones, ... and the rules that must guide the choice are extremely fine and delicate. It’s almost impossible to state them precisely; they must be felt rather than formulated.”

Thus, while our work is guided by established rules of market research and we have a degree of certainty about its results, sense and skill are required in judging the value of any given set of data.

While the results of our analysis are encouraging, they should not be taken as licence to blindly trust the responses obtained from some twenty-odd physicians. In our experience working with small specialist samples, we have run into situations where the response of just one physician dramatically skewed the data and gave a misleading impression of the market.

Barbara McGrath, PhD, heads up the quantitative health-care team at Ifop North America. She can be reached at barbara.mcgrath@ifopna.com or (416) 967-7439.

Dima Ostrikov is director of quantitative health-care research at Ifop North America. He can be reached at dima.ostrikov@ifopna.com or (416) 967-5520.

18

vue November 2011

F E AT U R E

The president of the specialist health-care market research company CRC Research Inc. talks about the evolving pharmaceutical industry, developments in market research, the impact of social media, and the highlights of his career.

Anne Marie Gabriel

From There to

Here

A Conversation with Ed Gibson, CMRP Is the pharmaceutical market research industry sustainable, or is it evolving into something different?

Pharma market research is certainly sustainable, but it is also evolving and becoming more challenging. Our work has traditionally been done with physicians and patients, but both of these groups are becoming less influential as cost pressures inexorably move decision-making to those who pay for drugs. In the U.S., these are the insurance companies, and in Canada, the various provincial regulatory bodies. The payers are increasingly saying, “Yes, you can have whatever drug you like, but we will only reimburse you for this one.”

So pharma companies (and their market research partners) are increasingly consulting with the key personnel who influence which drugs are to be covered or reimbursed.

How is MR, as it pertains to the pharmaceutical world, different from other industries?

It is hugely different. With consumer research, we speak to individuals as holistic human beings; we are interested in how the whole human package affects consumer choice. Consumers can believe anything – that 9/11 was a U.S. Government plot, for example – and we are interested because these beliefs can influence, explain or segment buying behaviour.

When we speak to physicians, we are speaking to scientists, and we are confining the topic of our conversation to just one discipline – medicine in its various manifestations. Physicians don’t have the luxury of oddball ideas; they can’t, for instance, believe that high blood pressure is harmless because you 20

vue November 2011

cannot see it. So we are talking to complex humans within a narrow space, and the challenge is how to uncover and understand the factors that promote the wide variety of opinions that exist within this space.

What impact do social media and mobile research have on the evolution of MR worldwide?

There are two questions here, I think. Social media are a fabulous resource for research, just as the oceans are a fabulous resource for fish. It’s all there, but how do you get at it in a selective and effective way? Social media are great for determining trends (what are people saying about my brand?), but not yet for the rigorous market research that we practise today. Similarly for health care: Social media empower patients to ask their doctors about a product or a condition, but it is not going to tell us what drug is going to be successful in the marketplace or how to communicate its benefits. And, anyway, the importance of social media is diminished for pharma because patients are going to have increasingly less influence in the brand of medication that they are prescribed.

As for mobile research, I don’t see this as a research technique; it’s just another way for us to contact the public.

We have had door-to-door, telephone and computer; and now we have mobile and tablets. But you mentioned the evolution of market research worldwide, and this is where mobile can vastly expand our franchise. In many developing countries, most market research is done in person – not even

F E AT U R E

by telephone, let alone computer. Cellphones enabled many of these countries to skip the landline phenomenon and, in the same way, smartphones could well leapfrog WiFi. And then mobile research will really matter, because it will enable a new consumer class to influence product choice and government policy.

doing a product taste test for a client who, then as now, had the most exacting standards. So I found myself wearing a little white apron, a hairnet and rubber gloves, delicately serving individual Lifesaver candies (colour rotated) to bemused respondents. Luckily, this was before the days of YouTube, or I would have gone viral.

What changes would you recommend the industry make?

Highlight of your career?

I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to make recommendations.

Our industry has always been characterized by constant innovation – a novel approach here, a new technique there, and different perspectives all over. So let it continue! But as a general comment, I believe that our industry has never been in better shape, particularly here in Canada.

Without a doubt, my term as president of MRIA. This was totally unexpected, and I was shocked – but very honoured – to be asked to serve in this capacity.

What was your career goal when you first entered MR?

I would like to say that my goal was to empower people to express their opinions but, in reality, I am an entrepreneur and my goal was to establish a credible, self-sufficient and dynamic Canadian company in the market research field.

You recently opened an office in Toronto. What prompted this decision?

“Centre of the world” is how Toronto is often sarcastically described but, for market research in Canada, it actually is. It has long been our intent to “complete the set” of focus group facilities in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver; we were just waiting for the right time and location. Initial reaction has been terrific, and we could not be more pleased with this addition.

What was the funniest moment of your career?

My career has been peppered with funny moments. But actually, many were not terribly funny at the time, like when an air conditioning unit fell through the ceiling onto the respondent table during a focus group.

As a moderator, I always try to inject some humour into groups, both to bond with the participants and to keep the back room awake. In one group, I was exploring circumstances in which people eat ice cream, and one respondent offered “after sex.” In a very deadpan and professional way, I followed up with “And are you having much ice cream these days?” And this was an actual guide question, though not necessarily at this particular juncture.

But respondents have their way too. I was conducting groups with urologists, on an undisclosed topic, and I had my name (ED) in all caps on a tent card in front of me. On entering the room, one respondent commented, “At least we now know what the topic of discussion is” (ED is an acronym for a well-known male dysfunction treated with expensive blue pills).

What about embarrassing?

Again, I can think of a multitude of occasions. In the early days, I participated directly in every project, and we were

If you could do it all over again, what would you change?

We cannot always choose the direction of our lives but, if I had had the option, I would have started my market research career earlier. As a career, it has everything – it’s exciting, dynamic, and diverse. And it is now easier than ever to join the industry. The key elements are education and networking opportunities and, fortunately, MRIA is a one-stop shop for both of these.

What is it that sets you apart from the rest?

That’s easy. My strength has always been that I am part of the rest. I was brought up in class-conscious England, where employment application forms included questions such as “What is your father’s occupation?” I was one of six; my father was a butcher for the local co-op; and we lived in a terraced house in what was probably the most unfashionable area in the country – the industrial North. But education was free, and a booming economy meant that job opportunities were plentiful, so there were ways out. I have been fortunate in my career, but it has always been in collaboration with other likeminded people, never as one set apart. I have always had the greatest respect for the people who work for me, and I regard myself as just one member of the team. In at least one area, each member of my staff is better than I am, and I constantly look to them for advice.

Your legacy: How do you wish to be remembered?

In the crumbling industrial town where I was raised, nothing ever happened. Expectations were low, ambition was frowned upon, and divorce was a major scandal. I recall a headline in the local paper; it amused me then, and I’ll take it now as how I wish to be remembered: “Local boy makes good!”

Ed Gibson, CMRP, is the founder and president of CRC Research Inc. and has served in several capacities for MRIA, including as national president in 2010. CRC Research is a specialist health-care market research company, and it has a network of focus group and field service offices based in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Ed can be reached at ed@crcresearch.com and at (604) 922-3502. vue November 2011

21

F E AT U R E

Mystery Shopping: Challenges and Opportunities in Pharma All mystery shops are not alike. Conducting a mystery shop of pharmaceutical call centres requires attention to factors and issues specific to the industry, and the outcomes have benefits that can reach far beyond the immediate focus of the shop.

David Lithwick and Sylvia Helene Perras

In this article, we hope to provide an understanding of what makes the shopping of pharmaceutical call centres unique.

We also offer a number of valuable tips for carrying out a call centre mystery shop. For those MRIA readers working outside of health care, the pharma sector serves as an excellent reference in learning about high-level mystery shopping. The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated; as a result, call centre staff need to be very professional, informative and helpful when answering phone inquiries.

Background

There has been an increase in patient care support at pharma call centres. Growth over the past few years, based on our discussions with pharma companies and call centre providers, may be as high as 25 per cent. The reasons for this increase are numerous: • advances in technology (e.g., blogs, emails, Internet) enabling quicker access to medical information • more opportunities for patients and caregivers to talk to someone anonymously (e.g., support programs) • more patient empowerment in deciding which medications to take and which therapies to pursue

22

vue November 2011

• rising incidences in chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, MS, and heart disease, translating into a greater need for dispersing information quicker and more readily • expansion of organizations embracing call centres (e.g., pharma companies; companies providing medical devices, oral nutritionals, natural supplements; nonprofits; and government) • Health Canada regulations prohibiting pharma companies from advertising directly to patients – outside of the Internet and the spillover from American TV commercials and print ads, calling a company’s patient care number is an easy option for getting information quickly.

As a result, call centre support, backed by highly trained professional staff (pharmacists, nurses, dieticians), is on the rise.

Why conduct mystery shops of pharma call centres? While much pharma market research is conducted on physicians, since they drive which medication patients will take, less research is conducted on patient satisfaction. And when it comes to assessing patient support at the call centre level, mystery shopping is most effective. Certainly, you can monitor patient blogs and conduct focus groups, but having

F E AT U R E

a sample of patients and caregivers, armed with prearranged scenarios, to provide feedback on their experiences after they contact call centres is more hands-on, descriptive and measurable.

What makes pharma call centres a high-level mystery shop?

The very nature of the inquiries (e.g., asking for assistance on a health-related issue) by real patients and caregivers, along with the high level of professionalism and education in the staff responding to these calls, is what makes the mystery shopping of pharma more complex than traditional mystery shopping of retail outlets.

While assessing sales performance (“Did the rep try to cross-sell? offer you an incentive to sign up? ask for your business?”) is not relevant to shopping pharma call centres, other questions are: for example, “Did they use plain language? ask you for your history? provide suggestions about where to find further information?”

Ease of reaching the call centre (probing into the challenges the shopper had in reaching a live voice) 1. Did you reach an automatic voice menu or a live voice?

2. If you reached a voice menu, was it easy to follow?

3. To whom (e.g., medical information rep, pharmacist) did you speak?

4. Did the rep identify him- or herself?

5. Did the rep ask how he or she could help you?

6. How long did you wait until your call was returned?

Answering shopper’s questions (documenting responses that the call centre reps gave to the shopper) 7. Who should avoid taking this drug (e.g., pregnant women, heavy drinkers)?

8. What side effects (e.g., liver functioning problems) does the drug have?

9. Can I take this drug if I am taking other medications (e.g., antibiotics, corticosteroids)?

10. How does this drug lower my cholesterol?

The very nature of the inquiries by real patients and caregivers, along with the high level of professionalism and education in the staff responding to calls, is what makes pharma mystery shopping more complex.

Mini-Case

Consider the following case example. You are the marketing research manager assigned to cardiovascular medications.

Recent focus groups have raised complaints that your call centre staff lacks professionalism. The most frequent issues mentioned are that call centre reps are not returning calls, making any effort to answer the caller’s questions, or volunteering advice. You decide to conduct a mystery shop to benchmark your company’s call centre against your three competitors. The goals are to uncover hard evidence to verify these complaints, and to develop strategies to overcome them. Your next steps are to decide on sample size, shopper scenarios, and questions for your shoppers to answer.

Sample Size. You decide on 80 shops: four companies, with 20 calls per company.

Shopper Scenario. Callers, recently diagnosed with high levels of bad cholesterol, have been advised to go on medication. They want to speak to the manufacturer of the brand of medication that their doctor has prescribed.

Questions. There are four categories of questions for the shoppers to answer, 28 questions in all.

11. By how much (e.g., 25 or 50%) will the drug lower my bad cholesterol?

12. What advantages does this drug have (e.g., muscular side effects are least severe)?

13. Will I have to take this drug for the rest of my life?

14. What advice do you have for recently diagnosed patients with high cholesterol?

Professionalism (assessing how professional the rep was) 15. Did the rep encourage you to go on the company’s website?

16. Ask if your questions had been answered?

17. Offer to email you information on the company’s product?

18. Encourage you to call again with further questions?

19. Was the rep empathetic?

20. Forthcoming with information?

21. Did the rep use plain language?

22. Take time to answer your questions?

23. Was the rep knowledgeable?

Net impressions (giving the shopper the opportunity to further comment on the experience) 24. How would you rate the way your call was handled (e.g., fair, good, excellent)?

vue November 2011

23

F E AT U R E

25. How does this call compare to your own real-life experiences in calling (same, better, worse)?

26. Was there anything that impressed you about your call?

If so, what?

27. Was there anything that you disliked? If so, what?

28. What suggestions do you have for improving call centre performance?

Tips

Conduct pretest calls in order to work through glitches and help capture exactly the type of information you can uncover. The rule of thumb is one pretest for every ten actual calls. In the mini-case, this means eight pretest shops, given that you would be completing 80 actual shops.

Select your shoppers very carefully: They must be real patients or actual caregivers of real patients.

Network through patient support groups to find shoppers.

Cap your calls to 20 per centre, and conduct them over different times and different days. Placing too many calls at once risks tipping off your call centre and, by doing so, compromises the results.

Make sure you include third party call centres to shop (e.g., McKesson), should you or your competitors outsource to them.

Develop your questions very carefully. Each becomes a study on its own. This means the questions should (a) be straightforward for the shopper to ask, (b) number at least 20 to capture various caller experiences, and (c) be designed so that answers are easily incorporated into tables, charts and PowerPoint.

Listen to some of the calls. Doing so will give you a much better grasp of what is taking place and will significantly add to your credibility when reporting your findings.

Be prepared to be challenged vigorously by your call centre managers. It’s the rule, not the exception, for this to happen. They become very defensive. They will challenge the credibility of your shoppers, the sample size, and the questions asked. Your findings will gain in objectivity if you do three or four shops of a call centre rep who performed poorly. Do not disclose the names of the reps, and avoid sweeping comparisons (e.g., “Overall, our call centre rated ‘fair’ versus ‘very good’ for Competitor A”).

Set up tables in both Microsoft Word and Excel. Word is flexible, so it’s suitable for comments, while Excel can fast24

vue November 2011

track your calculations when comparing current results to historical ones.

Include SWOT analysis and recommendations in your report. For the SWOT, each strength and weakness identified should be backed by a shopper comment. For example, if one of your call centre rep’s strengths is “quick response,” then you should support this claim by adding the shopper’s comment, for example, “I made four separate calls to the call centre. Each of my calls was returned within five minutes. Some competitors took until the next day to call back, while others did not call back at all.”

Conclusions

If used carefully, mystery shopping is an extremely effective and cost-efficient means of uncovering and assessing service strengths and weaknesses at the call centre level. It is an excellent tool for performance evaluation and training.

Mystery shopping also has other applications in the pharma market, for example, determining whether the pharmacist will give patients the generic version of a branded product instead of advising them that they have an option or, in the case of medical devices for diabetics, determining what brand of monitoring meter the pharmacist will recommend.

In addition, mystery shopping helps health-care professionals to understand what it is they are saying that encourages patients to go with one medication over another. It assists competitor sales reps to see how they are misrepresenting information about your company’s products. And it helps your own company to see if any employees are disclosing sensitive information that they should not be.

Mystery shopping is a discovery process. It does not end after a quota of shops. The study concludes when the issues have been addressed thoroughly and the recommendations acted on.

David Lithwick is principal of Market Alert, a Toronto-based competitive intelligence consultancy. Prior to Market Alert, David worked in banking as a CI analyst and in advertising, managing the Pfizer, S. C. Johnson, and Wendy’s Restaurants accounts.

Sylvia Helene Perras works with David on competitive intelligence and mystery shopping assignments. She has an MBA in human resources and 25 years of experience in medical sales, marketing and clinical administration.

I N D U ST RY N E W S

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY (QRR) In accordance with federal privacy laws, MRIA’s Qualitative Research Registry (QRR), or Registre de la recherche qualitative (RRQ) in French, was created to provide an ongoing, user-friendly vehicle for tracking those who do not want to be contacted or should not be contacted for qualitative research studies.

QRR is a comprehensive do not call list of those who have recently participated in qualitative research studies, those who have asked not to be contacted further, and those felt by recruiters and moderators to be best served by not being contacted. These respondents are marked as “do not call” in accordance with established MRIA Standards.

All field and full-service companies are encouraged to submit a list of their qualitative respondents for entry into the QRR system each month, including those who do not wish to be contacted.

Participating firms will receive monthly updates of respondents to be screened from qualitative recruitment samples. QRR works effectively to increase the quality and integrity of the qualitative research process, by serving as a control to ensure respondents are not contacted more frequently than is necessary.

However, the ability of the system to function effectively is directly related to the co-operation received from firms who provide recruitment services. If you are a full service research firm or field supplier that is currently participating in the Qualitative Research Registry program – thank you very much and keep up the good work!

If you are not currently participating, please get involved! If you are interested in submitting to QRR, please visit the MRIA website at www.mria-arim.ca/QRD/QualResearchRegistry.asp for further explanation and guidance on how to submit qualitative research participants’ names, along with the required electronic forms.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO: QRRQ@mria-arim.ca

THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES HAVE SUBMITTED NAMES TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REGISTRY FOR AUGUST 2011 ATLANTIC Opinion Search Inc. Quality Response Inc.

ONTARIO Opinion Search Inc. Quality Response Inc. Barbara C. Campbell Recruiting Inc. (BCCR Inc.) Consumer Vision Ltd. Dawn Smith Field Management Service I & S Recruiting Ideaspace Research Nexus Research Research House Inc. Tann Research Services Inc. Valyra Research Services Inc.

QUEBEC CRC Research MBA Recherche Opinion Search Inc.

WEST CRC Research Opinion Search Inc. Quality Response Inc. Research House Inc. SmartPoint Research Inc. Synovate Ltd. Trend Research Inc.

Submission templates and payment forms can be found at www.mria-arim.ca/QRD/QualResearchRegistryForms.asp

Rules of Conduct and Good Practice for Members of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (2007), Section C Rules Specific to the Conduct of Qualitative Research: 20. Recruiters should provide accurate data to the Qualitative Research Registry, where such exists, on a consistent basis and check all respondents against the Registry.

21. Moderators buying recruiting services should give primary consideration to recruiting agencies which submit to the Qualitative Research Registry, where such a service exists, on a regular and ongoing basis.

vue November 2011

25

Your Sampling and Data Specialists • • • •

35 years of fast and accurate service Targeted sampling, modelling, profiling Analytics, data appending and enhancement Advanced media analytics

SMRinfo@smres.com • 905.474.5271 • www.smres.com

MEMBERSHIP PROMOTION

NOW

is the time to enroll new staff members and receive

14 months for the price of 12

In November, new members paying MRIA annual dues and fees will receive two free additional months as membership will be valid until December 31, 2012.

New practitioners with less than two years of work experience in the industry can also join or renew at a reduced price.

Mark Your Calendar 2012 Membership Dues and Renewal Process The 2012 Membership dues and fees are now available through the MRIA Portal.

The deadline to renew your MRIA membership, both Individual and Corporate is: January 31, 2012 Please note that until January 31, 2012, Individual members working for a Corporate member of MRIA can benefit from a Group Discount on their Individual membership dues.

Visit www.mria-arim.ca/MEMBERSHIP/CorporateDuesandFees.asp

To join MRIA go to the MRIA Portal at www.mriaportal-arimportail.ca, where you will be able to join the Association or renew your membership online, simply and efficiently.

For more information, contact us at membership@mria-arim.ca

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.

RRS

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.

Combined with other self-regulatory initiatives such as our Code of Conduct and Good Practice and our Charter of Respondent Rights, the RRS has paid huge dividends in protecting the industry’s positive reputation and good name with Canadians.

All Gold Seal and 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):

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.

THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES HAVE REGISTERED RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH THE RESEARCH REGISTRATION SYSTEM DURING AUGUST 2011:

GOLD SEAL CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES Acrobat Research Ltd. Advanis Inc BBM Analytics BBM Canada Blue Ocean Contact Centers Campaign Research Canadian Viewpoint Inc. Consumer Vision Ltd. Corsential ULC CRC Research Harris/Decima Inc. Ipsos Reid Corporation MarketQuest-Omnifacts Research MBA Recherche MD Analytics Inc. Nanos Research NRG Research Group Opinion Search Inc. Phase 5 Consulting Group Inc. POLLARA PRA Inc. R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. Research House Inc. Research Now Synovate Ltd. Tann Research Services Inc. The Logit Group Inc. TNS Canadian Facts

BASIC CORPORATE RESEARCH AGENCIES Credo Consulting Inc. Illumina Research Partners Maverick Research Inc. Network Research Field Services Inc

w w w. m r i a - a r i m . c a / R R S 28

vue November 2011

P RO F E SS I O NAL D E VE LO P M E N T

MRIA’s Academic Awards Are Reaching Out Jeannette Bellerose, CMRP

MRIA Institute for Professional Development

Each year, MRIA presents three distinct academic awards, which fall under the auspices of the Institute for Professional Development.

These are the awards currently being offered: The Joseph Doyle Award. Established in 1987 to honour Joe Doyle, the founding president of PMRS (one of MRIA’s predecessor organizations) for his contribution to marketing research in Canada, this award is presented to the research professional who achieves the highest mark on MRIA’s Comprehensive Marketing Research Exam.

The John F. Graydon Award. This award was established in 1978 to honour John Graydon for his major role in advancing the Canadian marketing research industry. It is currently given to the outstanding bachelor’s degree graduate who has studied marketing research at the Schulich School of Business at York University.

The A.B. Blankenship Award.

Established in 1994, this award was originally named the “Georgian College Award” but, in 1997, it was renamed to honour Al Blankenship for his contribution to the practice, teaching and writing of marketing research. He was a founding member of PMRS and a founder of MRIA’s Fellowship program.

The award is currently given to the graduate with the highest grade point average in the Research Analyst Program at Georgian College.

Starting with the 2011–12 academic year, the Institute for Professional Development has introduced changes to two of these three awards. The John F. Graydon Award will become open to a graduating student from a marketing research–related program at any accredited university in Canada; and the A.B. Blankenship Award will become open to a graduating student from a marketing research–related program at any accredited community college in Canada.

How will these changes work? With the help of its chapters in identifying relevant post-secondary institutions, MRIA will provide a marketing research case to these institutions. Student nominees will be asked to submit a solution addressing the case. The proposals will be evaluated on preestablished criteria, and a short list of three finalists for each of the two awards will be selected. These finalists will be invited to present their proposals (via webinar or teleconference) to an MRIA judging committee. Seventy per cent of each nominee’s mark will be based on the written submission, and 30 per cent on the presentation. The winner of each award – the John F. Graydon Award for university graduates and the A.B. Blankenship Award for community college graduates – will be the finalist who receives the highest mark in the relevant category of institutions.

Each winner will receive a monetary award of $1,000, a one-year Student or New Practitioner MRIA membership, as well as travel, accommodation and incidental costs to attend the gala awards banquet held at the MRIA annual conference.

We are very excited about these changes, as we believe they will open MRIA up to the opportunity of deeper and better relationships with colleges and universities across Canada.

As I am writing these lines, we are looking for sponsors for these awards, not only to help with the financial aspect, but also to provide a real case study for the student competition and to offer the chance for the winners to connect with industry leaders at the award ceremony. This exciting sponsorship opportunity is open to all MRIA Corporate member organizations. Please contact Fania Borok, manager of Professional Development and Certification at FBorok@mria-arim.ca for more information about the awards process or sponsorship.

Jeannette Bellerose, PhD, CMRP, is dean of MRIA’s Institute for Professional Development. She is a co-founder of Arcturus Solutions, a research consulting firm based in Ottawa. With over twenty years of experience in applied social and marketing research, Jeannette has worked on both the client and research supplier sides. She can be reached at deanmriainstitute@mria-arim.ca

Retired CMRPs and Fellows are not required to accumulate points

vue November 2011

29

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 2012 CMRE sittings will be held on February 3, 2012 - Application deadline: January 6, 2012 and on June 29, 2012 - Application deadline: June 1, 2012. Apply now!

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 in Toronto on January 19-20, 2012 and on June 14-15, 2012. The enrollment to this unique Workshop is limited to 15 registrants per workshop, so don’t delay and reserve your seat TODAY.

CANADA’S LEADING PROVIDER OF MARKETING RESEARCH EDUCATION FOR PROFESSIONALS

LAST CHANCE! LAST CALL!!

GET ‘EM BEFORE THEY’RE GONE!!!

This is your FINAL chance to register for these courses before the cutoff! Don’t delay, act today!!

Registration Cutoff: November 11, 2011 Location: Ottawa

MCP 20

301-Competitive Intelligence, Competitor Benchmarking and Mystery Shopping Course Date: November 22, 2011

November 11, 2011 Location: Edmonton

MCP 20

Measuring Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty and Retention Course Date: November 25, 2011

November 16, 2011 Location: Toronto

MCP 20

301-Competitive Intelligence, Competitor Benchmarking and Mystery Shopping Course Date: November 30, 2011

November 18, 2011 Location: Toronto

MCP 20

Conjoint Analysis: Design, Analysis and Reporting that Leads to Better Marketing Strategy Course Date: December 2, 2011

MRIA Institute for Professional Development

30

vue November 2011

Only offered once this year!

Don’t miss out!

Only offered once this year!

Don’t miss out!

For more details or information, or to register please visit: www.mria-arim.ca/EDUCATION or contact us at education@mria-arim.ca

CO L U M N IST S

RAC

QUALITAS

Beyond the RAC

You Have Impact on How Great Your Pharma Qual Research Project Will Be

Margaret Brigley, CMRP Corporate Research Associates

Rob Maxwell Ipsos Health

One of the roles of MRIA’s Research Agency Council (RAC) is to report on the financial health of the industry. As such, the RAC is responsible for implementation of and reporting on MRIA’s annual Financial Health of the Industry (FHI) Survey.

The FHI Survey was first developed by CAMRO (one of MRIA’s three predecessor organizations), to help members understand the size of the industry, see changes in overall revenues from year to year, and provide data on compensation and benefits. At that time, there were roughly 25 CAMRO members, which included most, but not all, of the largest research firms in Canada. When CAMRO, PMRS and CSRC merged to form MRIA in 2004, the Research Agency Council was formed. Overseen by the RAC, the annual Financial Health of the Industry Survey was continued, more or less unchanged from the CAMRO model.

This year, the RAC has embarked on a full review of the survey, with the goal of enhancing its overall value to members, increasing the survey’s credibility, and ultimately increasing member participation and usage.

A key part of the review will include a thorough assessment of the survey’s existing position codes and descriptions, used in the compensation and staffing section of the survey. The RAC recognizes that the current listing does not adequately align with today’s industry, and it will be looking for feedback from members on where changes are needed. At the same time, the RAC will be reviewing survey questions, methodology, and reporting formats, to ensure that the survey is in tune with our changing industry.

Replacing the FHI Survey, the “new and improved” Annual Financial Activity Survey will be launched in the new year.

While Gold Seal–certified Corporate Research Agencies must complete the Annual Financial Activity Survey as one of the terms and conditions attached to their corporate membership, the RAC encourages all Research Agency Basic members, as well as individual members working for a non-corporate Research Agency member, to complete the survey when it is available. As with any census, strong participation rates go a long way to ensuring that the information collected provides clear guidance and direction to all industry members.

Watch for the 2012 Annual Financial Activity Survey.

A pair of pharma clients recently asked us for some tips on how they could help vendors deliver great research. Imagine my delight. Drum roll, please ...

Be generous with background details. Hopefully, your moderator is already peppering you with questions at the kick-off meeting; if not, note that the following questions are rarely covered in RFPs: • What decisions will the client make based on this research?

• What are the current hypotheses?

• What triggered the research to happen now?

• What is the brand strategy?

Getting this right is the groundwork for commercially meaningful research.

Make the stimulus the best that it can be. To do so, follow these recommendations: • Insert p values and n values on detail aids and product profiles.

• Get the translation double-checked.

• Make sure stimulus is in line with the brief, and within the ballpark of what can be approved.

• If the messages are intended to stand alone, ensure that they are not too simple (some reference to data points may be needed).

• Charts and graphs should be just as easy to read in marketing research as you would want them to be if they were being used “live.”

Don’t count on doctors to tell you what to do. Doctors aren’t clued in to all those juicy background details. They’ve been put on the spot, but they’re not marketers and they don’t lose sleep over marketing dilemmas.

Anybody heard this one before?

MODERATOR: “What would it take for you to prescribe more Product X?” DOCTOR: “I’m evidence-based, so just show me a head-to-head trial that proves the product is more effective.”

Problem solved! (Well, not really.)

To plagiarize an astute colleague of mine, “Research doesn’t make decisions; it informs decision-makers.” If it were any different, most of us would be out of a job. vue November 2011

31

CO LU M N I ST S

For the opening. Find props that appeal to different learning styles (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) in order to create a fun Social Media … Untapped and energetic mood, and to establish a collegial atmosphere Kristian Gravelle (icebreakers). Some examples include the following: Kraft Canada • Toys. They foster a creative and fun environment, and Social media are both allies and worthy opponents that need to encourage participants to take up playful energy.

• Snacks. Yes, snacks can be a prop. They can be used be fully investigated in order for us to extract their full strategically to give participants a boost of energy, and food potential. They are allies, insofar as they represent a wealth of often creates smiles and conversation. Try ones with vibrant readily available information and data; they are highly effeccolours or intriguing shapes. tive at reaching a broad population, and at connecting with • Brain teasers and/or other puzzles. These are useful as group younger generations and opinion leaders. They are opponents, insofar as they present complexities in the extraction of insights activities – to see who finishes first, for example – to prime participants for creative and innovative thinking. and in our understanding of their full impact on the corporate bottom line and public policy. Today’s diagnostic tools, such as For the closing. Props can be used to end the session on a high.

Google Insights and Radian6, provide some quantitative Consider these examples: perspective but fail at providing a complete picture of the • Playing music. Music can be used to elicit new thoughts available data.

In the October issue of Vue, Annie Pettit expressed the idea during a brainstorming session. It can also set a celebratory mood when concluding the session. that we can approach social media investigation in a fashion • Balls and magic wands. Engaging participants in a fast-paced that is similar to the way we approach traditional survey activity using a magic wand or a ball – as in hot potato methodology. This view is definitely a great starting point, brainstorming – revitalizes participants and leaves them but it fails to resolve fundamental questions such as these: feeling refreshed.

• What is the impact of social media on brand and corporate • A small gift. Giving each participant a small token, such as a equity? party loot bag, serves to acknowledge their accomplishments • What is the return on investment from advertising on social and recognize their participation. media?

CSRC

• Can we use social media as a sole source of insights, or must they be an integral part of insight investigation?

• Can social media play an integral role in public policy?

• What sampling issues need to be resolved to get to representation?

To quote Ms. Pettit, “There is a strange, frightening beast that prowls loudly about.” This beast is quite formidable, and there must be greater cooperation and collaboration between all members of the research community in order to help tame the beast. The potential of social media mining can be fully attained only if research suppliers, client-side researchers, and public opinion firms work collaboratively to develop the tools needed.

THE INNOVATION ACCELERATOR Props and a Creative Punch Deborah Klotz

Try any of these tips and go for the creative punch!

STANDARDS Conducting Market Research for the Pharmaceutical Industry: Challenges and Pitfalls Donald Williams NADbank

Conducting market research specific to the pharmaceutical industry comes with several hurdles and potential pitfalls. This type of research utilizes traditional market research techniques along with techniques from the medical and behavioural sciences. Prior to the start of a market research project, researchers have to consider several factors that are different from those of a typical market research project. Consider the following factors, which are highlighted mainly as a result of the scope of the challenges and issues they present.

RD Centre for Learning

Props add a punch of energy and creativity to meetings, innovation sessions, courses, and even traditional focus groups.

They help create an environment that embraces creativity, fun, change, and new approaches.

Props are especially useful in opening and closing a wide variety of sessions. Here are some tips for using props to enhance your meetings, research groups, and other events.

32

vue November 2011

Recruitment of research participants. Here, researchers are faced with two main hurdles: The first deals with representativeness – how to recruit a sample that adequately represents the target population. The second hurdle has to do with sample size limitations – establishing that the number of participants is adequate to meet the sample size requirements of the study.

The nature of many of the projects studying a very small segment of the population limits the recruitment options.

CO LU M N I ST S

The ethical quandary. While ethical issues are not unique to the conduct of market research in the pharmaceutical industry, they are amplified in scope and challenge. Market researchers face a bevy of ethical issues, including consent, equity and fairness, assessment of risk, conflict of interest, scientific integrity, privacy and confidentiality, and protection of vulnerable populations.

Recommendations. Navigating through the above hurdles can be a challenge, and there are no simple or cookie-cutter solutions. Each market research project must be handled on an individual basis. Fortunately, there are several useful resources, including MRIA’s Code of Conduct and Good Practice, the European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association’s code of conduct, and the Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Group. And here are a few recommendations from the World Health Organization’s Ethical Challenges in Study Design and Informed Consent for Health Research: Develop culturally meaningful approaches to informed consent. Respect the cultural traditions of study populations and communities.

Develop plans for resolving conflicts surrounding research implementation.

THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION The Court of Public Opinion Needs an Infusion of New Thought-Leaders Ruth M. Corbin, CMRP CorbinPartners Inc.

For the first time in the history of MRIA’s Litigation and Regulatory Resource Committee, vacancies have arisen. Please consider applying. MRIA will be posting a call for nominations online at www.mria-arim.ca

By way of mandate, the committee undertakes to proactively (1) act as a resource to the law profession, regulatory agencies, and the judiciary, for purposes of communicating industry standards and legitimate issues for debate; (2) identify emerging issues in expert evidence, and provide an industry response; (3) act as a bridge between the marketing research industry and the law profession/judiciary, for the purposes of educating the industry about expectations and opportunities to serve the legal sector; and (4) draft industry position statements with respect to best practices for emerging research technologies.

In carrying out its mandate, the committee will (1) follow court and regulatory decisions involving survey research, note the basis for evaluation and weight as adopted by the trier of fact, and communicate to the profession; (2) on topics where a trier of fact has made a finding inconsistent with Canadian industry practice, decide on a suitable professional response if appropriate; (3) facilitate requests for speakers or seminar leaders, and proactively offer to make expert speakers available to educational forums for triers of fact and other legal professionals; (4) proactively update the legal profession on standards, strengths and limitations of Internet research, and on other frontier issues that may arise; (5) follow American and European developments on expert evidence standards to articulate the Canadian position; and (6) prepare continuing education programs for the marketing research and intelligence industry.

To date this year, the committee has reviewed and endorsed the judge’s benchbook chapter on survey evidence to incorporate industry guidelines on Internet surveys, and it has supported Brendan Wycks and MRIA’s board of directors in planning the next steps concerning the Supreme Court “Masterpiece” decision, reviewed earlier in this column.

Please look for the MRIA posting and see if it matches your current interests and available time. Questions? contact amgabriel@mria-arim.ca

vue November 2011

33

Some like it

mobile

What are we learning about mobility research best practices to date?

Five thought leaders who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in mobile research, have confirmed. Find out how mobile research will revolutionize market research in our digital virtual conference on Thursday Nov. 17 2011.

Mobile Life: The New MR Paradigm Leonard Murphy, CEO, BrandScan360. Lenny, the author of the just-released Fall 2011 Research Industry Reports, indicates that mobile surveys will experience massive growth. Is mobile research the panacea for the industry?

What are challenges and opportunities?

Mobile Survey Invitations: Move Over SMS, Make Way for QR Code Leslie Townsend, President and Founder of Kinesis Survey Technologies. QR codes are proliferating everywhere. How can the MR industry use these codes? Do they elevate engagement in mobile surveys? What does the research on research say?

The New Motion Picture: How Mobile Devices Are Revolutionizing Consumer Research John Williamson, Qualvu, CEO and Founder. Webcams, tablets, flipcams, mobile phones all capture terabits of video. John will show us how to leverage the intelligence from the mobile video research. Is video the new research platform?

Utilizing Mobile Devices for Instantaneous Feedback in the Entertainment Industry Edward Paul Johnson, Director of Analytics, SSI and Miles Wright, Director of Mobile Research, SSI. Response rates in mobile phone research can be significantly affected by the implementation of the design. What is the better design? Find out from an experimental study of viewers of Iron Man 2.

Screaming at Squamish: How Mobility Research Was Utilized at a Concert Jason Cyr, CEO and co-founder of Tiipz Can you go beyond customer satisfaction at an event and drive the engagement towards sponsors? What worked and what didn't in a concert at Squamish last summer?

Date: Thursday Nov. 17 Digital Conference delivered in real time (GotoMeeting) Cost: $50 for members; $60 for non-members Time: Noon – 3:00 PM EST

Online Registration Go to www.mria-arim.ca to register NOW

Questions?

Contact Sandy Janzen, Sandy.Janzen@Ipsos.com and Cam Davis, camdavis@sdrsurvey.com